Our 30-day vacation had finally ended and after seeing and enjoying the beauty of the Manila Bay sunset, we were driven by our friends to NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) which is not too far away from the bay. Our flight was at 11:30 that night and since it was an international flight, we always choose to be at the airport at least 4 hours before our flight. They dropped us off around 7 o’clock in the evening, gave hugs and goodbyes, and off we went and waited in line inside the airport.

Then came the even more fun part! 🙂

After about more or less 2 hours of waiting, we learned that our flight had been cancelled and was moved to 7 o’clock in the morning the following day. And they never told us the reason why. After sitting around for what seemed like forever, they sent all passengers towards the exit where buses awaited to take us to a local hotel.

Pasay City, Philippines

They took us to a Holiday Inn close to the airport. We were each given hotel and meal vouchers, but we never got to catch some Z’s. It was already around 11:00 o’clock when we got there, checked in and had our dinner. Then our wake-up call was at 3 o’clock in the morning. We were tired but we were wound up and I guess, anxious. We’d never experienced this before.

Incheon, South Korea

Our flight at 7:00 AM to Incheon was on-time. But we were told that we had to go to the transfer desk once we got there to have our flight rebooked. Our flight should have been Manila-Incheon-Atlanta-Asheville. But we already missed our flight to Atlanta because of the delay so we had to reschedule.

After waiting in line for what seemed like forever, again, it was our turn at the transfer desk. There were no more flights available to Atlanta, but she found one that would take us to San Francisco first before Atlanta. I actually thought we’d be staying in South Korea that night like some of the passengers that were with us in the same flight, but luckily, she found us a flight which left at 4 o’clock that afternoon.

San Francisco

I’d never been to San Francisco before, though the husband had been at their airport before, so, for me, the idea of being there, even just at the airport, was actually exciting.

We touched down at the San Francisco International Airport at 10:00 in the morning after a 10-hour flight from Incheon, South Korea. The line at immigration was super long, as expected. But when it was our turn, the immigration staff was so quick and only asked one question. Then after having our pictures taken, all was done. Awesome!

We had an 8-hour layover here so, we grabbed our luggage and off we went to find our terminal. But first, we stopped at a rest room and freshened up. It had been a long and tiring journey so far and we desperately needed some freshening up.

We then went to find the Delta counter to check-in our luggage. There was no long lines so it was easy peasy. Then we had to go through security again before going to our gate.

How pretty are those gigantic heels?! I love the polka dots and the red and white.

We saw these too, a Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame which, being the sports nut he is, the hubs loved!

And this artwork.

San Francisco International Airport is nice and we even got to see the Golden Gate Bridge from a distance when we took off at 5:00 PM to Atlanta. The hubs had actually also got to see the infamous Alcatraz prison from the air during one of his trips through San Fran.

Somewhere in California

I think this was still in California but we didn’t know exactly where. It was still spring but didn’t expect to see the snow.

Look at those mountains. Don’t they look like meringue?

Atlanta

We left San Francisco at 5 o’clock in the afternoon and after almost 5 hours in the air, we touched down in Atlanta at midnight.

This was on our way to our terminal. That’s my son walking in front of me. How cool is their decor? It wasn’t our first time at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, but it was our first time to see that decor.

So, we arrived at midnight at the Atlanta airport and we were surprised to see the stores closed. And we were the only ones at our gate. The other people who were there were the employees busy cleaning everywhere. I sure didn’t expect that. I thought they were open 24/7. Nonetheless, Our flight to Asheville was at 8 o’clock in the morning so we had another 8-hour layover. It was already Thursday by this time. In our original itinerary, we were supposed to arrive home in Asheville Wednesday afternoon.

Gate numbers are always subject to change without notice so we always make sure to check for updates hours before our flight. Our gate number changed at 3:00 AM. And it was changed from Terminal A to Terminal C. The walk wasn’t that far. And it was a delight to see a Starbucks right beside our gate. We waited for them to open at 6:00 AM and got in line immediately.

Asheville

I was so tired from the long trip that I fell asleep even before the plane took off from Atlanta. When I woke up, we were already descending and nearing Asheville Regional Airport.

After more or less 54 hours of travel including layovers, we finally touched down in Asheville! Our original itinerary was more or less 33 hours, but happy to say, I enjoyed the unexpected trip to San Francisco.

More From the Trip:

• It Feels Good To Be Back
• Welcome Back Get-Together
• Showering Our Beautiful Bride-to-be
• A Milestone Day-His 20th Birthday
• A Good Friend’s Delicious Surprise
• The Wedding
• Dinner On A Hill with A View
• My Great-niece’s 2nd Birthday Party
• Sea You at the Beach
• It’s Buko Halo Time
• Kakanin: A Delightful Filipino Delicacy
• Cheers to Good Friends and Good Food!
• Korean Bun and Purple Yam Cake
• Cousins’ Day Out
• Savor the Flavor
• Korean Dinner Vibes
• A Surprise Despedida Party
• Linguini with Red Clam Sauce
• Trip to Taal Volcano
• Lunch in Tagaytay
• Batangas Road Trip
• Impromptu Coffee Break at The Manila Hotel
• Riding High on the MOA Eye
• The Magnificent Sunset Over Manila Bay