Table of Contents
As those of you who have followed my tale until now might have noticed, there was a notable lack of romance in my travels thus far. Not that I did not look or try, mind you. In fact, I even got a love letter once in Japan, but regrettably, nothing came of it, which was a shame. I certainly would not have minded having permanent ties to Japan.
I haven't been idle since then however, and, as a matter of fact, have started a long distance relationship since, with a girl from the Philippines. Her name is Elgen, and she is almost exactly my age. As a matter of fact, her birthday is three days before mine.
We chatted, talked, and made plans for the future already. However, the situation with the Green Shnolz prevented us from physically meeting up until now, but this year we finally get a chance. We almost had to cancel our plans on short notice due to me catching a summer flu in the week before, but fortunately, I got better just in time to travel. And thus begins another journey for me, one that should take me out of...
Midday Munich
19-Jul-2022 - 20-Jul-2022
It's really funny how despite my not wanting to fly anywhere anymore, good reasons just keep popping up that end up with me travelling to exciting new countries. This time around, my destination is one third the world away in the Philippines, but before that, there's some preparations to be made. For one, I need to get a Verpflichtungserklärung ("Declaration of Obligation" = "Formal Obligation") for Elgen to pave the way for a counter-visit, and potentially a marriage in Germany (but more on that topic in a later chapter). I did actually apply for an appointment for that at the local government agency a month ago, and I only got one literally a day before my trip, thus allowing me to procure the required Verpflichtungserklärung from the Kreisverwaltungsreferat ("Circle Administration Department") at the last possible moment. Having an appointment, I fortunately do not need to stand in line, and the actual process of procuring it is relatively straightforward, at least if you filled out all the required forms in advance.
Afterwards, I pack up my usual travel gear once again...
...and on the day of, I gear up in my familiar manner. There's only one thing that's missing: Since it's hot both over here as well as where I'm going, I am leaving my trusty coat Krevyasz at home this time around.
It is a hot and sunny day when I depart, and although I leave at 9:00 in the morning in order to be absolutely punctual at the airport, it's already hot enough outside to make me regret wearing a long-sleeve shirt. However, I know I'll be grateful for it once inside the plane.
The trip to the airport is almost routine by now: First I take the bus to Moosach...
...from where I take the S1 to the Airport. So far the plan. However, as soon as I arrive in Moosach, I see a huge crowd of people exiting the train...
...while the train inside is pretty much empty, so I wonder what's up, and if I might run into my first complication here.
But the train soon enough starts moving north towards the airport, and I never do find out what was wrong. So far, so good. Oh, and also, this time around I actually get to travel extra-cheaply for the airport, since the government issued a convenient 9-Euro-Ticket for the months of June through August to offset the increasing gas prices and also reduce CO² emissions. In fact, I already used that last month for my train trips to and from the Thalhäusl, since it is valid in all short-distance trains all over Germany. And since that thing alone has already successfully reduced emissions by a bigger amount than the much-debated proposed speed limit would have, I really hope they do keep it.
Anyway, since I've already covered the train ride to the airport before (see Book V ~ Chapter 1 ~ Cruising to Canada), I won't go into detail about that here, and instead skip straight ahead to my arrival at the airport.
This time around, the facade of the terminal building is commercial-free, and with the weather nice and sunny it does come across in all it's glory.
Once inside, my first quest is to find the check-in counter. Now, as it happens, the most convenient route to my destination is serviced by Singapore Airlines, which I last travelled with on my trips to and fro New Zealand (see Book I ~ Chapter 1 ~ To Singapore, and Beyond! and Book I ~ Final Chapter ~ The Tail of the Tale). However, I am actually so early that it does not yet appear on the info screens.
So, I first have a look around the counter hall, and after not finding anything that way ask at the information counter, from where I am pointed towards a line of yet unlabeled counters on the upper floor.
Eventually, they change to "Singapore Airlines" though, and check-in begins.
As usual, I have trouble with getting them to accept my name once again, and this time they actually have to make a few phone calls, but then I finally get my boarding passes.
With that, the first hurdle has been cleared. It is now 10:30, and I still have two and a half hours to kill until my flight departs. As such, I first ascend to a higher level in the counter hall, from where I get a view on all the counters below...
...and then make my way up to a hidden gem: The panorama deck...
...which offers a good view on the planes arriving and departing below, as well as the satellite building of Terminal 2 (in the main building of which I'm in right now).
Incidentally, from the walkway leading up to the panorama deck, you can also get a good view on the next two steps that I subsequently go through, namely security...
...and the border control. Fortunately, as an EU citizen, I am eligible for the automated border control, and thus don't have to get into that long line.
It's 11:00 by the time I get through both, and thus, I still have ample time for a stop at my favorite restaurant on this side of the border.
That is also the one place in the airport where I get to take off my mask (yes, we still have to wear masks here), as I eat a tasty Italian pizza for lunch.
Not all the restrictions from last time are still in place, though. For example, the Water2go stations are now in service again.
I arrive at the waiting area of my gate at 11:45, and as such still a comfortable hour before the boarding time. But I actually enjoy it this way. There's no rush, and this way I can now sit down and take care of my daily dose of Japanese learning, which I still pursue after all this time.
Outside, the plane is already waiting...
...and eventually, me and the other passengers are allowed to board by means of the familiar blue jet bridge.
With that, I am now officially en route on what should turn out to be...
A Dodgy Flight
20-Jul-2022 - 21-Jul-2022
Flight Duration: 11h 50min
Approximate Distance: 10,600km
Average Speed: 900km/h
Eventually, everyone is seated, and we are ready for takeoff. My plane today is an Airbus A350-900, with a 10 seat row configuration in the economy class, and everyone inside still has to wear a mask. Fortunately, my father did provide me with a deluxe mask allowing for improved air flow, and thus despite this being a longer flight than the ones to and fro Canada a few months ago (see Book V ~ Chapter 1 ~ Cruising to Canada and Book V ~ Chapter 3 ~ Go Go Go back to Germany) the obligatory face mask is nowhere near as bothersome this time around.
The weather today is absolutely dreamy for flying, and especially for taking a video out of the window. There's not a cloud in the sky, and the humidity is low, giving me not only a crisp view of the ground below, but also allowing me to see for quite some distance. Having taken off towards the west, the first thing the plane does is make a U-turn to get on a more eastwards course, crossing the Isar twice in the process, and briefly getting us within sight of first Neufahrn ("New Drive") - where I passed through by train a few hours ago - and then Garching -where the research centre of one of Munich's University's is located, along with the terminus of the U6, the subway with the most remote final stop. With Munich just barely visible in the distance, we next pass over the Speichersee, with the BMW test track clearly visible. Also, on account of the ongoing hot and dry weather, the Speichersee appears to be a tidbit low on water, with extensive sandbars showing. One turn later (which now sets us on an almost perfectly eastwards course), we are in sight of the mighty Ebersberger Forst, which I circled on my ride to Ingolstadt (see Book V ~ Chapter 4 ~ Project Petal Part 6 ~ The Easterly Expedition). In fact, from my elevated position, I do get a great aerial view on many of the places that I cycled through, such as Maithenbeth, the little village to the left of the extension of the Ebersberger Forst, and shortly before we cross the Inn, I can even clearly see the Soyensee, at the shore of which I had my quarters for that ride. If you know where to look, you can even guess at the position of Wasserburg in the partially hidden 270° bend in the Inn, and at that point, even the peaks of the alps start coming into view in the far distance. The final attraction on our takeoff climb, then, is the great Chiemsee ("Gill Lake") at the foot of the alps, with the Herreninsel ("Gentlemen's Isle") visible at it's right (western) end. It also has a Fraueninsel ("Ladies' Isle") and a Krautinsel ("Herb Isle"), but they are a lot smaller and hard to see from this far away.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
Next, we pass the Tachinger See ("Daying Lake") and Waginger See ("Daring Lake"), the latter of which is somewhat famous for the village of Petting located on it's southern shore. Shortly thereafter, we cross over the river Salzach ("Salt Stream"), which also marks the border to Austria.
The next bigger lake that we come across is the Attersee, which is already halfway embedded in the Alps. Size-wise, this one is about as big as the Starnberger See of Munich.
Meanwhile, the next big river we cross is not the Donau, but rather the Enns, which not only marks the border between Upper and Lower Austria, but also features some rather interesting curves.
And then, we're already over the Alps, where the sprawling fields give way to mountainous forests, and straight roads are replaced by zig-zagging paths up the mountainsides.
Trying desperately to avoid crossing the Donau, our plane eventually turns a bit to the south, and as we fly over Hungary, I get to learn about an entirely new lake by means of impressive visual example: The mighty Balaton lake is a total of 75km long, and an average 7.5km wide, making it the largest lake in central Europe. The Hungarian name for it means as much as "Swamp Lake". Interestingly, dating back to the time of the Austrian-Hungarian Dual Monarchy, this lake even has a German name, namely "Plattensee" ("Flat Lake"), referencing the fact that this is a rather shallow lake, with a maximum depth of only 12.2m, and an average lake of 3.3m.
It is only thereafter that we finally cross the Donau near the Hungarian town of Paks. Relatively straight by now, a pair of backwater loops downstream give an idea of how meandering this river must once have been.
By contrast, the river Tisza - one of the many tributaries of the Donau - takes more of a zig-zagging approach. We cross that one near the Serbian town of Kanjiža (Кањижа).
Next, we cross over into Romanian airspace, where we fly over the Cheile Nerei-Beușnița National Park, with the Donau still in sight in the distance.
And this impressive lake-like landform is actually still the Donau at the border of Serbia and Romania near the port city of Orșova. At this point, I am wondering if we're going to follow the Donau all the way to its final destination, the Black Sea.
However, we only follow the great European river for a little longer, until we cross it near Dăbuleni and subsequently enter Bulgarian airspace.
It is at this time that dinner is served. As usual, there are two options: Safe (aka chicken) and daring. Naturally, I go for the later one, thus deciding on the sweet and sour shrimps with rice and some bread, and I do not regret it. It's quite yummy! Also, I get to take my mask off for food and drink, because as we all know, viruses are polite and don't propagate while eating or drinking.
Unfortunately, this is also where we run into turbulence, and as a result of that my sweet and sour shrimps spontaneously become sweet, sour and bitter shrimps, and my orange pants become earl grey pants as my tea boldly goes where no tea has gone before.
But now for my travel route, which turns out to be somewhat different than my last trip to Singapore. Instead of taking the more direct great circle route which would have taken us across the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, we now fly over the Bosporus, and after that, there's another weird and seemingly unnecessary dent into our flight path. The explanations for both are to be found in the current geopolitical situation: We clearly avoid the Black Sea because of the Russian aggression, and the second dent is due to us having to dodge Afghanistan airspace. And then, near the very end, it almost seems like we're actively avoiding most of Malaysia too. You'd think that would put a lot of extra mileage on the meter, but actually, due to the counter-intuitive way in which spherical geometry works, it barely makes the way 6% longer.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
When next I look out of the window, we are already over Turkey, only minutes away of crossing above the Sea of Marmara, which connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea, not far from the city of Tekirdağ. Smaller than Lake Ontario, I can actually see right across it, and its biggest island of Marmara Adasi is clearly visible in the distance.
Shortly thereafter, we are already right above the sea, passing by the island of Imrali Adasi, and getting a good view on the narrow strip of land connecting the Kapıdağ Peninsula to the Asian mainland in the distance.
As if to celebrate the crossing of the continental boundary, that is when the passengers get served ice cream. In my case, I get a Magnum, or rather, a Minimum.
Leaving Europe behind, it becomes progressively harder to determine where we are, especially as we enter more arid regions with fewer points to navigate by. The sights are still spectacular, however.
Since we're travelling east, daylight is waning quickly, and as it does, we come across an interesting ephemeral formation of a shelf of clouds surrounding a lone hill.
And then, by the time we pass the southern edge of the Caspian Sea, night falls, and the land below is shrouded in darkness.
As usual, people all around me set themselves up for jetlag syndrome. Meanwhile, I try my best to get some shuteye while it's dark outside.
Travelling east naturally also means that the night is much shorter, and breakfast is actually served before it's light outside. This time I'm having Singaporean-style noodles with chicken, as well as bread and yogurt as a side dish. No tea this time since we're still above the Indian Ocean. This is now my fourth flight across the Indian Ocean, and there is always turbulence above this body of water, but don't ask me why. In an alternate timeline I might have been able to answer that question, but in this one I ditched my meteorology study and became the Travelling Fox instead.
Dawn eventually breaks, though there aren't actually any distinguishable features on the ground below yet.
Eventually, shapes of the land below become discernible, although the typically high humidity of these latitudes means that everything is a bit hazy. Nonetheless, we eventually pass by a notable landform that I can identify as the peninsula of Penyabong on the shore of Malaysia.
It is only near the southernmost tip of Malaysia, near Ladang Pasir Logok that we finally make landfall.
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And then, we're already on landing approach to Singapore Changi Airport. Still over Malaysia for most of the approach, we first pass the estuary of the Johor river, and then the Sungai Johor bridge, followed by the massive industrial ports of the Kawasan Perindustrian Tanjung Langsat. After that, we cross over into Singapore as we pass the green Pulau Ubin island, and then we're already at the airport.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
Following the landing, there's the usual jam as people try getting out of the plane. Fortunately, I have ample time before my connecting flight departs, so there's no need to rush, and I can jsut sit this out in the comfort of my seat.
After that, after almost five years, it is once again time for...
A Singapore Stayover
21-Jul-2022
Even as I depart the plane by means of the jet bridge, I am reminded of how lavish Singapore Changi Airport is: Even the jet bridge has a carpet floor... and potted plants!
After that, I have to walk through what I suppose is terminal 2 for quite some while. One interesting experience to note is that this time around, I can actually read the Japanese writing on the signs well enough that I figure I could probably navigate by that alone.
The obligatory drinking water stations are also a good cut above the ones in Munich, featuring different heights and a place to refill your bottles.
However, there's one thing that's different this time around, and that is that a rather big portion of terminal 2 is currently undergoing renovations, cutting it off from terminals 1 and 3.
And thus, my first order of business here is to take the Skytrain over to Terminal 3.
This relatively short ride first takes us past the interesting, terrace-shaped parking house between T2 and T3, and then across over a dozen road lanes separated by rows of trees, and also an artfully airplane-shaped topiary.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
It also becomes immediately obvious that I have entered the Asian culture circle as cutesy "don't forget your luggage" signs line the windows and walls of the Skytrain.
Anyway, I son arrive at terminal 3. It is now 7:30, and I still have a whole 5 hours to explore the airport before my connecting flight departs. Plenty of time to look around and revisit old locales.
First of them is the Koi Pond. I wouldn't want to take care of them, but watching these bright and lively fish swim around sure is nice. What's more, with an average lifespan of around 30 years, it's not only possible but actually probable that most of those are still the same fish that I saw during my last two visits here.
Then, there's the butterfly garden, a tropical little butterfly paradise with some of the flitters reaching the size of my hand. Unlike with the Koi, the chance that any one of those is still the same as when I last visited is low.
Next up is the Cactus Garden, an open-air terrace the foliage of which is predominantly pointy (though a few less acute plants also exist here). Once again, most of these life forms are probably still the same ones as during my last visit.
There's also a third garden here. However, much to my dismay, that one serves as a smoking area, so I am not going in.
There's also one more attraction, which I regrettably should only learn about much, much later: The Jewel. Sitting squat in the U-shape of the three terminals, this 25,000m²-big dome is a multi-leveled nature-themed entertainment and retail complex that is accessible from the terminals, featuring such things as a hedge maze and a mirror maze. Opened in 2019, this is one thing that did not exist during my last visit here, and I sure would have liked to see it, but as it is, I don't even notice any signs indicating its existence during my layover. Oh well.
Instead, I should sit down on a charging station next to the Koi pond
where I charge up not only my phone but also myself (after all this
walking with my rather substantial carry-on luggage) while learning
Japanese.
After an extended break there, I decide to slowly head for my gate. On the way, I am approached by an Asian person who out of the blue asks me if I'm a Furry. I suppose all those key chains on my backpack do serve some purpose after all. We get to chat a little and exchange Telegram details before he has to run, and that is the story of how I met Tenn, the Sergal from Singapore. Unfortunately, I totally forgot to take a picture of that encounter, so here's a photo of the spacious Transfer Lounge A instead.
It is also there that I come across the most effective way to waste cash: A huge Pachinko machine that simply eats your coins for the gratification of seeing it run through the device. No payout. Well, at least it's colorful, and if it had been for charity or something, I might even have fed it a coin or two.
After that, I follow a long row of travellators down the roughly 500m long corridor to the end of Terminal 3, where my next flight departs from.
As I do, I take limited comfort in the knowledge that the handrails are automatically disinfected with every pass thanks to some fancy technological gadget at the beginning. Not that I ever use the handrails on those things, mind you.
Moving along the line of travellators, I also come across something I did not see during my last two visits on account of never having visited this particular wing of the airport: A series of miniature gardens and sculptures, such as the replica of the Lempuyang Temple's Gate of Heaven, the Dicot Garden and the Monocot Garden.
It is now 9:30 and I have arrived in the western- and southernmost corner of Singapore Changi Airport, the southwestern end of Terminal 3, from where my next flight will depart.
Well, actually, not quite yet, since there's still a cordoned-off area, containing among others the gate that I need to get to. Interestingly, you are not allowed to take more than 100ml of water through the security checkpoint, but they kindly inform you that you can refill on the other side. I wonder what purpose that serves.
The checkpoint also features a fancy modern booking system, but as I should find out there's no real point in it, since I'm actually faster through using the normal queue.
Anyway, since the checkpoint is not yet open, I find myself a comfy chair nearby and play some Octopath Traveller until it does. That is actually still the same game I was playing in the evenings in my hotel room in Canada (see Book V ~ Chapter 2 ~ Trecking Through Toronto).
Eventually, the checkpoint opens up, and I am able to pass through without any troubles. Afterwards, I'm in a big, open gate lounge, containing among other things also the gate from which my next flight will depart.
My plane is already waiting outside. This time around it's a Boeing 737-8 MAX, and yes, that's the same plane type that was responsible for two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. But there's no cause to worry, because Boeing fixed the fatal bug in the MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) in 2020, and since this is Singapore Airlines, I have no cause to worry about them not updating their software or neglecting to train their pilots.
I wait for a little bit longer in the gate lounge, and then boarding begins. As such, I cross the well-carpeted jetbridge to the plane...
...and then take my place inside, ready for some...
Archipelagic Aviation
21-Jul-2022
Flight Duration: 3h 35min
Approximate Distance: 2,500km
Average Speed: 700km/h
The plane this time is a good bit smaller, featuring only 6 rows of seats in the economy class. On the upside, I suppose that means a bigger percentage of people get to have a window seat.
As did I. However, this time around I had to settle for a somewhat inauspicious wing seat on account of all other window places already having been taken.
While waiting for takeoff, I take the time to fill out my arrival card and customs baggage declaration for the Philippines. Fortunately, it's only two pages, but these things always make me nervous.
As we taxi to the runway, I catch some interesting sights, such as the Hello Kitty plane from EVA AIR, with the dome of the Jewel in the background...
...and also the Cactus Garden that I visited earlier.
Eventually, we take off towards the south on the airport's easternmost runway, get a quick look on the city of Singapore in the distance, and then take a sharp left turn above the Singapore Strait. After said turn (and a pass through low-hanging clouds), I am looking out towards Batam Island of Indonesia to the south, while the plane heads more or less straight east.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
After that, we also pass the neighboring Bintan Island, with it's distinctive coastline near Lagoi...
...and then we're over the South China Sea until further notice. This is a rather large body of water bordered by the Indochinese Peninsula, Borneo, the Philippines and (unsurprisingly) southern China. In fact, it is roughly 40% bigger than the Mediterranean Sea.
Speaking of Borneo, our course actually takes us across this largest island of Asia and 3rd-largest island in the world. We cross over Malaysia and the little state of Brunei before leaving the island behind and crossing the small Celebes Sea. Our destination for this flight is the city of Davao, located on Mindanao, the southern big island of the Philippine archipelago.
Borneo is also the only island in the world shared by 3 UN member states, and as a matter of fact comes into sight...
...just before lunch is served. This time I'm going for the fish with vegetables and mashed potatoes, and once again I am not disappointed. Well, except for maybe the broccoli. Incidentally, doesn't this dish look somewhat like the flag of Cameroon?
By the time I'm finished with lunch, we pass within sight of the shore of Borneo, looking out on the cape on which the border of Indonesia and Malaysia runs.
It is then that desert is served in the shape of ice cream with attitude.
We eventually make landfall over Borneo near the Malaysian city of Miri...
...and subsequently get to see some interesting landscapes as we pass first over the little Brunei, and then Malaysia again. Cities and cultivated land, but also extensive sprawling forests, as well as stretched-out roadside settlements.
Also, there's rivers, twisting and turning, and usually featured in the color brown, their shapes becoming successively more daring as we approach the far shore.
Roughly 45 minutes after leaving Borneo behind, we make landfall over Mindanao. Unlike Borneo's flatlands, the coast of Mindanao is notably mountainous.
At first, the land below looks like what I'd call typical farmland, littered with plenty of forests and/or plantations...
...as well as the occasional mountainous area, covered in lush vegetation.
Then, we pass over what looks like a flood disaster near the Municipality of Kabuntalan. Now, granted, I do not know what this area looks like normally, but at a glance it sure appears as if the Tamontaka River chose to vacate its riverbed and grace the surrounding fields and villages with some tender loving care.
After that, we cross over the central mountain ridge of Mindanao, which divides the island into a central and an eastern part...
...and then we're already on landing approach to Davao. We actually pass north over the city, then make a U-turn to approach the airport from the northeast, entering the Davao Gulf just above the city of Panabo. After a bit of ocean, we next pass over the northern end of the lush Island Garden City of Samal - quite low since by then we're already on the final approach - and then fly over the vanishing island of Arboles between Samal and Mindanao. The slums that we pass over just after clearing the coast should be a first hint of what is yet to come, and then, we touch down on the surprisingly humble international airport of Davao, which worryingly reminds me an awful lot of the airport of Foz do Iguaçu, on which I've had so much fun in the past (see Book III ~ Chapter 1 ~ The Bad Beginning, Book III ~ Chapter 3 ~ Crash & Burn and Book III ~ Chapter 4 ~ The Traumatizing Transatlantic Terror Trip). Here's hoping this one won't be so bad.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
After we've taxied to the Terminal, there's the usual plane exit jam, but since this plane is smaller it doesn't last for quite as long.
I, meanwhile, am in no particular rush to get out, since there's still a
whole bunch of hurdles to clear that I feel apprehensive about before I
can finally get...
↑ to top
Down in Davao
21-Jul-2022
Eventually, the jam dissolves, and I get off the plane by means of a humble but functional jet bridge.
After that, I next reach an "arrival procedures" hall, together with most of the other passengers...
...where I am handed yet another form to fill out, as well as a number which is eventually called out loudly by the attendants.
So, with that I now have an arrival card, a customs baggage declaration, an arrival monitoring form, and a One Health Pass which I had to prepare prior to departure. I hope I filled them all out correctly.
Fortunately, I manage to get through immigration without any trouble, and so I soon progress to the luggage claim, where I mentally steel myself for the next thing that can go wrong.
But today I seem to be in luck, and before long I spot my Backpack of Flames coming down the conveyor belt, well-protected in its unmistakable patchwork bag.
Which brings us to the third thing that could possibly go wrong, namely being stood up at the airport. But actually, I'm not all that nervous about that. I've got an AirBnb place booked, so in the worst case I can just get a taxi, go there and figure it out on my own.
And barring that, there's always the fear that I won't recognize her. Turns out that both of those are unfounded, because she is there waiting for me, and I recognize her right away. Two years of an online relationship, and I finally get to hold her in my arms. All this trip, I've been worrying, fearing that something might go wrong, but now, at long last, I can relax, and I am really, truly happy.
Elgen has also taken the liberty of arranging a taxi, even though she apparently made the taxi driver wait together with her, which has a very inflative effect on the taxi bill that I would have to pay. But really, right now I couldn't care less about that.
The route which the taxi driver takes us is reasonably direct (11km instead of the 10km of the most direct route), taking us first down southwest on the Pan-Philippine Highway, then south on Santol Street and Cabaguio Ave until we almost drop into the Davao Bay. Eventually, that turns into Quezon Boulevard near the coast, from which we then turn right and weave our way to our AirBnb place.
As for the ride itself, it is... somewhat adventurous. Apparently, car traffic is a lot rougher here in the Philippines than anything I'm used to. Also, despite being called a highway, the Pan-Philippine Highway is really just a medium-sized road. There's also quite a lot of slums, and sometimes there's garbage piled up by the side of the road. Dragon, just what have I gotten myself into here?
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
Normally, I do prefer to take the bus if one is available, but Elgen was strictly against that. Now that we pass some of the buses on our way to the AirBnb place, I begin to understand why.
Eventually, we reach our Airbnb place, which this time around is an apartment in the Avida Towers.
Turns out this is something of a gated community, with the guard at the driveway asking us our room number, and the taxi dropping us off in a garage-like roofed driveway, just outside of the lobby of Tower 1, where our apartment is situated.
In the lobby, we are being checked in by a security guard whom I should never once see leave her post during the entire time we're here. We have to deposit one identity document each in exchange for a guest pass, and then ride up the elevator to the 17th floor.
We shouldn't actually meet our host at any time. Instead, this place is self-check-in, with a number lock at the door and a code sent to me in advance. Unfortunately, it turns out the code is wrong, and so we find ourselves standing in front of a locked door. To make things worse, my WorldSIM goes on strike again, and thus I can't even call the owner.
Fortunately, however, the WiFi password is correct, and so I can log on to the net through the door and send our host a message. They reply after a bit of waiting and send us the correct code, so after a bit of a scare, we arrive safe and sound in our apartment.
And with that, my journey to the Philippines is complete. What trials and adventures should await me here? Be sure to find out in the next chapter of the Travelling Fox Blog!
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