"I was with fellow nurses. We were going somewhere, a place where we could do the first step of maximizing the potential of our nursing career and this Lrt Station was part of that journey."

► I'm not a virgin in terms of train rides but for the LRT system of the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila, I never tried it until 16 January 2019.

► It's adulting for me. Yeah, this LRT ride is a significant part of my adulting life.

[National Capital Region, Luzon Island, Philippines]

| 1 | [QUEZON CITY] ► THE TYPE OF JOURNEY YOU CHOOSE DOES NOT DEFINE YOUR ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVE THE DREAMS YOU CHASED IN THAT JOURNEY.

For this blog post, I'm giving the Cubao LRT Station in Quezon City a spotlight. You know, this was the first LRT Station I entered in the Philippines so I'm writing this post now because first-time encounters and experiences are big deal in my nerves.

I'm not a virgin in terms of train rides but for the LRT system of the ▼ PHILIPPINES

, particularly in ▼ METRO MANILA

, I never tried it until 16 January 2019. I've frequented Cubao, in fact I've even become a temporary resident here, but I have never attempted to give the LRT a try because...

...first, I'm afraid to get lost. Yes, that's how stupid I am. My ridiculous experience of traveling via trains in ▼ #KUALALUMPUR

in 2016 made a big impact in my life that traveling 'alone' in metro trains for the first time has become my fear. Yes, I got lost in KL, rode the wrong train, alighted at the wrong destination, and wasted my money going to a place I'm not supposed to be visiting. My train rides in Singapore and Bangkok were good though because they were introduced to me by friends living and working in these cities so I was able to figure out how their train systems work. On my second try, I aced the system and the routes like a bad-ass local.

Second, I have no businesses to do in the places serviced by the LRT lines so I had no reason to use it. In fact, taxicabs, though more expensive, has always been my primary choice for convenience sake.


► Cubao-Araneta LRT Station for the First Time


The reason why I finally decided to use the LRT will be narrated in details on my next post. Meantime, Let's focus on Cubao LRT Station.

Cubao LRT Station is attached to a mall (Gateway Mall) and a shopping arcade on the other side (Diamond Arcade) so you can conveniently access the station after your mall activities. The LRT station is accessed from the third floor of both Gateway Mall and Diamond Arcade. It's part of the Line 2 (purple line) that services the Santolan (Marikina)-Recto (▼ #MANILA

) route. The Cubao LRT Station is an elevated station over the Aurora Boulevard.

| 2 | [QUEZON CITY] ► I TOOK THIS PHOTO IN 2017. CUBAO-ARANETA LRT STATION IS ELEVATED, ABOVE AURORA BOULEVARD.

I was with fellow nurses. We were going somewhere, a place where we could do the first step of maximizing the potential of our nursing career and this LRT station was part of that journey. After ignoring this train station many times, I've finally experienced it.

It was around 02:00 PM. Fellow nurse Alex took a one-way ticket from the red ticket machine that looked old. I saw a a touch-responsive screen showing the stations serviced by this line. It took Alex about three (3) attempts before she was able to choose her destination on the touch screen. I observed her carefully how she did it so that I could also purchase a one-way ticket correctly. Lourdes (we call her mommy Lou), also a fellow nurse in her 50s, had a more convenient life because she has a beep card.

After purchasing our tickets, we proceeded to the platform which appeared chill and peaceful at 02:00 PM. The Manila rush and 'siksikan' I was expecting was non-existent. We entered the station via Gateway Mall after series of security checks.

| 3 | [QUEZON CITY] ► THE TRAIN HAS ARRIVED. THIS WAS A MEMORABLE JOURNEY.

In Tagalog, I would describe the station as 'maaliwalas". The ceiling was higher than I expected so it looked so spacious. After a few minutes, an eye-candy train arrived and that signaled not just the start of our physical journey but also a baby step for our career as nurses wanting to bring out the best in us. It's adulting for me. Yeah, this LRT ride is a significant part of my adulting life. It may sound funny but it's real. It's too personal and all details will be revealed on the next part of this series.

Where did my first LRT ride bring me? | to be continued... |
| BLOG SERIES: My First LRT Ride - Up Next, Episode 03...

Maps Showing the Location of QUEZON CITY

► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

✈ This post was filed under the category "Train Stations and Railways." See more posts related to this below.

✈ The maps I used on this post are from maps.google.com.ph.

✈ The insights, condition and name of places or properties I mentioned here are based on the facts and situation on the day of my visit. Take note that you may have a different experience when you try the activities or see the properties/places mentioned here. Names of places and properties may also change by time.

LATEST STORIES COVERING QUEZON CITY | SEE ALL IN A SEPARATE WINDOW

MORE STORIES COVERING METRO MANILA | SEE OLDER STORIES

LATEST STORIES COVERING THESE CATEGORIES | SEE OLDER STORIES

MORE TOWNS YOU MIGHT LIKE TO EXPLORE:

VSDBPBP P KLSVD