Ilocos Norte | My First (and Probably My Last) Sleeper Bus Experience with Florida Bus

Florida Bus' Sleeper Bus :)

I love traveling yet I consider traveling by land, particularly by bus, an ordeal. I almost always get a headache. I feel dizzy, and more often than not, I throw up. Oh yes, up to now I'm still like that. Except in two occasions: 1) if I could manage to sleep the entire trip, or 2) if I have a companion who would make me talk and talk all throughout. Hahaha...weird eh! Actually, these two reasons aren't fool proof. If the trip is quite long or if I smell something inside the bus (for example, if someone ate something smelly or if someone spray something), I'll get a headache and then feel dizzy afterwads and if I can't help it, I'll throw up.

When I went to Ilocos Norte last year (November, 2013), I tried a sleeper bus, thinking that if I slept all throughout the entire trip, I wouldn't get a headache, wouldn't feel dizziness, and wouldn't get all that bad feelings. In the first few hours, I'm good actually. I can still smile and chitchat with my friend. When everyone else slept, we stopped talking and tried to sleep too. And so I thought I'll get to Ilocos Norte without a hitch. But I was wrong. At around 3:00AM, I felt the need to use the bus' comfort room. I get down from my couch, went to the CR whilst the bus is moving fast. I almost tripped on to some passengers along the way. When inside the CR, I almost banged my head because of the bumpy road, the winding road and the somehow speedy ride. I managed not to, by the way.

I get back to my deck afterwards but I know I'm not good anymore. My head started to ache and I somewhat felt dizzy. I tried to calm myself, thinking that I'm okay and that we would reach Ilocos Norte with me still feeling good. To minimize the effect of dizziness, I tried to sleep but every ten-fifteen minutes or so, I'm awake. I knew and felt every bumps on the road and every stop the driver made, to get a breather I guess. A breather for himself (and some other passengers), an agony for me. The driver and some other passengers took this stop to get out and smoke. So when they board the bus again, they brought with them the hateful smell of cigarette smoke. And I hate it! (I hope smokers learn to respect those who aren't by restraining themselves while still on public places or public transports, in this case.) That made the trip a more agonizing one, all the way. Really!

After an agonizing three hours, at last we reached Laoag City at past 6:00AM. Everyone on the bus got up, fixed themselves in preparation of soon alighting from the bus. Me? I didn't move. I know that even just one move from me and I'll throw up. Only when the bus was parked and everyone else got off did I move and get out. Once I stand up, I knew I'm going to throw up so I rushed getting off the bus and look for some inscupous place and throw up. I didn't even have time to look for the terminal's comfort room as I know the minute I stand up that it's coming. Oh yes, I did throw up! Again! :(

That sleeper bus experience would probably be my first and last. I wouldn't try it again. Instead of feeling more comfortable because I'm lying down, it's the other way around. The couch is a bit small, it's too narrow if you're on the plus-size. And if you're somewhat taller than regular, you can't stretch out comfortably. But it's not just because of these that I'll never try sleeper bus again. It's more because of my motion sickness, actually. But hopefully, as I do long distance travel more often, I'll get rid of this feeling. Hopefully... ;)

Florida Bus' Trip Schedules:

Florida Bus' Trip Schedules

Florida Bus' Metro Manila Terminals:

Sampaloc Terminal: Lacson Street (near corner EspaƱa), Sampaloc, Manila

Cubao Terminal: EDSA (near Pag-ibig Quezon City Branch), Quezon City

17 comments:

  1. Ang hassle ng ganyang feeling. Sana mawala na yan! :)

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  2. aww. how about meds or those thingamajigs that you have to smell? went to ilocos too may of last year. buti na lang we didn't choose the sleeper bus talaga.

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  3. I actually agree. Riding the Florida sleeper bus was quite an uncomfortable experience. To make it worse we were on the upper decks, which the made the travel more dizzying.

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  4. What a terrible experience. Dont like travelling long distance with bus or car either.
    have a nice week.

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  5. 3 hours lang and your complaining? ha ha.

    Anyway I so agree with the smelly bus - I hate it too. I love road trip as long as the trip is comfortable.

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  6. Hi Empi: hassle talaga, sana nga wala sya...but I doubt. hehe...

    Hi Apple: alang effect ang meds, sleep or something that would keep me away from focusing on what I feel lang talaga, like talking too much. haha...

    Hi Marge: same here, we were on upper decks at mas feel ko talaga un turns and bumps kaya ayun, sobrang hilo.

    Hi ate Joy: terrible, indeed! pero nag-enjoy pa rin naman ako afterwards, nung mawala na un hilo ko. hehe...

    Hi MsB: 3 hours ng mag-umpisa ko mahilo at un 3 hours na un eh parang forever na sa 'kin...haha. Actually, di naman smelly un bus, the smell came from the inconsiderate smokers...grr!

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  7. Mahirap talaga mag travel kung mabilis ka mahilo., buti na lang di ako mahihiluhin kasi ever since bata ako, bumabyahe ako papunta school.

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  8. Hi June! mas malayo nga ang narating ko nung bata ako eh pero di naman ako lagi nahihilo, bus at amoy sa loob ng aircon bus lang talaga ang number 1 na kalaban ko. di naman makapag-ordinary dahil usok (sigarilyo at sasakyan) naman ang kalaban ko sa ordinary bus. hays...

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  9. A few years back, I went to Cagayan on a Florida bus. So far okay naman ang biyahe. Yun lang, tama ka, pag may di magandang smell talaga sa loob ng bus, nakakahilo talaga. Tapos, sabi mo matagtag pa ang biyahe.

    Anyway, ganun talaga pag nagbibiyahe eh. There are times na hindi perfect ang situation. We could only wish and pray that each of our trips will be hassle-free.

    Have fun traveling lagi and keep safe, too!

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    1. hi ms. N! You're right, we can only hope and pray. Except naman dito sa problem ko sa pagkahilo, everything else went well, sulit naman ang pagod at hilo...hehe. salamat sa muling pagdalaw ms. N. :)

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  10. Hello po, maraming salamat sa pagdalaw sa blog ko. hehehe!. Mahirap talaga matulog sa sleeper bus lalong na kung sa itaas ka nakapwesto, mas ok sa pakiramdam kung sa baba ka.

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  11. I can feel you girl! i easily get dizzy too and need to throw up! hahah well i didn't yet throw up when I'm traveling since childhood. haha when i feel the ache i immediately use white flower, (it's their brand i think) i just smell it then the ache suddenly disappear and i fell asleep, for long hour travel time i drink 2 Bonamin adult and it's effective for me. Try it also, maybe it'll work on you. :)

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    1. Thank you for the visit here and the advice Kim. Actually, I've never tried bonamine or any other meds during travel, I always think it's the smell that causes it. I guess I was wrong, I'll try it the next time I do long travel. :)

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  12. Thanks for this, miss. I think you just made me decide not to take the sleeper bus to Aparri. :) I was checking out the pictures of the bus and looked doubtful as to the comfort of taking a sleeper trip. This has been very helpful indeed. :)

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  14. No problem at all!! REally enjoy the trip with good long sleep. Only it was a bit cold as the AC was too powerful, but if you do not forget a warm pullover, it will be a pleasant trip. Next time travelling Manila to Laoag or the other way around, I will try again sleeper buses from Florida.

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    1. Hi Bernardino, it's nice to know that you enjoyed your trip. If not for my motion sickness and some inconsiderate smokers, I might have enjoyed it, too. :)

      Thanks for visiting here, btw. More safe and happy travels for you. :)

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