LongIslandBob

Went to see my friend, A , in Davao, Philippines in late August. She picked those dates because the big festival in Davao, Kadawayan, happens in late August. I decided to fly SIA again, it was a good experience last time and Silk Air has a direct flight to DVO, bypassing Manila.

Check in and security at EWR were no problem as the flight leaves at 11:00 PM and there are not too many flights at that time. I hung out at the bar for a while and boarded about 10:30. I was pleasantly surprised to find the flight only 3/4 full and the seat next to me empty. It meant that I would have no one to talk to but I also could spread out and be more comfortable. I had a Tiger beer or two as they handed out the menus:

Tasty Beginnings
Smoked Salmon with Thai style glass noodle salad

The Main Event

Seared beef fillet, cabernet sauce, creamed spinach with parmesan cheese and roesti potatoes
or
Braised Chicken with ginger and spring onion

I chose the beef and it was very good. I did not like what was on the AVOD system this time, the main movie was SpiderMan 3 and it seemed they did not have as many show as last time like Doctor Who. Some of the Globe Trekkers were the same as my last flight 19 months ago. I slept for a while and watched some movies on my laptop. Here is the breakfast menu:


The Main Event
Ah Yat-Style braised ee fu noodles with prawns and leafy greens
or
Griddled Hotcakes with scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, and cherry tomatoes


I had the hotcakes, which were ok. We landed in Changi, and I went to the The Plaza Premium Lounge to take a shower and relax during my 3 hour layover. It was a nice place, set up like a First Class lounge. it was $S30 for a 5 hour stay. I then went to the gate and boarded the flight to Davao.

The flight was not crowded and there were many empty rows, but they put me in a row with two big Aussie guys, and I am pretty big myself, 6-2, 250. It was a little tight, but after we took off I changed seats. Silk Air actually has good meals but I was not hungry and passed on the meal. The Silk Air FA's were very good but they have one of the worst outfits in the air. A pale green dress that is hard to look at. The had this show on the monitor called Just for Laughs - Gags, and it was hilarious,sort of like a better version of candid camera. I wonder why that show is not show in the US.

I got off the plane and went thru immigration and met, A, she had to get a special pass to meet me as you are not allowed in the airport at all unless you have a ticket. I was to find out that security in the Philippines is very very tight. Took a van and went to The Marco Polo Hotel. More later, but here are the pictures from the trip:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4917966...426457/detail/

LongIslandBob

Davao is really spread out, we had to take a cab everywhere and there is constant traffic. The traffic is not as bad as a place like KL, but still can be frustrating. There are only about 20 traffic lights in town and no stop signs, every other day all the traffic lights in town would stop working for 2-3 hours. Somehow, there are not a lot of accidents, I guess the taxi and jeepney drivers are used to it and compensate. The best things to do for a tourist are the Eagle Sanctuary and Pearl Farm Beach Resort, both are about an hour or more outside the city, but well worth a visit. The Davao museum was also interesting. There was not a lot of nightlife, but there are some good restaurants in town, both western and Asian. The only bar to speak of in town is the hotel bar at the Marco Polo Hotel, which had music every night. Sometimes I was a little "cabbed out" from the days activities and would just hang out and eat with A at the hotel bar.

The main reason A wanted me to visit in August was the Kadawayan Festival. It encompasses many events, but the main event is a parade. The parade consists of kids in traditional costumes, dancing, with drums. It was pretty good experience, I even got interviewed by the local TV and radio stations. Here are the pictures from the festival:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4917966...7601605682605/


The same day, I said goodbye to A, and took a Silk Air flight to SIN to hang out in Singapore for a few days. I made reservations at the Merchant Court Hotel, but could only stay there one night as the big celebrations for National Day were going on. I then moved to The Stamford Hotel. Hotels in Singapore have gotten much more expensive since I was there 19 months ago.

The first night I got into S'pore, I went down to Clarke Quay and they had a fireworks show there. Clarke Quay was really jumping that night, Tens of thousands of people were out eating, drinking and enjoying the fireworks. I ate in Breworkz and then went to Hooters for some beers. The next day I visited the SIA office on Orchard road to change my flight home and possibly spend two or three days in Phuket, but they said that all the flights home were sold out for quite a while. I spent the next two days exploring Orchard Road and the financial district. One place I really liked was Muddy Murphy's Irish Pub on Orchard Road, nice atmosphere with many expats to chat with. The malls in Singapore are really amazing, super nice and filled with tech gear that we won't get in the US for a year or two.

LongIslandBob

On Tuesday I went to Changi, checked in and boarded the flight home. As SIA had said, the flight was sold out.
The people in front of me had the seat reclined all the way the whole flight and it was tough to watch my laptop, even in executive economy.

The flight home from SIN-EWR seems longer than the flight going there. I guess you don't have the anticipation of going somewhere and it is a also a daytime flight which makes it harder to sleep. I think next time I might try the Thai flight into JFK going home.

Here was the menu from the flight:

Tasty Beginnings
Marinated scallops salad with sundried tomato dressing

The Main Event

Chicken with lemon and rosemary, carrot, snap peas, and potato puree
or
Thai style beef masaman curry

I had the chicken, which was excellent.

Second meal:

Tasty Beginnings
Smoked turkey with coleslaw

The Main Event
Sauteed Prawns with saffron sauce, assorted vegetables and new potato
or
Braised egg noodles

I had the prawns, which were very good.

We landed in EWR, had no delays in immigration or customs, and I hopped on the train for Belmar. Successful trip !

LongIslandBob

Here are the pictures from my first trip to Singapore and Phuket, 19 months ago:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/4917966...536218/detail/