Island-Spotting From Up In The Air
I already said this before, I don't like arriving in Manila during afternoons. And you of course know why that is so, very heavy afternoon-to-evening rush-hour traffic, AS IN, right? But there are just times when and where we don't have a choice. Today was one of those dreaded days for me - ETA MNL at 1515H.
Somewhere in me was actually saying "that may still be fine", so cheer up!
Add to that, I was riding on my most disliked airline for domestic flights, the red plane. Though usually the cheapest, in my experience, they're usually the dirtiest among the three. But what else can I do, eh I only learned last night, that I am needed in Manila tomorrow morning. So theirs, was the best flight I could grab! Available flights on the other two were either already too expensive or very early like 6AM!
Yet somewhere in me also said "this is fine, e sumasakay ka naman dyan pag international flights eh"! True, and in fairness, planes of Philippines' Air Asia (Z2) are usually cleaner than their AK, D7 or I5 etc. Yet, pinapatulan ko ang mga yan dahil sa price affordability. Aba convenience din yan ah, ng bulsa ko!
And as always, I try to find something I will like during any travel. So, let's go!
Boarding was on time. And I already started smiling because.., I said "I was boarding Aling Puring"!
Juice Ko! Soon we will see planes painted with Save More, Lazada, Globe, Metrobank etc. di ba?
Take off was on Runway 36, so we were running south to north of the runway heading towards Basey.
And there it is, Basey town proper on the left, and that is Jinamoc island in the middle of the picture.
And the plane continued its ascent northwards. Where's the San Juanico Bridge? Ah, on the other side (left), but hard to see because of the sun's glare. I was on Seat 1F, so my views were on the right flank.
Eto na ang istorya...
A few moments thereafter, the views became a little more exciting! Oh well, for most passengers, that means "boring". But not for me when airplane windows allow it. I like identifying islands below, for fun!
Let's see, correct me if I'm wrong hahaha! I dedicate this to my readers from (or fond of) these areas!
Item 1 is Brgy. Campelipa and item 2 is Brgy Baclayan - both in the island town of Daram. Item 3 is the island barangay of Guintarcan, municipality of Villareal. Item 4 is the whole island-town of Zumarraga. And all those places are in my bucket list! Why? Wala lang, I have friends I want to see, who live there!
Item 5 is Brgy Basiao, 6 is Mahaba/Majaba Island, 7 is Darahuway Dako and 8 is Darahuway Guti. I've been to all 4 islands though very briefly and many many years ago. So, they are still in my bucket list!
The red star, of course, hovers above Catbalogan City. there's another island I could see, to the upper left corner of the picture, but the plane was moving in that direction, so that is this next picture below.
Isn't that wonderful? Well, to me this was even amazing, because I know those islands and places, but they somehow look surreally different viewed from up in the air, as the plane zooms its way to Manila!
I travel frequently by air, hopping most of the time between Manila, Tacloban and/or Cebu, so why do I seem new at seeing those islands down there? Ah it must be the times of day I choose or prefer to fly.
Hey look, I even saw many of the little islands in the Sierra Island Group also still of Catbalogan!
Interestingly challenging! I mean it isn't easy identifying islands when your plane is very fast and some pesky fluffy whites block your vantage, from just one little window beside Seat 1F. But fun anyway. Da!
Alright. After so many 'islands & islets' dotting the western seaboard of Samar, I attempted identifying those in and around Masbate. And.., I lost track and got tired twisting and turning in my seat hahahah!
FYI, when I do this 'island-spotting' during a flight, I feel like I'm back at being a toddler. Masaya!
Besides, it starts me to get curious about this or that island. Curiosity is the root of all travel! So, after being able to identify them, I naturally ask around or even read up about them. Then.., it almost always results into me adding them onto my bucket list of places to be visited! And we have 7,600++ islands!
Sometimes, we really just have to 'get out of our comfort zone', to start or discover many more things. Imagine... this all started with me feeling bad at jetting into the metropolis on an afternoon (I still do), and riding on that red plane ni Aling Puring! But I know I can find interesting things even on a bad day!
Wasn't that interesting? Indeed it was!
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