I just came from Montreal. I didn’t get to research much about the city before I left Manila, and I learned these things as I went about the city. I hope it would be useful to anyone who would be traveling to Montreal for the first time.

First of all, you have to know that there is the bus that can take you from airport to downtown. It’s express bus 747 that started last March only. You pay it with a one-day pass of CAN$7 which can still be used for innumerable travels during the day. The bus driver won’t accept cash, so buy it in the currency exchange stall in the airport. Just exchange the minimum number of US dollars that you have to buy the ticket. I found the canadian dollars quite expensive in the airport compared to the ones I bought in downtown some days later.

You need to find out the nearest Metro station and bus station to your place of residence there.  From there it would be relatively easy to move around. Well, I didn’t know that the final stop of bus 747 is Berri Uqam is just a few metro stops away. I took a taxi instead which cost a sum. So on the day of departure, i took the metro, went to Berri Uqam, which is convenient to those who will travel with luggages since the station has an elevator.

Metro stops are very distinguishable, although you will miss it if you are not paying attention where you are going (which happened to me once). I only realized it when many people where getting down in that stop.

Bus stops are a little more discreet. And the bus times don’t need French expertise. The columns shown are the days, the rows are the hours, and the data show the minutes the bus will pass in every hour. They are quite punctual, only one bus arrived half an hour later than schedule in all my 15+ trips.

Unlike in Manila, you can enter the bus only in the front door, and place your pass in this direction. You can insert the exact amount of cash if you don’t have the pass. You have to get the ticket though as it will still be useful for the Metro for the next 2 hours even if you pay only for one “passatge” for CAN$2.75.

Unlike in New York and London, there is no prohibition to get down in the door nearest the driver. The incoming passengers are quite patient though, waiting first for the last outgoing passenger.  Practise your French by greeting the driver Bonjour (hello or good day) or telling him Merci (thank you)

And before you leave Montreal, try St Hub. My host Denyse ordered a very delicious chicken meal. The order “midi go” comes with free choice of a dessert

I had a meeting in Binondo today and came all the way from Laguna. I took the SLEX to Osmeña Highway (with a side trip to Sacred Heart Parish in Dao, Makati to attend the 6:45 AM Holy Mass). From Osmeña, I turned left to Quirino, then right to Taft. The Manila City Hall to my left was my signal to get to the leftmost lane in Padre Burgos as that would take me to Chinatown. After passing the bridge, I already saw the right wall of the Binondo Church.  I turned right in Ongpin and looked for Salazar (from the Chinese street signs). I turned left in Salazar and found a paid parking lot at my right. I walked to Masangkay Street and confirmed it is a one-way street to the direction of the Binondo Church.

How do I get out of Binondo back to Laguna? Good question which the female parking lot attendant answered for me. She said take CM Recto to Nagtahan Bridge. Well, that already sounds familiar. Thank you!

I took Benavidez Street which brought me to CM Recto.  I remembered I traveled this road in jeepneys a thousand times during my college days. “So I don’t have any right to be lost here!”

From CM Recto, I took Legarda street. When I reached the bottom of the  flyover to Sta. Mesa, I saw a sign to Nagtahan to my right. I took that side street (and was extra careful as there were children playing in the street).  From there I could already see the road that would take me to Nagtahan but I am only allowed to turn right (to AH Lacson? I am not sure about the name). So I made a U-turn and turned right away (this  street could be the extension of Legarda under the Nagtahan flyover).

Once in Nagtahan, I already knew that following the road would take me to Quirino, then left to Osmeña, then back to SLEX. I have lived in this vicinity for 4 years!