Have you ever had a deja-vu experience? The distinct feeling that you’ve been to a place before when, in fact, you’ve just arrived for the first time?

Or have you met someone for the first time and it felt as if you’ve known them before, even though you know it’s your first meeting? The feeling of being so comfortable in their presence that you know how your meeting will turn out?

Right now it’s getting late, but I thought I’d just wet your appetite for what will appear here tomorrow. One thing I can say before I go though… if ever you have the opportunity to fly with Qatar Airlines, their service is very friendly and highly recommended.

For a first time visit to the other side of the planet, I have to admit that the prospect of a 4hrs stopover in the desert was a bit intimidating. 

Actually, it was great. The night air was clean, it wasn’t as cold as I’d imagined a desert night to be, and Doha air terminal is immaculately clean, modern, and with all the facilities you’d expect to find.

Getting off the aircraft in the middle of a desert and being ferried to the terminal on a convoy of buses was quite an eye opener too. But the buses were clean, the staff were courteous, and the 5mins trip was fine… in each direction. Return to the aircraft was a repeat of the process.

Anyway… bye for now. Bed is calling. Back later.

Ok, I’m back, suitably rested with a clear mind. Having closed last night on a positive note regarding service in Qatar, we resume in contrast. Bear in mind though, this next bit is also personal opinion, but it is also from experience.

Travel to anywhere from Penzance, Cornwall, is always a drag, and the trip of 300miles to London, Heathrow airport, was no exception. It was 6 hours drag, even though I travelled by National Express coach, not via private hire or own transport… and thereby hangs a tale.

The coach was comfortable enough when we were on the open road, although navigating the narrow Cornish streets in a long coach was a real pain. What struck me was the attitude of the driver and co-driver regarding passenger comfort and assistance; a marked contrast with the service received in Qatar and the service received during my visit to the poor but happy Philippines.

Let’s leave it at that, ‘cos you don’t need all the gory details right now… it’ll spoil your enjoyment of the book where it’s told in full. Just consider all your possible options for travelling any great distance where it’s not convenient to drive yourself.

Mind you, if you live in the UK and it’s anywhere like Cornwall your options will be limited. Penzance is literally the end of the line for the railway, and even though the rail service has been broken up with many companies offering “something” of a service… general opinion seems to regard Exeter as the end of the line. It used to be Plymouth.

Makes me wonder how long it might be before anywhere beyond Bristol will be regarded as being beyond civilisation? But that’s not as important to me anymore, not since my visit to RP and with my sights now fixed there… some 6,000 miles away. What was important though, was my return from Heathrow to Penzance after such an horrendous trip on the way out to Philippines.

Even though I purchased a return coach ticket, my welfare and comfort were more important for the journey home. Thankfully, I returned to London, Gatwick airport, and purchased a train ticket for Penzance. Definitely the answer for me. Hesitant to say “at any price”… yuh never know who’s lookin’… but those were my feelings at the time.

But that’s enough about the UK side of things; this is, after all, about my visit to the Philippines… and there’s more to come shortly.