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One of the most difficult parts of traveling internationally is arriving at an unfamiliar destination late at night or very early in the morning. First, you have no idea what awaits you at the airport. Second, many of the facilities at even major airports are closed. Third, not all cultures are welcoming or even helpful.
That was my experience at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India. This was my first time to South Asia and my first time to India. Although I have lived most of my life in Southeast Asia and have a very few Indian friends, I knew very little about what to expect in Delhi.
Arriving from Singapore, my flight touched down around 10:00 p.m. I was surprised to see a relatively small airport especially since it was the main airport at the very capital of India, a country with an area of over 3 million square kilometers and a population of 1.2 billion (second only to China)! (General information on India available here at Wikipedia.) The airport reminded me of Manila’s. Disappointing.
Walking out of the baggage claim area and onto the greeters’ area, I was greeted by closed booths and unfriendly airport staff. It was difficult to ask around for directions. One of the open booths was Airtel, a local cellphone network. I wanted to buy a local sim card to save on roaming charges. (My Philippine Smart network charges about 15 pesos [31 US cents] per sms! Indian networks charge only 5 rupees [10 US cents] per sms. What a difference!) But Airtel was charging 450 rupees (USD 9) for a sim card! I found out later on in my trip that the same sim card was available elsewhere for only 50 rupees (USD 1) if you provide the seller 2 photos. Needless to say I didn’t get one from the airport.
My train was scheduled to leave at 6:50 a.m. the following day. For me it was better to just wait seven hours at the airport than try to find a hotel. Who knows what kind of cheap hotel I’ll find and how much the local taxi will charge me. According to some blogs, it is wiser to pay for your coupon taxi at the airport. And, don’t fall for the hagglers on the street who will charge you extra for a taxi you already paid for.
I decided to go to the departure level and look for the lounge where one could pay 30 rupees to rest. (That was a tip from another blog.) I did find it but there where a couple of men at the entrance holding the entrance tickets. They didn’t want to let me in saying that I should stay at a hotel. I asked how much it would cost. They said, “50 rupees for the taxi and 15,000 rupees for the hotel.” I said I didn’t have that kind of money (USD 300!) and I insisted that I wanted to rest in the lounge. But they just shook their heads and would not let me in.
I turned around and headed back down to the arrival lounge where the seats were wider, less people, and best of all, it was free! There were Indian staff lying straight on the seats. Some of the seat arms were broken so they could stretch all the way. This was far better than the departure lounge.
Tip: If you need to stay several hours at the airport before your next flight or before venturing out in the daytime, stay in the baggage claim area. There are more seats there than anywhere. You can lie down straight, and there are so few people late at night. It is far safer in this controlled area than anywhere.
At around 4:00 a.m. I suddenly woke up from my many short naps. I turned around and there was my green bus headed for the New Delhi Railway Station. I was told that the bus comes around every 20 minutes. I hadn’t seen one since I landed.
The ride costs only 50 rupees (USD 1) and the bus conductor will make sure you get off at the right stop. But beware! Once you get off the bus, a fixer will try to lure you away from the main thoroughfare leading to the railway station! Their line is, “This is the way to get your ticket, not there.” At 4:30 a.m., the fixers are already busy with their trade. Good thing a fellow foreigner and I met a station guard and was able to ask for correct directions.
Official information on the international airport and other requirements available here at New Delhi Airport.
Indian visa information available here at Immigration India.
Singapore Changi Airport is the best airport I have been to. There are several terminals. I’ve been to three. Right now I’m at the McDonald’s restaurant in Terminal 2 waiting for my next flight, chatting with my online friends, and writing this blog. Wireless connection is free. You just have to have a cell phone so you can register over qmax.com and receive your password by sms. Very few airports seem to have this kind of wireless generosity.
The Budget Terminal though is somewhat disappointing. I landed this morning there onboard Cebu Pacific Air. We deplaned by stairs and actually walked on the tarmac to get to the arrival area. The building looks really “budget” from the inside. I thought I was back at the domestic airport in Manila!
Anyway, from the Budget Terminal I took a free shuttle bus to Terminal 2. Free is really good. No such free service in Manila. It took me quite a while though trying to figure out how to get around. There was no Information Booth at the Budget Terminal.
Apart from the Budget Terminal, Changi airport is superb, especially Terminal 1. Singapore really knows how to make its airport seem like a “free port.” And there actually is a free shuttle bus into downtown Singapore that leaves every hour! I haven’t tried it but you can get there in 30 minutes and be back in time for your next flight!
We left quite late in the day. We would have gone earlier but we had to wait for my wife’s niece, Jig, who came all the way from Manila. It was past 9:00 a.m. when we left Naga. At the bus terminal we could have chosen to ride an aircon van but some of our companions chose to ride the jeepney because it was supposed to be cheaper by PHP 15 and for fear of riding a hot aircon van. It took us 2 1/2 hours from Naga to Sabang. (We found out on the way home that the GT Express aircon van was really cool, comfortable, and fast taking us only 1 1/2 hours for only PHP 75, just PHP 10 more!)
Survivor Staff (European Edition). We found them at Paniman Beach planning their shoots.
Tip: Take the aircon van from Naga to Sabang. It’s worth it! If you’re coming from Manila, take the bus that goes straight to Sabang. Sabang is a small port.
We could have had lunch there but the boat trips to Guijalo were two hours apart. The next boat was loading and was about to leave. We decided to have lunch on the boat. All 10 of us (six adults, two young teens, and two little children) squeezed into the passenger room right behind the boat captain. How we managed to eat in such a cramped space, I don’t know. The small boat took 2 1/2 hours.
We passed a gorgeous island with a very inviting beach along the way. Little did I know that that was a foretaste of what we would see the following day. We reached Guijalo at high tide so we didn’t have any problems disembarking.
From the port we took two tricycles for PHP 35 each person to Barangay Paniman, Caramoan. But when we reached Caramoan centro, the tricycle my wife and I was riding wanted us to transfer to the tricycle the rest of our group was on. No way! The other vehicle was already packed. There was no way we could join them! We decided to get rid of the first tricycle and found another one waiting for passengers. Since the rate was a special trip of five passengers, we took three of our companions from the other vehicle. We paid PHP 100 for the bumpy 30 minute ride on the rough road from centro to Paniman.
Tip: If you can figure out the high tide schedule before your trip, go when it’s high tide. If you arrive at Guijalo during low tide, you will have to hire a small banca for PHP 5 per passenger. The steps at the Guijalo port are super-slippery! I slipped on our way home and am now nursing a bruised tail-bone. Man, it hurts!
Tip: From Guijalo port, take a jeep or tricycle to Caramoan centro for only PHP 15. Take another tricycle to Paniman for PHP 100 special rate per trip. You can have up to five passengers on this trip.
Here’s a list of fares and travel time to Paniman:
- Naga to Sabang by aircon van PHP 75 (1.5 hrs)
- Sabang to Guijalo by boat PHP 120 (2.5 hrs by small craft; 1.5 hrs by large craft)
- Guijalo to Caramoan by jeep or tricycle PHP 15 (15 min)
- Caramoan to Paniman by tricycle PHP 100 per trip maximum of 5 passengers (30 min)
It costs the same for the return trip to Naga.
Paniman Beach, Caramo-an, Camarines Sur
We stayed at my wife’s uncle in Paniman so we didn’t have any problems finding a place to stay. There are no hotels or pension houses in Paniman. You either have to have relatives there, camp out by the sea, or find a villager who is willing to take you in for a fee. There are small variety stores where you can buy rice, bread, filtered water, soft drinks, hard drinks, and canned goods. There is at least one public well where you can get fresh water for bathing. But you will have to use a small plastic pail attached to a more than 10 foot long bamboo pole to get fresh water at the bottom of the well. Enjoy!
The beach at Paniman is brown but fine sand. There is a wide camping space with no facilities at the southern end of the beach. And, there is a clean river that flows into the bay right beside that camping space. It’s quite a view.
The following day, we hired a boat for PHP 700 to go island hopping. We would have gone to Gota Beach, which the provincial government is advertising, but it was closed for major renovation. We wanted to go to the other islands (there are seven of them) but the bankero (the one driving the boat) was so fearful of the security guards around the islands. Talk around the village was that the French who managed the Survivor team (European edition) was very strict and didn’t want anyone on the islands. So our bankero didn’t even want to be accosted by anyone driving around on speedboats.
Island Tour. Small eagle-inhabited island off Paniman (left and middle). Gota Beach (right).
He took us to Kabuntunan Beach where there was a fresh water spring. But no one in our group wanted to get off the boat when we got there. Instead, we tried to get the attention of one of the speedboats driving by. The speedboat ignored us. So we coerced our bankero to take us to Bichara island. We were hoping that a speedboat would accost us so we could inquire about any regulations or prohibitions imposed by the government.
Cultural observation: Bicolanos are known to be masusupogun (shy). One of the good effects of this regional trait is that Bicolanos are very respectful of their elderly. One of the bad effects of this trait is an irrational fear of authority. They are quick to assume that something is prohibited instead of asking for more information.
Being from Manila, we had learned to stand up for our rights and ask for more information. Asking for information is not prohibited by the law. And, enjoying our natural resources is not prohibited if we have not been informed by government authorities of any prohibition.
Bichara Island. Hammock left by Survivor Team (2nd photo).
Later, while we were swimming at Bichara Island, a speedboat arrived. One of the French Survivor staff was onboard. He was there to pick up a hammock their team had left behind. We met him on the beach and inquired about any restrictions. He informed us that they had rented the islands from the government for their filming but that they were leaving the following day. They were no longer using Bichara Island or Matukad Island for their shooting. He said with a smile, “I didn’t see you, and I didn’t hear you.” That meant we were free to enjoy the islands! (My wife complained later, “Why do we have to ask permission from the French so we can enjoy our own islands?”)
Two other boats loaded with vacationers arrived on Bichara before lunch. After lunch, we decided to move on to Matukad Island. We had heard so much about Matukad that we didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. As soon as we moved on to Matukad, the two other boats followed suit.
Matukad was no disappointment. The white sand was as fine as white sugar. The water was crystal clear, and there were lots of rock overhangs to discover. There’s also lots of vegetation on the island making it suitable for overnight camping.
Kabuntunan Beach. Fresh water and young coconuts (buko in Filipino, malinghod in the local language) are available here.
After a few hours lying in the shade after lunch, we decided to go to Kabuntunan Beach where there is flowing fresh spring water to wash up, then head on back to Paniman. We haggled with the bankero so we could come back to the island for overnight camping. We settled for PHP 800 overnight trip. (The day boat tour cost us PHP 700.)
We had dinner at Paniman before heading back to Matukad in the dark. It was my first experience boating in the dark (around 8:00 p.m.). My wife lived in a fishing village when she was young and she often recounts being out at sea fishing with her dad at around 7:00 p.m. and looking fearfully into the utter darkness of the sea.
Tip: To go on overnight camping at Matukad, bring the following:
- tent
- spade (for private necessities in the wild)
- dinner & breakfast
- dining utensils (or use your hands)
- karaba (kerosene-fueled-gin-bottle-with-wick)
- match or lighter
- drinking water
Tip: There is no fresh water on the islands for drinking or for washing. You have to go to Kabuntunan Beach where there is flowing fresh spring water.
The sea water is unusually clean. (I hope it stays that way.) We didn’t feel sticky after swimming in the sea, so there’s really no need to wash up after swimming.
Sunrise at Matukad Island.
The following morning we had a fantastic view of the sunrise behind the islands scattered on the horizon. The water was surprisingly warm and very inviting so I immediately took a swim at 5:00 a.m. without waiting for the others. My wife and daughter joined me an hour later. We left the island at 8:00 a.m. to wash up at Kabuntunan Beach and head on to Paniman. From Paniman you can take a tricycle for PHP 100 special trip to Caramoan centro.
Sunrise at Matukad Island.
Tip: Be sure to make this travel arrangement the day before as there are few tricycles based in Paniman. Don’t fall for the PHP 700 jeep rate to Guijalo port.
Tip: At Caramoan centro, the best place for a meal is at Lutong Bahay restuarant which is just along the main road. It’s nice and clean, and they serve delicious natong, the Bicol name for laing (yam leaves cooked in coconut milk).
If you’re looking to party or parade on the beach, Boracay is the place for you. Otherwise, if you want a quiet beach on an almost private island with crystal clear sea water, go to Paniman and go overnight on one of the islands. It’s unforgettable. Personally, I want to go back and stay for 2-3 nights. (But let’s keep this a secret. We don’t want a thousand tourists showing up at the same time wanting to stay overnight on the few serene islands!)
I never thought it would be this hard. The Raymond Transportation bus was scheduled to leave Alabang at 10:30 a.m. My daughter and I arrived at the Raymond Transportation station around 10:00 a.m. I showed our tickets at the Raymond Transportation ticketing office, and I was informed that the bus would be late and that it would depart around 11:00 a.m. I asked the dispatcher if we could leave two of our bags so we could go to Metropolis mall just across the road. She gladly obliged. She also took my cell phone number so she could alert us when the bus arrived.
By 11:00 a.m. I was worried that she either forgot to text me or her message was held up by a network technical problem. We immediately left the mall for the Raymond Transportation station. Upon our return I was told that the bus will be further delayed and that it would arrive around 12:00 noon. By 11:45 a.m. I decided to have lunch in case the bus driver decided not to stop for a meal until late in the afternoon. My daughter did not take her lunch. She had a stomach pain that came when we went to the mall.
It was 12:30 p.m. when a Raymond Transportation bus finally arrived! My daughter and I were the last to get on board because we had to get our two bags inside the ticketing office. Alas! When we got on, the bus was jampacked, and only two of the five passengers waiting in Alabang were able to get seats. The two took the seats reserved for me and my daughter — seats 15 and 16! We were standing in the aisle waiting for the dispatcher and the conductor to resolve the obvious problem. But they were just pointing fingers at each other. No one wanted to accept responsibility for the problem. I talked to the two female passengers who stole our seats. They replied that their reserved seats had also been stolen. (So I guess that gives them the right to just take our reserved seats!)
The conductor finally came to the rescue to help my daughter who was having stomach pain. He asked the old woman two rows down to have her two young grandsons who were sharing one seat to give up their seat. He had the woman sitting in seat 16 to move to the now open seat two rows back. The boys sat on bags in the aisle. The fat old woman on seat 15 moved over allowing my daughter to sit on seat 15.
Then the conductor went to the front of the bus and began preparing a seat for me on the floor! (What? I paid P570 for a comfortable reserved seat and this is what I get?) Then a middle-aged woman (apparently the driver’s wife) got up and offered me the jump seat at the doorway.
For more than three hours I would be trying with all my might to sit in that short elevated seat. I would endure the burning pain in my ass shifting from side to side, propping up my feet and pushing against a square hole in the dashboard. From 12:30-3:30 p.m., I would be trying to stay awake and keep from falling over.
When we stopped over at Candelaria, Quezon, for snacks, I quickly got off the bus and accosted the conductor. I asked to be transferred to another bus, whether Raymond Transportation or another bus liner. He explained that there was no other bus going that route at that time. (I could see that much and realized the predicament we were in. But I wanted him to realize the gravity of their error and the inconvenience they had put me in as a passenger.) He offered to refund my ticket, but I was the least interested in a refund. I desperately wanted and needed a real seat. There was one passenger bound for Tagkawayan, Quezon. But that’s another five or so hours from where we were! He offered to talk to the fat old woman sitting next to my daughter to get her to exchange places with me. I thought, “Good luck! You better find another solution.” “How about talking to one of the passengers at the back of the bus who really didn’t have any reservation in the first place?”
After our short stopover, he got me in a seat at the last row of the bus. He probably offered one of the male passengers a rebate. That was good enough for me. The next two hours I was fast asleep. Man, I was really exhausted from the jump seat. We arrived at the Naga Central Bus Terminal just a few minutes past 10:00 p.m. That’s 10 1/2 hours travel from Alabang to Naga!
The Raymond Transportation conductor was entirely apologetic the rest of the trip. But in my mind, I will never ride a Raymond Transportation bus again (unless forced to) primarily because they have no respect for their passengers. They do not and will not uphold a reservation. I’ve been riding Amihan buses for years and have never encountered this kind of problem. My Amihan reservations were always good. Never again, Raymond!
Going to Boracay from Manila shouldn’t be that difficult. My flights on Cebu Pacific to and from Caticlan airport (airport code MPH) were more than 50% vacant. I took the 9:10 a.m. flight (which left 15 minutes early) on April 1 and the 4:30 p.m. flight (which left 1 hour late) on April 4. What didn’t make sense to me was that my return flight was fully booked when I tried to get my wife a seat on the same flight! She was forced to take a cheaper Asian Spirit flight that was scheduled that same time. (Her flight was delayed by more than 1 hour but since their’s was jet propelled, she arrived at Manila before I did. I was surprised to find her sitting inside the arrival terminal!) 
Tip: To get cheaper rates, buy your ticket really early or buy them real late when the airlines are worried their flights won’t be filled.
Tip: Weekend flights are full. Fly into Boracay on a Tuesday and fly out on a Friday.
Anyway, back to my Boracay trip. I arrived at Caticlan airport 2 1/2 hours before my wife did. She used my Mabuhay Miles and cost me more than Php 1,300 pesos for taxes. But Mabuhay Miles would not let her take Air Philippines which flies direct to Caticlan. Instead, she had to take Philippines Air Lines (PAL) into Kalibo airport, which is 1 1/2 hours by bus to Caticlan. She paid Php 250 on a very comfortable Southwest Tours bus. She could have taken a smaller, cramped L300 van for only Php 200 and probably would have gotten to Caticlan port earlier. But she was having a headache so she decided for comfort.
Since I had so much time to wait, I decided not to take the Php 40 tricycle ride to the port. I asked around and found that the port was within 10 minutes walking distance. With my backpack, I took a right on the main highway then took a left where there was a sign “To Jetty Port”. It really was just 10 minutes and Php 40 less!
Tip: If you’re not in a hurry, just walk from the airport to the jetty port and see a little bit of the very small town of Caticlan.
The last time I was at Caticlan, there was no Jetty Port Terminal. So it was a surprise to see a very organized system of boat travel. We had to pay a Php 50 Environmental Fee, another Php 50 terminal fee, and a Php 20 boat fare! How the environmental fee and the terminal fee could be so much more than the boat fare, don’t ask me. That’s the wonders of the government! Did you know that the Caticlan airport terminal fee is only Php 10?!!
Tip: Before walking into the Jetty Port Terminal, go to the left side of the main entrance and buy your ticket and pay your fees. If you are an Aklanon (a native of Aklan) and can prove so, you don’t need to pay the environmental fee.
This time there is hardly any waiting for the boat to leave. No more hawkers trying to get you on their boats for more than the usual fare. No more haggling. No more waiting a long time for other passengers. It’s first come, first go. They don’t even fill the boats before leaving! From the airport to the Boracay port, total travel time is only 30 minutes or a little bit more.
At the Boracay port, you will find a cue of tricycles for hire. Just get on the first one in line and pay only Php 20 per passenger. We got off at Palawan Pawnshop on the main road in Barangay Manocmanoc and was charged only Php 15 each. Great!
From the main road to the beach is about a 3 minute walk. We found vacant rooms all over the place. So we decided to look for better accommodation than the one we had reserved. Cena’s Guest House was very near the main road. We wanted one right on the beach. After an hour of looking for better accommodation, we settled for Starfire Resort on the beach. There is another Starfire which is about 50 meters from the beach, larger rooms but more expensive. We took the less expensive one on the beach. Only Php 1,200 per couple, aircondition room, no hot water, but good enough for our shoestring budget.
Tip: Aside from the high peak seasons which are Christmas and Holy Week, you will find plenty of vacancies all over Boracay. Rates do not differ between weekdays and weekends. So go ahead and come at the spur of the moment, find a vacancy at reasonable rates even during peak season.
Tip: Do not deal with hawkers who will approach you and give recommendations for accommodation. Generally, resorts will add around Php 500 to their rates for agent’s fees. Agent’s fees are not by commission but are add-ons to the real room rates. (That’s a tip from one of the resort owners in Boracay. Nice.)
I wonder if boat rates are the same? How much do agents make on top of the real boat rates? The one thing I really hate about Boracay is the hundreds of hawkers plying the beach. You can’t have a quiet moment to enjoy the scenery and the environment without dozens of hawkers approaching you with a deal to go island hopping!
Suggestion for Boracay governments: Coordinate the booking of boating, island hopping, and other pang-masa water recreation, just like ferry boats are coordinated at the jetty port terminals. That is, have centralized booking for boats and water recreation to avoid over-pricing and hawking. Hey, just don’t overprice it with so many taxes and fees that only go into the pockets of politician-criminals!
I think if the Boracay municipalities can work this out, so many more Filipinos will be able to really enjoy our own beautiful Boracay.
We flew over the skinny part of the northern portion of Sulawesi Island on our flight from Manado to Jakarta. If I’m correct in my geography, we are passing the heavily forested end of Gorontalo province. Some day we might be able to visit that province. From the air, there is a vast expanse of thick forest. I can now see from the window a very slim piece of land as we fly over the sea.
I stayed in Kiawa for almost the duration of my stay in Sulawesi Utara (North Sulawesi) except for one night when Ian and I stayed in Tomohon. My host was very generous and very accommodating. He had me sleep in the best room of his house in Kiawa. (I found out later that the Indonesian culture is to give the guest the best room in the house. Usually that’s the master’s bedroom.) He, his wife, and child stayed in a smaller room.
According to Feni, one of the girls in KB, the Indonesians also have a culture that the host will eat his meal slowly. The reason is to make sure that the guest will continue and not be ashamed to eat. The host will make sure that his guests are never the last to finish.
Manado is a coastal city at the northernmost tip of Sulawesi Island. From what I saw, Manado is just a simple city, not much to see. But I think I can survive living in that city if I had to. I would prefer though to stay in Tomohon since it is higher in altitude, cooler, and only 30 minutes from Manado. Tomohon is the Christian center of North Sulawesi, while Manado is the capital of the province. The water in Manado is somewhat brownish. I don’t know why. The water in Tomohon and Kiawa is clear. Between Tomohon and Kiawa, you will find a town with sulphuric gas coming out of the ground. It makes the air smell foul. But there are people living there. They must be used to the smell. I forget the name of the town, but the area is volcanic. There is also a sulphuric lake in the area.
We arrived in Jakarta around 8 a.m. We were not late at all. The flight was generally pleasant. The only thing is that even though “Everyone Gets to Fly,” not everyone gets to eat. Haha! The food on board budget flights are quite expensive. So make sure you eat enough before the flight or just go fasting.
Yusak, our friend in Jakarta came in the afternoon. So we had to wait at the McDonald’s restaurant the whole morning. We really had problems with the cellphone network in Jakarta. Ian’s and my cellphones were on roaming but since we were using prepaid sim cards, we could not make or receive voice calls. We had to be content with sms. But how it took so long for the sms messages to get through the networks! At one time Yusak’s message to me took 1 1/2 hours to arrive! His message to Ian generally took 15 minutes at least. So I left the texting to him.
Yusak told us to go to Ayam Goreng Fatmakwati (or fat-something, can’t really recall the exact name of the restaurant). We searched up and down the international terminal unable to find the restaurant. So Ian figured it must be at the domestic terminal. So we took the airport shuttle. Good thing it was free, and found the restaurant in the domestic terminal. Thank God I looked up and saw the restaurant on the split level floor where you couldn’t really see the sign!
We waited another couple of hours before Yusak showed up. He got caught in regular Jakarta traffic. An hour or so later Loudy arrived. We had lunch together and chatted for several hours while waiting for our flight. We were to take Lion Air to Manado, Sulawesi.
Halfway through our fellowship, I was feeling all muggy and sleepy. Ian had been more than 24 hours in-travel. I was about 5 hours short of that. I wanted to sleep, and I wanted to lie down. I wanted to brush my teeth and freshen up. But Jakarta’s domestic airport was not a comfortable place to be at.
At around 5:15 pm we bade farewell to Yusak and Loudy. We had made plans for a Sri Vijayan type of cooperation among the Vineyards in Southeast Asia. We checked in to our Lion Air flight. Our boarding passes read Gate A4 but the electronic bulletin board read Gate A2. Which one? We had to ask at Gate A2 to make sure we were at the right gate. They said it was really Gate A4.
About an hour of waiting passed before we were told that the flight was being delayed by 90 minutes! Then they immediately gave us a dinner box compliments of the airline to appease the passengers. More than an hour ago, Ian and I had dinner at a restaurant where they were making dinner boxes. The food inside the box was the exact same one being prepared at the restaurant where we ate. That means the airline already knew the flight was going to be delayed even when we checked in. But they didn’t warn us! What a cheat!
Selamat datang ke Malaysia! That’s the welcome sign at the KLIA Budget Terminal. Our Cebu Pacific flight stopped short of the terminal “like a bus,” according to Ian. He recounts how passengers of Air Asia would go through a walkway and have to run up to the airplanes on the tarmac to board their flights just like in a bus terminal. I looked around and sure enough the airplanes were parked like buses at a terminal. We walked away from the airplane into a walkway that led to the terminal.
This was supposed to be the “Low Cost Terminal of the Year 2006″ awarded by Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. We went through Immigration. Ha? We were just transferring to an Air Asia flight in the same terminal. What’s the big idea? I immediately handed the immigration officer our forward ticket to Jakarta. He won’t have to ask questions this time.
After immigration, we went through Customs and out the terminal. A breath of fresh Malaysian air! I was actually on Malaysian soil and we could actually go into town! But it was 1 a.m. We walked down the sidewalk, away from the taxis waiting, and into the terminal again. How stupid. I motioned towards the McDonald’s restaurant.
Familiar site, except for the prices! MYR 13 for a meal! We ordered Bubur Ayam for something like MYR 4. That’s P52. Ian reminded me that we are at an airport.
After the light snack, we moved closer to the check-in counters. Ian noted that the seats were all missing and that there was barely anyone waiting. It used to be a very busy terminal even in the wee hours of the morning.
We found a spot near the entrance to Immigration. I spread my sleeping bag and tried to catch a wink. Alas, to no avail. It was too cold and the floor was too hard. Have you ever heard of a soft floor? No, I mean I wasn’t used to a hard place to sleep on. 
By 4:30 a.m. the check-in counters began to open, passengers began to arrive. The terminal slowly began to become busy again. We decided to check-in, have a Malaysian breakfast of Nasi Lemak. Nasi means rice. Lemak, we don’t know. It’s a rice plate of dilis, small peanuts, some kind of curry sauce, and poached egg. It actually tasted ok. Well, as Filipinos we’re used to dilis.
Our flight left at 7 am. Good thing they didn’t charge a terminal fee. For a while there I thought that they made us go out of the airport then back in so they could charge us a terminal fee. Malaysia is not like the Philippines in that sense.
But they did make us go out of the building onto the tarmac to get onto the plane. How anachronistic! Air Asia’s slogan is “Now Everyone Can Fly.” Air Asia was chosen the best low budget airline in the world! It wasn’t that great inside. It was clean. And it was on time! Hey, that’s something to speak of.
This would be my first time flying to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We were supposed to fly to Manado, Indonesia, from Davao on the 25th. But alas, the Merpati Airlines flight was called off due to technical reasons. (I’ve heard that Merpati isn’t that safe to fly on. My friend in Jakarta keeps saying, “Don’t fly on any other Indonesian airline except Air Asia!”) So here I am on Cebu Pacific flying to KL instead of to Davao. I was supposed to meet an old high school classmate in Davao and stay with an old church mate, but that’s all canceled now.
Finding a taxi to get to NAIA is just as bad. I intentionally stayed away from the taxis waiting at the corner near Jollibee (Pilar, Las Pinas). They charge exorbitant rates there. One hawker tried to get me to hire him for P300! When I walked away, he offered to take me for P250. I shook my head and crossed the street. As soon as I was at the other side of the street, another taxi driver accosted me and offered to take me. My wife quickly asked, “Metro?” Surprisingly, he agreed. I said, “Baka naman ang metro 10 times ang bilis?” He just brushed it off and said he’ll just get his taxi and pick us up a few meters from where we were.
As soon as we were on the road, he began his sad story — how after 12 hours of driving he still had not gathered enough to pay for his boundary, how he was now getting only half of his usual number of riders, how when he grabs a “metro” rider he just hopes for a tip, and on and on. My wife and I looked at each other, and I shook my head. I gave him a P40 tip for all his troubles and for his run-down taxi that had a terribly wiggling left front wheel and a clanging right rear wheel. Total — only P160.
I walked into the old NAIA airport. Old is just about right. Small too. Ian met me in front of the Nescafe Point kiosk near the Travel Tax Payment counter. I paid P1,620 tax just to get out of the country. (I don’t understand why we have to pay to get out. Is this some kind of prison where I have to bribe the government so I can step out for a while and enjoy a little bit of freedom?)
We got in line at the Cebu Pacific check-in counter. Two long lines at 7:00 p.m. Cebu Pacific is really giving PAL a run for its money. If I’m correct, Cebu Pacific has more volume of traffic now than the flag carrier. This airline seems to believe in flying people for almost half the cost other airlines charge. That’s good for us passengers.
Ian and I decided we won’t show our travel tax receipts to see if anyone would really care. As soon as we got to the check-in counter, the clerk acted like she overheard our conversation. Ha!
We quickly went through Immigration after paying the P750 terminal fee. For the first time I was asked if I had a return ticket. Ha? Of course! I’ve been flying since 1977 and this is the first time anyone asked.
Our flight was late.
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