Also, I spent 48 hours in Manila with Carlos and Kellan, who has been living there with his enormous family for a few years. Manila is NUTS. Vibrant, colorful, alive. Huge. I could not imagine traveling there without knowing someone familiar with the city, as getting around is quite the experience. I've read comparisons to Mumbai, but I've not been to India yet, so I cannot say for certain if this comparison is correct. Either way, I am thankful for the opportunity to visit and experience a place so unique. My time there was real short, so I cannot provide much information or many photographs.
I took a few shots of the streets in Tondo while waiting for a man to prepare us some sisig for dinner. Kellan's cousins were kind enough to invite us to their home where we indulged in Filipino cuisine and Red Horse. Yay Red Horse! Luckily we were too full to eat the balut. Carlos later tried it in Iba and said it wasn't so bad with loads of vinegar and salt. I enjoy trying new foods, but I don't think I am strong enough for duck fetus.
Pga-Asa Street in the Tondo district. I recently google mapped it because I like to street view/google earth the places I've been and experience them somewhat again back home. I tried to retrace the route we took from the Jollibee, where we waited in Filipino time (just like Moroccan time) for the cousins, all the way to the sisig stall, but justifiably, my memory, which is normally on point, is blurred. Here is an aerial view of the neighborhood to give you an idea...
It's funny that my street shots make it appear not so crowded. Streets in Manila are congested, to say the least. We took a few cabs, and I salute the drivers for seemingly handling their jobs so well, because it seems that if you want to go a short a distance, say 2 km, you're going to need at least 30 minutes. Our hotel was only about 5 km from the airport, and we had to leave at least an hour and a half ahead of schedule. A cab from Guadalupe to Makati center took over an hour. Take the trains if you can!
I took a few shots of the streets in Tondo while waiting for a man to prepare us some sisig for dinner. Kellan's cousins were kind enough to invite us to their home where we indulged in Filipino cuisine and Red Horse. Yay Red Horse! Luckily we were too full to eat the balut. Carlos later tried it in Iba and said it wasn't so bad with loads of vinegar and salt. I enjoy trying new foods, but I don't think I am strong enough for duck fetus.
Pga-Asa Street in the Tondo district. I recently google mapped it because I like to street view/google earth the places I've been and experience them somewhat again back home. I tried to retrace the route we took from the Jollibee, where we waited in Filipino time (just like Moroccan time) for the cousins, all the way to the sisig stall, but justifiably, my memory, which is normally on point, is blurred. Here is an aerial view of the neighborhood to give you an idea...
I am so bummed that I did not get to ride in a Jeepney! We did have a short jaunt on a motorized tricycle, but nothing is as cool as the Jeepney. They're US military leftovers and each decorated to suit their owners' taste. I wish I had gotten more photos. It was difficult to take shots of moving Jeepneys at night, unfortunately, so what you see is what you get.
It's funny that my street shots make it appear not so crowded. Streets in Manila are congested, to say the least. We took a few cabs, and I salute the drivers for seemingly handling their jobs so well, because it seems that if you want to go a short a distance, say 2 km, you're going to need at least 30 minutes. Our hotel was only about 5 km from the airport, and we had to leave at least an hour and a half ahead of schedule. A cab from Guadalupe to Makati center took over an hour. Take the trains if you can!
Group shot! I decided to take the photo and not be in it cause I drank me a whole lot of red horse, and the humidity was not doing favors to my body image, yay! Next stop Tokyo. I'll get those up soon. Thank you for the experience, Manila! Told you that I did not take too many pictures. I apologize.
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