Winding up on a Misadventure in Tawi-tawi
I have lots of misadventures as a traveler. Among them were as follows:
- I went to the airport not knowing that I left my bag at the bus station. Thankfully, it was in Japan, and my bag was returned safely and on time for our departure to the Philippines.
- In Hong Kong, my friends and I spent the night at the park because the AirBnb host failed to instruct us where to get the key to our room. We thought it was a scam because we couldn’t reach her. Surprisingly, the key was just under the doormat in front of the room.
Do you want to know what my favorite misadventure is? It’s when I booked for Tawi-tawi to Zamboanga incorrectly.
It was my first time to travel in Mindanao. My destinations were Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi, also known as ZamBaSulTa. Truly, a unique and must-try experience — being able to learn about their culture, history, and food in one single swoop. I was amazed by how Mindanao retained its rich heritage, while Manila was westernized already. I’ll give you an overview of that trip:
Day 1 (June 29, 2018)
- Arrival in Zamboanga City
- Road ferry going to Basilan to visit Malamawi White Beach Resort
- Went back to Zamboanga and ride ferry to Sulu (overnight ride)
NOTE: Many undiscovered and breathtaking beaches.
Day 2 (June 30, 2018)
- City tour in Sulu
- Went back to Zamboanga via ferry (overnight ride)
NOTE: Delicious foods! I had a chance to mingle with natives when my tour guide invited me to their “padasal” for a dead relative (Muslim rite). Try black soup, sate, and their coffee when you visit.
Day 3 (July 1, 2018)
- Arrival to Zamboanga
- Road airplane for Tawi-tawi
- City Tour
NOTE: Nothing much on a city tour. You should try island hopping there where you can see the longest sandbar in the Philippines.
I checked on my booked flight for the next day while on my way back to the hotel. It was when I noticed that I booked for July 3 instead of July 2 going back to Zamboanga. I panicked because there were only two (2) flights going from Tawi-tawi to Zamboanga daily. I barely had any sleep that night.
Day 4 (July 2, 2018)
I went to the airport early to become a chance passenger. The ticketing officer honored my request together with another passenger, but the first airplane was already full. The second airplane arrived at 9AM. We lined up, and waited for scheduled passengers to go first. After that, my co-chance passenger paid for her ticket. I showed my credit card when it’s my turn because I had no cash. Unfortunately, they don’t have their Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal nor an ATM machine.
“Sir babayaran ko na lang po kayo pagkalapag ng Zamboanga, ipapadala ko po pagka-withdraw ko promise!”, I begged and was crying already. I even borrowed money from some people there but to no avail. Who would trust me, right? I was starting to accept my fate – being left there, and missing my flight back to Manila that night, when a police officer approached us and asked about my problem. The next thing I knew was, the ticketing officer issued me a plane ticket after confirming from another officer to give me a chance. Pwew! My whole body was shaking when I ran through the airport runway and towards the plane. I was so happy that I almost forgot to thank the police officer. I made it to Zamboanga and was able to go to Pink Beach after! I went back to Manila at night, same day.
I remember taking photos from the airplane window as I told myself, “I will not forget you, Tawi-tawi!”
I was waiting for Cebu Pacific to call me for the rebooking fee but there was none! Thank you Lord! What a trip indeed!
P.S. Try eating curacha and knickerbocker when you visit Zamboanga
How about you? Can you share about your misadventure/s?