Our trip to Coron, Palawan last September would prove to be one of the most memorable ever, especially for this blogger who is Little Miss Afraid of Plane Rides 😀 I really should know better than ride a propeller plane on bad weather, but there was simply the inescapable lure of Coron beckoning me and the hubby on our planned second honeymoon.
Our plane wasn’t even half-full when we left NAIA Terminal 2 that morning. I felt comforted by a group of giggling college students who were having the time of their lives taking group pictures before the flight. Like us, they were excited because this was their first trip to Coron too. I would see the same college students holding the motion discomfort bags 30 minutes later, when it became evident that the plane ride was far from being pleasant.
On the other hand, Mr. Z – who’s used to riding helicopters- considered it normal, even though at one point he commented: “I don’t know why they’re flying into the clouds, when they should be over the clouds.”
I distract myself by talking to the stewardess:
Me: Miss, have you been in a flight this,ehrmm, turbulent?
FA: Yes ma’am.
Me: Oh well, what flight was it?
FA: In an Airbus.
Me: Oh. So why hasn’t the pilot spoken since the flight started?
(and before Miss FA can answer me, the pilot is finally overheard on the PA system)
Pilot: Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Busuanga Airport. Please expect light to moderate turbulence before we land…..
WAAAHHH!
I was quite relieved to hear we were about to land, but even the landing itself was hard and rough. I even thought “nosedive” was the more appropriate word. To cut a long story short, we arrived in one piece in Coron, bumps and all. God bless this beast…..
In fairness, I also talked to a PAL Express commuter that day and she also said that their flight was rough. I was quite in a daze when we landed in Busuanga Airport which was still a good 45-minute van ride to Coron proper. In due time, I would think it was all worth it because Coron was beautiful!
I made sure to have my tsinelas (slippers) taken in the different sceneries. Just in case anybody’s wondering, Cebu Pacific has its ongoing Wandering Juan photo contest discussed in this previous post. Just take a photo of “interesting sights and people” featuring a pair of slippers in a Cebu Pacific destination of your choice, and upload the photos to the official contest website.
I believe the contest deadline is nearing now. Registration of entries is from July 1, 2009 to October 31, 2009. Fifteen finalists will be announced from November 2-16, and these will be posted on the contest website for online voting from November 20-December 20, 2009. Tabulation of online votes and the judging of the finalists will be on December 21-22. Free trips and irresistible road warrior gadgets are at stake for the winners.
Am not sure if I want to join myself, as the present batch of pictures uploaded to the Wandering Juan photo gallery are already uber-creative. But I’d like to lend my support to this project, being a Cebu Pacific traveller – bumps or no bumps! 😀
[…] Coron in Palawan was the most memorable place I visited this year, especially if you count the uber-turbulent flight we had there on bad weather. I also couldn’t forget this place since this is where we made […]