I have to admit that this was the most exciting wedding I had ever attended. Having not been able to get on SQ 910 in the morning, I ran around T1 and T2 trying to catch a flight to Manila as they were waiting for me at the airport. Nothing else was flying out in the morning, but I was lucky to finally get on SQ912 at 13:25pm, arriving at Ninoy at 16:55pm. Some lucky pax was upgraded to J class just so I can get on the flight.
Well, when I finally arrived, I sped through immigration and out of the airport, towards the exit of "M to Y" as instructed before. Honestly speaking, I wasnt sure if they would still be waiting for me as I was sending them emails to update them of my flight status and whether I would even get to Manila. I was even prepared to get to the city, buy my bus ticket and head to Baguio on a 6 hours bus ride. However, that proved unnecessary when I finally received Shareen's call, but not when I had already left the airport and made my way to the nearest internet cafe, when I did not see them amidst the throng of people at the waiting point. I finally met them at KFC.
Ok, now that the first leg of the trip was done, I was up for a 6 hours ride from Manila to Baguio, winding through mountains and arriving at the "City of Pines" at 1:30am. This summer retreat place of the American army is vastly different from Manila. While the latter is busy, BKK like in nature, polluted and lined with huge advertising bill boards, Baguio is blessed with a much cooler wheather, fresher air up on higher grounds and quieter. But I could only appreciate it all the very next day, for the whole day of travelling made me K.O instantly.
Friday, 28th March, 7:30am. I woke up to fresh air and familiar faces. I was greeted warmly by Mr and Mrs Nato and it was so good to see them again after 3 years. The warm smiles and big hug all made me feel welcomed and to top it all, we had a great day of visiting Baguio.
I think I enjoyed my time in SM Baguio the most. It sits nicely on top of a hill and has a great view overlooking the city. Wheather was great, cool and the sun was warm. You can sit outside the numerous cafes and enjoy the sun over a cup of coffee and company of friends. Nice place.
All this was done after settling my return ticket. Though I managed to get to Philippines, I was less sure that I would get on a flight back home on Sunday as 919 was already -20. Managed to find a flight back, coincidentally on 919, and of all places in a small little travel agent in SM Baguio. I still couldn't believe that it could offer me a seat on a flight that was already heavily overbooked. I must admit that I had my doubts, very dubious arrangment by the travel agent just to issue an e-ticket. But at least, it was better than my sub-load ticket.
Having settled all of that, we began preparing for the wedding with a rehearsal at St Joseph's Church. The couple was rather stressed out and kept thanking me for being there for they were not sure if the choir would turn up.
That proved unncessary as the three man choir did a great job the next day. The duo sang beautifully and I was pleasantly surprised that they pulled it off with only 2 people. It was quite a dramatic mass cos the bride almost fainted. Shareen kept fanning Edlyn just so she could breathe more easily. Good thing that Edlyn made it through , but it was apparent that she was very tired by the end of the mass. What moved me most were the vows that were exchanged. I got to say that there were some emotional points throughout the wedding day. Lots of emotionsa and love floating around the air, and I just had to take it all in. It's not everyday that you get to feel that way, and it felt very special as I have not experienced this in a long time. Felt love.
So anyway, I left Manila on Sunday after a nice journey on the bus, watching a funny movie and admiring rural philippines from Baguio. I was rushing to the airport, just so I can check in early and confirm a boarding pass for I desperately needed to get back, not least HDS tore me apart the next day if I was not back in ALH. Bade farewell to Rochelle and Harold, passed immigration and headed straight to boarding gate 6. Felt relieved just to be there, waiting for the return leg of the journey.
Loved the trip, thinking of heading up to Boracay soon.
