March 1 (4:00 AM Eureka time) to March 3 (early morning Cebu time_), 2016
What the heck have I gotten myself into? I have learned one thing about long distance travel: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate.
I flew into San Francisco, leaving my house at 4:30 AM. I drank some water, got two sodas ($3.50 for a small bottle), had a couple of drinks of water from the fountains, and boarded my 12 hour flight to Seoul. I had a full can of diet coke whenever it was offered. Needless to say, cramped into a small space with 100’s of passengers is not the greatest experience.
We finally arrived and I followed the crowd to transfer to my next flight to Cebu. The crowd moved quickly and I was fine keeping up. The crowd stopped at an area to get onto a train to the main terminal. Then it hit—-my heart went into Afib, I became soaked in sweat, my heart was racing, and I started to hyperventilate with any exertion. I stood in line for the train and soon had to take a knee. My lack of energy increased quickly. I had to excuse myself from the line and headed across the giant station area. I found a bench about 100 feet from the train lines and tried to catch my breath. I waited 35 minutes (7 trains) before the line was small enough that I got in the front and staggered my way on to the train. I was feeling better but still weak.
What happened next was a series of dragging myself 20 to 50 feet at a time and resting exhausted against the wall of the concourse. I had about 1/3 of a mile to walk and I was averaging about 200 feet an hour, with flop sweats, dizziness and almost fainting every time I got up, and the bags were so heavy that they drained in seconds. The concourse is a giant mall with bathrooms out of binocular sight from each other. After an hour I finally found a water fountain, had a few sips of water (my water bottle wouldn’t fit for more and 2 ounces, and I crashed 40 feet away against one wall of the concourse. Sitting wasn’t a lot of fun so I just laid about on my bags catching my breath. Hundreds of people passed by on the people mover and I got lots of looks as I was the largest person in the mall, exhausted like a seal on a beach, laying on my bags (picture below). When I got looks of concern I just gave a thumbs up. However, I was realizing that I probably was going to miss my connection and maybe end up in a Korean hospital.
I do know how to use a camera. The results demonstrate my condition:
One nice lady stopped and asked if I was okay. I finally owned up to my situation and stated that I couldn’t walk and needed a wheel chair to my gate. She ran for help, and in 5 minutes (seemed like 30), two workers came by, each with a person in a wheelchair (no room for me). They called for help and 15 minutes later a cushman cart driver picked me up and drove me to my gate (which had changed)…There is no way that I could have walked to my gate.
I rehydrated, drinking about 3 Liters of water on the 4.5 hour flight until I got through customs. Again, the crowd was moving too quickly and I had to stop and rest within the cattle gates….the bags were just too heavy and I had been away for 28 hours and was exhausted. I somehow made it through and ended up crashing again on the side of the wall in the station. Some nice young women brought me a chair and I sat there for 30 minutes just trying to catch my break to no avail. After another 30 minutes I moved my bags 50 feet to the front of the money changer booth and dragged my chair, moving it with me in the line. Success, $20 gave me 918 or so pesos and I knew the ride to my hotel would be about 200 to 300 pesos. A half hour later I had enough energy to walk about 100 feet out of the terminal.
The Yellow Taxis run on meters but sometimes I’ve read you have to force them to use it and get out if they state “it isn’t working”. I had about 200 yards to get to the Yellow Taxi line up and I knew my prospects weren’t looking good (I’ve now been up for 32 hours and exhausted for 7-8 hours). A hustler from a White Cab company (flat rate–no meters) came up to me, offered to take my bags, and could give me a lift for 475 pesos total (twice the rate—about $10). I knew I couldn’t make it to the yellow taxis, so I stated……”I like to haggle..How about 500 (they never have change)?” The guy looked at me incredulously and gave a little laugh…deal done. He carried my bags for me (Thank God) and put me into one of his fleet of cabs. Everything they said about cab drivers in Cebu was true….it was more like a roller coaster with the driver running red lights, honking at motorcyclists to get out of the way, passing into headlong traffic and darting back into our lane. I seriously thought we were going to get into a fender bender 5 times along the route. I made a joke—“The faster you drive, the more trips you have, the more money you make”. He agreed
I told the driver, that I knew I was paying double but I couldn’t walk and was willing to pay the premium to get to my hotel. I was trying to save face to let the driver know I was “getting ripped off” but I was willing to pay a luxury tax to get to my my hotel. He obligingly asked me if I wanted a girl for the night. I told him that I couldn’t walk…what was I going to do with a girl. To stop the discussion, I told him that I had a woman waiting for me to be my tour guide and girlfriend as I traveled around the islands (LIE…but I did get more than 10 messages from very attractive women, and a few clandestine ladyboys, that stated that they would be happy to be friends, tour guides, or dates…my choice…from my one picture profile (and I was honest about my age and size)). The taxi driver stated that if I got bored with her he could hook me up. Sadly, I played the rich American by paying double for the ride, tipping the driver another 50 pesos (about $1.10), and the hotel porter another 50 pesos—–600 pesos in all (about $12.50…way out of line for normal costs — (full time workers make between 100 and 300 dollars a month, working 6 days a week). Sadly, the next solo American traveler will again be looked upon as an ignorant cash cow. I’m just happy to be in my hotel room.
And so ends my first day of my trip. I just hope I sleep until rested and then figure out what the heck is going on.