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  Friday 4th of December 2015 and I think they forgot to wake me up at 7. I woke up just before 7 but I was soon asleep again and I woke up at 8 o'clock. Time for my last fruit salad before going  to Legaspi and Philippine Airlines Flight PR 2928 to Manila.
I was not happy to have my last fruit salad and omelette. This must be the best breakfast I have had, yeah, I'm ready to claim that this have been my best breakfast ever. Tasty and healthy and, well, I will be back. Like a Swedish summer, nice weather and having breakfast listening to the waves hitting the beach. Vitamins for the soul and I have had a couple of very nice days here in Donsol, and that is even though I didn't see any whale sharks. Set-backs and disappointments, the missing whale sharks? No, the bed and the pillows, except that it have been a beautiful trip.  The white car is here to pick me up and I was soon to discover that I had overstayed my welcome
The car came to pick me up just after 11 o'clock. I had just paid my bill and we were soon on our way to Legazpi, or as they spell it at Philippine Airlines: Legaspi. Actually, I had never seen  Legazpi spelled with an s until I got my e-ticket from Philippine Airlines.
Anyway, we stopped at a drug store in Legazpi so I could buy some pain killers for my neck and back. And I will most likely have to buy the anti-inflammatory medicine when I'm back home Last year, well, it was around New Year and so it was beginning of this year. Motor cycle adventure in Laos and it was OK. But a month later or so I had a pain in my crotch and up on the right side and back to the back. I thought I was going to die in cancer. My friend  thought that I was crazy.
But I went to the hospital and it turned out that I had muscle inflammation, and most likely from the motor cycle adventure in Laos. And we were riding on some pretty rough  roads in Donsol the  other day. So I might have to go see the Doctor again. Anyway, I got my pain killers and we continued to Legazpi airport. We arrived to the airport about 2 hours after leaving Elysia Beach Resort in Donsol. 1 hour 50 minutes until departure for Philippine Airlines Flight PR 2928 to Manila. I passed a girl in security uniform that checked my  passport before I could get inside the airport. Then I had to put my stuff  through a metal detector before I could get to the check-in.
They opened the check-in after a few minutes and I ended up behind a guy and a couple. The guy went to the check-in counter and suddenly he was joined by a group of senior citizens. It took like forever for them to  check-in and I changed queue and I had checked in before the guy was ready.
I had got an aisle seat at an exit, seat 2C. I had asked if the flight was full and it was full. They are flying between Legazpi and Manila with an Airbus. But something had happened with the Airbus and they were now flying with a Bombardier propeller plane. I went through the security to get in to the departure hall. I sent my computer bag through the X-RAY and I walked through the metal detector. I didn't bother to send my metal stuff through the X-RAY. I usually fill up two baskets with metal stuff. Camera, mobile phone, valet with 50 cm chain, glasses, E-cigarettes and keys plus plus. I went through the metal detector and the alarm went off. No one seemed to care. The girl at  the X-RAY machine asked if I had an e-cigarette in the computer bag.
- Yes The other security woman asked what it was sticking up from my shirt pocket - It is an e-cigarette - Good She pointed at the chain from my valet. She told me that it was a forbidden item to carry on board an airplane. She asked me to put the valet and chain in my computer bag. I was surprised about the relaxed attitude towards the security. Well, I cannot say that I was surprised. I went to sit down to wait for my flight. We had a good view over the runway and the tarmac outside the departure hall. I was sitting down trying to connect to the internet. Well, in the year  of our Lord 2015 and they cannot get the internet to work due to rain. I tried to read the news but I was soon giving up the internet.  It was at least to say frustrating to try to read the news with the non-existing internet.
Yeah, 30 years ago since I was on the Philippines the first time, and the only difference is that everything is more worn down now 30 years later. No internet and I killed time by speaking with an old guy next to me. We were on the same flight to Manila. We talked about this and that and when I told him that I had been at the Taal Lake he told me  that he was living in Tagaytay next to the Taal Lake. We talked about volcanoes and we could see the Mayon Volcano just next to the airport.
Yes, we remember the Mayon Volcano from Donsol. It is a beautiful volcano and I saw it from the whale shark boat. It was covered in clouds today, well, it had been covered in clouds every day except one morning in Donsol. He told me that Legazpi was full of tourists during eruptions. They came here to see the eruption and I made a mental note to keep an eye out for news about the Mayon Volcano. I have seen volcanos and red hot lava in Italy, but not a real eruption and when I was on Iceland they told me that a volcano eruption is something of the most beautiful you can see.  Departure hall at Legazpi airport
 A Cebu Pacific plane takes off
 Mayon Volcano
 Tricycle passenger ticket booth
14:10, boarding time and still no sign of our air craft. There was an alarm and I almost shat my pants. Fire alarm, my e-cigarette. Are we attacked by terrorists? Turned out that it was a PA announcement. Cebu Pacific flight to Manila was delayed. OH SHIT! There is not even any hint of a  Cebu Pacific aircraft on the tarmac so the passengers have realised this already.
5 minutes later and the fire alarm went off again. - THEY ARE BOARDING THE CEBU PACIFIC IN MANILA NOW One hour later the fire alarm went off again: - CEBU PACIFIC DEPARTING MANILA NOW!! By then it was 15:10, 20 minutes after Philippine Airlines flight PR 2928 departure time. My new friend told me that this was normal but I went to the check in to make some enquiries. Passing the  security and they had turned off the metal detector and no alarm when I passed the metal detector. People were still coming and going so there was reason to be scared.
Yeah, you can't make things like this up. Turned off the metal detector and there were no control of the passengers entering the departure hall. I went to the check-in counter to ask about out flight. 10 minutes past 3, departure time 14:50 and no sign of the plane on the tarmac outside the departure hall. So it will be quite some time before departure. - What time are the plane leaving for Manila? - What flight are you on? - WHAT!!?? How many flights do you have? - The plane will arrive in a few minutes and then we make an announcement I returned to the departure hall, passing the security. No one bothered getting up from their chair. No alarm sounded so the metal detector was obviously off. The X-ray was not on for my bag. So yes, I could have brought anything I would have liked on board the flight. I was looking out over the tarmac and the Mayon Volcano. Suddenly I had some Philippine Airlines ground staff coming out on the tarmac. And I understood that the plane was about to arrive.  Philippine Airlines staff bring safety equipment to the tarmac
 Philippine Airlines staff bring safety equipment to the tarmac
 They brought wheels chairs so I thought about my Thai Airways flight to Oslo
 Umbrellas for arriving passengers
 Philippine Airlines arriving to Legazpi
 Philippine Airlines arriving to Legazpi
 Philippine Airlines arriving to Legazpi
   Cebu Pacific's staff come with a set of stairs and I knew that Cebu Pacific was about to arrive
 Cebu Pacific's staff come with a set of stairs and I knew that Cebu Pacific was about to arrive
I was watching the passengers getting off the plane and after a while my new friend told me it was time to board the plane. Now it turned out that we were not on the same flight. My flight  number was PR 2928 and his flight number was PR 2926.
Same departure time and I think they have to fly two times with the bombardier instead of one flight with the cancelled Airbus flight But this was flight PR 2928 and my new friend told me that I was lucky. He had to wait for the next flight, only God knows the departure time for that flight. It will most likely our plane going back to pick them up when they have dropped us in Manila. So that means at least a few hours before they reach Manila. I have heard them calling the names  of passengers going to Manila with Philippine Airlines Flight PR 2928. Most likely the last passengers that checked in and they had to take the next plane.
Well, next plane, they only have 2 departures to Manila, one in the morning and our flight. So they have to get the last “extra” plane to Manila. And yes, this was the very reason for me wanting to go by car to Donsol. I have never been flying domestic on the Philippines and this was  something I really didn't wanted to experience. I had a friend that was  flying form Cebu to Manila. The whole flight had been a Karaoke contest, first prize, a round trip for 2 between Manila and CebuFor sure not a prize I want to win. And I have some experience from the Philippines and the safety standard. So no, I booked a car expecting 6 to  7 hours in the car. Half way to Donsol and I had already decided to go back by plane.
12 hours and never again, but I was happy to have done the trip by road. Philippines is a beautiful country. OK, I had expected more wilderness. Now we drove through villages’ almost non-stop from Manila. But I was not happy to board the plane. The security, well, pretty much non-existent. I was really hoping that we didn't had any terrorist on board. Or anyone with a grudge towards Philippine Airlines. I was almost the last to board, as I had seat 2 C I can as well wait until last. I got on board and the Steward had already started with the pre-flight information for the passengers.    Bye Bye to Legazpi Airport
I was in the first row on star board side and I was surprised that I was alone. Same on the other  side, there was a seat available when we left Legazpi Airport.
I was thinking about my new friend left behind in the departure hall. He have several hours before he is back home in Tagaytay. I really don't understand the plan behind the departure. We were sitting on the plane and the Steward informed us that we would leave in 10 minutes and, well, what to do? The only thing we could do was to sit there and look stupid It was nice when they finally closed the door. I had been in my seat for 15 minutes and it started  to feel very small.
The Stewardess started to show us how the seat belt was working and how to operate the life west. The pilot speeded up and we took off and finally, we're on the way to Manila. Bu now we were so late so I had given up my dinner at Tempura Japanese restaurant. I was hungry, I had not had anything since my fruit salad back at Elysia Beach Resort on Donsol. The Stewardess brought a tray with some cookie and I said no thanks. I was soon changing my mind and I had a cookie that was quite good. Might have been because of my hunger. I glass of water and I was soon half asleep in my chair.  We arrive to Manila
 We arrive to Manila
 We arrive to Manila
 Waiting for or luggage
There was plenty passengers and chaos at the taxi stand so I had to work to get a taxi. Traffic jam so it took us a while to get the Best Western Hotel La Corona. I had my dinner at the hotel before leaving for Robinsons. Travel desk was closed so I will have to wait until tomorrow to book my day tour. And you just need to click HERE to find out where tomorrows day tour will take us.  
    
  You are visitor no.
To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
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