Within striking distance

Terminal Report: A 10-Hour Transit at Doha’s Hamad International Airport (04 June 2022)

En route from Manila to London on Qatar Airways (QR), I had to endure an approximately 10-hour layover in the main airport serving the Qatari capital of Doha. Now extended transits can be a bit of a pain at the best of times, but the better class of terminal will at least have enough diversions to take one’s mind off the burden of idleness. Let’s see if this layover point succeeds in that regard.

Welcome to Hamad International Airport (DOH).

Flight Report: MNL-DOH on Qatar Airways Flight QR 929 (04 June 2022)

Diving happily into my first proper holiday since the pandemic began, I recently flew to the United Kingdom from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (IATA code: MNL), passing through Hamad International Airport (IATA code: DOH) en route to London’s Heathrow Airport (IATA code: LHR). As a little treat after more than two years of lockdowns and border closures, I allowed myself the luxury of travelling in Business Class for the outbound leg, whilst keeping the whole enterprise in budget by sticking to Economy for the return. Amongst the airlines I considered for this long journey, one stood out: a carrier that I hadn’t flown with since a trip to Italy more than a decade ago. With their reputation for top-notch onboard service and a vast, modern terminal as their transit base, I decided that the time was right to give them another go.

In this post, we’ll see how the first part of that experience went.

Welcome aboard Qatar Airways flight QR 929.

Airport Guide: NAIA (MNL) Terminal 3, International Departures – Airside (2nd Edition)

This Airport Guide covers the international airside (passengers-only) zone of Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3.

Airport Guide: NAIA (MNL) Terminal 3, Departures – Landside (2nd Edition)

This Airport Guide covers the landside (public) zone of the departures level at Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Terminal 3.

Lounge Report: PAGSS Lounge, Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) T3

In June 2022, I returned to Terminal 3 (T3) of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) for the first time since the pandemic began. Although T3 seemed pretty much unchanged from pre-corona days — in that it was just as bland, boring, and miserable as before — my visit to one of its lounges thankfully added a veneer of comfort to the airport experience.

Welcome to the PAGSS Lounge.

Cum Christus apparúerit, vita vestra…

. . . tunc et vos apparébitis cum ipso in glória.

Diego wishes you, your family, and all your loved ones a very happy Easter.

Quia per incarnáti Verbi mystérium…

…nova mentis nostræ óculis lux tuæ claritátis infúlsit: ut, dum visibíliter Deum cognóscimus, per hunc in invisibílium amórem rapiámur.

A very happy Christmas to all!

Et valde mane una sabbatórum…

…véniunt ad monuméntum, orto jam sole.

Friend and reader: I wish you, your family, and all your loved ones a very happy Easter.

Da nobis, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus…

…ut, qui nova incarnáti Verbi tui luce perfúndimur; hoc in nostro respléndeat ópere, quod per fidem fulget in mente.

A very happy Christmas to all.

Field Report: An Autumn Walk in Kamikōchi, Nagano Prefecture, Japan (02 October 2019)

I’m not much of an outdoorsman, but I do enjoy the occasional side trip into Japan’s rugged and beautiful highlands. One particularly rewarding detour that requires little time or hiking experience involves tackling the easy riverside trails of Kamikōchi (上高地): a remote mountain valley located less than two hours from downtown Matsumoto.