Rough Groove

Series 20: A boat trip

For countless years, I’ve been riding passenger ships. Trips that I’ve taken from my home province of Cebu to different ports like Manila, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Ozamis, Surigao and Cagayan de Oro (all in Mindanao) either to visit my Mindanao roots, travel to collect beetles, to – from work when I was based in Cagayan de Oro to as far back as during my college days when I was in Mandaluyong and my option of going home was only via boat since the plane fare was too high. From as short as 5 to as long as 26 hours.

The different views of islands and inumerable hues and cloud formations in the skies to the sea gypsies that are found at the dock shouting and pleading for people to through them money as seen from the inside of the boat. To different activities to while away time by the passengers themselves and their myriad facial expressions while waiting to arrive to their destinations always fascinated me. Thus, this series is a tribute to that experience.

Fourteen colored photos of my last trip to Cagayan de Oro a few months ago. This series at Binary Silver was taken while I was aboard the passenger ship from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro and back.