Tacloban To Cebu To Singapore

Hi! For the 4th time in 35 days I landed again in Singapore. Ano ito, na-adik na? No, naman.., not yet! It just happened na nagsunod-sunod ang need to either come here or pass-by here. I say "here" because I'm now writing at my hotel room before sleeping. I arrived this afternoon, still and of course, via Cebu!

Uneventful, but I do believe there are travel related things worth sharing with you!

Let's start with breakfast at one of the turo-turo style restaurants across the DZR Airport in Tacloban.

That is 'seafood omelet' and 'adobong pusit' shared with my driver. The tinola was only for him since I had coke (7:34AM hehe). I did not want to already bloat with too much liquid in a small plane y'know!

I was expecting to see wonderful views as the plane took off from Runway 36 (going towards Basey)

Alas dimalas mano kulas! There were so many low-lying clouds, plus the aircraft banked to the right (I was seated 2D), so all I had in my view, other than the clouds were, dagat! Well, there'll be a next time!

Exactly 30mins into the flight, ayan, Hilutungan Channel na! Mactan Island, Olango below the plane.

That peninsular portion extending to the right (under the clouds) is Punta Engaño. If you still have very good eyes, Artera is at the edge. That whole coast is lined with all kinds of resorts, hotels, restaurants!

I said below the plane is Olango Island, right? Maybe the pilot heard me, plane tilted for me to see this

That's the northwestern edge of Olango Island. The vivid line at center is actually Sta. Rosa Wharf, the formal/official port of Olango for commuter / tourist boats crossing from/to Angasil or Hilton wharfs.

Exactly 10AM, here we were just after touch down, taxiing to Mactan Cebu International Airport..,

ETA was 0950H, aba 10mins late na (yet we departed on time from Tacloban). But I was not worried, I still had time to transfer and subsequently check-in for my connecting flight to Singapore, ETD 1245H!

How did that happen that we departed on time but arrived a little late? Na-trapik kaka-ilag sa clouds!

Okay.., but wait, wait! Teka, lecture muna, to my growing number of 'pupils' on "Air Travel 101"!

My flight combination today was "a gamble". I am not even sure I'm willing to do this again. Why? Well, ETD TAC was 0905H, ETA CEB 0950H, and ETD CEB (to SIN) was 1245H. That nearly 3 hrs of check-in time prior to an international flight from Cebu is actually already ample. If you were just in Cebu! But if you were flying to Cebu from Tacloban immediately before that, consider it a little bit risky. Just a bit!

I learned that through my extensive flying experience in this country -i.e., if that flight from Tacloban is delayed, there is no alternative way for you to hop unto Cebu, whether on your own or with the help of the airline, such that you can still catch the 1245H international flight. The best option would be to get you first to Manila and connect from there to Singapore. Though chances are, you'll arrive very late in SIN as the next flight out of TAC is after lunch! Paano ang party mo tonight sa Clarke Quay, like I had?

BUT, that same 'extensive flying experience in this country' also became my basis to take a 'calculated risk' and do this 2hr 55min transit in CEB. On what basis? 1] End of January, wala na masyadong ulan at hangin; 2] PAL ('di yung dilaw) uses the newer Q300 planes on inter-island flights; and 3] umaga pa, the seriously long delays among these domestic airlines usually come in the afternoon! So I gambled!

Let's proceed hehehe..,

At check-in to my Tiger Air flight for Singapore (yes, Tiger nanaman) I saw this at the counter..,

A brochure (leaflet) describing 'A Summary of the Rights of Air Passengers'. Aba mabuti, so I got one.

Not that I am totally unaware of those rights, eh some of the people involved in the drafting of a "Joint DOTC-DTI Administrative Order" (years ago) sought my comments when they were still in the planning stage. I wasn't aware though, that this was already finalized and published at ito na nga ang summary.

Meron ba akong masasabi about this? Meron yata, I think, kaso bakit ngayon ko pag-mumunimunihan ito, eh nasa first night pa lang ako ng aking social climbing spree sa Singapore? Maybe pag-uwi ko na!

Sige sige, pag-uwi ko.., "halt me" - that means 'hulata ko ninyo', as in hintayin nyo ako!

Here are two more na nakita ko kanina. At left is the information about travel tax payment online..,

At right is that useless scanner ni Inday Beauty before immigration. She said 'ay ser, you agen alredi'?!

For lack of anything to do or see while waiting for boarding, I went to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf..,

I'm not a fan of coffee (I always say). Pang Coke or SML lang ako. So ok, Vanilla Ice Blended na lang.

I followed that with "miss paki-samahan na rin ng isang 'Break-O-Day' na Viennese Sausage". Ganun!

I was not really that hungry yet, since I had a hefty breakfast (even if I usually don't) across the Airport in Tacloban. But I'm on a "see-food-diet" - when I see food, I eat! Catbaloganons call it: "hin kalalamot"!

Kain dahan-dahan, kaon hinay-hinay, tusik-tusik la.., watching a generally empty duty free shop!

A few meters behind me, tahimik na. Kanina nagkakagulo sila "missing two" daw. Nakita na siguro!

Napag-deskitahan pa ako ng mga yan kanina, they were like shouting at me "boarding now, final call"! It's a relatively new airline, by the way. Vanilla Air, another new LCC (low cost carrier) meaning budget airline. Pero yayamanin yan, owned by All Nippon Airways (ANA). I think they started December 2016.

Anyway, not long after, my Tiger Airways also boarded at Gate 9, and we took off via Runway 04..,

I like take-offs at Runwat 04 and landings at Runway 22, I get to see the Consolacion-Liloan areas.

Aha! The Tiger flight! Tiger nanaman? Well, the plane they used today looked a bit tidier than last time!

As usual, I was the only one seated on the entire Row 13. Is it because mahal, or because it's a 13?

Whatever their reason/s, I find this to my advantage! A wider area to stretch my royal body, if needed!

I think I already mentioned this in my other stories, right? That seat row numbers are like building floor numbers. Depending on the country, some do, and some don't use 13. In general, it is not because the airline's management or owner/s are mapamahiin! It's more of the airline just considering the SSCC of its riders. If passengers are not comfortable sitting on a 13, they might as well remove the number 13, than always have unsold seats! Tutal, wala namang masasaktan kung walang seat number 13, di ba?!

That's the rationale behind it. Thus, if the country or airline does not know or does not subscribe to the pamahiin on the number 13, merong row 13. Ayun, ako lang seated at 13A! The other 5 seats? Empty!

Then again, maybe it is really about the price - since you pay extra for these emergency exit seats..,

I say that because all the six seats on Row 12 (also by an emergency exit) were vacant. Yung babaeng nakapula na nakahiga dun sa 12DEF galing sa 11D yan, lumipat lang. Hubby nya nga yata yun sa 11E.

Tara tara, let's move on na, at baka ma-uwi tayo sa tsismis. Hubby daw. Sure na? 'Di pwedeng kabit?

I took this picture as the plane (according to my imagination) was leaving Philippine air space.

The GPS indicator on my phone said we were already somewhere above Sandakan (left) and Balabac (right). Sayang maulap. Masilayan ko man lang sana uli ang North Borneo, o di kaya South Palawan. If only it was a clear day! I had access pa naman to left/right window views, as all of row 13 was empty.

Ah ito sure na.., we were about to land into Singapore's Changi Airport.., walang mintis yan!

As I said in previous stories, pag nakakita ka na ng sandamukal na barko nagkalat, Singapore na iyan!

Here, after 11 minutes from above, plane was already maneuvering to dock at Gate F56 (Terminal 2).

F56 is almost at the end of the F concourse of Terminal 2. That should be about 500 meters or about half a kilometer to the center of the terminal (for Immigration and exit). But okay lang, since there are always the ever reliable, auto-on / auto-off walkalators (I remember "travelators" ang tawag nila dyan).

Trivia na pampa-init ng ulo: Did you know that the concourses at Changi are about the same distance as at NAIA T3 (whether Domestic or International)? Kaso, yung walkalators natin, kakarampot na nga at ang iigsi, lagi pang patay as in dead! Tapos sa Changi walang terminal fee, sa'tin ang mahal mahal.

Justice! Ah okay.., just-tiis! Ganun pala yun huhuhu!

Anyway, I went straight to the MRT so I could get a ride to my hotel in Clarke Quay. Anong pila ito?

Ticket din ng train at bus pero kakaiba and cheaper for us. They call it STP or Singapore Tourist Pass.

Nag-kwento na ako about STP sometime ago, right? Sometime ago daw, eh isang dekada na yata yun hahaha! Well, it is still the same - very cheap and very convenient for visitors. But let's say something about it again. If you're not one who will be commuting after midnight or madaling-araw, this is a must have. What about midnight or madaling araw? Eh sa walang MRT at bus kaya! San mo ikakaskas yan?

If you're fond of the yugyugan laklakan type hanggang tumilaok ang manok, there are also a lot of that in Singapore - pati na yung mga alams na! Ang iba dyan, mga kadugo mo pa! 'Wag sanang kapitbahay mo pala sa Sta. Mesa! Sa mga ganyang kalakaran, magtataxi ka, walang STP, pero pwede cradit card.

Ito pinaka-importante: sa mga katulad kong mahilig lumampas o mawala sa patutunguhan, STP lang ang katapat nyan!. Magpa-balik-balik ka man ikutin mo pa ang buong Singapore, kahit lahat ng station eh bumaba at sumakay ka, STP lang kelangan mo. Unli yan! Tap ka lang ng tap, until that card expires.

Ume-expire? Oo naman. Ang choices mo: one day na card, or two days, or for three days. Ayan, larga!

3 days 30SGD, di ba mahal yun? Well, try calculating, pa-isa-isa na bibili ka lang ng ticket from station to station, kikilabututan ka! Example: Airport to Clarke Quay mga 3SGD na yun; from there, let us say punta ka Ion Orchard, mga 1SGD yun; punta kang VivoCity mga a dollar 30 yun. Add mo lahat ng rides mo for 3 days, surely lampas 20SGD yan. Mahal ang MRT oi! Eh andami mo pupuntahan, tourist ka eh!

Teka teka, bakit 20USD lang ang comparison basis eh 30USD yung 3-day STP? Wheh, di mo binasa eh ayun sa picture o, pag soli mo yung expired card, me 10SGD refund ka! So 3 days unli ride, S$20 lang!

Kaya eto o, many tourists, bata matanda, me bilbil o wala, pila to buy their Singaapore Tourist Pass!

Tsismis: yun isang staff sa ticket office na yan, mas magaling pa sakin ang Tagalog at Pinay na Pinay ang looks, pero di daw sya Pinay. Not sure kung totoo yun o ginu-goodtime nya lang ako. Madalas sya ang maririnig mo speaking sa speaker (yun parang sa Palawan Express), that means sya ang tiketera!

Bungisngis din ang bruha! Di ba ang mga Singaporean laging nakasimangot at mga suwangit? Eh sya, mukhang Pinay na dalahera hehe, tunog Pinoy ang English (ibig sabihin magaling), at masayahin! So I am having a hard time believing na Singaporean sya. Well I didn't ask, baka naman naturalized sya 'no!

Anyway, nakarating naman ako sa hotel ko ng matiwasay. Then went to "dinner with friends"!

Ulitin ko ha? Mukhang sosy ang tunog eh: "I went to dinner with friends"! Hehe kinikilabututan ako!

But actually, sa totoo lang, this trip was.., Breakfast: in Tacloban, Lunch: in Cebu, Dinner in Singapore! Ay'na mo'g saba nga ang ticket PHP3121.59 lang, samantala ang Tacloban-Cebu eh PHP2574.00 na!

Okay okay, tulog na muna ako. Let's describe this hotel later pa, after I leave para buo ang kwento.

G'nite from Holiday Inn Express @ Clarke Quay Singapore, after my 'dinner with friends' hehe hihihi!