Manila

My first trip was to Manila in January. Despite it being the middle of winter in the US, Manila is a scorching 90+ degrees (not including insane humidity). Looking back on Manila, I felt smothered, not only by the heat but the environment. There’s a fair amount of smog/fog/pollution in Manila. You walk out of the street and you’re thrown into the hustle and bustle of traffic and city life. Manila’s traffic is among the worst in the world. It can take hours to go 3-4 kilometers. The one bright spot in the traffic realm are the “Jeepneys”. Originally converted from the war, Jeepneys are silver bodied, colorful busses. As far as I can tell, they are privately owned, with the routes painted on side of the vehicle. Each Jeepney has a name above the front windows and they usually have some sort of fluorescent light inside for at night. They are by far the cheapest form of public transportation, but a staple to local life.

But back to city life..The people are everywhere. Poverty rates are high in Manila. You can see people living on the street or in their tuk-tuks. Many have turned to selling illegal goods, prostitution, foodstuffs, or whatever they can. The physical environment of the city is strange as well. You can stay in a five start hotel and walk out the door to a gentleman’s club, street vendors, restaurants, a Chinese temple,  massage parlors, and currency exchange shops. One of my colleagues whom I met in Manila remarked at how many Americans arrive expecting a tropical paradise and end up disappointed.

Manila has an old, walled section of the town called Intramuros. Here you can find 14th century churches, government buildings, a fort, and many other sights. Some of the area is ruined from WWII’s impact on the Philippines and some areas were re-purposed to take back the city from the Japanese. Manila also has a decent art museum – The Metropolitan Museum of Manila. Here you can see local artists and Filipino inspired art including some inspired by the Jeepneys. Manila also has malls. The Philippines LOVES malls. Mall of Asia is the largest mall in Asia. It has separate zones for electronics, health and beauty, etc. There are stores you’d never guess existed, form the Samsung store to Asian brands that are less familiar. There are also sports fields and gigantic movie theaters all attached to mall compound.  The restaurants in Manila and the malls are surprising. The people there love their fast food. Some chains that are extinct in the US are still flourishing… For instance, Kenny Rodgers Roasters. Sometimes, the love for fast food made finding a good meal a challenge.

One of the most surprising things about Manila is the toll that World War II took on the Philippines. In Manila, there is a Department of Veterans Affairs, which serves those who fought in the war. Additionally there is the Manila American Cemetery. The cemetery rivals Arlington National Cemetery on a smaller scale. The feel is almost the same, white crosses consuming the grass and monuments spread across the grounds. The biggest difference is the constant heat and the palm trees. It was truly beautiful and great to see.

I crammed as much as I could into my weekend in Manila. During the first day, I woke up in the middle of the night to catch a bus provided by a tour company. The bus takes you to Mt. Pinatubo, the famed volcano that exploded in 1991. I had signed up for a hike there. We rode the bus for around four hours before arriving at the volcano. There we were put in groups and shuffled into off-road vehicles. The vehicles drove across what almost looked like a dessert. However, it was really the dried ash, rock, and lahar. It was extremely bumpy and vast. You could truly see the strength of the volcano as we drove for what felt like miles across the terrain. Finally, we started our hike, which would culminate at a crater lake, which was originally the core of the volcano. It had since been filled by rain. The hike was supposed to be 5K but my Fitbit registered far more than that to the point that I think we were lied to by the company… Either way the view was amazing. The color of the lake was gorgeous and the scenery was something I had never quite seen before. We had to hike the entire way back to the jeeps, but it was a worthwhile experience. The one surprise from the hike is that the volcano is located on indigenous people’s territory. The indigenous people from Manila closely resemble those of Australia (in my opinion). However, they are extremely poor and somewhat ignored by society (as explained by some Filipinos in my hiking group). We shared snacks and gave the people some money but it was heartbreaking at time to see the children’s dirty clothes or how skinny they and their pets were.

On my second day of the weekend, I flew to Borocay, and island paradise in the Philippines. Once you arrive at the airport, you catch a ride to the pier, where you must ride a boat across to the island. The traditional boats are really interesting, as they are long and narrow with stilts that help to balance them. Borocay also is beautiful with the bluest waters and the mountains and rocks coming out of the ocean. However, despite its beauty it can be likened to Asia’s version of the Bahamas. It attracted several tourists from all over. People seemed amazed that I was there alone, making me feel like I had come to a couple’s retreat solo. However, I treated myself to a mango shake, a massage, and some much needed beach time. Borocay is the tropical paradise that Americans are looking for in Manila.  The other nice thing about traveling to Borocay is that the planes fly low enough that you can see mountains, volcanoes, and the ocean right out your window. The downside about traveling to Borocay was that the airline closed my gate an hour before the flight and my taxi driver took me to the wrong terminal. This  created the perfect storm for missing my initial flight.

Overall, my time in Manila receives a mixed-review. Although I’m a city-dweller, I preferred the beach and the rural areas for their beauty. The city itself felt suffocating to me. However, he cheap prices in Manila are to die for when eating or looking for hotels. 

 For those looking for travel tips, I flew to Manila via ANA and I highly recommend it. So far, they have the best customer service I’ve experienced on an international flight.

Indigenous People of Mt. Pinatubo

Crosses at the American Cemetery