Quezon City, Philippines
Left our hostel early this morning, around 7 a.m., walked to the nearby Holiday Inn Golden Mile to catch the K3 Airport Express Shuttle Bus to the Kowloon Station of the Airport Express. As was always our good fortune, with regard to weather, the rains stopped when we left our hostel and began to pour when we were already in the train. Thank you, Universe.
Got to the airport early enough to be the first in line for check-in at the Cebu Pacific counter. Took our time, had some breakfast at Pacific Coffee Company and checked the internet, before going through immigration and to the gate.
The flight took only 2 hours. BTW, most of the passengers in this flight were Filipinas working as helpers in Hong Kong. The Cebu Pacific air fare was the cheapest, besides Tiger Airways (from Macao), to the Philippines. In exchange for the cheap fares, food and beverage (including water) weren't free. If I knew that I would have brought some food to eat (flight time was 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., lunch time). Oh, well...now we know.
Went through immigration, baggage claim and customs rather quickly. Found my Dad waiting for us at the outside waiting area.
The weather is surprisingly less humid than we expected due to the previous night's rain. The traffic in the highways and streets were still chaotic, especially around the Katipunan area. I kept thinking of ways to ease traffic congestion around this area - like building an elevated road turning left from Katipunan to UP Math area, widening the road from UPIS toTandang Sora ("imminent domain"), prohibit trucks/semis to drive on highways and roads only at night until early morning not during the day, prohibit tricycles/pedicabs from driving on main roads and highways, teach pedestrians to cross at overpasses , etc. If it were that easy.
Along the drive we've seen so many vehicles cut in, overtake, swerve, etc. I've even took a picture of this car, a gray mitsubishi lancer that was so rude as to drive on the opposite lane then cut in front of my dad's pick-up. This person, who is probably educated and a professional, do not know the rules of the road. Truly sad and disappointing. (I am thinking of putting that picture on the internet...hmmm...still maybe not....) Even one policeman was directing traffic without following the traffic signals himself - he simply could just turn off the signal lights and direct traffic, instead, he just made drivers irate by making the traffic worse.
After being in China/Hong Kong for a month, we have not seen this chaos in the roads, except maybe when there's a spectacle happening in the middle of the street, which is quite seldom. The drivers are pretty much obedient to the rules of the road, especially the public transportation buses. And, pedestrians know where to catch the bus (although they cross anytime they want at crosswalks - at least they know where to cross).
Hopefully, somewhere in the future, the Filipinos will learn to clean up their act and start behaving more civilised like their other Asian neighbors.
Anyway, am glad we are now in the Philippines and with my family.
Peter, after some thought, will be posting his commentary now that we have access to free internet.
Left our hostel early this morning, around 7 a.m., walked to the nearby Holiday Inn Golden Mile to catch the K3 Airport Express Shuttle Bus to the Kowloon Station of the Airport Express. As was always our good fortune, with regard to weather, the rains stopped when we left our hostel and began to pour when we were already in the train. Thank you, Universe.
Got to the airport early enough to be the first in line for check-in at the Cebu Pacific counter. Took our time, had some breakfast at Pacific Coffee Company and checked the internet, before going through immigration and to the gate.
The flight took only 2 hours. BTW, most of the passengers in this flight were Filipinas working as helpers in Hong Kong. The Cebu Pacific air fare was the cheapest, besides Tiger Airways (from Macao), to the Philippines. In exchange for the cheap fares, food and beverage (including water) weren't free. If I knew that I would have brought some food to eat (flight time was 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., lunch time). Oh, well...now we know.
Went through immigration, baggage claim and customs rather quickly. Found my Dad waiting for us at the outside waiting area.
The weather is surprisingly less humid than we expected due to the previous night's rain. The traffic in the highways and streets were still chaotic, especially around the Katipunan area. I kept thinking of ways to ease traffic congestion around this area - like building an elevated road turning left from Katipunan to UP Math area, widening the road from UPIS toTandang Sora ("imminent domain"), prohibit trucks/semis to drive on highways and roads only at night until early morning not during the day, prohibit tricycles/pedicabs from driving on main roads and highways, teach pedestrians to cross at overpasses , etc. If it were that easy.
Along the drive we've seen so many vehicles cut in, overtake, swerve, etc. I've even took a picture of this car, a gray mitsubishi lancer that was so rude as to drive on the opposite lane then cut in front of my dad's pick-up. This person, who is probably educated and a professional, do not know the rules of the road. Truly sad and disappointing. (I am thinking of putting that picture on the internet...hmmm...still maybe not....) Even one policeman was directing traffic without following the traffic signals himself - he simply could just turn off the signal lights and direct traffic, instead, he just made drivers irate by making the traffic worse.
After being in China/Hong Kong for a month, we have not seen this chaos in the roads, except maybe when there's a spectacle happening in the middle of the street, which is quite seldom. The drivers are pretty much obedient to the rules of the road, especially the public transportation buses. And, pedestrians know where to catch the bus (although they cross anytime they want at crosswalks - at least they know where to cross).
Hopefully, somewhere in the future, the Filipinos will learn to clean up their act and start behaving more civilised like their other Asian neighbors.
Anyway, am glad we are now in the Philippines and with my family.
Peter, after some thought, will be posting his commentary now that we have access to free internet.
posted by Mimi | 10:31 PM
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