CX vs SQ

I had the opportunity to travel from Manila to Hong Kong and Singapore just days apart. I took two of the world's best airlines- Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines. And of course, they did not disappoint. This post is sort of a review. Just a disclaimer: this post is just about my personal experience on those specific flights and do not reflect the entire airline. I traveled economy, by the way.

Aircraft
Both CX and SQ flew Boeing 777 on the Manila route. But CX felt newer, or at least the interiors felt upgraded and more modern. Just a day before my flight, CX made the inuagural A350 flight to Manila. That would have been cool to ride on a new plane.
Winner: CX

Food
SQ gave full meal with dessert and a choice of wine, juice, coffee, etc. CX only gave snacks. Probably because the Manila-Hong Kong flight was shorter than the Singapore flight.
Winner: SQ

Entertainment
This one CX is the clear winner because of its new TV system. It has bigger screen and it's a touchscreen. The SQ screen was small and it was a bit old, with the remote control still on the sides of the seat. Selection on the CX entertainment system was also newer and there were more content. But for earphones, I like SQ, because it's smaller.
Winner: CX

Service
Both crew were awesome and friendly. But for this round, I give my score to SQ, because they were more helpful.
Winner: SQ

Others
I can charge my phone on CX  even on economy. But SQ gave hot towel before the flight to freshen passengers up. There were also pillows and blankets already on the seats on SQ.

Both airlines are real winners.

SQ

CX

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First time in a mosque

The closest I was to a mosque was when I visited Malaysia early this year. I took pictures of the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, but I wasn't able to enter the mosque itself since we had a limited time. But last March, I finally entered a mosque, this time it was in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

I visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. And it was a truly beautiful sight. White domes dominate the skyline and the place was really huge. It's one of the top tourist destinations in Abu Dhabi, because visitors, even non-Muslims, can enter the mosque. There is no entrance fee, but they have a dress code. Don't worry, even if you're not wearing the right attire, they can lend you a traditional clothing that you can wear over your clothes.

It was my first time to enter an Islamic religious site. I really didn't know what to see or expect inside. And I was truly amazed. There were huge chandeliers (I think the biggest in the world), intricate designs all over the interiors, a big carpet (I think also a world record) and a very wide space. In a Catholic Church, you will see pews and statues, here there are no chairs and no images. Despite the crowd, it was very peaceful.

The mosque was just built recently as a tribute to the former ruler of the United Arab Emirates. It is one of the biggest mosques in the world and it can accommodate thousands of worshippers. This is a must-see for anyone visiting Abu Dhabi. Other major mosques in the Middle East do not allow the entry of non-Muslims, but this mosque welcomes tourists and thus it becomes an avenue for understanding, awareness and appreciation of various cultures, religions and even the arts.


I went to the mosque at noon so it was kinda hot. The next time I'll visit the city, going at night would be a great idea because of the nice lights illuminating this grand mosque.

Below are some photos of the mosque. You can click on the photos for a larger view.

Rules for visitors

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Review: Philippine Airlines MNL-AUH

This is a short review of my flight from Manila to Abu Dhabi via Philippine Airlines. It also includes the return flight since I had very similar experience on both trips.

I went to Abu Dhabi last March 2015 to attend a conference. I returned to Manila a few days later. My overall experience with both flights was just "ok". It was not super good, but it was not super bad either. I will rate my own experience with 5 being the highest and 1 the lowest.

Just to add context, I'm in the economy section, at the back part of the aircraft.

On Time Performance: 3/5
     -We boarded the plane on time, but for different reasons the flights still got delayed. The Manila to Abu Dhabi flight was delayed for an hour because one passenger needs medical attention. The return flight was delayed by 2 hours because there was a restriction in the airspace in Oman, so we just stayed inside the plane for 2 hours.

Entertainment: 1/5
     -There was no inflight TV for a flight of about 10 hours. PAL has the InAir service which allows passengers to watch some movies on their phones or tablets. PAL also has wifi for a fee. But for the first flight, there was NO InAir. Cabin crew said it wasn't working. For the return flight, I was able to watch a few clips and listen to music, but the choices were very limited. I also tried the free 15 minutes wifi, but it was very slow. And there was no plug to charge the phone, so this service won't last the entire flight.

Food: 4/5
     -Actually the food was the saving grace of the flight. It wasn't super delicious, but I guess I wasn't just expecting anything. So lo and behold when they served a full meal on board with rice, viand, side dish, dessert and a choice of juice, wine or coke. After the meal, they offered coffee or tea. Then after that, they offered again some snacks like KitKat or crackers. Then before the flight ends, there's another round of snacks. This time, it was a hot big pandesal with filling, plus the usual drinks or coffee.

Seat/ Amenities: 3/5
    -I was in the economy seat, so it wasn't really a large space. I got lucky on the first flight since I had no seatmate. On the return flight, I was in the aisle. There was a blanket and a pillow in every seat. The crew also offered a hot small towel before landing to freshen up.

Flight crew: 3/5
     -They were ok. But I think they were just a bit disorganized in giving out the food, especially the snacks part. I was looking at the other aisle and all of them already had snacks, but in our aisle, no one was giving snacks. Then one flight crew gave out some snacks and stop in the middle, then leave and never came back to give out the snacks. So basically, some passengers didn't get their share of Kitkat or crackers or coffee. But overall, staff were courteous and nice.

Overall: 3/5
    -I think this is already a generous score. But considering the price of the airfare, which is lower than Etihad, then I guess one gets what one pays for. However, given the chance, I'll probably not take PAL anymore for long haul flights again. Depending of course if there is no other choice or if PAL gives me a free flight. :)

Chiffon cake and hot pandesal with filling

Two-aisle A330 plane

Sleeping time

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Review: Abu Dhabi International Airport

I was in Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago via Philippine Airlines. This is a mini review from the point of view of an ordinary tourist.

PAL uses Terminal 1, the old terminal of Abu Dhabi. It's actually just small. Well, I didn't really roam around, but it's definitely not the usual massive airport like the ones in Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore. In terms of size, it could be compared to Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal 1.

But despite the small size, it's not crowded. There were many vacant seats when I was there and many shops and restaurants were also operational. Arriving and departing passengers share the same area, similar to the one in Singapore. And there were many Filipino staff. I bought something at Mcdonald's and the Duty Free shop and I was speaking in Filipino.

The Abu Dhabi International Airport also has money exchange booths, pharmacy and a spa. And the airport is expanding. Construction of a bigger terminal was ongoing when we landed. And if you need transportation going to the city proper, there are taxis and buses right outside the arrival hall. Like in other cities, airport taxis are more expensive. I took the A1 bus while I was there. It only costs AED4, compared to the taxi which I heard costs AED75 to our hotel.



Control tower of ADIA



Check-in lobby



Departure area/ Arrival area as well

 

Shops: both in the first and second floors

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Trip to World Heritage Sites

One of my dreams is to visit every UNESCO World Heritage site. Of course, that would be impossible. Aside from the fact that some sites are located in conflict zones, one would need a huge amount of money to travel to all those places. And given my meager salary and busy work, I'm happy if I can travel to at least one heritage site a year.

Thankfully, this year, I surpassed my annual target. I went to Beijing, which is home to several World Heritage sites. I went to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. And aside from China, I also went to Myanmar this year. I visited the Bagan Archaeological Area, which is on its way to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Great Wall of China

In the Philippines, sadly, I have not been to all World Heritage sites. I have only been to 3 sites, which fall under the Baroque Churches of the Philippines. These are the Miag-ao Church in Iloilo, the San Agustin Church in Manila and the Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte. There's one more church in the list that I haven't been to: the Santa Maria Church in Ilocos Sur.

Paoay Church in the Philippines

I hope to visit more World Heritage sites in the Philippines next year, possibly the Puerto Princesa Underground River and the Historic Town of Vigan. I also wish to visit many sites in Southeast Asia, particularly Borobudur in Indonesia and Angkor in Cambodia.

Future World Heritage Site in Bagan, Myanmar

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Marriage in the time of Globalization

Last month I attended a wedding of a dear friend in China. No, she's not Chinese, the groom isn't too. My friend is a Filipina who studied and is now working in China. Her husband is from Ghana, who also studied and is working in the big Asian country. It's a love story that transcends continents.

The wedding entourage also featured a global cast with men and women from across Asia, Africa and the Americas. I'm not sure if there were Europeans, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was. And to top it all, it was a Christian ceremony in Communist China.

Interracial marriage is nothing new. It has been done for centuries- we have guys and girls who look like Europeans, but are Asians (and vice versa). Or people who look like Japanese, but are Filipinos. And so on and so forth. It's an interesting scenario, since not only will two types of DNA meet and converge, but it's also a convergence (and/or clash) of culture, religion, history, tradition and values. In my friend's case, aside from her own background and her husband's background, there's another dimension since they are living in China, which has its own culture, tradition, etc.

It's globalization in a different level. And as the world grows smaller and social media bigger, there are now more opportunities for people to meet, wherever they are in the world. And I think interracial love in a globalized world is perhaps easier. As barriers are slowly being deleted, so love and growth for a couple can easily blossom. Of course, it won't be that easy, since you will be dealing with hundreds of years of family tradition and beliefs. But surely, one can overcome that as long as love really binds the relationship.

I guess what I'm just trying to say is, Congrats Frances & Samsel. May you create your own tradition and culture with your future kids and with God in your hearts. You will surely have a great family ahead. :-)

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Amazing Journey to the Ancient City of Bagan

Bus ticketing office

Upon arriving in Yangon, Myanmar, we immediately bought roundtrip bus tickets to Bagan. There are several bus ticketing offices right across the Yangon Central Railway Station. We chose to travel the next day and fortunately, there were still tickets available.

We opted for the VIP or First Class bus (JJ Express). It costs 18,000 kyats ($18) one way. It's more expensive than the regular buses, which costs 15,000 kyats. But it was one of the best decisions of our trip. The bus trip will take 9 hours, including at least 2 bus stops for meals and restroom break. The reclining seat was very comfortable and snacks were served. You will also be provided a thick blanket (to be returned after the trip). Drinks were also given, including water, coffee or soda.

JJ Express First Class bus

We arrived in Bagan around 5:30am. It was a chilly morning and we had to wear our jacket. Dozens of people would greet the passengers- all asking if we want taxi or tours. We talked to one person who offered a one day tour of Bagan via a horse cart for 25,000 kyats ($25). We haggled and finally agreed to 20,000 kyats ($20).

The horse cart was a good choice for us, since we were 3 in the group and the cart, I guess, can only accommodate 3. Plus touring via horse cart gives a different effect, it's as if you're indeed travelling in time with thousands of old temples around you. It would be faster to ride a taxi, but we weren't really planning to go to all temples, so a horse cart is a good option to relax and enjoy the day.

The horse cart driver was the one who decided where to go, since we weren't sure what are the best temples. We had at least 10 temple stops, with some stops having more than 1 temple. The driver would just wait on the cart, while we tour the temple at our own pace. We also left our bags in the horse cart. We ate lunch at a Myanmar restaurant. It was worth 3,500 kyats per person. We also opted for a short boat tour of the Irrawaddy River.

Bagan is such an amazing and memorable place. Thousands of temples literally scatter all over the city. There are temples you can climb, some are big, but there were also many that are small. But the most impressive is that all of them are really old. Some have been repaired, but you can still sense the feeling that Bagan is such an ancient place, especially if you're on top a temple and see all these stupas dominating the skyline.

We stayed in Bagan for just one day. Arriving at 5:30am, we left for Yangon 8pm that same day. It was tiring, but fun. Would love to go back to visit the other temples we haven't been to.

Some tips:
1. Bring water. It's very hot and you will surely get thirsty. There are, however, some food stalls in some temples.
2. Sunblock lotion. Since it's hot, a sunblock lotion would be a really great idea. A cap or sunglasses would also be nice to bring.
3. Do not wear shoes. All temples require you to be barefooted. Might as well just wear slippers. Expect your feet to be very dirty by the end of the day.
4. Wear something comfortable. It's whole day trip under the sun, better wear something you can comfortably move around in, but not to revealing. People might stare at you if you wear really skimpy shorts.
5. Temples are for free. We never paid anyone to enter any of the temples. There will be some who will ask money for you to climb the temple, etc. We never gave in. But there are legitimate donation boxes in many of the big temples.

Check out the photos below:

The first set of temples we saw (and climbed)

On top of a temple

Inside one of the temples

Ancient temples

We took a short boat tour of the Irrawaddy River

Temples everywhere

Monk doing a selfie :)

Fullhouse on top of a temple, waiting for sunset

Bagan sunset

For more information about Myanmar, read the other blog posts on the topic.
Part 1: Trip to Myanmar 2014
Part 2: Myanmar on a Budget
Part 3: Amazing Journey to the Ancient City of Bagan

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