Another Wonderful Day!

Three (3) days ago I flew from Cebu to Tacloban. This afternoon, I flew back-in to Cebu, so I can move onwards to Tagbilaran, tomorrow! Hehehe Bohol again? Ah the rigors of my job that I like oh so much!

This flight had to be on a Saturday afternoon, but I had no issues. In fact I expected wonderful views!

Just look at the blues, whites and greys in the sky. Plus that hint of amber-to-golden tints from the sun that makes the ground (and even the airplane) look dramatically different! It evokes a sense of drama!

Serene... poignant... sentimental... even heartrending... for a melodramatic 'end of day'...

...oist! aminin mo, nadadala ka sa ka-dramahan ng mga sinasabi ko... uto-uto!

Hahaha! I don't know, but on a Saturday afternoon, after an exhausting day of activities and land travel from Samar to Leyte, knowing I'll fly back to Cebu where a throbbing nightlife awaits... I feel 'the calm'!

Anyway, as we taxied towards TAC RPVA Runway 36, even Dio Island looked a little different. Where's the white sand circling the island? I see it at least twice a week. Now hidden by the sun's golden rays?

Maybe covered by the waves or maybe because it was high tide. Ah whatever, one real fact was: there was no white sandy beach on that scene! But hands down, that was such a beautiful panorama, right?

We took off to dusky skies, and this darkening land mass below, should be the northern barangays of Basey Samar, probably Amandayehan, Cambayan, Tinaogan etc. I already know the usual fight paths!

Or do I, really? Yeah yeah - takeoff from Runway 36, plane climbs-up north to above Basey, crosses the San Pablo Bay, banks right to about full circle, continues climbing to an assigned altitude, passes over Tanauan and Tolosa, crosses over to Ormoc and Camotes, and head towards Mactan. Or so I thought!

Because this time, my flight didn't do so! It instead banked leftwards while ascending, and I saw this...

Yes, that's the San Juanico Bridge down there (encircled). Samar Island is on the left, Leyte is at right!

This was a cloudy day and getting dark, but I patiently tried to snap the best shot my phone could do!

It "snakes" to connect the two big islands, passing over an islet. Yep, Samar is at left, Leyte is at right.

This is an extraordinarily rare view. A "sighting" I should even say! Ah, I have been flying into and out of Tacloban every week the past 3 years, so I can tell, planes seldom pass this way. Thus my excitement!

I silently laughed as I wished - if I could only say "teka teka kapitan.., wait lang, preno ka muna dyan"!

As if proof I was too excited about this rare sighting: fast as the plane was, I still captured a video clip!
I must say this was one memorable 'surprise encounter' on my otherwise 'getting to be boring' weekly routine! I can dare say we don't really catch many full and closer views of that bridge from end to end.

Yeah, there are not too many on the web right now. So I treasure this lucky encounter!

Anyway, we are not yet done on this my interesting almost-full afternoon flight back to Cebu! Look...

I was seated 2A with no one on 2B for extra leg-room. No, I didn't do any "magic", nagkataon lang yan!

But look at the first row (seats 1C and 1D), both were unoccupied on an 'almost-full' flight. Hmm, front row seats are usually very hot online, right? As in pinag-aagawan, diba? What happened here? Anyare?

I would infer.., it is due to the absence of a window, that nobody wants to sit there! Look at that picture above again, there is the emergency exit door in front of those two seats, but there is no 'real' window!

I consciously watch out to avoid those two frontseats (1C/1D, there's no 1A/1B) on PAL's Q400 planes because of that (no windows), even if these are just on very short-and-quick flights. So I guess, others in the know also do the same. Kasi nga, magbabayad ka na rin lang ng extra, bakit sa pangit pa, di ba?

Oh, speaking of "extra".., I was a bit startled food and drinks were served on this short-and-quick flight!

Oops! Oh okay I forgot. It slipped my ageing brain, that lately, the first 2 rows of these propeller planes have been re-labelled as Premium Economy. Yes, just re-labelled, as calling the act "converted" doesn't fit - nothing was done to the seats, PAL just declared "mula ngayon Premium Economy na ang mga 'to"!

Thus, being premium economy, mas mahal, pero me "isnak" - na pampa-lubag-loob kumbaga hehehe! So, tall people who need extra space on those little airplanes, extra bayad at bilisan ang subo at lagok!

Bilisan ang kain, habhabin mo kung kailangan.., aba 20 minutes lang ang flight na ito, lalanding na o!

So what I do.., I just drink the water and put everything else in my bag hoping the yogurt won't burst!

Okay alright.., so 'the end' na of the wonderful flight? No, not yet. I'm not done with the sunset! Look...

That was as we cruised above the northern shores of Camotes Islands, banking leftwards descending unto Mactan. The famous Danao Lake, shaped like the number eight, is down there on Pacijan Island.

Still consistently a wonderful afternoon of bursting colors from the skies, we landed at MCIA...

We just don't see this kind of day everyday. And as they say, the rest is history! What a wonderful day!