Originally posted by andypaul@Jun 11 2005, 07:26 PM
I think you have made the right decision Pete.
To easy to act now and regret for ever more actions made to rashly.
Hope You have a safe Journey back to the UK.
thank you for that, I am now safely back in UK, arrived this afternoon at around 3pm local, got my car from Q Park and arrived back home for about 5pm, to 3 ton of letters, tired out, so will ge going to bed soon to get some shut eye, however first let me give you all my trip back experience, it makes good reading.
Pete's Trip From the Provinces to London
I just had to relate this story, as it typifies the Philippines, after staying in the Business Inn for several days, I was rather getting tired of paying P20.00 to the Migos who constantly hang around, when I got to thinking, hey maybe its a conspiracy to get me to tip them, someone has fixed the door so we cant open it, but as soon as the Migos turn up, the door suddenly opens, everytime Gina and i go to the room door to our matrimonial suite, it will not open no matter how hard we try to open it.
Every time one of the cleaners (Amigos) turn up, I slip them P20.00 to do it, and suprise suprise the door opens, but its been days before I started to think just maybe we are being duped, after all Filipinos are ingenious when it comes to finding ways of extracting money.
Anyway thats a after thought, I showed up at 6pm at Bacolod City's "airport" hehe, if you could call it that, Philippine Airlines has the best "terminal" hmmm again if you could be forgiven for thinking it resembles something out of the Dogs of War movie starring Tom Berenger and Christopher Walken, you know the one, the Republic of Zangaro.
However, let us be fair about this, the flight was checked for 7pm that evening, after being officially delayed for 1 hour, was it on time, oh no it wasnt, oh yes it was they say, oh no it wasnt said the passengers, of yes it was said the staff of PAL.
We will have to beg to differ, the plane eventually left at 8pm, remembering of courrse I had to check in at Terminal 1 NAIA for 9pm, that clearly was not going to happen, as we did not arrive into terminal 2 until 9.20pm, however we were not able to leave the terminal as someone had taken the wrong bag, and the endless bods outside who represent Manila's hundreds of security firms, were in their element, everyone had to wait, until the guilty party had confessed to his or her sins and returned the wrong bag....someone also claimed that their box of pastries had gone missing, the country naturally comes to a stop when this happens.
Finally I went outside in the 35 degree heat looking for an airport taxi, first I had to go and receive a taxi coupon which is taken from the Taxi office half a mile away, then proceed to the unloading area, where I was directed to pay the driver, exepting the driver could not accept the payment as he said..he had to drive out of the terminal to the car park, in the next block, there the taxi office was, and I had to pay the P115.00 there, naturally the taxi driver expected his own personal tip, of some P80.00
After dropping me off at Terminal 1 I managed to join the queue to enter the aiport, after showing my passport, ID UK Driving licence photocard type, ticket, boarding cards, etc, and Mothers picture I was allowed to go in and deposit my bag on the outer conveyor.
This was scrutinized but they then held me up as they wanted to know what was in the 3 bottles I had with me, the 3 bottles contained different types of Steak Sauce, I was then asked to confirm what was in..so i said.
Bottle number 1 has A1 Rich and Hearty Steak Sauce
Bottle number 2 has Tang and sour Steak Sauce
Bottle number 3 has Smokey Barbecue Steak Sauce.
Then I was allowed to proceed through to the Emirates Check in desk, where I joined the most gigantic queue of Overseas Filipino workers you have ever seen, it took almost 1 hour to get checked in, then we were security checked again, this was check no 3...CONTD TOMORROW FOLKS, AFTER MY JET LAG IS OVER.
