Camino Ignaciano: In Transit (Day 0)
Day 0: From Manila to Bilbao
September 25, 5:45 pm, Manila
It's the first day of the trip, but technically, it's Day 0, as we traveled for almost 24 hours (including layovers). I kept a mini-diary of this journey, partly to document this trip, partly to fend off boredom while on the plane.
September 25, 5:45 pm, Manila
We flew off from NAIA Terminal 1 and I was impressed yet again by our local tour operator. We had a check-in counter dedicated to our group, despite its small size; hence, no long lines! Lenie, our tour coordinator, was there to greet us and bid us a safe trip. I arrived at the airport just in time for the meet-up schedule and joined the Jesuit Communications crew at the check-in counter.
September 25, 11:45 pm, up in the air
Off we go! It was my first time to ride Turkish Airways. Despite being in economy, the seats were roomier than those of the usual Asian airlines. I missed our own local airlines though. I couldn't understand what the captain was saying and I missed the friendly Asian smiles. Food was so-so, with bread accompanying each meal. (I want some noodles!) The entertainment system was good though. I spent the night, watching Kung Fu Panda 3 and trying to get into a comfortable position to sleep.
September 26, 7:45 am, Istanbul
We had a 3 hour layover in Istanbul. Eloi and I spent the time walking around, checking out Turkish delicacies we couldn't buy. Hahaha!
 |
| A dedicated check-in counter! |
September 25, 11:45 pm, up in the air
Off we go! It was my first time to ride Turkish Airways. Despite being in economy, the seats were roomier than those of the usual Asian airlines. I missed our own local airlines though. I couldn't understand what the captain was saying and I missed the friendly Asian smiles. Food was so-so, with bread accompanying each meal. (I want some noodles!) The entertainment system was good though. I spent the night, watching Kung Fu Panda 3 and trying to get into a comfortable position to sleep.
September 26, 7:45 am, Istanbul
We had a 3 hour layover in Istanbul. Eloi and I spent the time walking around, checking out Turkish delicacies we couldn't buy. Hahaha!
 |
| Lokum, a Turkish delicacy, looked like soft jelly. I love the glass jars! |
The Istanbul airport struck me as big and crowded but very quiet. It was strange for me. There was quite a lot of foot traffic around, and yet you don't feel the vibrant energy of the crowd the same way you would in HK or Singapore. Everything seemed subdued, like watching a silent movie.
While waiting, a group of Chinese men approached me. They were puzzled about their flight details, wondering why it said 23:55 for boarding and September 27 for the flight date. I explained that they had to wait until midnight for their flight and it was just 6 am! They also came from Fujian province and were off to Africa (of all places!). I conclude that the Chinese are really everywhere!
September 26, 9:00am, in-flight
Back in the air again! This time, I slipped off to a quick nap as the plane took off. I was tired from lack of sleep!
The captain greeted us mid-way and gave a flight update. From Istanbul, we passed by Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia. I found it fascinating -- these countries were mere names to memorize in my social studies classes and here I am actually flying over them!
September 26, morning, Bilbao
Due to the time difference, we were still on the same date! I counted nearly 24 hours of waiting in airports and riding on planes: 4 hours in NAIA, 12 hours flight to Istanbul, 3 hours in Istanbul, and 4 hours flight to Bilbao.
We finally arrived in Bilbao! The transit ends and the journey begins!
While waiting, a group of Chinese men approached me. They were puzzled about their flight details, wondering why it said 23:55 for boarding and September 27 for the flight date. I explained that they had to wait until midnight for their flight and it was just 6 am! They also came from Fujian province and were off to Africa (of all places!). I conclude that the Chinese are really everywhere!
September 26, 9:00am, in-flight
Back in the air again! This time, I slipped off to a quick nap as the plane took off. I was tired from lack of sleep!
The captain greeted us mid-way and gave a flight update. From Istanbul, we passed by Bulgaria, Serbia and Croatia. I found it fascinating -- these countries were mere names to memorize in my social studies classes and here I am actually flying over them!
 |
| The mountains of Croatia from my window! |
September 26, morning, Bilbao
Due to the time difference, we were still on the same date! I counted nearly 24 hours of waiting in airports and riding on planes: 4 hours in NAIA, 12 hours flight to Istanbul, 3 hours in Istanbul, and 4 hours flight to Bilbao.
We finally arrived in Bilbao! The transit ends and the journey begins!
Comments
Post a Comment