VN>PH: Kuala Lumpur To Cebu To Tacloban

Good day world!

We're on my homeward-bound segment of this sojourn from Philippines to Vietnam and back. But the route going there was decidedly distinct from the going back! I'm now in Kuala Lumpur going to Cebu!

Yes I was already at KLIA 2 in this pic, before entering the check-in counters. If you've been reading all my stories I am sure you've seen a similar photo (and story) previously. I like this side of the building.

The vantage is good for plane-spotting in the mornings (because the sun rises from behind), although sunsets are awesome to watch here too! You will see the setting sun right on that part of the horizon.

Anyway, that partly-hidden building on the right edge of the picture is Tune Hotels where I stayed last night. Walking distance with a dedicated walkway, with an elevator! No, not that covered walkway that you see in that pic, that is going to AirAsia headquarters building. Mas sosyalin yung kay Tune Hotels!

I am guessing, that parking area isn't for the general public. Maybe just for airport staff or those who work at this airport. Besides, that is actually far. There are lots of parking inside Gateway Mall for you!

I shifted my phone a little to the left to shoot this next picture...

Those are their "K Gates". The first one, nearest to foreground, is Gate K1 followed by K3, K5 and so on. The even numbered gates are on the other side. K1 is nearest to immigration yet the way is circuitous!

Alright alright, I have already previously discussed the general passenger experience in this airport so I won't do it again. But I can tell you that I was not lucky this day because my flight's gate was Q15. Ah!

No hurry though, since I came early. I walked as leisurely slow as I could hehe!

But I went to the Movie Lounge this time, for "peace and quiet" as I charged my phone there!

See that? As expected, ako lang ang tao, and I was not even watching whatever was on those TVs. Da!

Oh, this one is new to you and me. I just saw this as I walked around to while my time away...

What got my attention was the absence of anything that said "haircut". As in I stood there for a while (walang tao) reading everything. And I really did not see anything that said so. Talaga? Walang gupit?

I don't know if there are such 'specialty shops' in our country na walang gupit heheh! Ano yan, bagong style ng beauty shop? Weh, pero feeling ko meron haircut yan, kasi yung mga upuan parang ganun eh!

Actually, the better topic in my mind is: I am not used to seeing a beauty parlor inside airports. Is that really an "in demand" service at pre-departure areas? Hmm, baka sa mga burarang babaeng di handa!

So, that means maraming burara? Isn't beautifying one's self a 'must' when preparing for travel?

Anyway, after my leisurely walk around, I went to my flight's assigned gate as I knew it's at the end!

Boarding na! But no that was not my flight! Q15 ako. Naaliw lang tumingin, puntang MNL yan, CEB ako!

Here was my gate with fellow passengers waiting. Gate already open but not yet boarding.

It was only 1016H, ETD was 1115H and there's nothing to do or see in that area other than tumunganga!

Anyway, boarding eventually came, and we were off Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, even ahead of schedule.

I was on Seat 3A, and the whole row did not have anyone else...

Do you see anything wonderful in front of me? Don't rejoice yet, 'eschafeyk' yan. Isa syang huwad!

From afar, all seatbacks look like they have movie screens. Fake diay ang mga inatay. Nga mamereste!

Ah eto hindi peke... served immediately once we were at cruising altitude!

Dalawa? Yes, kulang ang isa. Lunchtime eh! A stewardess passing by attempted to help when she saw I was transferring other things to the tray-tables of seats 3B and 3C, but I said 'okay lang ako'. Pictorial!

Yeah, picture-picture for this blog pag may time haha! But the opened meals aren't anymore arranged as the unopened ones. The chicken is already at left, while the tapsilog is at right. Parehong masarap!

Anyway... let's make the long story short.., affter more than 3 hours of sitting on the plane..,

We were finally on Philippine territory! I was fascinated but could not identify this island...

Ah, I lost my bearings maybe because I napped a bit after the 2 silog meals! Naka-idlip ang matanda!

What amazed me was the number of boats around it. Hmmn, it must be a popular tourist destination. Pero saan? I couldn't tell where was north south east or west. Can't also say 'oy kapitan asan na tayo'?

Well, according to that picture's exif data, I took it some 10 minutes before touchdown. We landed on Runway 22, so the plane went north of Cebu then turned back to land. I was on the left side (seat 3A).

Therefore, it must be an island between Mactan and Bohol - but I still don't know which one. Da!

Anyway, look, this is Mactan's northern portion (Punta Engaño), and it rained very hard. Argh!

Poor visibility, even as our plane taxied to its assigned gate. OMG lilipat pa ako sa T1!

I started to worry a little bit. Like "OMG it was already 3:08PM and we were not yet docked at Terminal 2 yet". Mag-i-immigration pa tapos tatakbo pa papuntang Terminal 1. Sa malakas na ulan? Well, meron sila free shuttle bus. Kaso matagal yun, di naman pwedeng alis agad pagka-sakay ko. So help me God!

Those were the things running in my head as the plane approached the terminal building. A bit of me was ridiculing me myself and I, because, if ever I misconnected, this was no one else's fault but mine.

No one to blame but me?! Yes, since I was the only one who chose and booked all my flights this time. Imagine these: per booking schedules, I was to arrive at Mactan T2 1520H. Ayan dumating ahead pa ng 10mins. BUT 1630H ang PAL flight ko to TAC - eh di ka naman makalakad patawid dahil nagbububunok!

Really, back of my mind I was saying to my self "hayukat ha im"! Because any 1.5 hour connecting time from an international to a domestic flight at another building is just so ridiculously stupid! I now that, I teach that to corporate clients, yet I did it! So, I told my highness "sige, daring experiment pa more"!

Those were the things playing in my wicked brain as I rushed thru immigration. Yet I still got this:

That's as I descended via the escalator from arrival immigration to the baggage claim area. Ang tawag ko dyan, presence of mind haha! Alangalang sa mga taga subaybay ng blog kong ito! Picture pa more!

Oh let me tell you, immigration clearance was very fast (for me at least). Why? Ang siste kasi, there are those new automated border control machines (called SmartGates in Singapore) that few Pinoys use! It is that electronic kiosk where you scan your passport, and it prints a slip to attach to your passport.

Klaro naman nakalagay For Filipino Passport Holders pero walang gumagamit. Kailangan pa me isang immigration officer na lalapitan sila para pagsabihan na gamitin ang machine kesa pumila sa counter!

That thing helped me this time [kahit malapad si sticker that takes too much space in my passport]!

When I got out of the T2 arrival area, taliksik ambon na lang, but this thing was about to leave na!

I specifically asked the driver if he was leaving right at this time, because my flight to Tacloban leaves at 4:30PM, it was already 3:40PM, otherwise I'd just run for it! His reply: lingkod na lagi kay mularga na!

Da! Hahaha pahiya yata ako ng konti dun ah! But I was already too stressed to care hehehe!

I breezed thru PAL's domestic check-in counters. My being a mabuhay club member probably helped - less people at the dedicated check-in counters. Plus, my having done my web-check-in kagabi while I was still in KL, definitely helped. As I walked to Gate 25B, I could hear that PR2248 was on its final call.

I made it, of course hahaha! The last bus was waiting for us - there were 5 of us on that final run. I call these people the "mga pasaway", unfortunately it included me - late connection is not a good excuse!

When we reached the plane, even the ground crews were ready for pushback. It was already 4:32PM!

I had my reason, as told above, but I still say it was no excuse. I should have arranged my flights well. But how about the four other passengers who were also late and were with me on that last bus? Ayan ang isa sa kanan o, me dalang Shamrock supot na pasalubong. Did he also come from another flight?

I was last to board, I saw the pilot looking down at us. He was not smiling hehehe! Sorry na ser!

I was not even seated yet, that lovely girl closed the door and off the airplane moved to the runway.

In that picture above, she was already stowing her safety demonstration paraphernalia. At 4:44PM na!

We took off Runway 22 at 4:50PM, and I was happy to note it was not anymore raining cats and dogs!

I never get tired looking down at Mactan Island and many parts of Cebu during takeoffs and landings!

Now now children... on a gloomy day, where the sun is not too bright, clouds look wonderfully fluffy!

Until sunset came with a lot of those orange and yellows painting the western skies beautifully wow!

Oist! Late as we were to take off, we still landed a little bit on scedule - 5:16PM instead of 5:15PM!

At medyo may liwanag pa! That's the end of Runway 36 as the plane made a u-turn to the arrival area.

Blocks on! At the 'cargo bay'. leftmost edge of Tacloban airport's tarmac - long walk to arrival area.

Funny things was, my sundo was behind that building, waiting! I knew because I saw it during landing!

Arrived na! Okay, back to reality with this thing called work!