Just a number
FOR the last two weeks plus two days, I have been down in the lowlands and up the mountains almost every single day. 16 days and 16 trips.
Five times to Manila and back, three of which I stayed one night, two I did round trip just to attend one meeting. Ten trips in total, five down south and five back north.
With every trip I will surely find something to do, other than just attend one meeting. At one of these trips, I had three in one day.
Juan can imagine the number of times I have had to go through NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX, SLEX, Skyway, Kennon Road and Marcos Highway, just this sixteen days. Not counting the many other times.
A trip in NLEX and SCTEX will cost three hundred twenty two, Along TPLEX it is two hundred thirty five in Binalonan, but in Urdaneta it is two hundred sixteen. I take the Skyway, it's at one hundred and sixty four but faster, in SLEX but with no guarantees and with all the trucks it is cheaper at one hundred eighteen.
In one trip, I picked up Mom from the airport. Arrived at terminal three at two for a late lunch, the plane landed on time at three but Mom got out at four. EDSA alone it took us four hours until our dinner stop at eight in NLEX. It took us just two hours from there to Baguio after.
Marcos Highway is the all weather road and it is free, Kennon Road will set Juan back at fifteen pesos for cars, vans, suv's. On trip fifteen I was surprised to get a free one. The Juan manning the toll gate refused to get my fifteen pe- sos. He just said drive safely Mayor. It made my day. One time only.
Imagine too the times I had to stop for food along these roads.
Chowking, two times and in different places. Always for breakfast. Ask for a free newspaper. For four of these trips I ate in Mister Kebab. I won't hesitate to go and eat there every time. Just one shawarma for me, enough. The place is open twenty four hours every day and seven days a week, anyway. Even on holidays.
An obligatory treat it always is for my son in this favorite Japanese spot, Nihonbashitei. It is just by the entrance to the Skyway from his school, just so you know. It is also cheap and good. My last bill was exactly two thousand for us four. The six milliliter Sake was eight hundred and two Mango Juice plus one Coffee was half the bill at one thousand. One Chirashi Don, one Spicy Salmon Sashimi, one Seafood Ramen, one thousand pesos.
Whenever I get to go home to my place down south, there is always some takeaway of one liempo and one half chicken from Mr. Liempo just across our place. Three hundred for both.
Going down to Manila we took two stops to City Mall along SCTEX and had Mang Inasal. Same orders of two PM one point five, the spicy one, each at one hundred fifteen pesos with unlimited rice, I always have two rice only, one ice tea and one bowl of sinigang broth, free.
Two times have I been fortunate to find Tim