Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines

Under the cover of night, the plane from Manila eased its way to the short runway. Marble greeted me. As it had in Manila. And humidity. And the bakeshop. And smiling Filipinos. And an airport terminal fee. After collecting my bags, I wandered out of the Domestic Terminal in Cebu to confusion and people saying, “Welcome, m’am, luggage? Taxi?” I proudly proclaimed, “No, Bigfoot.” But no Bigfoot driver. So, being the resourceful soul I am, I ventured to chat with the smiling woman at the Information desk. She nodded and smiled. She suggested I try outside. Outside, a flimsy wooden stall was the hub of buzzing activity. People milling around. “Taxi, m’am?” But after surveying the signs for the resort hotels inside, still no sign saying “Anna Hynek” or “Bigfoot.” I returned to the nice smiling woman at Information who had the phone book open to find the number for BigFoot. You see, everyone in Cebu knows about BigFoot Entertainment, the movie studio and film school. Everyone. For the first time in my traveling life, I did not know where I was going. I did not even know if I was staying at Bigfoot. So another nice woman at information lent me her mobile phone so I could call the only number I had…a mobile phone number for my friends. She wouldn’t take nay money for the phone call. My friends told me to take a taxi and to meet them at Bigfoot. I got into a private car with two other nice people with whom I felt safe. I paid 400 pesos, about $8 US, and was delivered safe and sound to BigFoot., where my friends were waiting and pleased to see me, but quite irritated that I had paid so much. The fare should have been 75 pesos, about $1.50.