Philippine Travel Notes

Had a wonderful time roaming around T2 of Noi Bai International Airport , especially the plane-spotting thing. What makes Hanoi ideal for the activity is that there aren't so many flights to overwhelm or confuse you. Yet, not that few for you to get bored. First Impressions Anyway... so I was finally aboard Lao Airlines Flight QV312 from Hanoi to Vientiane! Once seated, I felt a bit uneasy moving-as-I-wished hehehe. Eh kasi naman, the first things that caught my sight were not 'da bes'! Kunwari yan, puti ba yan o brown, ha? Anyway, good that I did my plane-spotting thing earlier. I learned that, this aircraft is an Airbus A320-214 delivered direct from the factory to Lao Airlines in 01DEC2011. O di ba? Not very new, but not too old either. Iyan yan sya, on foreground, yung nasa gate, Aircraft Registry RDPL-34199 . We were already boarding when I took that pic! So, medyo relaaak na (ng konti) ang iyong Pinoy Traveler, kesehoda kung para bang nanglilimahid na an...

All Aboard! Okay boarded. I was last in. Soon as I stepped into this plane, they closed the door! So I settled into my seat and appreciated the earth-toned, kind-of-airy surroundings. Hindi sya 'cheapeepai' tingnan like all budget airlines are - in bold reds or yelllows or oranges or blacks - na para kang nasa kids' play area, tadtad ng advertising stickers na na-aagnas na o di-kaya natutuklap na or both! Ganyan ang budget airlines, di ba? Here, interiors are respectably cool, parang PAL or other Full Service Carriers (FSCs). And look at the bulkhead (front wall), me round mistletoe pang nalalaman. Sosyalin ! Ahehe, Christmas Day kasi kahapon! Yep, all of Vietnam does celebrate Christmas , even if they are non-Christians. And Vietnam Air (VN) joins-in with refined elegance! Uncommon Seat Nomenclature! Let me just call it "uncommon" for it's not "unique", I think. Just a little different from many other airliners, especially ours in the ...

This was flight leg #3 (Taipei to Hanoi) in my 'exceptionally complicated' circle trip . The first interesting point was: I shot that pic at 1138H, when almost all passengers were already aboard, but our ETD was 1200H. Ah, early departure means early arrival! Okay, tara let's go sago! Aruu! Plane did not move, even if all passengers were already seated and waiting. A feeling of déjà vu ?! Oh yes, mismo actually! Same case as my CEB to TPE departure. Boarding = Loading ! Folks down at the belly of this plane (baggage & cargo hold) were still busy loading. Yes, it's not just about us passengers. Baggage, Cargo & Mail are also being loaded. Not that I was in a hurry. Per booking, I had 3 hours of transfer time at Hanoi. Go ra! I instead watched whatever I could see of a rainy outside. It must be cold out there! My phone said it was 17°C in Taoyuan and 20°C In Hanoi. Brrr! Being Pinoy from the Visayas, 26°C is my best lowest temperature. Any degree lo...