Manila

Ah, Manila.

Initial adjectives to describe this sprawling metropolis:  huge, intimidating, intense, gritty, grungy.  The moment we got off the plane from Hong Kong and picked up our baggage, someone from the department of tourist transportation swooped upon us, asking if we needed a cab.  "What hotel are you going to?"  He was shocked when we said we didn't know.  The plan:  he would hook us up with a cab driver who would take us to a travel agent's office on the way to the district of Malate, where we knew there were several hotels & hostels.  There, they would help us find a room.  We were told that one doesn't wander aimlessly around Manila.  Driving to our destination, we passed shack upon shack, crumbling & molding buildings; total squalor.



At the travel agent's office, we found a room and the driver continued on with us.  Safely ensconced in our room, in a decent-enough hotel, we went back down to the lobby and locked our valuables in one of the hotel's safety deposit boxes.

The moment we stepped outside, we were bombarded with locals offering everything from cabs to watches to food.  People would shout from across the street "sir!"  "ma'am!"  They'd come running over to us - and we thought Hong Kong was bad for the touts.

We eventually dodged all the people and ended up on the main drag, along Manila Bay.  Sadly, the ocean here was depressingly full of trash; a dingy grey-brown color.

Aron had his heart set on checking out the Oceanarium, which was only a couple blocks up the bay, and so we spent a nice afternoon there, jostled amidst the throngs of parents with their children.  Every family seems to have at least 3 or 4 kids and so when one pays to go in to such a venue, there is a special line-up and only the person who is paying is allowed in that area.  An attempt to have some order & efficiency in a kid-centric society.


The highlight of the Oceanarium was the tunnel.  You would stand inside and feel as though you're underwater.  All sorts of fish would swim over top, but the one that garnered the most excitement was when a sting ray deigned to float over.

There were lots of oohs & aahs and squeals from the kids when this happened.

There was an artfully done Jellyfish Aquarium but due to the darkness, we didn't take any photos.

We also had the opportunity to dip our feet into a pool and get a pedicure.  They actually had Doctor Fish!  For the equivalent of $3, you could sit on the edge of the pool with your feet hanging in and get the fish to gnaw off the dead cells.  They say it's rather ticklish and it's as though you sloughed off all the roughness with a pumice stone.  We decided to pass because there were just too many people.  Spa treatments should be relaxing.

That night, we had Sizzling Sisig for an appetizer.  This is the "pig's face" dish that we learned about on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" television program.  It is everything we hoped it would be.  Flavorful, bacon-y, chewy and crispy all at the same time.  I have a feeling we will be eating lots of this in the future!

Rizal Park

The next day we went to Rizal Park, where there was a little bit of respite from the incessant demands for our money.  We wandered into an Orchidarium that was unfortunately under renovations, but still beautiful.  After this, we decided to head to the National Museum of the Philippines.  There, we met a fellow who offered to tour around with us, and explained much of what we were seeing, giving insight into the various national artists and so on.  When we had finished looking around, he suggested that we join him to go to St. Thomas University where his daughter was finishing up with entrance exam.  He showed us around his Alma Mater, which is over 350 years old, founded by the Spanish friars.

He then suggested that we have lunch together.  This was a fantastic way to try the Philippino cuisine.  He basically ordered several dishes, which we then shared and now we know that we love "sinigang soup", and "milkfish" and "taro vegetables".  We truly weren't expecting to love the food as much as we do, so it works out well!

We parted ways with our new friend & his daughter, and headed to Intramuros, the ancient walled city.  We saw San Agustin cathedral, the Manila cathedral (which has been rebuilt about 7 or 8 times since the 17th century due to everything from fire to earthquake to war), Fort Santiago.

Certainly, Manila had some great things to see and do (and eat).  But I think it's a very difficult city, especially for relative newbies like us.  It was baptism by fire.  Once we found the mall, we spent some time looking around, as it was a refuge from the heat & the "scalawags", as they are called here.