Coming Home (from Leyte Trip)

        Mission accomplished, Dan - my friend and officemate, and I left the plantsite yesterday (June 15, 2007) at 10:45 AM for Tacloban City for my 2:55 PM flight to Manila.  Instead of using a service car, Dan, who lives in Tacloban, offered to drive me in his car.

        At lunchtime, we’re in the vicinity of Carigara, Leyte (still an hour away to Tacloban City).  So, we ate our lunch in Newtown Kitchen in the poblacion.  This small restaurant is famous to and frequented by travelers going to and from Tacloban.  It’s almost full when we entered.  We ordered the favorite tinolang isda (a fish soup popular in the Visayan region), fried squids still with roes in them, pinakbet (a popular Ilocano dish of assorted vegetables), rice and 500 ml softdrink.

        We arrived at the D. Z. Romualdez (Tacloban) Airport at around 1:45 PM.  After thanking Dan, I proceeded to the check-in counter and then to the departure area.

Sad Note:  The modernization of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport worth P3.36 billion has been delayed for another two years because of lack of local counterpart fund. (Manila Times, Jan. 11, 2007)  

        Normally, I’d be at the airport at least two (2) hours before my scheduled flight hoping to get the best seat for me – a seat along the emergency exit row because of the spacious leg room.  I’m 5’11” tall.  Passengers seated adjacent to the emergency exit have responsibility under the law, i.e., they must be able to open the emergency exit doors, if needed.  The flight attendant shall explain this to the concerned passengers.  The unwilling passenger/s could request to be reseated.

        The plane arrived and departed on time.

        Philippine Air Line’s acronym is PAL.  And, PAL is being ridiculed as “Plane Always Late”.  However, based on my own recent experiences, PAL has been punctual.  I think PAL has improved a lot, probably because of the competition.  If its punctuality continued, PAL would no longer be derided as “Plane Always Late” but would be known as “Punctual At Last”.

        On board, the lady next to me was praying her rosary.  When I stood up to go to the lavatory, I saw the lady in front of me reading prayer from her El Shaddai’s hankerchief.  I felt safer and blessed.

        The snack pack contained Oishi string potatoes, Super Bawang corn bits, and cookies with Korean label.  I chose tea as I had already drunk gallons of coffee at the plantsite.

        Things that I don’t do in the airplane:

        *  I don’t recline my seat – as doing so would restrict the already restricted space of and inconvenience the passenger behind me.

        *  I don’t use the armrest beside the middle seat.  I reserved that to the passenger in that seat.

        At the Centennial Terminal, I got my baggage, which was the first to come out, and proceeded to the parking area to get my car.  On the way home, I fetched my daughter, Jaja, who was waiting at the Mega Mall.

        We arrived home safely.  Honey, I’m home!