Tacloban > Cebu > Singapore > Phuket

Here I went 'out of bounds' again! But what can I do.., isang hamak na utusan lamang! Suddenly out to another 'distant land', as requested by TPTB (the powers that be) who feed my humble royal highness!

Kung makapag-opening-remarks 'no? As if ayaw ko, hahaha!

My flight route (follow red arrow): Tacloban (TAC) to Cebu (CEB) to Singapore (SIN) to Phuket (HKT).

Why Tacloban? Ah eh, I started from there because, as of now, that's my work location. Why Cebu? It's a less-chaotic international airport, than Manila. Plus, convenient if I need to grab anything more since that's where I live. Home turf! Why Singapore? It's a convenient transfer airport for me (than Bangkok) when going to Phuket or elsewhere. Why Phuket? Teka, 'dami mong tanong ah! Phuket ng... Thailand!

Note for those who are on the watch for my techniques and tactics, this itinerary here may not be best (or ideal) for you, since, as always, these are/were based on my personal circumstance/s, preferences and availabilities of flights and hotels versus when I was needed where. Yep, as always, nagkaroon pa ng regression analyses - linear and non-linear, the dependent variable constantly being: my enjoyment!

Booked 3 days before departure, it went like this...
Flight #1
ETD TAC: 1405H, PAL PR2239, reserved Seat 2D
ETA CEB: 1450H, uli dayon, get extra shirt, silhig, laba
Flight #2
ETD CEB: 2025H, CebPac 5J547, reserved Seat 12F
ETA SIN: 0005H, sleep anywhere conducive at Changi
Flight #3
ETD SIN: 0910H, TigerAir TR2152, did not reserve a seat
ETA HKT: 1000H, take a taxi to Holiday Inn

Let us skip the 'usual' that I have been doing in the past many departures and start with this..,

Easy to recognize, right? A Starbucks branch near the check-in area, and it was the first time I entered this store, since I'm not really a fan of coffee. I saw a friend having coffee there so I entered to say hi.

The friend who is 'atrevida' (like me) did show me a thing to learn from or ponder about - her receipt!

We discreetly laughed at seemingly weird things one can find on a Starbucks receipt. Like? Well.., like the phrase "For Here". Is it a proper English phrase? What is its opposite, 'For There'? Hahaha, I said it would probably be 'To Go' or 'Take Out'. The philosophizing continued, and we were already laughing out loud! What's the opposite of 'To go'? To stay? Not to go? What's the opposite of Take out? Take in?

I noticed, even the numbers are disturbing to the simple mind. Why does it have to be so? Look at the bottom, it says two items. How can there be 2 when the quantity (Qty column) only says 1? Etcetera!

Let's go inside anyway, since we already previously described things at check-in and immigration.

While waiting for flight boarding, I had dinner at Ulli's Streets of Asia - lechon of course!

I liked how they presented the steamed rice. That's this conical thing wrapped in banana leaf..,

Boarding call was at 8:29PM - obviously delayed na since ETD was 8:25PM, four minutes ago 'no?!

Another example of the tagline: "Cebu Pacific, The New PAL"! Yes, that means Plane Always Late!

At 8:36PM, here I was just about to enter the plane. Ayun si Captain P already in his seat, preparing..,

Captain P? Do I know him? Yeah, and many others too. I know one when I see one. Kapitan Pugak! Or to many of you, he can be Captain K. K as in Kojak or Kalbo. Pwede rin K as in kakarampot ang buhok!

Mind you, I believe in the common observation, that bald people are 'cool, calm and collected' seldom hot-headed. Kasi nga daw walang buhok, lumalamig agad ang ulo, be it from the aircon or electric fan!

Anyway, let's fast-forward to almost 10PM.., this was not mine hehe. Sa katabi kong pasahero yan!

It arrived at a time that the passenger was not at his seat, nag-CR yata. So piniktyuran ko!

Eto mas masarap... Ham and Cheese Sandwich paired with San Miguel Beer Pale Pilsen. Oh ha?!

Just one can, pampatulog lang. Ang kaso 'di makatulog eh. Okay, make that three! Enough is enough!

Anyway, the plane arrived in Singapore at something like half an hour after midnight. But I was not in a hurry. Connecting flight to Phuket departs 910AM, so, there was a lot of transit time at Changi airport!

I did something that, until now, no one is telling me if it was wrong. But, while I can't yet go all over the web telling people to "do this too", let me tell you about it anyway - I didn't go out to immigration ASAP.

Foremost (I always do this upon arrival) I went to the nearest smoking room. Then I walked around, as I wasn't sleepy anymore. I went up to 3rd level where there's the Sunflower Garden and rest areas too!

This is an open garden, but there are roofed areas with benches for people to rest on. If you're like me who is not very good at sleeping in very cold air-conditioned rooms, this is a lovely alternative respite!

Only for the night though! I've been to this place on a daytime.., it feels just like at the Cactus Garden!

And there is a spacious open-air (but roofed) smoking area, just beside this Sunflower Garden!

Look, the aircraft that I just got-off from, still boarding passengers, baggage and cargo I suppose!

So, and in fact, after smoking a stick of cigarette, I snoozed at one of the benches in this garden!

Good enough rest of about 5 hours. By 6:30AM, I woke-up and made my way thru immigration arrival procedure. The immigration officer didn't ask why I was clearing with them 6hrs after my flight arrived. Hmm, so is it normal? No questions asked? I was expecting that I would be interrogated (though I had ready answers). In fact, I also expected that I'd be questioned bakit nandito nanaman ako sa harapan nila, for the 7th time in less than 2 months! Pero walang tanong-tanong. Normal ba ito? If so, salamat!

So I went up to departure check-in for my flight to Phuket.

Once I scanned my booking bar code, the check-in kiosk greeted me. Buti pa ang mga ito, bumabati!

BTW and FYI, though I didn't seek her help, I saw a customer assistant at Tiger Air's check-in area na medyo matanda na but still a beauty, and she's the only one who consistently smiles. In short, Pinay!

Ah, if you are wondering why I was out at Changi's regular departure check-in area when I should be a transit passenger, it didn't apply this time - since Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airways have no transit rights. That's one minor handicap when traveling with budget airlines. At times you have to 'land' to 'connect'.

But I wasn't at all complaining. This was another chance for me to step outside the airport hehehe!

What's so special about outside of Changi Airport on an early morning? Wala lang, me smoking area!

Then I returned inside and proceeded to do my departure immigration requirements and breakfast!

Make the long story short, at 9:14AM, we were pushing back from Terminal 3. Phuket here I come!

For this 50-minute hop, I did not buy anything during the flight, because I had these in my pocket/s!

Yes, plural.., as in candies in my pockets! How did that happen? Well, I think that everytime I approach the information counters (for wifi access), I just 'habitually' get a few and place them in my pocket/s.

No no, I did not have any intention to hoard them. It's just that I.., well.., ah.., eh.., hoarded them hehe! And because this was love-month, all the candies are colored red! Ultimong kendi, customized, grabe!

Sa airport natin, ano ang meron? Nge! Airport natin mamimigay? Ikaw pa ang kikilan! Laglag bala!

Anyway, at 9:42AM we were already hovering Phuket, yehey! That is Patong Beach, my destination!

Phuket is composed of many beaches. It's an island but connected to mainland via a big bridge.

9:54AM touchdown.., Runway 09, ICAO: VSTP, IATA: HKT

This plane 'parked' at a remote bay across the airport building, even if there were many vacant gates.

Reason why we still had to be ferried by bus. Parang sa Cebu at NAIA T3 na style bulok!

The bus travels far as it has to encircle the tarmac via the sides, bawal kasi to just cross it directly

Yes, the arrow points at our Tiger Air plane. You would wonder why the pilot parked it there. Ang layo!

They let passengers suffer discomfort and inconvenience by waiting for, and transferring to a bus.

That is the way of budget airlines - also known as Low Cost Carriers (LCC) - they are avoiding the cost of parking a plane at the airport building's gates. So, bahalang magdusa tayo kakalipat sa bus. Ganun!

Anyway, airport proceedings was fast as there were not many flights at the time of my arrival.

So I was out of the airport and took the (fixed rate) 'airport taxi' all the way to Holiday Inn..,

Do you notice the yellow ID on foreground? Don't hesitate to take a picture of that once you are in the taxi. It is encouraged. You will notice on the second line, it is written (in English) that says: "Attention: Please remember the information below". Sa atin tinatabunan ng sampaguita and/or rosary yan, diba?

I liked looking at those vans by the way. Toyota sila, pero parang matatangkad 'no? Anyway, eto na..,

I was finally out of the airport, the big road signage welcomed me to Phuket, Thailand! Yehey! I said to my self "time to snooze", as I knew that this is a little far (about 40kms). But the road seems new and widened, it got me interested to watch as we passed by. Hmm, Phuket has grown so big in a decade!

Somewhere along the way, nagpa-gas si 'Plamot' - yung Manong Taxi Driver ko - sa Esso Mobil..,

I just watched, since I had nothing to do with it. It's their thing. Ah, but this should be worth reminding you my fellow Pinoy travelers, that anywhere on earth, when you arrange for transport, it is assumed kasama ang gas driver and toll, unless otherwise stated, right? In this case nagpa-gas sya, bahala sya.

I am telling you this story because I have a friend (hindi Pinoy, buti na lang) who recently had an issue with this gasoline thing while traveling in northern Thailand. Porke me sinabi ang driver (maybe saying "mag-papa-gas po muna tayo sandali ma'am ha"), tumango na sya without understanding what driver said. Worse, binantayan nya pa yung amount, sabay bunot ng pambayad eh di naman sya sinisingil!

No wonder, the driver daw kept bowing many times (wai), as if profusely saying 'thank you'!

Ah, ako, I also watched the amount indicated in the gas pump. Curious lang magkano..,

1,200 Baht sa 42.15 liters? I think cheaper sila as that means 28.5 baht per liter, mga 45 pesos sa'tin.

I noticed, even the way to Patong Beach has changed. Probably due to this new highway passing on the east side, instead of the usual western coast, along the beaches of Laguna, Kamala, Surin, etc.

Those are two of the popular 'wings' of Premium Outlet Mall, and this is on the east side of the island.

Hmm, ah okay, so the highway crosses the mountains back and down to the beaches on the west..,

All I could say was wow! Because about 10 years ago, there were only narrow paths in this area, used by people, motorbikes and bicycles - but already tourist attractions nonetheless for the elephant rides.

Here's a cute 'huwag tularan' incident during my ride. I told the driver my destination only once, I think. And, I also think, he asked me only once. And, I think, I just said 'Holiday Inn'. Eto ka na, nabigla nalang ako, when we were already at the entrance gate of Holiday Inn Resort hahaha hehehe! Napa-"MAI" ako ng malakas - that means 'NO'. And I noticed the driver's eyes also widened pag nanlalaki ang mata ko!

I said 'Holiday Inn Express'! Driver said "oh Ekplet" (express ibig sabihin nyan hehe) 'no ploblem'!

We were emerging from the street where Holiday Inn Resort is, turning right on this coastal road going to Holiday Inn Express. No problem indeed, as this was where driver would pass anyway on going out of this area. That is just 2 kilometers on this invitingly scenic beach road - one way traffic northwards.

Thus, at 12:08NN, I arrived at my home for the next 4 days and 3 nights. Timely exactly gutom na ako!

Hah, that was exactly a noontime-to-noontime journey from Tacloban to Cebu to Singapore to Phuket!

Let's talk more about Phuket in my succeeding stories.