NP: Parov Stelar - The Princess
Mood: Bewildered
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| Helsinki on the day of departure. |
After what must've been a long break in blogging, I've returned to Asia but three days ago. My original flight went from still snowless Helsinki to Hong Kong and onwards to Manila, but Finnair's flight to Hong Kong (where I've not been to yet) was delayed until the next morning. I was already at the airport in Helsinki when I noticed a text message informing me of this delay (due to a technical problem) so instead of waiting, I asked the ticketing counter to put me on the plane to Singapore and onwards to Manila from there.
There were no problems on the trip.
Flight time via Singapore was about two-three hours more than it would've been via Hong Kong, but at least I didn't have to wait at all at Changi airport in Singapore. Actually, it was a rather rushed experience through the well-oiled machine of Changi (which, it must be said, is a great airport) as, due to landing delays because of heavy traffic, I only had a little more than an hour to get to the next flight. Exiting the plane at terminal 1, taking the shuttle to terminal 2 and checking in at the transfer desk of Singapore Airlines near transfer lounge D was quick and easy. And on to Manila I went. Thankfully Singapore Airlines' plane had more space than Finnair's.
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| Singapore Airlines flight SQ918. |
Waiting for the shuttle at Changi I met a Belgian guy who owned a house in Davao in the Philippines who was on the same flights with me from Helsinki and on to Manila, having also originally been on the flight to Hong Kong. He advised me to be careful with money and to always ask the taxis in the Philippines to turn on their taxi meter...
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| Changi Airport in Singapore, terminal 2, near Gate E12. |
So why go to the Philippines? 1) I've never been here before, 2) It is in Asia - and all of Asia deserves to be explored and, most importantly, 3) I'm visiting my fiance's parents.
The Nino Aquino International Airport in Manila was loud, hectic and highly unorganized, perhaps giving insight into the nature of the country I'd come to. The queues in the packed immigration hall were crowds of people, with apparently only one line serving those with foreign passports and then turning into several lines serving everyone. I stuck to following a big, sweaty western guy who seemed to know where he was going and that plan worked as well as can be expected. Only about a dozen people sneaked past me in the queue.
I had again become unfamiliar with the distinction between queuing in most of Asia and Finland: In Asia you should not leave any space between yourself and the one before you in queue, and expect it to not be promptly filled by another person.
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| Immigration at Nino Aquino International Airport. |
The loud crowd continued outside the airport where people were greeting their friends and relatives and whatnot behind a busy road and several lettered entrances to a strange structure leading to the parking lots. I walked under letter R and asked a uniformed Filipino to help me reach the people who were picking me up. He was very helpful, and promptly requested a tip for his help later on.
The night had fallen over Manila as we passed through it in an old van that seemed likely to break at any time. Christmas lights could be seen sprinkled around the city here and there. Traffic was light, they said, as we were not stuck in a jam on the way. And Manila, Marikina and San Mateo were dressed in shadows. Passing by dark high-rises, tight roads between decaying buildings and dimly-lit vendor stalls, I felt like I'd come to a strange land crowded with strange people and bizarre customs.
It was good to be travelling in this part of the world again.
