My asawa and I were riding the pump boat on the Iloilo Strait back to Mango Land, Guimaras, the island province in Western Visayas of the Philippines that we retired to over five years ago. After a shopping spree in Iloilo City, we hired a pump boat at Ortiz Wharf in Iloilo to haul our new Samsung washer, Samsung DVD Home Entertainment System, and Magic Sing Karaoke back to “The Farm” where we currently reside.
A look at the Ortiz Wharf in Iloilo City
The steps that lead down to the pump boats, as shown above, can sometimes be difficult for an old geezer like myself to navigate. Thankfully, there’s usually a crew member on the boat that helps passengers like me get on board.
More views of the Ortiz Wharf in Iloilo City.
Threatening skies scowled at us in the horizon as we neared the Jordan Wharf in Guimaras.
Thankfully the rain held off until Neil, in the blue shirt, another of our regular porters at the wharf, and Joseph loaded the multicab we rented for a cost of 250 pesos, plus a 50 peso tip, a total of almost seven US Dollars.
My asawa is seen in the next picture instructing Neil and Joseph on how she wanted the vehicle loaded. She supervises a crew of five people at our home, myself included in that number, and at times, I think she would have made a good drill sergeant. She expects things done in a certain way and if you don’t follow her exact orders, she will let you know.
Our driver had to pull up at one of the many “gas stations” found on our island province. Of course, that’s not real Coke in the glass bottles but gasoline which some sari sari stores along the main highway sell to augment their income. If you have a sari sari store in the Philippines you have to be resourceful and offer something your competition, usually a neighbor, doesn’t sell.
The gas station gets restocked after our multicab is gassed up. Currently on our island province of Guimaras diesel is going for 51.40 pesos a liter and unleaded gas is selling for 56.30 at the mainstream outlets such as SeaOil. With gasoline prices for regular fuel averaging approximately $3.47 a gallon and $3.85 for diesel (source: U.S. Energy Information Adminstration) , gas prices in the Philippines are higher, at about 4.87 US Dollars a gallon for the regular brand (if I did my math correctly.)
And I close with a picture of the “Smallest Plaza” located outside of the Jordan Wharf in Guimaras. I’ve been trying for five years to get a shot of this sign from a multicab and finally was able to take one that wasn’t blurry. The elevated, circular plaza with a statue of a young Jose Rizal at the center is reportedly the smallest plaza in the Philippines.
Dave,
Its best just to let the asawa handle everything. I learned my lesson on trying to help. I can’t imagine trying to lift that heavy washer up and down those steep steps.