Philippine Travel Notes

Tacloban to Cebu again. I've done this many times before. But I'm not complaining - except that I'm running out of anything to tell about this portion of my trips. Or do I? What about this Tacloban Airport, again? I keep saying, "I think I have seen and said everything about this wretched airport" be it praise-wise or rant-wise. Eh, I've been using this 'ugly edifice' ever since I was a brat. But something that the Filipina candidate (in that recently-held Miss Universe thing) said, somehow left a mark in my head. She said something about "the silver lining"! And she won pa, di ba? So I said 'that's a great life-skill' . But can I apply that here? Let's practice and find out! Practice finding that 'silver lining' in this poor, deplorable, wretched, shameful situation; and see if it makes us feel any better. I suspect it will! Disappontment is after all just a product of our own appointment hehehe! Hmm, I...

This is Part 9 of the Sights & Scenes On My Iloilo To Cebu To Tacloban Flights. Arrival: Cebu Buses ferried us to the terminal (as usual), where we saw this Manang! It looked like she was putting those sheets into the clear plastic trash bag. Some of those sheets were flying off, and she was having difficulty catching-securing those. Fellow passengers helped her pick some sheets blown towards our path, and that's what caught my attention. Hmn, old memoranda and tables/statistics of/from PAL. Aw yes, since that's a PAL office inside that door. I wanted to go hop by and remind them that rubbish should be secured in the trash bag 'while still inside their offices'. Paano naman kasi, ang sikip-sikip na ng office na yan for an entire Station Control . I think its width is only 4 meters. They should relocate to some wider area at say, T2. No, I did not peep in. I had to rush. I remembered I was still going home. Mind Your Trash But I know something about...

This is Part 8 of the Sights & Scenes On My Iloilo To Cebu To Tacloban Flights. What/Where Is Remote Parking Being a small propeller plane, our flight was not to dock at any of the gates of T1. It is normal herearounds, and we're all used to this, right? We get ferried by busloads! There there.... we were headed to the Aircraft Parking Bays across the MCIA Cargo Terminals . Oist, if in the past I hated this bus part of air travel, nowadays I cherish it. Why? Well, I get to see other, derivative, amusing parts of airport/airline operations! The Scenes At MCIA Remote Parking Here's a fantastically alluring example scene of many separate activities: First, there are 2 separate and different planes. It just so happened that at the time I took the shot, my position (angle) accidentally made them look as if just 1 airplane! In front is an Air Juan plane. It's a Cessna Grand Caravan 208B EX. That is their land version (obvious ba?), as they have a seaplane ve...

This is Part 7 of the Sights & Scenes On My Iloilo To Cebu To Tacloban Flights. Wonderful Views Again: Mactan I heard sighs of relief, probably including mine hehe! Landing time. This is Cordova . Approaching from south of the island. Therefore, we were landing into Runway 04. This happened before .., I could see the Cordova Tourism Center in Brgy. Day-as. Syempre, Lantaw Floating Restobar right side of the causeway. Pioneer in that area. Oy, I saw parts of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway ( CCLEX ) under construction! I will be honest, I'm not that excited about this CCLEX as most other people in Cebu. I have two reasons - personal and analytical (yes, me ganun)! 1] On the personal side, wala man koy labot ana gud hehe! I live in Banilad Mandaue, V&G Lacion and future home is Catarman Liloan. All got nothing to do with that link . I will probably only be able to use it just for curiousity's sake, or when I'd be roaming around with my usual bu...

Let's continue my story from where I earlier finished! Delayed departure from CGY for about an hour. ETD was 1505H , but at 1607H here I was with my fellow passengers still walking to Laguindingan Airport's Gate 3. GoRa! If you noticed, there's an aerobridge at left, but this flight was not boarded that way! Boarding Propeller Planes At Laguindingan We went down this way: via the stairs, to the tarmac, and on to our tiny little plane! Hey, some of you (including me 'sometimes') may hate the thought of walking down stairs and on the tarmac's pavement, just to board an aircraft. But I liked it this time! It's Best When Not Raining or Sunny Hot Late-afternoon orange sunrays, wide field and sea views, gentle warm breeze. Nice! I said warm , not cool - that is because this airport vicinity is far from mountains or hills. That said, you know what that means, right? Yes, the air has that "beachy" feel! Why I Like Propeller Pl...