Kawasaki Ninja 250r

A rocky and dangerous ride to the mountains of Gingoog City. The road I took was the Gingoog-Claveria-Villanueva Highway passing the Palapay Bridge.

This place is a famous campsite for NPA rebels (in fact, they have several stations here).  That’s why not too many travelers use this road. They use the Misamis Oriental National Highway instead (Gingoog City – Cagayan de Oro City).

All photos were taken quickly. My father advised me not to stop unless it’s an emergency because three people were recently killed in these mountains. The report say it involved two rival factions of the NPA. Also, it was December – a month when many guerillas decides to head downtown and celebrate Christmas and New Year. 

Date: December 29, 2010.

Date: January 5, 2011
Departure: Gingoog City
Destination: Cagayan de Oro City

Approx Total Distance: 130 KM

Mud, dirt, and black smoke filled my bike. My jacket, gloves, and helmet were also full of dirt. Even the side mirrors were crammed with dirt.

The headlight was also patched with dried mud. As by far, this is my dirtiest ride ever.

Click the images to view hi-res photos.

This is a trip of a lifetime. I travelled from Luzon to Mindanao with my Kawasaki Ninja 250. It took me three and a half days to complete the journey with stop-over and sight-seeing at Masbate City, Cebu City, and Nasipit (Butuan City) .

Itinerary:

• Departure at 4pm in Lucena City.
• Arrived at Masbate City at around 9am but I was not able to unload my bike because it was still low tide – the ship can’t open its cargo door. I toured the city the usual way: by foot. Masbate City is small. No mall but it’s a nice place.
• By 2pm, my Ninja was unloaded. After unloading, I toured Masbate City with my bike. You can circle the whole place in as little as two hours. Masbate is the only city in the Philippines where the pier and the airport are in very close proximity.
• At around 5pm, I bought a ticket to Cebu c/o TransAsia Shipping Lines. 8pm we departed Masbate.
• I arrived at Cebu City around 8 in the morning.
• I explored some of Cebu’s major tourist destinations: Colon Street (the oldest street in Asia), Capitol Building, Sto Nino Church, Magellan’s Cross, etc. Please see pictures below.
• 12 noon: took a rest in SM Cebu.
• 2pm: bought a ticket to Nasipit (a little municipality in Mindanao). My original plan was to go to Cagayan de Oro City but the ticket-lines were too long.
• 8am: Superferry 21 departed Cebu.
• I arrived at Nasipit at around 5am. I have to wait for several minutes for my cargo (my Ninja) to be assessed and cleared-up.
• I arrived at Gingoog City at 6am.
• I will post my Cagayan de Oro City pictures soon.

TOTALS:

• Distance from Lucena City (Luzon) to Nasipit (Mindanao) is more or less 450 nautical miles.
• Payment (passenger fare, cargo fee, assessment fee, araste payments, gas, etc): approximately 9,600 pesos for one way or almost 20,000 pesos for the round-trip travel. This does not include the payments for hotels, food, parking fees, etc).

You can read the rest of my Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao rides here:

• Dirtiest Ride Ever (Gingoog City to Cagayan de Oro City)
• Palapay Ride (Gingoog City’s mountain region)
• CDO City to Butuan City Ride
• Cebu’s Sinulog and the Ninja

Enjoy the pictures below:

Lucena City

Masbate City

Cebu City

Nasipit (Butuan City) / Gingoog City

Cagayan de  Oro City (soon)

You can read the rest of my Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao rides here:

• Dirtiest Ride Ever (Gingoog City to Cagayan de Oro City)
• Palapay Ride (Gingoog City’s mountain region)
• CDO City to Butuan City Ride
• Cebu’s Sinulog and the Ninja

· Date: November 14, 2010

· Time of Departure: 11:30 am

This is again a solo bike ride for me. This time, I’m off to San Antonio, Quezon —approximately 57 kilometers from Lucena City.

At San Antonio, I was with my girlfriend, Leah (the host), and Bryne (my girlfriend’s colleague at work).

On my way there, it was my best ride ever. The National Highway was almost a ghost town. There are only a few vehicles on the road and not too many people on the streets. THE REASON? It was the Pacquiao-Margarito boxing match. Almost all people were inside their houses watching the match.

THE EFFECT? I’m alone on the road riding my Ninja. I almost clocked my top speed at 160 km/h.

Before noon, I reached Candelaria. I toured the town’s downtown for 15 minutes and took some pictures.

I arrived at San Antonio at around 12:15 pm and explored the place a little bit. At 12:30, me, my girlfriend, and Bryne went to Leah’s place. We took a handful of lunch just in time for the boxing match.

I went back to Lucena City at around 4:30 pm. This time, I encountered heavy rains, wet roads, and severe traffic at Candelaria and Sariaya. It was the complete opposite of my Lucena-San Antonio ride. I stopped at a gas station and filled up my tank to 17 liters and rested for about 15 minutes. I waited until the rain stopped.

I arrived at my place all wet at around 6:00 pm.

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Last Thursday – November 11, 2010, I went to Makati City to discuss stuff to a prospected client. He’s a foreigner from Dubai.

Me, the Boss, and his lady assistant held the conversation at the Ascot Hotel (formerly Oakwood) and Bo’s Cofee. It’s on the side and front of Glorietta 5, respectively.

The meeting did not take too long. Because I have some time on my hand, I decided to go to Mall of Asia in Pasay City to buy something for my Kawasaki Ninja. Instead, I bought an Alpinestars glove for myself. I thought it would serve as an added protection when I’m riding my bike. I was not able to use my Probiker glove anymore because I’m not comfortable wearing it.

I went ahead to Motoworld and looked for a glove that suits my needs. I found this Alpinestars glove perfect for me – it’s simple but elegant, stylish, all-black, and comfy.

AND it’s perfect for my budget. I bought it for 3,000 pesos.

Description:

With superb protection and motocross-inspired styling, the lightweight and extremely comfortable Alpinestars SMX 2 Air Carbon Gloves are the ultimate in urban sportriding gear.

Features and Benefits

• Carbon-fiber knuckle protection pivots over knuckles for perfect positioning in any hand position
• Clarino synthetic-leather palm with full-grain leather reinforcement in impact zones
• Reinforced paneling on finger joints for added protection
• Forced-air vents on fingers
• Easy Velcro wrist closure with TPR logo
• Silicone printing on fingertips for increased grip
• Perforated and breathable construction, perfect for those warmer days
• Short-cuff style

Here’s the official link of the glove from Alpinestars: http://www.alpinestars.com/pd/p/356775.html 

Gears Checklist:

• Helmet: I have two sets of helmet. One for the long / casual ride and one for sunny days. You can see one of my helmets here: http://thefinestwriter.com/ninja250/my-new-helmet-sparx-griffin-s-07-special-edition
• Gloves: check
• Jacket: I have three sets of jacket. One for the long ride, one for the casual ride, and one for blocking the sun’s heat.
• Boots: This is in my Christmas wish-list. I hope someone can give this to me as a gift.

Back:

I don’t have photos for the glove’s back. Instead, I posted here the back portion of the same model, but with a different color.