Travel // Going Around // South Pacific // Finally! I’m in Manila
The plane landed Manila 30 minutes past 9PM and roughly before 11PM I was cleared from the immigration and the customs. I am supposed to be asleep by now but here I am, still awake at 1AM. The long flight from French Polynesia to Philippines was a bit exhausting. It really was, but thinking that I will be with my family tomorrow it seems the exhaustion doesn’t beat me at all. The heavy traffic in Manila took me almost an hour to get to the hotel. Obviously, I should start getting used to this normal Manila thing – heavy traffic.
Goodbye French Polynesia!
The most notable thing French Polynesia will remind me is its informal or shall I say “more casual” approach to everything. Tourists simply call the place – paradise. It really is a paradise right in the middle of the South Pacific. By the way, with me in the photo is Lily (on my left) and “Mommy”, her mother (on my right). Together they operate a money-spinning family business – transporting visitors/tourists from the airport to the hotels and vice versa. Mommy and Lily were the very first to welcome me when I first arrived Tahiti close to 2 years ago and when I left Tahiti yesterday, Mommy and Lily were the same person to send me off. In fact Mommy picked me from the hotel as early as 4AM and drove me to the airport.
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With Mommy and Lily |
Can’t wait to board the plane… |
Now I am back in Manila and officially I am “jobless”…LOL… Yes it is. OFWs are officially jobless the moment we stepped out from the plane. This is what I told the taxi driver last night when he demanded me additional amount from what I should be paying. Coincidentally, he was the same taxi driver who drove me to the airport when I left Manila last five months. I remembered that same taxi with a small boy sitting in the front seat (beside the driver) when I was picked at the hotel I was staying by then. I remembered that funny little boy telling me that I can’t be in the front seat because he occupied it first…LOL… Then his father (the driver) apologized and narrated to me why he has to take with him his 2 year old son. So, instead of giving him extra amount for the taxi ride, I handed him two chocolate bars as my present for that kid. The driver did not anymore ask about the extra amount, instead he thanked me for the chocolate bars.
