Passenger Talesstories about my experiences as a traveler and passenger

A couple of weekends ago, my friends and I decided to go to Tagaytay for some bonding time. Three of us left Manila early in the morning to explore Tagaytay while waiting for the fourth friend to arrive in the afternoon. She had to go to the office for some overtime work. When we got to Tagaytay, we decided to visit People’s Park in the Sky since I have never been there. Droves of people were already there. Some came in buses and private jeepneys while others came in cars and vans. There was an entrance fee of P30. When you entered the gate, it was still an uphill climb for about 50 meters. I heard that People’s Park is the highest point in Tagaytay. When we got there, it was quite disappointing to see that the place was not maintained. There was really nothing to see except for the view, which could also be seen in lower areas. Sol said that it was really popular for its sunrise. It’s such a shame that the local government or whoever owns the park was not able to maintain it. The big steel letters spelling out the phrase “People’s Park in the Sky” have missing letters and the facilties are rusty and dilapidated.

Sol was telling me I should blog about it and ask where the money earned from the entrance fees went. Aside from the entrance fees, there must be money made from the rent of stalls because there were souvenirs, plant and food sellers there. The park should be developed like Picnic Grove because thousands of tourists go to Tagaytay so there is really a market for parks. Even in its dilapidated state, tourists still come in droves, how much more if the park is developed? It could provide income and livelihood to the communities in the nearby areas.

My friend went to Seoul with her family last December. It was a long preparation for her because she had to find winter jackets, gloves, bonnets, boots, and other winter paraphernalia for her husband and two kids. It is quite a challenge for her because we live in a tropical country so there is really dearth of winter clothing. Moreover, buying brand new is quite expensive and the choices limited. Sometimes, it is better to buy winter clothes in the country where you are going because these are more suited to their climate and there are more styles to choose from. But of course, you can’t just arrive in a country with winter season without being prepared beforehand. Preparations really depend on your length of stay. If you’re staying there for a month or more, then just bring a few suitable clothes then just buy when you get there. But if it’s just for a short stay, then just buy is suitable but affordable too.

It was my first time to go to Zamboanga City last week. We arrived in the early evening so we were not able to see much except the christmas lights adorning the city and the lighted establishments. My first thought when I saw the city on our way to the hotel was that it was a bustling metropolis. The next day after we have discharged our duties, Virgie and I were taken to the regional office. It was a nice building and newly painted. When we went it, we marveled at how clean and spacious it was. After waiting for the afternoon to cool down a little bit, we were taken to the Barter, or the market where imported goods from Malaysia, malongs and pearls were sold. The place was also clean and colorful. Apollo chocolates, coffees, umbrellas, and other goods were displayed along with malongs, scarves, pouches, and other souvenir items. It was tempting to buy stuff at bargain prices but our allowance was not much so we had to limit ourselves.

After that we stopped for a shortwhile in the Boys Scout Office and checked out their treehouse. Then we proceeded to the park with the beautiful gumamelas. We could see that it was a favorite dating place because couples were spread around the place. We took some pictures and then visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. It is a very big, modern and newly painted church. The archbishop was celebrating mass when we got there. We then proceeded to have dinner in the bay area. On our way, we passed by the City Hall, which was wrapped in christmas lights. It was a great sight to see but my camera does not do too well in the dark. Dinner in the bay area was good. It would have been great if we could have eaten seafoods but beggars can’t be choosers. The place was filled as our dinner progressed. The area was open and the wind was refreshing. After dinner, we went to Fort Pilar and the open church.

After saying a little prayer, our guides dropped us at our hotel. We stayed at Grand Astoria Hotel. Our room was spacious and clean and so was the restroom. The next day, on our way to the airport, Kuya Sam, the designated driver, took us to an eatery to sample the sati, a popular food in the area. It is made of beef cut in small pieces and put in a stick like barbecue with spicy curry sauce and puso rice. I liked it except that I would love more servings of beef.

On our way to the airport, we saw marine college students from a nearby school doing their morning jog. They were so many good thing there was a break in the ranks so we were able to get through. We got to the airport with more than an hour to spare.

Zamboanga City was a really pleasant surprise. It looked peaceful, organized, clean and the establishments were newly painted. It was a far cry from the war zone that I always imagined it to be because of the media. I would love to visit it again with more time to spare.

Have you ever wondered why the promo airline fares are not as cheap as you think they are? This July, Cebu Pacific had a P99 promo to its local destinations. My mother asked me to book her a roundtrip ticket to avail of the promo. While booking the tickets, I was quite surprised that two P99 tickets could add up to almost P1,500. So I checked again the entries and saw that the default for the luggages was at P250/per flight for the standard 20 kilograms. All Cebu Pacific flights now have Lite Fares which means that you have to pay separately for your check in baggages. 15 kilograms or less cost P150, while up to 20 kilograms cost P250, then 25 kilograms for P400, and 30 kilograms for P700. I chose the “I have no bags to check-in, only carry-on luggage” so the computed fare was minus the P500 for the luggage. Total fare for the roundtrip ticket was P977.76. How did this come about? From the computation of Cebu Pacific, base fare was P198 plus taxes & fees at P619.76 and the web admin fee at P160, a total of P977.76. Well, it is still very much cheaper than regular fares or or other promos maybe except for the piso fare promo.

Some travel tips:

1. Travel light. When going on a short trip, try to fit your stuff in a carry-on luggage so that you do not have to pay extra for check in luggage. If you cannot avoid having to check in luggage, it is much cheaper to correctly estimate the weight of your luggage and buy online than pay for extra kilos when you’re already at the airport. Excess baggage costs P150/kilo.

2. Make sure your check in luggage are closed properly and bags have locks. Moreover, do not check in valuables like jewelry, digital cameras and cellular phones. My friend Wendy had the misfortune to put her digital camera and cellphone in the luggage she checked in, which did not hava a lock. When she got the luggage, her digital camera and cellphone were already missing and the airline was not very helpful. She was told that she did not declare these items when she checked in her luggage.

3. Do not bring umbrellas or put your umbrellas in your checked in luggage. If you’re fond of your umbrella or you have a not so cheap automatic umbrella, make sure that you put it in your checked in baggage because you’ll have to leave it behind at the airport. Airport personnel would not allow umbrellas in carry-on bags. My sister-in-law did not know about this and I forgot to tell her also, so the automatic umbrella that I bought her a few months earlier which cost around P500+, had to be left behind at the airport. This also goes for gels, creams or liquid stuff you bring which exceeds 100ml. Check them in or leave them behind at the airport.

4. Be at the airport at least 45 minutes to one hour before your domestic flight. If you’re taking Cebu Pacific, 45 minutes is ok but if you’re taking PAL, then have at least an hour allowance. I have been left behind twice because I came in less than an hour before the flight. If your travelling to places with only one or two flights a day, then make sure that you’re at the airport 2 hours before your flight or you could be bumped off. This happened to my friend Judith. She was at Butuan airport, travelling to Manila, 1 and 1/2 hour before her flight but she was still bumped off. It really pays to be early.

5. When you are a Filipino and travelling abroad, it is better to travel in twos or in a group than alone. Immigration agents in the Philippines and in your destination countries are more suspicious of lone Filipino travellers than of those in twos or groups, unless your passport indicates that your a frequent traveller. This was what I encountered when I went to Hongkong last March and I was using my brand new passport. I did not enounter much problem with the local customs because I had a travel authority, being a government employee. My friend was asked if she was travelling alone and she said no and pointed to me. When we arrived in Hong Kong, the Immigration Officer was contemplating my passport for a long time and asked if I was travelling alone. I said no and pointed to my friend, then I asked if he wanted to see my older passports. He said yes, and I gave it to him. He was satisfied when he saw that it had around five or six entries and around 3 visas. I guess he was afraid that I was there to look for work.

There are other tips available online that are quite common and sensible so take note of them also.

I went to visit Carmen, Bohol with my mom two weeks ago. Although there are already fast crafts plying the Cebu-Tubigon route, my aunt convinced us to take the Lite Shipping ferry. Travel time took approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. We paid P280 because we opted to stay at the airconditioned part with bunks. It turned out not be a too wise decision because sitting outside with the wind blowing was also comfortable. Moreover, when we tried to rent beddings (costs P50) none was available.

When we reached Tubigon port we walked from the dock to the gate where we rode a tricycle to go outside to where the vans for hire (V-hire) were located. I can remember when I was a kid, accompanying my grandmother on her trip to Bohol, how long the trip seemed and still seeing kalesas that transported the passengers from inside the pier to where the non-airconditioned buses waited. Now the kalesas have been replaced by tricycles and the buses with V-hires, althought rickety buses are still in evidence. My aunt said that it even though v-hires are more expensive at P80 from Tubigon to Carmen, but you can travel faster. It took approximately 45 minutes. This is because travel is almost uninterrupted unlike buses which stop frequently to pick up or let down passengers. Like the jeepneys, tricycles, FX, and almost all buses, passengers are squeezed like sardines in v-hires. Each row contains four passengers so if your a little on the hefty side, maybe you’ll get dirty looks from your seatmates. Hehehe.

We arrived in late Friday afternoon and left for Cebu early Monday morning. My aunt urged us to go very early to the terminal because she said there would be a Monday rush with people going back to Cebu for business or school. So we were at the terminal before 5:00am. We waited for almost an hour because the driver and conductor arrived almost quarter to 6am. When they arrived and opened the van, the passengers quickly got in and only two seats were not taken. We waited only for a short time then the van was filled up and off we went. We left before 6am and arrived at Tubigon pier a little after 6:30am. The van passengers hurriedly fell in line at the window of the ticketing office for the fast craft, which was leaving at 7:00am. On the other hand, mom and I took the Lite Shipping line again because it costs only P100 pesos/passenger. This is exclusively their promo fare from Tubigon to Cebu because when my aunt asked at the Cebu ticket window, they had no such promo. This entitles you to one seat in a wooden bench in the non airconditioned part of the ship. Since there were very few passengers you can occupy the whole bench. If you are travelling on a budget, this is a very economical way of travelling.

One week vacation is really not enought to spend in two hometowns. There were a lot of things I was not able to do and places to visit. I really miss being a student and have two months vacation to just spend lazily.

My allergies have really been acting up lately. I think it is because of the erratic weather we’ve been having lately. This really took a toll on my vacation last week. I went to Cebu for my grandmother’s first year death anniversary and then proceeded to Carmen, Bohol for a visit. All the time I was there I was sneezing hard and there were times when my head ached. I fear that I have sinusitis already. Sometimes, I wake up at around 2:00am to blow my nose then I would have a hard time going back to sleep. Now that I’m back in Manila, the problem still continues. It’s time for me to consult a doctor regarding my allergic rhinitis again because it’s becoming very irritating and inconvenient.

I have always been fascinated by the Dead Sea. Ever since I was little I have heard things about it like you would not sink because it is very dense and that it is very salty. That is why no animals can live there. One teacher even mentioned that it is an example of what happens when one just takes and takes but does not give. It seems that this lake could be considered one of the first health spas and salts from the lake are used as ingredients in premier dead sea cosmetics. The lake has been a great destination for thousands of years. It would be a marvelous idea to visit the Dead Sea in the future.

I was finally able to visit Disneyland last March 11 in Hong Kong. I was a bit disappointed because it was not as big and as exciting as I thought. Well, considering that it was a childhood fantasy that became a reality at past 30, I was bound to be disappointed. Disneyland is really for kids but there were sights and rides that I enjoyed. My favorite was Mickey’s Philharmagic, a 3D of the most memorable Disney animated movies with Donald Duck as an interloper. I also enjoyed Stitch Encounter and even got picked to converse with Stitch. The boatride “It’s a Small World” was feast for the eyes with all those miniatures in different colorful costumes and the song with the same title sang in different languages. Of course Disney adventure is not complete without a having your picture taken with Mickey Mouse and the other Disney characters so we waited for our turn to pose with our favorite characters. One of the highlights for me was the Disney parade where the various characters rode in beautiful and fantastic floats. Although I’m not fond of roller coasters, Laisa and I tried the Space Mountain. I’m not quite sure yet if it was less or more scary because it was so dark and you could not see how high up the ground your were. There were other rides we tried but we did not try those that truly looked like these for childrenAlthough we were already tired at mid afternoon, we stayed for the fireworks and I was glad that we did. The Sleeping Beauty Castle looked magical with muted changing lights amidst the dark velvet night. It seemed even more magical when the fireworks lighted up the dark sky like exploding stars shimmering in the night. I guess Disneyland still has a place in my heart even if I have not been a child for almost two decades.

One of the very few perks I enjoy as a public servant is the courtesy lane at the Department of Foreign Affairs for passport applications. Since I’ve joined the government service I’ve made use of this perk to apply for my passport then renewing every five years. Yesterday I went to DFA because I had to renew my passport again. It was my first time to go to DFA’s new office so I was a bit hesitant at first. It turned out that it’s easier to go to the new office. When you get off at Taft MRT station there are plenty of multicabs with DFA signboards and these go to the new DFA office. The fare is P10.00. Before, there were also jeepneys with signboards that pass near the old DFA office but you had to walk to the end of the block to enter in front of DFA. Now, the multicab stops beside the side gate. So I went yesterday but when I got there DFA was closed because it was Valentine’s Day. Just kidding! It was Parañaque day so they had a holiday. I went back again today. From my previous experiences it would just take around 30 minutes to 1 hour for the application process then I would be advised to go back after three working days to get my passport. But with the new system it took me three hours to finish and the express processing time takes 10 days before you can get your passport. In their old system, the courtesy lane for government employees was different from the senior citizens and minors. Now, they have a single courtesy lane unit handling the three kinds of clients. Another new procedure was the picture-taking and e-signature. Before you just bring a passport size picture but now they take your picture using digital cameras and saving it directly to the computer. The only thing I appreciated about the new system was that because I used the courtesy lane I did not have to make an appointment for application or renewal of passport. I heard that scheduling an appointment is a little difficult. I am just wondering why it takes longer to process the passports when they are going digital, unlike when it was manually processed. Maybe once they explain the process I’ll be able to understand it. Anyway, I availed of the courier service so that I do not have to go back but have my passport delivered to our house. You only need to pay additional P120 for the delivery charge. LBC is DFA’s courier. The new fees are P950 for regular processing which takes 20 days and P1,200 for express processing which takes 10 days. I think that if your a government employee and you avail of the courtesy lane, they’ll charge you express processing fee of P1,200 automatically.

We accompanied my brother and his fiancée (now his wife) when they shot their prenuptial photos and music video. It was in a beach resort and the sun was shining very brightly. My nephew enjoyed himself bathing in the sea and playing in the sand. I was busy taking pictures of the future bride and groom following them as the professional photographers they hired called the shots. At around 4pm we took a break and had some snacks. I took the opportunity to have my picture taken among the log furniture scattered around the resort. I was only able to enjoy the beach when it got a little dark since my camera does not capture great pictures in the dark. We finished at around 8pm already and it was a long drive home.