My dream travel destinations include most countries in
Europe like France, Italy, Spain and Greece. That’s why it was a total surprise
and a huge blessing at the same time that I was given the chance to travel in
the US. Considering that I was previously denied of a visa, I never had high
hopes of going there anytime soon. But last July was a month of many firsts for
me. Yes, Sam and I spent some great time together. It was certainly an
experience to remember: from the lengthy hours of flight, to non-stop shopping
and food tripping, to falling in love with Yun Zi.
My flight was scheduled to leave then at 2200H of 07 July via
PR 102. I arrived about a couple of hours earlier. I decided to have dinner
prior to going to the airport since there are only small cafés in Terminal 2. I
already arranged a choice seat with a travel agent so I didn't have to worry
about not getting a good spot. Prior to boarding, I had to pass a series of
inspections: I was searched, all the contents of my carry-on bag were brought
out and I had to remove my shoes. Even so, all PAL personnel were nice and courteous.
Less than an hour to our flight all passengers were asked to
board the plane. Honestly, I felt butterflies in my stomach. It was the longest
flight I took – 15 straight hours – and I kind of expected an uneasy one. To help myself from boredom I played Glow
Hockey and read a few pages of The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime
(which I haven’t finished yet at the time of this writing). I tried not to
sleep so as to “sync” my body clock with the time in California. Alas, I couldn't help it.
The only things I enjoyed during the flight were food and
the free seat beside me (I took advantage of this and placed all my stuff
beside me). Unexpectedly, the foods served were savory and satisfying! They
have mproved a lot since the last time I tried PAL meals from my trip to
Jakarta last year. Our cabin attendants were nice and helpful but they weren't as warm as those assigned in domestic flights (Oops! Sorry!).
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| Breakfast: Omelet, sausages and hash brown |
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| Dinner: It's like adobo but sweet and has corn |
A couple of hours prior to arrival in Tom Bradley
International Airport, passengers have started to fix themselves. There was a
queue in front of me as the lavatory was near my seat. Honestly, it was a bit
uncomfortable. Feeling the presence of people very near me just didn't help me
go back to sleep. I decided to read again.
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| Exit row seat |
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| Side ways |
There was exactly no window beside me because I was seated
in the exit row. But from the window adjacent to the crews’ seats, I could see
sunlight at eight in the evening! At first I thought I might be in the wrong
destination. But later on I realized different time zones also mean different
durations of day and night. I was quiet while waiting for our plane to land. But
deep inside I was a giddy child; feeling that kind of excitement when my
parents used to bring me to the carnival! I waited, and waited, and waited…
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| I arrived! |
The long wait at the immigration and customs was exhausting.
It was already dark by the time I finished all inspections. Oh boy, the wind
was really cold outside! I was already wearing a jacket and yet it felt like I was
inside my boss’s office (that’s usually 17 degrees Celsius). Our golf team’s
coaches picked me up and we drove our way to Sun City where the team’s “home
base” was.
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| Thou shall tell nothing but the truth |
The trip from Los Angeles to Sun City was quiet and the traffic
was really smooth. Our travel was more than twice the distance of my daily
home-office route but we arrived within an hour and a half! (My travel time from
Cavite to Manila is usually two hours)
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| Sun City neighborhood at night |
The neighborhood in Sun City was deafeningly quiet and dark,
at least during the night. It was like one of those places you see in
suspense-thriller movies where a serial killer lurks. Of course, I was just
scaring myself so I started preparing and fixing my stuff as soon as I got in
the house. It was spacious: a garage fit for two cars, a backyard almost the
size of a badminton court, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living area as big
as the master’s bedroom and… a roomy kitchen! Well, it may be an average
kitchen for most houses there but that was definitely not cramped unlike ours
at home.
After eating a few slices of barbecue and a plate of pansit (Yep! Our coach bought food), I
took a quick shower and dressed up into my pajamas and t-shirt (No tank tops!)
Since all rooms were occupied, I settled in the couch with a pillow and a
blanket. I’m glad to have bought a microbead pillow before I left; at least I
have something to cuddle to my sleep.
The night was swift and before I knew it the clock was about
to strike midnight. I spent a few minutes staring at the ceiling and thought of
the adventures I was about to take the next morning before I finally dozed off.
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| This is the couch were I slept during my stay in Sun City. |
To be continued…
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