The next series of entries will chronicle my European tour last December 21-January 4.
Trip Day: Manila - London
My family and I joined the Insight Vacations Winter Explorer tour last from December 21 to January 4. After months of planning, securing visas, gathering winter clothes and shoes, we were finally ready for our trip. We took KLM flights Manila-Amsterdam and Amsterdam-London to join the the tour.
Super ok ang flight namin papuntang Amsterdam. 14 hours sya pero di masyadong nadama kasi ang ganda ng services ng KLM. Every so often nago-offer sila ng refreshments. Not just your ordinary refreshments na kasabay ng meals, ito every 1 hour siguro nakakainom ako ng fresh orange juice. E sinisipon pa ko kaya I was glad to take lots of vitamin c.
Each seat is also equipped with it's own in-seat video. Akala ko nung una meron lang mga around 7 movies, ganon. Kasi that's how it is with Singapore Airlines before. Other airlines still don't have in-seat video--even Northwest. But with KLM, hindi. As in kumpletong kumpleto! May movies, around 120 siguro, both new and old movies. Nanood ako ng Hairspray, License to Wed and Ocean's Thirteen. Tapos may TV part din. So nanood din ako ng 2 Grey's Anatomy episodes. Meron din House, Heroes, Ugly Betty, mga ganon. Tapos may games din, music, other features, blah blah blah. Ang saya. Kaya di naman masyado nadama ang 14 hours na flight. So, I would say... hands down the best airline I've ever taken in terms of entertainment.
Trip Day: Manila - London
My family and I joined the Insight Vacations Winter Explorer tour last from December 21 to January 4. After months of planning, securing visas, gathering winter clothes and shoes, we were finally ready for our trip. We took KLM flights Manila-Amsterdam and Amsterdam-London to join the the tour.
Super ok ang flight namin papuntang Amsterdam. 14 hours sya pero di masyadong nadama kasi ang ganda ng services ng KLM. Every so often nago-offer sila ng refreshments. Not just your ordinary refreshments na kasabay ng meals, ito every 1 hour siguro nakakainom ako ng fresh orange juice. E sinisipon pa ko kaya I was glad to take lots of vitamin c.
Each seat is also equipped with it's own in-seat video. Akala ko nung una meron lang mga around 7 movies, ganon. Kasi that's how it is with Singapore Airlines before. Other airlines still don't have in-seat video--even Northwest. But with KLM, hindi. As in kumpletong kumpleto! May movies, around 120 siguro, both new and old movies. Nanood ako ng Hairspray, License to Wed and Ocean's Thirteen. Tapos may TV part din. So nanood din ako ng 2 Grey's Anatomy episodes. Meron din House, Heroes, Ugly Betty, mga ganon. Tapos may games din, music, other features, blah blah blah. Ang saya. Kaya di naman masyado nadama ang 14 hours na flight. So, I would say... hands down the best airline I've ever taken in terms of entertainment.
Ang negative lang is yung pagkain.The first meal, ang ganda ng packaging. Pero yung dinner namin is soup and salad lang. Syempre, ako naman gutom kasi ayoko yung salad. :( Oks lang. May cup noodle naman sa dulo.
Tapos... pagdating namin sa Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, super lameeg! Delayed ang flight namin ng around 3 hours kasi sa super kapal ng fog, di maka-alis mga eroplano. Tapos nakakatawa pa kasi madaming mga announcement sa PA system na ganito, "Attention Mr. ____, you are delaying the flight!" Hahaha! Tapos even if we were already in the plane ang tagal tagal nagta-taxi. I think kasi super laki ng airport grounds at yun nga, ma-fog.
Pagdating namin sa Heathrow, London airport at around 1 am... wala na kaming transfer from the airport to the hotel dahil nagsara na. Di na namin naabutan. Kaya ayun, pumila kami sa labas na super lamig! Mga isang oras yun para makakuha ng tax. Ang taxi nila mukhang rustic sa labas pero pag pasok mo sa loob, super high tech.
Day 1: London - Amsterdam
So, pagdating namin sa hotel, mga 230 am na yun. Kumbaga 3 hours na lang aalis na ulit kami. We had to wake up at 415 am and take breakfast at 445 am. Tapos assemble at the lobby by 530 am. Wala nang tulugan 'to! So lumabas na naman kami sa super lamig na umaga at sumakay coach.
We rode the tour bus for 2 hours, passing the London Eye, the Big Ben, House of Parliament, etc. Walang kwenta kasi madilim. Hahaha!
Tapos... after the long ride, we arrived at the Port of Dover. Here, we will cross the English Channel to Calais, France. This is where we finally start the tour kasi nasa Europe continent na talaga. Anyway, sa Dover, they have the white cliffs na maypagka-majestic. So, ayan, picture picture.
Tapos... pagdating namin sa Schipol Airport in Amsterdam, super lameeg! Delayed ang flight namin ng around 3 hours kasi sa super kapal ng fog, di maka-alis mga eroplano. Tapos nakakatawa pa kasi madaming mga announcement sa PA system na ganito, "Attention Mr. ____, you are delaying the flight!" Hahaha! Tapos even if we were already in the plane ang tagal tagal nagta-taxi. I think kasi super laki ng airport grounds at yun nga, ma-fog.
Pagdating namin sa Heathrow, London airport at around 1 am... wala na kaming transfer from the airport to the hotel dahil nagsara na. Di na namin naabutan. Kaya ayun, pumila kami sa labas na super lamig! Mga isang oras yun para makakuha ng tax. Ang taxi nila mukhang rustic sa labas pero pag pasok mo sa loob, super high tech.
Day 1: London - Amsterdam
So, pagdating namin sa hotel, mga 230 am na yun. Kumbaga 3 hours na lang aalis na ulit kami. We had to wake up at 415 am and take breakfast at 445 am. Tapos assemble at the lobby by 530 am. Wala nang tulugan 'to! So lumabas na naman kami sa super lamig na umaga at sumakay coach.
We rode the tour bus for 2 hours, passing the London Eye, the Big Ben, House of Parliament, etc. Walang kwenta kasi madilim. Hahaha!
Tapos... after the long ride, we arrived at the Port of Dover. Here, we will cross the English Channel to Calais, France. This is where we finally start the tour kasi nasa Europe continent na talaga. Anyway, sa Dover, they have the white cliffs na maypagka-majestic. So, ayan, picture picture.
White cliffs of DoverSa ship na kami nag lunch. Nagdusa kami sa pagkain ng sandwich na malamig. Kasi yun lang talaga ang available na makakain na masasabing pang-lunch. Sa Calais, sumakay na kami ng actual bus na gagamitin namin for the duration of the trip. Mas maluwag at ok na ok. Di ko nga abot ang footrest sa sobrang haba ng legroom.
We drove around 2.5 hours passing Belgium--home of Justine Henin, Tintin and Captain Haddock! Panay countryside lang nakita namin. Tapos Netherlands countryside na puro patag, dried trees dahil sa winter nga, mga onting baka, panay grass na may patche-patcheng snow. We also got to see the hundred year old traditional windmills.
We arrived at the city around 5pm, madilim na. Biking pala ang style dito. With all the LAMIG! We passed the Royal Palace and the Mint Tower.
We finally got down from the bus to see the famous RED LIGHT DISTRICT of Amsterdam! Kakaiba. As in may mga windows, tapos nakabikini ang mga girl, nakapose, tinatawag ang mga customers. Isa syang buong strip na ganon. May mga sex shops, na as in pornographic ang mga display sa windows. Bawal lang magpicture sayang.
Sunod, sumakay kami ng cruise of the Amsterdam canals. Ang ganda. Parang museum yung mga canals. Yung mga attractions is yung architecture, mga famous houses, bridges, etc. Nakita namin yung bahay ni Anne Frank and Vincent Van Gogh. :)
We were lucky to be staying in a very nice hotel with heated tiles in the bathroom. Antok na antok talaga kami after the long flight and all the delays. The next day, Germany naman.
We drove around 2.5 hours passing Belgium--home of Justine Henin, Tintin and Captain Haddock! Panay countryside lang nakita namin. Tapos Netherlands countryside na puro patag, dried trees dahil sa winter nga, mga onting baka, panay grass na may patche-patcheng snow. We also got to see the hundred year old traditional windmills.
We arrived at the city around 5pm, madilim na. Biking pala ang style dito. With all the LAMIG! We passed the Royal Palace and the Mint Tower.
We finally got down from the bus to see the famous RED LIGHT DISTRICT of Amsterdam! Kakaiba. As in may mga windows, tapos nakabikini ang mga girl, nakapose, tinatawag ang mga customers. Isa syang buong strip na ganon. May mga sex shops, na as in pornographic ang mga display sa windows. Bawal lang magpicture sayang.
Sunod, sumakay kami ng cruise of the Amsterdam canals. Ang ganda. Parang museum yung mga canals. Yung mga attractions is yung architecture, mga famous houses, bridges, etc. Nakita namin yung bahay ni Anne Frank and Vincent Van Gogh. :)
We were lucky to be staying in a very nice hotel with heated tiles in the bathroom. Antok na antok talaga kami after the long flight and all the delays. The next day, Germany naman.
Next Entry: Amsterdam-Heidelberg
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