On October 7, 2015, I went back home to
California, USA and my vacation in Philippines is over. Although my
vacation days in Philippines is only 15 days, I enjoyed it in spite of
heavy rains and traffic. The heavy traffic is not only in Metro Manila
but also in the provinces as well. Philippines is more crowded after 6
years. I visited in Philippines in 2009.
During my vacation
days, I spent my time in traveling and visiting my Alma Matter,
classmates, friends, family friends, and relatives. Me and my mother
arrived in Philippines last September 23, 2015. My cousin, Rodelio
Magtalas and my aunts Leonila Magtalas, and Estelita Zapanta picked up
us at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). We enjoyed all foods
and dishes in Philippines that we didn't eat for a long time already and
also the fruits and desserts there.
We left earlier from
Baliuag, Bulacan at around 12:00pm because of the possible heavy traffic
and rains especially in Metro Manila area. Thanks God that we arrived
at NAIA in Parañaque City around 5:30pm. Not bad because my flight
schedule is 10:00pm via Philippine Airlines FT 104.
Since
there's no fast food chains and restaurants inside the airport at
Terminal 3, we decided to have our dinner at their main canteen. The
restaurants are far from the airport and it is hard also to find the
parking spot in the airport as well. It is better to eat in the
restaurants rather than in the airport canteen because the foods are
expensive. My cousin, Rodelio Magtalas, my aunts Leonila Magtalas and
Estelita Zapanta, and my mother, Rosario Balajadia send and dropped me
off at the airport. My mother will stay for another 15 days and she will
be back home in USA on October 21, 2015 in order for her to enjoy her
vacation for exactly one month.
I noticed that there's no
Terminal Fee at the airport. The Terminal Fee is already waived or
abolished since February 2015. The Terminal Fee was PHP 500 for domestic
flights and PHP 750 for international flights. Thanks God that
everything was alright after I checked in my luggages. My aunts and
cousins helped me in weighing and packing my things at my two luggages.
The limit weight of a luggage is 50 pounds and 15 pounds for a handcarry
bag. A laptop computer is free to carry inside the airport and plane as
well.
My travel back in California, USA is a straight flight
for 12 hours without a stop over. While traveling, I ate a snack and two
meals. I can't sleep well inside the plane. Thanks God that I slept
light for at least 4 to 6 hours. Until now, there's no wifi inside the
airplanes of Philippine Airlines. I don't have a choice is to try to
sleep or nap as much as I can. The other airlines have wifi but mostly
they are not free and you have to pay it using your credit card.
Finally, we arrived at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on
October 7, 2015 at 7:00pm. Since we passed the International Dateline
while traveling, we arrived on the same date. Philippines is 15 hours
ahead from California during daylight saving time and 16 hours during
winter time.
The immigration department at SFO is still very
strict and thanks God that everything was alright especially to the
things that I brought from Philippines. They are strict with fresh
fruits with seeds from other countries as well as the living things like
animals and plants. They are trying to avoid the spread of diseases
especially the contagious one from other countries.
My brother,
Addison Balajadia picked me up from SFO airport at 8:00pm and then we
proceed to Vacaville, California at my other house. After I distributed
and organized all my things that I brought, I took my rest and then
sleep deeply because I have to go back to work at Morton Salt on the
following day on October 8, 2015.
#MNL #NAIA #PAL #Parañaque #Rizal #SFO #Millbrae #California
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