After about two months of planning and a number of text and facebook conversations, my friend and I decided to make Aliwagwag Falls in Cateel, Davao Oriental our first destination in our Eastern Mindanao trip.
I met him at Francisco Bangoy International Airport (or Davao Airport) since he was coming from Cebu and I flew from Clark. We rode a taxi going to Ecoland terminal. It cost us about 190 pesos. Since it was past the hour of 12 that time, we’ve decided to stop by a nearby restaurant to eat before heading to the terminal.
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| Buses at Ecoland Terminal in Davao City |
At half past 1 we proceeded to Ecoland only to find out that the bus going to Cateel has left just a few minutes before we arrived. We asked the staff of Bachelor Express what time the next trip will be, but they weren’t quite sure as there are no standby buses for Cateel and we would really have to wait until the bus from Cateel arrives.
Fifteen minutes after waiting in the terminal, a guy approached us, asking us where we’re headed. We told him we were bound for Cateel, and he immediately told us that there’s a van parked a block away from Ecoland going to Cateel. After a short talk, my friend and I decided to opt for the van than wait for the bus.
After walking a short distance from Ecoland, we were ushered in a yellow airconditioned van. We were then informed that the van is actually going to Mati City, but will head to Cateel after. We then realized our trip will be longer as compared to the bus trip that will pass by the Davao-Compostela Road. But anyway,we thought it was also a good idea to pass by Mati city and the nearby municipalities of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.
