Good morning from Carcar! It is currently very early in the morning—about 4:20 AM—and we are on our way to Mactan-Cebu International Airport. I am running on almost zero sleep; I had maybe two and a half hours the night before, and absolutely none tonight. In Norway, when we have a long work task, we usually just substitute sleep with coffee, so that’s exactly what I’m doing today to get us through this journey to Manila.
Jessa and Liam have been sleeping for most of the drive, but I’ve been enjoying the ride thanks to the new Android player I installed in the car. It cost about 3,600 pesos plus shipping, and it has everything I need, including Google Maps.
We finally reached the airport and parked the car in the long-term lot. We’re planning to be away for about 10 days, and the parking costs between 200 and 250 pesos a day. It’s a bit of an expense (around 2,000 to 2,500 total), but it means the car is safe while we’re gone. Once parked, we did the usual leg stretch, changed Liam into his "travel clothes" and proper shoes, and headed in for check-in.
This is a big milestone for us because it’s Liam’s first-ever flight! I was so excited to see his reaction to the takeoff, but true to form, the little man fell fast asleep the second we got on the plane. He basically slept through the entire experience, only waking up briefly just before we landed in Manila. It was a bit of a bummer because I’d been looking forward to showing him the view, but at least it made for a quiet flight!
The flight itself was a bit of a scramble. Our original flight time got bumped up, giving us only five minutes to get to the gate. We also weren't originally seated together, but a very kind woman agreed to switch seats with us so we could travel as a family. That’s one of the things I love about traveling here—people are often very accommodating.
Upon arriving in Manila, we were hit with the classic taxi struggle. The first driver almost refused to turn on the meter and tried to negotiate a flat rate. Jessa and I always tip well for good service, but if a driver tries to force us or cheat the system, they aren't getting anything extra. We eventually got a metered taxi to our hotel in Taguig. It’s a RedDoorz that costs about 1,000 pesos a night—cheap and only 10 minutes from the Norwegian Embassy, which is our main goal for this trip.
We couldn't check in until 2:00 PM, so we spent a few hours wandering around the local neighborhood. I was surprised by how much Jessa and Liam were recognized by fans even here in Manila! We finally found a local eatery where I had some fish and vegetables, while Liam had his rice and soup.
By the time we finally got into our room, I was beyond exhausted. The room is a bit dusty—I woke up from a nap with a completely clogged nose—but we’re only here for two nights before moving to a nicer "vacation" hotel with a pool. For now, it’s all about Netflix, sleep, and getting ready for our appointment at the embassy tomorrow.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one!
