My Philippine Airlines Experience, Manila to Singapore

I usually plan my international travels at least 3 months before. But this trip was an exception. I needed to attend a forum in Kuching, Malaysia on behalf of my boss who could no longer make it. I was informed only the day before the trip! So, as soon as I got home from the office, I hurriedly fixed my luggage.

There is no direct flight from Manila to Kuching, so I had to take a connecting flight via Singapore, which delighted me because I love to see SG once again. Not to mention, they have the best airport in the world, the Changi Airport!

My flight was PR511 which departed on time at 6:05 am. It was a 3.5 hour-flight and it was in the morning which meant breakfast will be served. I embarked with an empty stomach so I was looking forward to my first meal of the day.

There were two choices--corned beef or chicken. I chose the latter. And boy it did not disappoint. Either that or I was really hungry.

The chicken was tenderly soft and cooked to near perfection. It went well with scrambled eggs,  tomatoes, mushrooms and hash browns. Yum! There was also bread and butter, cereal biscuit, fresh pineapples and orange juice. For dessert, I got dried pineapples which is odd since I already feasted on fresh ones earlier. They could have served dried mangoes instead.

All in all, the breakfast on Economy was good. I also appreciated the food tray as well as the utensils which were presentable and not easy to break. 

There was no in-flight entertainment system, so all that I can do is stare at the beautiful horizon over the South China Sea a.k.a. West Philippine Sea. I usually can't sleep in the plane, but I managed to doze off for a few minutes. 

Alas, first sign of life! The first and last time I went to Singapore was 10 years ago (2009) and the first thing I noticed back then was the immense number of cargo ships navigating through its bay. True enough, that remained the same this time. Singapore is known as a strategic regional hub, hence planes and ships frequent the island nation.

We landed safely and on time at past 9:30 am.

Changi welcomes me in Singapore! We were assigned to Terminal 1 which is the oldest but still very beautiful terminal.

I'm very satisfied with this PAL experience and I'm giving it the following ratings:

Food 5/5
Customer Service 5/5
On Schedule 5/5
Aircraft Quality and Cleanliness 5/5
In-flight Entertainment 0/5

Overall Score: 4/5

Tokyo Day 1

October 14, 2015

On my 4^th day in Japan, I traveled from Osaka to Tokyo via the Shinkansen, or more popularly known as the ‘bullet train’. I got the JR Pass, a ride-all-you-can badge, which I can use to go anywhere in Japan via trains and buses under the Japan Railways (JR) Group. I purchased the JR pass in Manila (in Reli Tours and Travel) for ¥29,000 or Php 12,000. It’s good for seven days, which is fair enough since a one-way Shinkansen ride from Osaka to Tokyo costs about ¥15,000. I’ve always wanted to try riding a bullet train, so I guess this is worth it. And it was!

Image source: www.darkroastedblend.com

This is how the bullet train looks like inside. The seats are similar to the ones in the airplanes, although with more leg room and more comfortable. And guess what, there are no seat belts! That's how confident the Japanese are with their Shinakansen technology; zero casualties since its introduction in the 1960s!

At 300 kilometers per hour, this train is indeed as fast as a bullet. My camera struggled to capture the images, with most vertical lines becoming slant. The view of Japan’s countryside is nonetheless breathtaking to look at.

By bus, it would take around ten hours to reach Tokyo (from Osaka), but via the Shinkansen, it will only take less than three hours, cutting the travel time by as much as 70%.

We left Osaka at around 12 noon and arrived in Tokyo around 3:00 PM. We stayed at Kai Hostel, which is a really nice backpacker inn located at the Roppongi area, which is known for its vibrant nightlife and fancy lifestyle. The place is frequented by foreigners and expats and the vibe is quite similar to the Salcedo and Legazpi neighborhoods of Makati in the Philippines.

The common areas of the Kai Hostel: the living room, the lounge, and the cafeteria, which offers free breakfast, daily!

My first meal in Tokyo was from Yoshinoya, which is very different from the one in Manila. In Tokyo, it’s more like a home-cooked meal rather than a fast-food one. I had salmon and beef yakiniku. Super yummy!

Ivy and I went to Tokyo Tower first, to see the panoramic night view of the city:

Tokyo Tower was built in 1958, standing at 1,092 feet (333 meters). The elevator can take you to the observation deck at the 250^th meter, offering a breathtaking view of the city. The design was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France and it’s easy to tell why. It is the tallest structure in Japan until the Tokyo Skytree beat it in 2012. Oh by the way, you have to pay ¥800 just to get to the top. It's worth it! But if you are on a tight budget, go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, which is not as high as Tokyo Tower but at least it can give you a bird's eye view of the city for free.

And then we went to Odaiba, an entertainment center built on reclaimed land similar to the Mall of Asia in Manila. We went to see the life-size Gundam, the Rainbow Bridge, Toyota Exhibit and the Statue of Liberty! Yes, they have it there! Lol.

Gundam Cafe has the most extensive collection of Gundam merchandise items. The menu also offers Gundam-inspired food, such as the Gundam Wings. Lol. Too bad, the restaurant was already closed when we got there but the shop is still open. I got to buy a Gundam model kit for a friend back home. 

The Rainbow Bridge and Japan's Statue of Liberty

Toyota Exhibit

Just before we went home at around 11 PM, we ate again at an Italian-Japanese restaurant, which I think is a bizarre yet unexpectedly perfect combination.

My mom always cooks spaghetti when I was young. And she always puts egg on top. Surprisingly, when we ordered pasta, there’s also an egg on top! Wow, my mom remembers me on my birthday, even if I'm in Japan! Lol.

Ivy and I ordered two pizzas, three-cheese and a veggie one! By the way, Ivy is also celebrating her birthday on October 15th so it's a double treat!

We also had baked mussels to complete our meal. By the way, we also had salad but we finished it before I even get to snap it. Hungry souls right there!

This is also the time when I learned something new again about Japan. When I handed over my cash to Ivy, I folded the ¥1,000 bill in front of her, and she gave me a horrified look! Little did I know that this is a big no-no in Japan! The Japanese do not like their bills to be folded, scratched or crumpled. That’s probably the reason why the Japanese bills I’ve been getting are all in mint condition.

Image source: rter.info

We went home shortly after... 

This has been a long day and tomorrow I get to see more of Tokyo.

Back at the hotel, I got to spend my birthday eve with these fellow backpackers, whom I just met at the lounge. They were all fun to be with. We drank beer, played music and talked about our travels and our respective countries of origin. From left: me, James from Australia, Viviane from Switzerland (who gave me Swiss chocolates, thank you, btw!), this guy from Belgium (I forgot his name, sorry) and Niall from Ireland.

This is one of the perks of staying at a hostel (as compared to Airbnb) because you get to meet exciting people from all over the world, with each one having a fantastic story to tell.

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Kyoto Protocol

Day 2: Kyoto

On our second day, Ivy and I visited Kyoto, which is also located in the Kansai region. It is only a about an hour away from Osaka via train and so we went.

Kyoto is rich in history and heritage. Being the former capital of Japan from 794 to 1868 (that's more than 1,000 years!), the city features century-old temples, shrines and structures that will take you back in time. Our first stop was at the Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is famous for its striking orange 'torii' gates. There's about a thousand of them built next to each other over a trail that will lead you to a sacred forest. The shrine is said to be dedicated to Inari, the god of rice.

 

At the entrance of the Fushimi Inari Shrine

 

 It's said that foxes were Inari's messengers, so there are so many statues of foxes spread all over the shrine, such as this one:

But I think the main attraction of this place was really the torii gates, they were so many! and so are the tourists...

 

I think we went off course a little bit because we ended up in a forest, I think this is the sacred place! Oh no! We got transported back in time (Fushigi Yugi-style!)...

 

 

Good thing we saw this "bahay kubo" (hut) in the middle of the bamboo forest, which led us to the way out. Well, it's not really a bahay kubo. It's some sort of a quiet temple where people can pray and offer to the rice god!

On our way down from the temple, I saw another fox statue. We took some time taking a picture with the fox. Ivy told me not to move because there is something interesting happening in my background! Little did I know, there's a geisha approaching us so I took another photo, this time with her.

It was already about lunch time and we were hungry. I saw this barbecue stand along the street and I bought one stick which costs me 500 yen! Whew. That's 200 pesos for one stick! Good thing it was really delicious!

I also got these for dessert (cafe latte and a green tea ice cream sandwich):

 How I wish I could find these same items in Manila :( It was a perfect combination.

Look at how clean the river is in Kyoto:

This is pretty much the case in the entirety of Japan. How I wish Filipinos have the same culture of cleanliness like the Japanese.

Our next stop was Kiyomizudera Temple. This time we took the bus, it's my first bus experience in Japan. Don't do what I did. Back in the Philippines, whenever we take a public transportation like the jeepney, bus or train, we often fight for our lives to get a seat or a space. So since I was so excited, as soon as the bus came in, I rushed to its door. Lol. And a middle-aged lady tapped my back. She didn't say anything but pointed her finger toward the end of the line. Whew. I was so ashamed. Me and my barbaric instincts kicked in just to get inside the bus. This reminded me that Japan is a First World country. Obey the rules. Observe the norms. :)

And so we arrived at Kiyomizudera, a UNESCO world heritage site best known for its wooden temples. It is one of the oldest and most celebrated temple in Japan, having been built in 780. Kiyomizudera literally means "pure water temple".

 

Look at how many tourists visit this place! I am not afraid of heights but I got nervous for a bit when we were in the terrace because first, this temple is already more than a millennium old, second, it is a good 20-30 meters from the ground, third, the terrace is actually slant--leaning towards the cliff. I'm not sure whether that was the original design or because it is starting to succumb to the force of gravity. Unfortunately, a big portion of the temple is closed due to renovation--which led me again to think that they are 'fixing' something. But I do trust the Japanese people and their technology. Hehe!

Here's a photo of Kiyomizudera sent by a friend for better appreciation:

Here is another gate and a pagoda which welcome guests as they enter the Kiyomizudera

On our way down, a long path of traditional Japanese houses selling various stuff, from food items to souvenirs, enticed us to look around for a good bargain.

 

Ivy bought some powdered matcha (green tea) while I got some yummy pastries:

Our next stop was supposed to be Kinkakuji, a Zen temple located in Northern Kyoto, but we misread the map and we ended up realizing that we were on our way to Ginkakuji. Yes, one letter made a huge difference. Here's the thing, Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji had the same symbol on the map, which is a golden temple, but they are located on both ends. Wow. Are we contestants in Amazing Race Asia? That was one big confusion. Haha! But it's our fault anyways. We were already half-way through our ride to Ginkakuji when we realized the mixed up. So we went back to the main bus terminal at central Kyoto and took another bus that is headed to Kinkakuji with a capital K!!! Unfortunately, when we arrived at Kinkakuji at around 6:00 PM, it was already closed. (It closes at 5:00 or 5:30 PM).

This is what we missed seeing :(

Oh well, better luck next time. Oh-KKK???

(photo was sent by a Japanese friend)

We headed back to Kyoto's central bus terminal, which is strategically located next to Kyoto's train station, where we had a restroom break. This is what the 'ordinary' train station looks like:

I felt bad for the MRTs and NAIA in Manila. I really do. :(

Japan's infrastructure was just superb; the standard world-class.

And so we rode the train again going back to Osaka, where we had dinner.

Kyoto Tower at night (as seen from the bus terminal). There's so much more to see in Kyoto that one day is not enough. I suggest that if you decided to go here, stay for at least two days.

Goodbye, Kyoto!

We went home early that night for a 'magical' adventure begins the next day. Clue: Expelliarmus!

End of Day 2

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