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This is the face of 17 hours of travel.
(No, I don't know what day it is.) |
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Greetings from Manila!
Well, after more than 17 hours of flights, I’ve landed in Manila in one morbidly jet-lagged piece. In spite of the dizziness and general lack of awareness of the world around me, it feels good to get the blog up and running.
Quick thoughts while bouncing along in the back of a tour van bound for downtown Manila at noon on a Wednesday…
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Nice to step off a 15-hour plane ride at 5 a.m. this morning an immediately receive a flower lei, which at that moment became the only thing about me that was remotely fresh.
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I’ve written before so I’ll try not to beat it to death, but international airlines have it all over their American counterparts. I flew Philippines Airlines from LAX to Manila (with a 45-minute re-fuel in Guam. Guam!) (Parenthesis for the parenthesis: It just occurred to me, but I feel strongly that Guam! should always have an exclamation point after it). Once again, the international airline provided better food, cleaner blankets, friendlier staff and better service. In fact the experience was so great it gave me an idea…
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…I’ve got a little list of what I call “Million Dollar Ideas,” one of which I hope someday leads to an obscenely early retirement. Most of these million dollar ideas are inventions, but a few are unwritten books. This latest idea is so good, I’m going to give it away for free, in hopes that one of my faithful readers will take it, run with it, and mention my name in the fine print and send me a free taco. (I love tacos) Here it is: A book describing and critiquing the food for every airline in the world. I want to know what is served, how it is served, the cost to passengers, the best and the worst. What traveler wouldn’t want to read this?
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One other note about Philippines Airlines: Economy Class is referred to as “Fiesta Class.” These things amuse me. While pleasant, my flight still had no music, confetti, piñatas, donkeys, or other characteristics resembling that of a fiesta. But the brand name for the peanuts was “Happy,” so maybe that’s the tie-in.
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Airport staff eager to assist, even at 5 a.m.
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The Philippines seems to heavily promote its spas, and this might turn out to be a great idea. Since our hotel rooms weren’t ready at check-in, my tour group decided to head to the spa for massages. Brilliant. A full-body treatment was less than $40 USD, and was possibly the best way to unwind after a long flight, besides actually showering.
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So far the Philippines appear to
be a pretty healthy place |
That’s it from here. I’m now fueled by little sleep but one massage and plenty of caffeine. The city awaits. More updates coming soon.
Stats from the trip:
Miles traveled: More than 6,000
Full body massages: One (Don’t hate me)
Fiestas: 0
Food items unable to be identified but eaten anyway: One, a mystery fruit served in the hotel lobby. It tasted like a blander version of a kiwi.
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| Mystery fruit No. 1 |
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Read more about the Scenes from the Philippines!
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