Day 45 - Intramuros and Farewell Philippines

I spend the last full day in the Philippines visiting some of the Spanish influenced areas around Manila. We stopped by Intramuros, which used to be a walled city for the Spanish elite. The walls were closed to the Chinese, who subsequently lived adjacent to it in Chinatown. Within the walls used to be government buildings, churches, monasteries, schools, etc. before being destroyed during WWII. In fact, much of the spanish influence in the area was destroyed during WWII.

It rained hard today in Manila, and I probably heard the loudest thunder I'd ever heard in my life. We took the Light Rail to the city, and took a tricycle ride to Intramuros. Benny said I probably took every type of transporation in the Philippines except horse carriage. There was a lot of character in the city, with it's cobblestone roads, churches, and the European architecture of the buildings that survived the war.

We got to the city pretty late, and most of the churches and sights were about to close, so I was only able to visit a couple of the churches – the San Agustin Church and Manila Cathedral.

Afterwards, we walked our way through the city to find a special kind of deodorant that my friend back in the states told me to purchase for my B.O. Problem.... It's called Tawas and is made of Potassium Alum. The traffic was terrible due to the rain and we had to go by foot through the city to find it. According to Benny, the country has such a bad flood drainage system that whenever it rains like this, traffic multiples due to the flooding. After about an hour of walking, we finally found it along a street full of outside street vendors. Hopefully this stuff works, because I've been suffering, as have many other people I suppose...

At the end of the night, I met up with some of my new friends for a farewell dinner at a restaurant called Lime88. The restaurant served “street food with a spin” and the prices were very reasonable given the presentation and quality of the food! Definitely one of my favorite restaurants of my entire trip so far. I also finally got my jacket that I ordered from Ziggy and he bought me a pair of TOMS shoes because he saw me wearing sandals EVERYWHERE in Manila. I thought of buying myself a pair because I was bummed I didn't bring my own, and I thank Ziggy so much for the thought!

Overall, the Philippines has been an entirely different experience than my other travels. I think I've done a lot more socializing and meeting people here, compared to visiting historical sites in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. A different type of traveling experience, but equally exciting and rewarding. I intend to come back soon, now that I know how much there is to see here...

New Friends

Intramuros

San Agustin Church

Manila Cathedral

Intramuros

My New Jacket! Get yours at www.ziggysavella.com. He ships internationally

Balut in Red Wine Sauce

(I love my Balut photos)

Aligue (Crab Fat) Pasta

Pig and Chicken Intestines

Kangkong and Kesong Puti Stuffed Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes

The aftermath

Day 43 - Taal Volcanoes in Tagatay

Took a daytrip out of Manila to see more of the nature that the P.I. has to offer. We headed to the city of Tagaytay to check out the views of the Taal Volcano, which is an active volcano on a lake that was formed in the crater of an inactive prehistoric volcano. My Lonely Planet guidebook says that Taal Volcano consists of more than 57 craters and 35 volcanic cones and remains one of the world's deadliest volcanos.

The city itself was a nice change from Manila because it was higher above sea level, and the weather was cool and misty. There were pineapple and coffee farms in the area, and the city itself is cleaner. Filipino families own vacation homes in this area as a getaway from the city.

We had a really good meal at one of the restaurants in the area that provided scenic views of the lake and volcano. The meal consisted of steamed vegetables, bone marrow soup, and a pork dish. There was a live band at the restaurant that provided entertainment for each table, and I heard a new Filipino song that I liked called “Torete” by Moonstar88.

Back in Manila, I met up with my friend, Eron and his best friend, at yet another mall, and we decided to grab some groceries so that I could have a home-cooked meal! I told him I liked Chicken Adobo (and surprisingly, I had not had any in the P.I. yet) so we got the ingredients and headed back to his place. I met his little niece, Julia, who was the most adorable and talkative girl. She pointed out my chicken pox scars on my forehead because she was just recovering from them and asked me what those other bumps were on my face... I told her it was acne and that she should beware because she may be getting them too soon.

When we had the chicken, Julia could not stop talking, and I had a hard time eating and talking at the same time. Eron told her to be quiet so that I could eat, and she complied, but whispered to me “Hurry up so I can talk again!” I laughed at that. When it was time for her to sleep, she went back to her place and came back with a little gift and the sweetest letter written to me. Now I have a new 8-year old best friend who calls me “Kuya Philip.”

Taal Volcanoes

...and the subsequent rainfall approaching

Lunchtime

Coffee Break with Maco, Benny, and Dwight

Home-cooked Chicken Adobo

My New Best Friend, Julia

Look at the letter she wrote me (complete with chicken pox scars)

Local Reggae Bar for Filipino Hipsters and Ex-Pats

Day 42 - Lolo's 80th Birthday Party

Today I got to celebrate the 80^th birthday of my friend Marvin's Lolo (grandfather). It was nice being included in a family celebration, even though no one really knew who I was.

We headed to the city of Batangas early in the morning so we could dodge the traffic of Metro Manila. There were so many toll roads to get there! I think you have to pay everytime you use one of the highways in the area, so we stopped at many tollbooths to collect tickets, and pay the fares.

We got there around late morning and I was introduced to everyone. They were all very friendly and made me feel at home. Again, it's times like these that make me miss home. I was just reminded of the family parties I would go to at my aunt's house whenever there was a holiday or big birthday celebration. Everyone was loud and raucous, just like my relatives at family functions.

Even though it was morning and I had already had a McDonald's breakfast, we started eating some of the food that was cooked. At these parties, food is eaten all throughout the day, with a siesta in the afternoon. I don't remember most of the names of what I ate, but I had some pancit, pig intestines, pig knuckles, pork rinds, and some other noodle dish...

After the first meal of the party, the karaoke machine was brought out – the same kind that I saw in Boracay, and all the grandchildren gathered around to use the machine. Marvin says that once the uncles get drunk in the afternoon, they take over the karaoke machine with their offtune renditions of various Filipino and English songs.

After lunch, we all sang 'Happy Birthday' to the man of the hour before the presentation of gifts from the Balikbayan Box. Some of the family members had just returned from a trip to the East Coast of the United States and brought back a Balikbayan box full of goodies for family members and the neighbors. Most of the stuff that was given to the grandchildren were clothing. Some of the other stuff I saw in the box was sponges and some bath products. I was a little confused why there were sponges in there. I would have thought that the Philippines would have their own high quality sponges to use, for cheaper than you could find in the states. Marvin didn't have a clue why sponges were brought back, but explained that the Balikbayan box is just a tradition that most Filipinos follow to bring things back for their neighbors and family members when they go on a trip.

Marvin and I took a bus back to Manila in the afternoon and decided to grab some dessert and a small snack at the Peninsula Hotel in Makati. The significance of this hotel was that it the location of the last attempted coup to oust the President at the time (November 29, 2007). Muntineers took control of the second floor of the hotel for several hours, before surrendering to governmental forces. Reporters were subsequently arrested during the action because they hindered the ability of the government to control the coup. There is a sort of reporter responsibility, and I wonder if there is anything written about that. Free and unbiased reporting, but not in a way that would hinder one's or another group's efforts?

Later on at night, Benny and I met at another CS event, only to see Sharapova lose at Wimbledon (sadness!). I met a couple of new CS friends there as well. They were all just testing it out for the first time, and I hope I inspired them to start travelling too! We all headed to another club in the city of Malate to end the night, drunk and happy.

Karaoke before the Uncle Take-Over

A Variation of Pancit with Thick Noodles

Drunk Tito Karaoke Take-Over!

Singing Happy Birthday to Lolo (with his Beautiful Lola)

A Picture with Lolo

Halo Halo Dessert - I thought it was too sweet for my tastebuds

Peninsula Hotel Makati

Day 41 - Manila - Malls and More Malls

Manila is home to numerous shopping centers including the 3^rd largest Mall in the world – Mall of Asia. I remember asking some of my Filipino friends back home for advice on what to do in Manila. Some of them had no clue. Some of them said to visit the malls, or at least go inside to use the air conditioning. So I came to the Manila without a clue on what to do.

Woke up pretty late and got some lunch with Benny. We went to a local fast food restaurant. I got some Shrimp and Adobong Pusit (Squid). I think the squid dish is another one of my favorites so far, after first eating it in Boracay.

In the afternoon, I met up with my friend Ziggy, who happens to be a fashion designer in the Philippines (www.ziggysavella.com) to get some measurements since I wanted to purchase a customized jacket that I saw him wearing the day prior. His prices were very affordable, and it'd be nice to get something customized since I didn't get anything in Vietnam.

Afterwards, I met up with my friend Mark, who said he'd take me to the “Fort” which I assumed would be some sort of historical Fort from the war where I would get some good photo ops. We took the local bus there, and I started getting headaches, probably from the combination of the bumpy roads and the pollution in the city. By the time we arrived at the “Fort” I realized that he had just taken me to another shopping mall... So in the past two days... I've seen Malls and More Malls... We laughed it off and just walked around and grabbed a couple beers.

At night, I got a chance to see the nightlife that Manila offered. Headed out to a Japanese/Korean restaurant for some soju drinks before going to a nightclub called Kyss. Kylie Minogue was to perform in the Philippines for the first time ever in the coming week, so it was “Kylie Night” that night. A good mix of Pop and Hip Hop was played throughout the night.

Got the Malls and Nightlife down in Manila. Hopefully I'll see some more historical sights soon, but not before going to a friend's family birthday party for their 80 year old Lolo.

Fast Food Breakfast - Shrimp and Adobong Pusit

Local Bus Transporation to the Fort

The Fort

Day 40 - Manila and Jeepneys

There was sadness leaving Boracay but excitement at exploring the capital of the Philippines – Manila. Most of the people I'd spoken with told me that I could probably do Manila in 3 days, but I had almost a week to figure out what to do. I was thinking of maybe visiting the Banaue Rice Terraces, but might pass on it since I visited Sapa, Vietnam about a week ago.

I got to the airport early and was able to take an earlier flight back to Manila from Caticlan. The flight was almost empty with maybe only 20 or so people on board. I don't usually see such empty flights back home, but it's nice when you get an entire row to yourself.

I was able to secure a stay with another Couchsurfer host, Benny, in Manila, specifically in Makati. The entire Metro Manila is pretty huge, separated by a number of different districts. Makati is more of the business district with many expats living in the area since they work for big businesses.

I researched the different modes of transportation in the Philippines and they mentioned that the use of “Jeepneys” was the popular mode of public transportation. I had to research on wikipedia to gain a better understanding on what these vehicles were, and what they looked like. They were originally old U.S. Military Jeeps that were sold to Filipinos after WWII. They were then stripped down and altered to accommodate more passengers. Through the years, new models were built and used for local transportation in the P.I.

There is a certain procedure and etiquette when riding a jeepney, and luckily, I was staying with a local, who could take me around in one of these vehicles.

Benny and I headed by jeepney to one of the malls (and Manila has TONS of them) called Greenbelt and met up with one of my friend's friends for dinner. We had a fancy dinner with fish, beef tongue, bamboo rice, and a vegetable dish.

Afterwards, we headed to a CS-hosted event to meet up with other Couchsurfers. This was the first time I actually went to one of these events, and it was cool to meet so many different people, people who were hosting, and people who were surfing.

I met a Nepalese guy and got some advice on how I should get to Nepal from India. He told me the best way to get there would be through a land route through Darjeeling. There were some scams he told me to beware of, like people offering candies laced with sleeping medication and saying it was from this or that temple and once you took it and fell asleep, they'd rob you. He didn't think I'd have too much trouble in Nepal though. Apparently, I look like one of the two common ethnic groups in the Area. I look like the “Korean” group of people, who are known more as a “fighter” type. Hopefully no one will hassle me there.

The View of Boracay from the Airplane

Jeepney

Inside a Jeepney

Lengua de Baka (Cow Tongue)

Sweet and Sour Dalag (Mudfish)

New Friends Marvin, Ziggy, and Benny

CS Meetup

CS Meetup - I'm darker than the locals! (OK maybe it's the lighting)

Day 32 - Last Day in Hanoi

Just another filler day before heading out to Sapa by taking the night train. It would be the first time I would take a train in Vietnam.

Spent the day again trying to keep cool and in the shade, so I went to a couple coffee shops in the high-rise buildings near Hoan Kiem lake for most of the day to update this blog and figure out my plans after I leave Vietnam. I'm headed to the Philippines next! I'm not exactly sure what I plan on doing there, but I'll have my travel guide with me. I know I'm going to Boracay Islands and Manila, but am not too certain what there is to do in the Capital. Some of my Filipino friends mentioned visiting the big Mall there...but I hope there's a lot more to do.

It was difficult trying to figure out the routes to take to get to Boracay since there aren't any direct flights from Hanoi to Manila. I decided after much research to take Vietnam Airlines from Hanoi to HCMC, and then Cebu Pacific Air from HCMC to Manila to Caticlan (Boracay). It should be exciting to finally set off for another country after my 3 weeks here in Vietnam.

I was pretty disappointed with the food I ate in Hanoi, even after 4 days here... One thing I noticed is that you shouldn't trust the Lonely Planet guide for recommendations. I think maybe the quality lessens after a restaurant gets distinction in a guidebook...or maybe restaurants in general just aren't as good as some of the food stalls around town.

Street Food Stall - Fried Noodles with Beef

Ladybird Restaurant (Lonely Planet Recommendation) - Duck Salad (YUCK)