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Airport Bound - There’s always a different and interesting story for you to experience.
Airport Bound
One
of the most exhilarating experiences in traveling is during the ultimate onset
of everything: The
Airport Experience. It is really where everything starts and that is more
than enough reason for us to make the most out of the experience. Notice
the polished floors, overbearing ceilings, sleek signs, cool officer costumes,
and striking works of art - airports command respect and awe. It gives us a
glimpse of that place’s culture and people; it provides us with a preview of
the place.
There’s
always a different and interesting story for you to experience. Of course, it’s a different case for every
person. Let’s say if you are a first time traveler or it’s your first time in a particular
place, airport experiences can be both daunting and amazing. So many things run
through your head: you either over-prepare or under-prepare. You easily fidget
in the sight of watch dogs, or bag scanners. You may drink or pee a lot. You
enjoy collecting airport stuff. Or you may even get the feeling that you might
leave something valuable. You may take vain pictures. Or you may even get
amazed by the different races you see. Or you may just be one with the
complacent crowd.
If let’s say, you have seen a ton of airports in your lifetime, the next airport experience can be a slightly different feeling: You easily get agitated by delayed flights. You find ways to distribute the weight of your overstuffed bags. Or you always look at the airport schedule board. You scan the area for the nearest resto, toilet, or taxi area. You enjoy seeing kids run around in circles. Or you relax and dive in a good book.
But, with everything else considered, airports
are there for a pretty awesome reason – not just for destinations, plane
parkings, and next stops, but also for the great add-on experience and learning
we can fly away with.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
We all have our things-to-bring
list when traveling, but below are the tried and
tested, mandatory items to take note when traveling, especially if abroad. Now,
some learnings from the myriad of airport experiences I enjoyed.
Arrive
EARLY. Well, at least
2-3 hours before the departure time. You will need to go through a lot of
processing before you can actually board the plane and since you may not be
fully familiar with the place and the process, this may take some time to do. A
lot time for buffer or unforeseen events.
Top 4
things to bring: extra money, ID, extra bag, and “handy” foods. Of course we know
the basics, but these are just absolutely essential.
extra money – Better to bring extra cash
for ad hoc airport fees (terminal fees, extra-baggage fee, toilet fees,
etc). Credit cards are OK too, but money money money is easier to use.
IDs – This should be part of the passport and
travel documents (printed tickets / photocopied documents) to-bring list as
there are some places/countries where they require you to show a valid ID.
extra bag – 99% of the time, you
will always need an extra bag for a lot of reasons – food, shopping, souvenir,
extra space for stuffs – always bring one with you.
“handy”
foods –
any type of food that can be easily carried around and eaten quickly (i.e.
peanuts, donuts, junk food, sandwich, etc). This will keep you sane when there
are long waits needed and when the airport foods are over expensive. It’s okay
to bring bottled water but
be sure to finish it before seeing the immigration officer. Be sure to put your
“handy” foods in your hand-carry bags when going through the boarding process.
Wear
comfy clothes. Well,
it also depends on the weather of your destination, but most often, jeans and
shirt would be the best way to go. Some
travelers would overdress so that they would look good in pictures, but the
added hassle when boarding would not be worth it. Avoid wearing too much
layers since you will go through the body-scan. (no to excessive jewelry,
belts, and (long) socks – some items which are required to be taken off in some
airports)
Never
hesitate to ASK. It’s
always better to ask for directions than to get lost in translation (saves you
time and energy). If you can’t find the toilet, or the taxi stand, or the
bag-weighing thing, or the foreign exchange stall, don’t hesitate to ask. It
will give you more time to explore the airport and do other things. Plus, there’s a chance that people will be most
willing to help you and may even give you tips, advices, or may open up good
conversations.
Explore and Enjoy. Meet
and try new things. More often than not, every airport offers something new and
something uniquely their own. So, it would be best to try and enjoy the
experience. Don't just sit and enjoy your iphone music, or play with your PSP,
it would be fun to check out the place. May it be the relaxing lounge area in
front of the wide-screen glass view of the departure area, or the in-house free
train ride from airport A to airport B, or probably the free massage and spa,
or the ultra-fast free wifi, or a good friendly chat with the lady beside you,
or experience the high-class culture stalls they have – everything is worth
checking out and experiencing.
Whether traveling alone or with family and friends, having the right attitude and know-how, the arriving at or departing from any airport shall always be a fantastic experience to run away with.
[PHILIPPINES TRAVEL] Read the rest of Explore Philippines
Travel Blog Series:
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great pictures, nice content, very well written and interesting read. High five!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, Bowdy. Great pictures and wordings. I still vividly remembered my excitement whenever I see an airport..busily stuffing my bag with various stuffs, taking pictures and just walking around. I love the part when you mentioned that once you are used to seeing airports.. you are not so excited anymore. I guess it might be right.. but it might be not too. Nice observation though. :)
ReplyDeletebook is the best companion. ayks!
ReplyDelete