Philippines 2013: 1 - Getting there & Manila

This trip was put together by Chi at Bestway Tours and Safaris in Vancouver, a company that has put a lot of trips together for me in the past.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Marilynn was in Victoria visiting her mother, so we each flew to Los Angles, where we spent the night before catching the noon ANA (All Nippon Airways) flight to Tokyo, Japan where we changed planes for the 4 ½ hour flight to Manila.

The flight was over an hour late leaving LA, a concern because of our 55 minute connection in Tokyo, The waiting time passed quickly in the well equipped lounge where a good selection of food and drink was available, and the flight was very comfortable.

Some lost time was made up during the flight, and we made our connection in Tokyo with 5 minutes to spare, arriving in Manila about 9 PM. This is usually an excellent arrival time after a long flight, as it gives a chance for a good night's sleep and then to wake up with the body on local time, however I didn't sleep well.

Friday, April 26, 2013

We lost Friday due to the International Date Line. This morning we were picked up after an amazing breakfast buffet at the well run Dusit Hotel. We have a comfortable van and Arnold, the driver, for the next week. Guides will be provided on a place by place basis. Our guide today, Raymond, was a very pleasant & knowledgeable fellow.

He told us that greater Manila has a population of 14.4 million, and the Philippines a population of 97 million. It does not have a large industrial base. The largest contributor to the economy is the seven billion dollars a year generated by Philippinos working in other countries. There are two official languages, Tagalog and English. Many local dialects are spoken in different areas, but the main language used is Tagalog, but almost everyone today spoke English. There are three major nationalities in the main ethnic mix - Malay, Chinese and Spanish.

Apparently about 20% of the land area of Manila consists of low areas below sea level. In rainy season there is nowhere for the water to go, so it floods. Raymond said the saying in buying real estate is "with free floods, or flood free".

Our first stop was at historic Fort Santiago, originally established in 1591 by the Spanish to guard the entrance to the walled city and the Pasig River, a waterway that is still important for fleets of riverboats that transport goods of all types into the central area of Luzon Island. It is a stagnant and smelly waterway at this time of year.

Much of the fort, and much of Manila, has been restored after the city was almost totally destroyed when recaptured from the Japanese. The Japanese used the original dungeons of the fort to house prisoners, the majority of whom were murdered during the last days before Manila fell to the Americans. In one area of the fort alone over 600 bodies were found - a monument marks the spot.

We then visited an area of the city famous for cooking whole roast pigs. The process was similar to the roasting of pigs we saw in Cuba, but instead of being hand turned it is done by electric motors, with many pigs being roasted at the same time. There were many businesses in the area, each using the same technique. The cooked pigs can be purchased whole or as many kilos of meat as desired.

Another fort, Baluarte de San Diego, guarding the mouth of the Pasig River was visited. Here a small section of the moat that was around the outside of the fort still has water; the rest is now a golf course. This was part of the walled city of Intramuros.

We spent some time in a Chinese Cemetery that looks more like a suburban area, with paved roads, sidewalks and tombs the size of normal houses. There are kitchens, running water and electricity to keep the deceased comfortable. A lot of the population of Manila does not have houses anywhere near as nice as these tombs.

An excellent lunch was enjoyed in a mansion dating back to Spanish times, accompanied by guitars, a sting bass and singers who played from table to table. The proprietor gave us a delicious seafood paella, compliments of the house. Apparently Raymond brings quite a number of people here.

We wandered through the large house, now a museum with original furnishings, after eating. It was interesting to see the blend of Spanish and Chinese architectural and decorating styles. They fit together amazingly well.

Across the street was St. Augustine's Church, which dates back to early Spanish times and was spared during the war. It is a massive building, where we were able to see weddings taking place from the high perch where the organ is located. It was filled with wedding music that was much more pop than religious.

It is a one day city for tourism. The tour was finished by early afternoon. I was surprised at the lack of air pollution, but this could be due to little industry or the fact that it is a weekend. There was no shortage of traffic, including swarms of the famous "Jeepney" buses. The day finished up with a couple of drinks and a very light meal in the hotel bar.