"An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered." - G K Chesterton
Boracay is beautiful and fun, and we'd had a nice break - but check this out for a journey home. I swear to Whoever, every word of this is true.
|
10:00 |
C and I order breakfast |
|
10:20 |
C's breakfast arrives; no sign of mine |
|
10:40 |
Still no breakfast; ask where it is |
|
10:50 |
"Sorry sir, cook not understand A B means American Breakfast. He think is bottle of water." "Well I didn't get any water, either." |
|
10:52 |
Tell waitress it MUST be on the table promptly at 11:15; meanwhile I have to shower, change and pack |
|
11:15 |
Get back down with bag; still no breakfast |
|
11:20 |
Breakfast arrives |
|
11:26 |
Run for ferry |
|
12:00 |
Arrive at Caticlan airport; passengers for 10:20 flight are still there |
|
12:30 |
All flights cancelled except for one 18-seater |
|
13:00 |
Told that remaining passengers will be transferred overland to Kalibo airport, once passengers for the 14:45 flight have arrived as well; those with connecting flight to Hong Kong at 17:45 start to worry |
|
13:15 |
Lucky(?) few leave on 18-seater |
|
14:20 |
Nice big bus arrives to take everyone to Kalibo |
|
14:22 |
Discover bus's aircon is insufficient for 50 hot tourists |
|
16:00 |
Arrive Kalibo airport; flight now leaving 16:30 not 16:00; they're phoning ahead to delay the 17:45 flight |
|
16:30 |
THE PLANE ARRIVES! A round of applause |
|
16:40 |
Board twin-prop plane for "70 minutes" flight to Manila |
|
19:15 |
Arrive Manila |
|
19:30 |
Call nearby hotel to check availability |
|
19:40 |
Get in 'standard meter taxi'. Official gives us piece of paper: "Insist the driver uses the meter. Please call us to report any problems with overcharging. Do NOT give this to the driver." Driver's meter is 'broken'; how about P100? "Stop this car NOW, mister. And no, you can't have my 'voucher'" |
|
19:50 |
Arrive at hotel in different taxi. Fare is P30; I tip P20 |
|
20:00 |
Check in; C negotiates cocktail instead of breakfast |
|
20:15 |
Phone to reconfirm flight for 07:40 next morning; OK, but they want us to arrive 3 hours before the flight. "In the middle of the night? Get real. We'll be there an hour before." "OK." |
|
21:30 |
Go out to dinner (very good) |
|
22:50 |
Get in taxi to go back to hotel for last drink |
|
22:55 |
Taxi blows a tyre; we walk the last few blocks |
|
23:00 |
Arrive back at hotel; phone down to ask how to claim free cocktail. "What free cocktail, Sir?" |
|
23:10 |
Shout at night manager |
|
23:20 |
Go for free cocktail (also very good) |
|
00:00 |
Bed |
|
05:30 |
Get up |
|
06:00 |
Argue with receptionist about paying room rate (quoted in US$) in US$; they had converted to Pesos, then back to US$ - adding 10% commission both ways... |
|
06:05 |
Pay correct amount in US$ |
|
06:10 |
Ask doorman for taxi |
|
06:11 |
Tell hotel driver, er, where to go; glare at doorman |
|
06:12 |
Hail passing taxi myself; go to airport |
|
06:30 |
Arrive airport, check in |
|
06:40 |
Ask if we get a glass of champagne to justify the service fee, which is 3 times the regional norm |
|
06:45 |
Fill in more forms; pick slowest queue for immigration |
|
07:40 |
Depart on 07:40 flight (gasp!) |
|
09:30 |
Arrive Hong Kong; need another holiday |
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