From Macau, I flew back to Macapagal Airport in the Philippines. I decided to visit nearby Angeles City, the "Sin City" that grew up next to the airport when it was a sprawling U.S. Air Force Base. It's an interesting place...
In Angeles I tried to buy a boat ticket back to Cebu but it was difficult due to the proximity of Christmas, which means MAXIMUM TRAVEL CHAOS in the Philippines. I visited travel agents, I called shipping companies, I used the Internet...no luck...Oi!!
Finally I found a berth on a SuperFerry leaving Manila on December 22, two days later. I snapped it up. Philippine rabbit bus to Manila... taxi ride through chaos...
five hour wait at the pier...
left Manila at 9pm...
stormy seas and the boat lost one of its two engines...
...but safe arrival in Cebu the next evening, two days before Christmas no less.
Good to be home.