Off-Vespa: A Pasig River Ferry ride!

Part of a being married to a Chinese is a regular trip to Binondo — Manila’s Chinatown. On our way there yesterday afternoon, I suggested that after we finish our errands, we head to Escolta and finally take the Pasig Ferry ride which I have read about in the newspaper.

We arrived at the ferry station at dusk and was still able to conveniently parked our car just beside the station. The riverbanks of that side of Pasig River now looks great with cobblestone sidewalks and benches. The imposing view of the Manila Central Post Office in front and the neon-lit Jones Bridge (to the right) and Quezon Bridge (to the far left) reflected on the water were sights we don’t see everyday. True, there were floating rubbish around and the occasional whiff of the wind brings a not-so pleasing smell, but I could see that there’s still be hope for this dying river. I was actually glad to see it’s murky brown waters than it’s former black! It’s not exactly a sight I love to show my daughter, but it seemed that she has already expected it and was more excited to experience this new ferry ride. She even forgo her regular kalesa ride whenever in Ongpin. It was really kinda cool that its all our first time to see Manila to Makati in this perspective. Too bad we didn’t have a digicam on hand to take clear shots but the phonecam came handy for some shots.

the lighted sign at Escolta on our return trip

The fare was P25 per person and the station’s waiting area is air conditioned. There are seats inside the station but not enough for all of the ferry’s full capacity of 150 pax. But since the Pasig River Ferry hasn’t been promoted yet (aside from features in the papers), the passenger turnout is expectedly low which was actually good in our case since we took the ride for a tour more than anything. By the way, there are toilets in the station and benches outside which is very convenient for smokers. *hehehe* I asked the guard and he told me that their highest passenger-turnout so far is 89. Not bad.

There were maybe around 30 passengers for our particular trip. As we boarded, we saw that the interiors were clean and the aircon’s cool. Very cool in fact. There are life vests under the seats and panoramic windows to enjoy the view. At the back, there are seats with a table on each side. For security, there’s a member of the coast guards on board. There are two counters in front which, I assumed, would sell drinks and munchies in the future. There’s even a flatscreen TV in front only it plays karaoke. As the doors were open as passengers board, the smell of the river expectedly seeps inside; but not so much that you’d be covering your nose. In fact, my usually squeamish daughter swears she doesn’t smell it anymore as we started to move.

Benz & Kite inside the ferry with the Post Office at the background

One highlight for us is when we pass Malacañang Palace. Since I’ve been taking [useless] photos, one crew member politely told me that I can’t take a picture once we’re in the palace’s vicinity. Reasonable enough. Instead, I told my kid to get a P20 ready and compare what she see outside the window with the image at the back of the paper bill. Well, we found out it looks exactly the same except for the lattice work on the second floor windows. It was also a surprise to see that there’s a restaurant by the river within the Malacañang complex. Of course, we also saw the pier where Erap bade farewell to the palace staff.

The Sta. Ana to Mandaluyong stretch was largely unfamiliar to me since there are no major thoroughfares along these areas (I didn’t see any road traffic) but only rows of oil depots and factories. It was interesting for me to find out that there are passenger boats available for the residents along the river who want to cross to the other side. Never knew those existed! I also never knew that there’s a railroad that passes over the Pasig River. If I hadn’t looked up, I wouldn’t have noticed the that instead of concrete road, there were gaps and planks of wood above us! There’s also that church (near Hulo station) that doesn’t have the usual concrete railings to the river. Instead, the frontage is open with concrete steps/bleachers where people can sit, hangout and chitchat facing the waters. The scene was so provincial I never imagined I would find anything like it in the city. Of course, it was also nice to see the familiar Rockwell & Power Plant mall with its well-lit reflection.

The trip from Escolta to Guadalupe took about an hour. Upon reaching the end of the line (Guadalupe), we head back to the ticket counter for our return trip. Now, we are the only passengers heading back to downtown Manila. Good thing the crew were more relaxed now. My wife & I were even glad the guys didn’t feel obliged to play their staple karaoke video as we boarded and stuck with the local news. I asked if I’ll be allowed to go outside and they said yes. Cool! Since it’s already nighttime, the changing lights on the railings of Nagtahan bridge looks more colorful with their reflection. Bad trip talaga that I’m not able to capture these images on a nice camera!

But all in all, it was a great experience for city slickers like us. It felt like my first LRT ride when I was young; or the first time I drove to Malabon where I could only see stretches of ponds/fields on both sides of the road. It feels nice being a tourist in your own city once in a while. Maybe because it was generally dark that’s why the dirty water didn’t bother us so much. I would want to try the ferry for another time during the day to see for myself. My daughter asked me if she could ride again when there are more passengers.

By the way, for nice pictures of the ferry, the stations, and more details about the service, head on to Pinoy Travel Blog.

♪Anak ng Pasig naman kayo… ♫

-o-
{▫}
J0HNRANA

john[dot]rana[at]gmail[dot]com