Around The World: Manila, Philippines
I arrived in Manila after two non-eventful flights on Malaysia Airlines. Not like they’re cursed or anything, but I’ll take my luck when I can get it. They changed the gate 3 times but eventually I got on the plane, and watched them throw my suitcase on the loading belt through my window, at least I know it got into the plane too.
Upon arrival in Manila, new country #37 on my world list, I avoided the immediate scam taxis at the airport and got a good guy who took me to my first ever AirBnB booking. It’s in an upscale part of town called Makati, but the building is quite run down. For $16/night with aircon it’s good value, this is how I like to save money. The room smelled like Chuy’s fresh-not-cooked salsa, must be the neighbour’s cooking. Can somebody please send me some damned Creamy Jalapeno dip?
In the morning I got a local SIM card and topped up for data and voice. A smartphone is the traveller’s second best weapon, second only to a really great towel. I went to the historic Intramuros area in the old part of the city with Fort Santiago, a walled, moated fort where the hero of the Philippines Jose Rizal was of course unfairly tried and executed by the occupying Spanish. Bad move.
Now, technically, it’s monsoon season. Should be rain, rain and more rain (heavy foreshadowing here), but not for me. It’s scorching hot. Sweat-pouring-off-me-in-the-shade hot. Using-my-umbrella-like-a-parasol hot. I broke my 30 year boycott of McDonald’s and had two large Coke Lights sitting under a fan just to cool down before I passed out in the street.
Added another tab to my travel planning spreadsheet to track spending, by day, category and performing currency conversions. Yes I am that guy. I’ve got a running average of about $50/day, absolutely everything included. I hoped to be lower than that but I’m buying a lot of transportation every day. Should get better when I’m lying on a beach for a week.
Now this is where my war with the Manila taxis began. I would ask to go somewhere through the window, they would wave their hands and drive off. Hmmm. Near or far, didn’t matter. I must not be as charming as I think. Later I learned to just get in the back seat and sit there. Eventually we will reach an agreement and off we go. Jeepneys are also fun and cheap, similar to the Songthaews in Thailand but they all go different routes and you’re buggered if you get one going the wrong way. They’re quite helpful if you give your destination, they’ll tell you yes or no.
At a shopping mall with air conditioning (!) I talked with a condo builder and they showed me some model suites. Now Makati is the happening area of Manila, but the prices were 3 times what I paid in my little town in Thailand and they couldn’t help me with information on how I would get a visa, so no plan to move here anytime soon. Maybe down in the islands, again I realize I can’t live in a big hot city.
The next morning I decided to go to Quezon City, northeast of downtown Manila. No luck with taxis of course, so decided to take the MRT light rail. Lonely Planet warned that it was packed at rush hour but even at noon we were like sardines. Or like a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts in a box I saw a girl holding right next to me. Everywhere I go, Krispy Kreme taunts me.
From the MRT station I walked to Greens Vegetarian Restaurant, lauded in Lonely Planet. Amazing veggie/vegan food. I had a 3 combo appetizer then a grilled veggie wrap and a mango/banana smoothie, and superb Wifi. I suspect the highlight reports of this trip are going to be focused on 1) Getting from one place to another. 2) Food. 3) Wifi quality.
I plotted my escape for tomorrow from Manila to a little seaside town called Puerto Galera on the island of Oriental Mindoro, just south of Manila’s big island of Luzon. My plan is to slowly make my way south, hopping from island to island and then flying back up to Manila in 21 days to catch my flight out to Sydney.
Well, that was enough Manila for me. It’s kind of big and hot and dusty and bad sidewalks like Bangkok but with signs in English and people generally speak excellent English, along with the local Tagalog with a little Spanish mixed in. I kept wanting to greet people in Thai but after a couple of days it wore off.
Next up, islands, turtles and rain!
