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 2

October 15, 2015

I woke up early today with full of excitement. Why? Cause it's my birthday!!!
This is also the first time I am celebrating my birthday abroad, and in Tokyo, nonetheless.

So I just ate at Kai Hostel, where they offer free breakfast, coffee, juice and milk. I even got a banana for dessert. I ate a lot because I know it will be a long day for me.

Before you go around Tokyo, my tip for you is to get this tourist leaflet, which is available on train stations, just go the nearest JR Station. Tokyo's rail system is impressively systematic, making it easy for one to go around the largest city in the world (in terms of population, which is at 37 million).

The Tokyo Travel Map is so easy to use! I survived Tokyo without WiFi access. It lists down all the top tourist spots in the city and tells you which train station to get off.

Also, get a one-day pass for the MRT for 1,000 yen (400 pesos), if you plan to get around a lot! The shortest distance costs around 270 yen, so I think the one-day pass is already a good deal.

The first tourist spot I wanted to see was the Imperial Palace, which is located at the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo.

The Imperial Palace is like a fortress surrounded by an artificial body of water similar to that of traditional castles

The entrance gate to the Imperial Palace grounds

Upon entry, tourists are greeted by an even bigger gate

Inside the palace grounds are serene traditional Japanese gardens

Next stop: Tokyo Sky Tree

At 2,080 feet, Tokyo Skytree is the tallest structure in Japan, and the second tallest structure in the world, after Burj Khalifa in Dubai. 

At the grounds of the Tokyo Skytree

 The view from the top is just breathtaking! 

2,000 feet off the ground! whew!

Next stop: Asakusa

This is the Senso-ji Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo

It's rare to see a traditional Japanese house at the heart of Tokyo. I think they converted this one into a restaurant. It's located in one of the surrounding alleys in Asakusa.

Last stop for Day 2: Tokyo Dome City

I don't have a clear photo of Tokyo Dome but this is what it looks like: 

Photo credits to: Voltasone (YouTube)

Located at Bunkyo, Tokyo Dome City is an entertainment complex that houses an amusement park, a shopping mall, a spa, and a 43-story hotel.

Photo credits: Tokyo Dome City

The boutique mall here has plenty of gift shops, souvenir stalls and fashion brands. It also has an ABC Store, a famous apparel department store in Japan, where I got my nice pair of Nike Kaishi, which is similar to the more popular Nike Roshe, but with a hint of Japanese. It was on sale, I got it only for 6,000 yen (2,650 pesos).

End of Day 2 in Tokyo

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