Passenger Talesstories about my experiences as a traveler and passenger

On our way to and from Korea last July we flew via the Korean Airlines. One thing I appreciated about the Airline was that it was not very strict with luggage weight. It was my first time to fly in a foreign airline. During our departure to Korea, while we were waiting for the man behind the counter to finish checking our tickets, Ate Rita and I discussed the heaviness of our luggage. I turned to the man and asked how heavy my luggage was and to my surprise he told me that he had no way of knowing because they their booth was not equipped to weigh our luggage. We were at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport then so I thought maybe NAIA was not so high tech. This I can believe because its Rest Rooms in the departure area was so Jurassic. It was not something you would expect from an international airport.

Anyway, this was not the case with Incheong Airport. This airport is so big and modern. When we checked in our luggage we could see how many kilos we were racking up. As is in most cases of Filipinos traveling, we had heavier luggage coming home because of the various knickknacks to be distributed to friends and families. We checked in by pair and between the two of us, Ate Rita and I racked up 45 kilos, an excess of five kilos. We were holding our breath on how much it would cost us considering that nothing is cheap in Korea, particularly Seoul. Boy were we thankful when the Airline did not charge us anything. We were able to breathe easier once we checked in because now we could spend our very limited remaining won with an easier mind.

I saw the news about the C130 airplane that crashed in the Davao Gulf the other day. I was saddened by the news because it is another air tragedy that haunts the Philippine Air Force. There is a general feeling that the Air Force men do not die in combat but through equipment failure. There have been a number of helicopter crashes resulting in death to both pilots and passengers in the last two decades and now the downed plane has added to the list. I learned from the news that the C130 that crashed was one of the last two in the country.

C130 planes played a big part in my childhood. I have already mentioned in a previous article that we used to fly back and forth from Cebu to Manila and other destinations during vacations in the C130. We had a lot fun and funny adventures while traveling in the big cargo plane. The Air Force and the C130 made it possible for us when we were young to visit our parents during vacations even though we had no budget for travel. The C130 and the Air Force really helped a lot of ordinary Filipinos who could not afford to travel via a commercial airplane or boat to get to where they need to go in the country. It’s been so long since I had my last C130 ride so I don’t know if ordinary civilians can still hitch a ride in the cargo plane nowadays.

Our flight to Busan was at 3:35am. We were served breakfast at around 4:30am. We were offered the usual coffee or tea since juice was already served earlier. Wines, both red and white, were also available as well as beer and cola upon request. I am not overly fond of wine and considering the very early hour, I did not ask to try it. My officemate, who was my seatmate during the flight, tried the red wine. She said she tasted better. Maybe airline wine is like airline food, unappetizing. Maybe that brand would never be featured as wine of the month in magazines or fine dining restaurants but the airline administration sure thinks it s good enough for the economy section of their airline.

Last Thursday I had another airport misadventure. My boss and I arrived at Tacloban airport just as they were making a last call for PAL passengers. I hurried inside with our tickets leaving my boss with the bags. An airport stevedore was urged me on and pointed me to line up at the PAL window so that I could get our boarding passes. The airport personnel took a long time to process the ticket of the person in front of me so that when it was my turn to be served, it was already 3:13pm. Out flight was at 3:55 and they had this rule about checking in 45 minutes before take off. The man at the counter informed me that there were no more seats available. I was flabbergasted. How could that be, since we already had tickets and these were confirmed tickets. He explained that it was a systematic problem. PAL Manila usually overbooks flights and it becomes a first come first serve basis and the last ones to arrive will just have to take their chances in the next flight. Unfortunately for us that meant the next day because PAL only had two flights to and from Manila daily. Taking the next flight meant staying overnight in Tacloban and flying out early the next day. However, when we went to the PAL Ticketing Office where we were referred by the men at the counter, we found out that it was still a dicey proposition because all their flights were fully booked until Sunday. There were around 10 of us passengers who were in the same situation. The manager promised to do his best to accommodate us the next day as long as we were at the airport early, around 6:00am while the flight was still at 7:45am.

So now we were left with the problem of where to stay and how to leave the airport. We were not familiar with the place. It was a long way to Baybay where we stayed for the past two days and the service vehicle of VSU already left after we went inside the airport. My boss called the director of our regional office who immediately made arrangements for her driver and a staff to fetch us and bring us to a hotel. I’m very grateful for them because they really took great care of us. After we had settled at the hotel, the director came to visit us and when she heard that we wanted to see San Juanico Bridge, the longest bridge in the country, she told us that she will send back the car to us after her driver brings her to her appointment.

It was already dark when we got to the bridge. There were few lights but you can still appreciate the beauty of the long and curving bridge. We traversed its length and when we got to the Samar side, we made a U-turn to go back to Leyte. We asked permission from the police guarding the bridge so that we can stop along the bridege to take some pictures. As usual, my camera does not function very well in the dark so I was not able get good pictures. It would have been great to visit the bridge during the day to see the surrounding vistas but at least we got to see such a historical landmark.

We started for the airport early the next day. We got there at around 6:10am. The manager was not there yet but our co-passengers were already waiting. When he arrived we descended on him like hungry vultures. Hehe. He told us that we’ll know by 7:00am. So we waited outside for the fated hour to arrive. While there I took some pictures and continued talking to Di, the regional office staff who still accompanied us. At around 6:45am we heard the PAL airplane arriving from Manila. A short time later we saw the passengers exiting the airport. Di became very excited when saw a group of guys congregating outside the airport door. It turned out it was her favorite band, 6Cyclemind. She called out to them and asked if she can have her picture taken with them. They were very accommodating.

At 7:00am we went inside to hear our fate from the manager. He gave me and my boss the gold pass while the others still had to wait to hear about their fate because only three of us can be accommodated so that left only one more slot for around 5 people. It was only after we were seated in the plane that I was able to breathe easily. Guess what? I was seated between two men, alas not the kind in my fantasies. Hehehe.

A fitting postscript to this adventure was that when we were ready to leave the airport I discovered that I lost my boarding pass where the stickers for our checked in baggage was placed. When the airport security inspected our bags I explained our predicament and showed him my ID. He was reluctant at first but when he consulted with another guard, he was told that it was ok as long as the name in the ID matched with the name in the stickers. At last, we were home free.

When my friends and I went to Singapore, we relied on the Internet to check out hotels suited to our budget. We made an online hotel reservation so that we can be sure that we had a place to stay when we arrived. Hotel reservations through the Internet make it easy to check out hotel accommodations in the places you want to visit, especially if you are not familiar with the place and you do not have friends who can advise you.

Hotelreservations.com is a one-stop site where you cannot only check out the different hotels, motels and vacation rentals but it also offers complete vacation packages. By online booking, you can avail of hotel discounts, which means big savings and more pocket money to spend on the different shops you want to visit. In order to help you in your choice of accommodation, not only are the rates published but also customer ratings. Furthermore, once you have narrowed down your options, you can click on the choices and compare amenities to arrive at the best possible deal.

Not only that, you can also book your flights through this site. Armed only with your flight schedule and preferred destination, you can check out a myriad of flight options from the lowest to the more expensive flights and book your preferred flight with just a click of a button. If your not comfortable booking online, they also have reservations agents that you can call, toll free.

Their service does not only end with your hotel and flight bookings. When you get to your preferred destination, you can also check the available car rentals on this site beforehand. You have a lot of options with competitive prices at weekly rates.

Now, the adventure of a lifetime, or a pleasant and hassle-free business trip is just a click away.

I don’t know what got into me while I was in the city of my birth but i committed more than a couple of booboos (aside from the airport incident).

First off, I had dinner with my friends Melai and Kate at Casa Verde on my first night there. Whenever I’m in Cebu or one of them comes to Manila, we almost always meet up. Anyway, the food was great and a real value for money. It helped me forget that we had to wait to be seated and we learned patience while waiting for the food to be served. It was my first time to eat there so I tried their specialty, baked pork ribs.

After dinner we decided to go for a massage. On our way out of the parking lot, I told Melai, who was driving, that I wanted to take a picture of the name of the restaurant. So when we reached the gate, she paused so that I can take a shot. I was bewildered because all I can see was the address so I asked them why there was only an address and no resto name. They exclaimed, “Ha?!?” It was then I realized that the name of the resto was above the address. Unfortunately, a line of departing vehicles was already forming at our back so we had to go without me getting a good shot.

The misadventure did not end there. On our way to a massage place, I requested that we drop by a pharmacy because I had to buy my turbohaler. We left Emily to wait for a parking space while Kate and I went inside the pharmacy. I approached the counter and the sales lady asked me, “Naa kay SM card?” (Do you have SM card?) I replied, “SM advantage card?” She said no. What can I say, I’m an SM advantage card fan It turned out what she was really saying was, “Naay KSM card?” (KSM card?) I’m not sure what a KSM card is but I think it’s the pharmacy’s discount card. Suffice to say that I was able to buy my inhaler without getting a discount.

The next one was more of a booboo thought than an action. After a lot of cancellations and missed opportunities, I was finally on my way to Tops, courtesy of Melai and Carlo. It almost didn’t push through because Melai suffered from a stomach bug earlier but she was very insistent that I would finally see Tops during that visit. By sheer will, rest and some medication, she felt good enough to go to Tops. On our way to Busay, we passed by a resto/internet shop to buy pizza to take to Tops. It was another old house turned restaurant. Cebu is full these kinds of restos.

From the name Tops, you can already guess that we were going to a place overlooking the city. So up we went. It seemed an endless uphill climb. When we were nearing the top I noticed that dust was floating in front of our vehicle. I was wondering why the dust would have been disturbed when there were no vehicles in front of us. Then Emily commented something like, “Naay fog.” Of course! It was fog not dust. How slow can I get?

We stayed there for more than an hour but we were not able to see the city lights very clearly because of the fog.

The last booboo happened in the plane going home to Manila. I arrived early at the airport so while waiting for my flight to board, I worked on my laptop. My laptop’s battery life is just an hour (low tech) so when it was near boarding time, I decided to switch to the adaptor to conserve the battery. A short time later, an older businessman sat down near me and charged his cellphone. We got into a conversation. Suddenly, our flight was called so I hurriedly packed my laptop. The man asked me what my seat number was, I said 16 while his was 7. I took my leave and hurried away leaving him still charging his cellphone. When I got to the plane I hurried to my seat, I chose a window seat and when I got there a man was already occupying the aisle seat. He had to stand to let me in since he was a big man. Just as I was starting to feel comfortable, I realized that I got the wrong seat. It was 7H and not 16H. I hurriedly stood up and had to ask the man on the aisle seat to stand again so that I can pass. I was full of apologies and he was very obliging. Good thing I realized my mistake quickly before the rightful owner of the seat arrived to boot me out. Hahaha. Sometimes my mind can really wander. Hehehe.

It was during the flight that I realized that the airlines seat women passengers together with other women and men with other men. So my fantasy of sitting beside a handsome stranger is not bound to happen. Too bad Another fantasy wasted. Hahaha

Last Thursday, while I was waiting for our flight to be called for boarding, I went to the restroom to freshen up. After washing my hands, I tried getting a papertowel from the nearby bin. I had a hard time getting the towel because it was stuck inside the bin. I tried inserting my fingers so that I can pull one for my use. However hard I tried pulling, I can’t get hold of the towel. Suddenly, a woman approached and she pressed the lever located at the upper right side of the bin. Lo’ and behold!, a sheet of paper towel came out. Yikes! I quietly thanked her then quickly hurried out of the restroom in chagrin and laughing at myself inside. Would it help if I say that I’m used to papertowel bins where you just tear-off the sheet(s) you need? Hehehe

When I was young we used to ride the military cargo plane C130 to come here to Manila from Cebu during vacations then when vacation was over, back to Cebu. May parents worked here in Manila while we studied in Cebu. Since commercial airline fares, there was only PAL before, were more than we could afford, we had to find another alternative. My mother was working for a bank in Villamor Airbase that time and their clients were military personnel and they told her about the cargo plane. So during the start of summer vacations we would already pack up our bags and wait for the call from a friendly military captain who would assist us in boarding the military plane. Riding the C130 was always an adventure. We didn’t know when the captain would call so we were always ready to leave at a moment’s notice. When we got the call it didn’t mean that we’d be able to board the plane. I can’t count the times when had to go back home because we weren’t able to catch a ride. It was only when we were airborne that we could breathe easily and looked forward to arriving at our destination. Sometimes we had to wait for a long time at the airbase for the plane and sometimes we barely had time to catch our breath before we were ushered aboard. Usually we didn’t have to line up to board like the others, we just waited at the sides then the captain would motion to us to board.

There were no chairs aboard the plane only cargoes. If we were lucky, we could sit on the floor of the plane but if the flight was jam-packed, then we remained standing for the whole duration of the flight. More often than not, I always felt like a sardine in a can because of the press of bodies inside the plane. There were planes with strong aircondition system and there were planes where I felt like a cloud because of the deluge of sweat pouring out of my body. I can remember an instance when the plane was so full that when the plane took off or landed, somebody would shout for us to move to the back, then we would all shuffle to the back. Then there will be another shout for us to move front and all of us would move forward again. This was to help the plane take off or land. We did not need to hold on to something because the press of bodies kept us upright. There was barely a space for us breathe. It was like LRT during rush hour. I always felt relieved as always a reli off the plane.

I remember my aunt, she was also a C130 passenger once upon a time, telling me that one time she overheard a conversation between two male passengers. One passenger was telling the other, “Safe na safe tong C130 kc nakakabilly land.” It was quite a while before she realized that he meant “belly-land.” Hehehe, Mabuhi mga Bisdak!

Despite the inconveniences, I remember with fondness my adventures aboard the C130. I was lucky that I got to experience them once upon a time. I guess there are advantages to being disadvantaged. Next time I’ll feature some of my memorable rides here.

While waiting for my flight to board, I was drawn into conversation with a fellow passenger who was also a kababayan. He was returning home after attending a seminar in Manila. He was funny in a Cebuano way. What do I mean by that, you might ask. Cebuano humor is something that only another Cebuano can truly appreciate. It straddles the thin line between corny and witty but funny nonetheless. But one thing it is, it is not sophisticated. It’s dry humor combined with a deadpan delivery of down to earth observations on life, work, and everything else under the sun. I can’t describe how it is different from other regions but it just is. Having been away from Cebu for a number of years, this realization was brought home to me during that flight back to the island of my birth and carefree childhood. Only Cebuanos can come up with lines such as the classic “Ikaw ba’y gwapo, lalim ba”, a line in a Cebuano commercial delivered by a popular Cebuano actor whose face even his blind mother will not call handsome. Another line that became popular after my time and something I heard from my wisecracking brother when he visited was “Bahala na saging basta loving”. It’s a Cebuano take on love conquers all even poverty. These lines lose their color in translation because your appreciation hinges on your understanding of the language (as it is in most cases). Such lines embody the Cebuano sense of humor: unsophisticated, quirky and refreshing.