Back in Angeles

I should have done my research better. Getting to my overpriced hotel (the same one from last time, Phoenix Hotel) in Angeles city from Manila airport was a little confusing since I had no idea where I was meant to go, or how.

I arrived at the domestic terminal and asked where I could get the bus to Angeles city/ Clark airport (I just wanted to get anywhere close-ish to the hotel) and was told I had to take a taxi to the bus station whereas I'm sure I read somewhere that there was a bus from the airport in Manila to Clark airport. Perhaps it was from the international terminal? Anyway, I got a taxi to the bus station - obviously not knowing if it was the right station or not - and was dropped in the middle of Philippine mayhem it seemed like. People running and shouting, reeking smoke coming out of food stalls selling things that smelled...questionable. I walked up to what looked like the ticket counter that had three lines with (what I presume were) destination names written on top of each service window. I joined the queue with the most people in it - seems like that's normally the one I need to be standing in - and waited. I didn't quite get to the front of the line when a man asked me where I was going and I explained it was Angeles city I wanted to go to but Clark airport would do too, and he said that there were no buses to either from that station! What I had to do was to get a bus to....ehhhh....a place that begins with the letter D and then a tricycle to Angeles and that the bus was leaving NOW and that I had to follow him NOW and that he'd sort out my ticket on the bus.

What had just happened?!

Somehow I had gone from standing in a line to a ticket office selling tickets to a place I don't know, to sitting on a bus headed to a destination which wasn't where I actually wanted to go.

Yeah ok.

I'm not going to lie I was a little worried but there's just something about the rocking motion of a bus and my ever-so-comfortable pink IKEA neck pillow I soon forgot about everything and fell asleep. I mean I had 28 hours on me before my flight to BKK, surely if I went the wrong way I'd have time to figure it all out later. And as it turns out all was OK of course - the mystery man who pulled me out from the ticket line woke me up to let me know we had arrived at this place beginning with a D, and that it was time for me to get off the bus. Off I got and jumped into the tricycle and 20 minutes later arrived at my overpriced hotel. Ta-daa!

Just like last time, I was the only white woman there. All other guests fell into one of two categories:

1) European / American fat bald men aged 50-70
2) Filipino girls aged 20-30

TV in my room it is then....

And that concluded my trip to Pilipinas. This time.