Crossing the San Juanico bridge has always been my childhood dream. Ever since I was a kid I wondered how long it would take for me to cross such an enormous distance but now that I have at long last stepped foot on it, I finally found the answer: 40 minutes!
Spanning a length of 2.16 kilometers, this is the longest bridge in the Philippines and is considered as one of the most beautifully designed bridges in the country thanks to its arch-shaped truss design. Also known as the Marcos Bridge, it connects Samar and Leyte with its design shaped like the letters S and L which stands for the initials of the two provinces. Some people also call it as the Bridge of Love because it is said to have been given as a gift by the late President Ferdinand Marcos to his wife Imelda.
It is was around 9am when Pinky and I were dropped off at the end of the bridge in Tacloban. During that time, I was thinking that Pinky might back-off because of the heat of the sun but it turns out she was excited as I am. I even remember her telling me, "Nakakatuwa no? Dati nakikita mo lang sya sa mga textbooks nung bata ka tapos ngayon andun ka na."
Walking over the bridge isn't actually that stressful thanks to the picturesque views of the San Juanico Strait that divides the two provinces. We even saw several cyclists stopping over at the highest point of the structure to take a rest and take pictures. With a spectacular view of the sea and the surrounding areas, it was indeed a good place to relax those muscles.
I only used to see this huge infrastructure in textbooks back in my grade school years but now that I finally got to see it for real and even experience walking over it, I can't help but smile knowing that I was able to fulfill this childhood dream. It was such a beautiful sight to behold and an experience that I will carry with me lifelong.
How to get there:
From the Tacloban Bus Terminal, you can take any bus or jeepney bound for Samar (Basey or Marabut). Travel time is just around 10 minutes.
it was also my childhood dream... am glad to have walked on it as well last year... ^_^
ReplyDeletecheers for fulfilling our childhood dreams! :)
DeleteWow! Exercise na din ayn at 40 mins kayo naglakad! The bridge is beautiful as well as the view!
ReplyDeletehaha yes. a very memorable exercise for us!
Deleteactually yan din ang una kong naisip... yung mga lugar na dati sa aklat ko lang nakikita eh napupuntahan ko na ngayon... i wanna go there too! pag ako siguro mga 1 hour..hihi
ReplyDeletenaku take your time. kahit 2 hours pa :)
Deletehehe pang sibika at kultura!
ReplyDeletesibika at kultura, haven't heard that in years! :p
DeleteOo nga no... nasa elementary textbooks lang talaga sya dati... this is quite a dream come true to see it.
ReplyDeleteand now it's in our blogs! yey!
Deletewahaha.. pangarap ko din to mula pa nung grade 1 dahil isa ito sa mga sikat na lugar sa Sibika at Kultura..
ReplyDeleteisa to sa mga aim ko, ang makapag marathon sa buong kahabaan ng San Juanico.
the last photo reminds me of Quezon Bridge sa Quiapo..
haha onga no :)
DeleteNice! :) Gusto ko din to matry kaso last na punta ko ng Leyte ay maliit pa ako, hehe. Nakakatuwa no na sa nababasa mo lang dati sa textbook sa school ay napupuntahan mo na ang mga lugar! :D
ReplyDeletebrings back my sibika and kultura days hehe
ReplyDeletehaven't really been to leyte, although kumuntik na sana ako makabook last sale ng cebpac, kaso nagbagal yung site di natuloy sayang
Ganyan pala k ganda ang San Juanico bridge ..gsto k mtry mglakad dyan ..hehehe
ReplyDeleteyun talaga ang masarap na feeling when you finally see something na dati sa libro mo lang nababasa.i remember getting disappointed when i found out that my mom slept thru the trip na dumaan sa bridge.
ReplyDelete