Wow, it's hot here. Following a tip from a good friend I avoided the yellow cabs and went up to the departures to grab a white (city) cab that was dropping passengers off - you can save a lot of money, as the white cabs don't pay airport fee's. Manilla (or Hong Kong) airport stupidly decided to break my padlock open, even though it was just hanging there, not securing anything. They also cut the string-pull on the top of my bag for some reason - thanks airport people!
My hostel (Where 2 Next) is on a backstreet, on the edge of the tourist area. A nice place with a Korean restaurant and a bar attached - the beds in the mixed dorm are super-comfortable! Heading out for a look around I was told by the staff not to flash cameras and phones and keep my wallet safe! At night there's all sorts of interesting people walking about - scantily clad girls try and drag you into many seedy looking bars and clubs, dope-peddlers offer their wares, trinket sellers push sunglasses and jewellery at you and cycle rickshaw drivers appear from all directions!
This is the first Catholic majority country I've been to on my travels and there's lots to see in old Churches and Spanish colonial features - by lunchtime though I'm so hot, and have to retire back to the hostel or the extremely confusing mall - and this is getting into winter! The seafront is not much to look at - polluted with huge cranes and trucks parked up. There's a statue of some parents playing with a child but the arms, and anything else that could easily be levered off, are missing! Rizal park is nice for a stroll, although I slipped (comedy banana skin style!) on one of the numerous dog turds sitting around! The jeepneys are excellent - it would be great to photograph all of them in Manila.
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| Armless |
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| Jeepney! |
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