More Manila

Okay, so I've finally got some time and the inspiration for more blogging!

I spent the next few days in Manila and once I got over my initial shock and ignorance, it started to grow on me.  The people are lovely and many of them say hello to me on the street and I always get a huge grin back when I return the greeting.  They seem to find me a bit odd and I had a lot people ask if I was traveling alone and a few ask, a little skeptically, whether I like it.  Everyone calls me ma'am, which took some getting used to.

One day I checked out the historical Spanish fort area called Intramuros and nearby Rizal Park (had my first pedicab ride to get out there!).  It wasn't nearly as beautiful as the historical buildings you'd see in Europe, but still interesting.  Just to add to the feeling of being a bit of a spectacle, this is where I had my first encounter with people wanting to take my photo.  A group of Filipino kids approached me and I thought they were asking me to take a group photo of them.  Before I knew it I was surrounded by Filipino teenagers having my own picture taken!

Bird house for the park pigeons

The ceiling and much of the walls are actually painted in 3D relief rather than using carved stone.  Very sneaky!

Entrance to Fort Santiago in Intramuros

This little walk made it pretty clear that the Filipinos are very into Christmas.  This was the beginning of November and they were already putting up Christmas decorations in the park and playing Christmas music everywhere.  Just to hit the point home, when I went out for a Filipino dinner that night, there was a live band playing...you guessed it, Christmas music.  Although it was at least a jazzed up tropical twist on the classics.  Not that I don't LOVE Christmas.  I do, very much.  I just wasn't quite prepared for it.  And there's something a little frustrating in getting into the Christmas spirit and not being able to do anything about it (can't decorate, wrap gifts, bake cookies).

The next day I joined forces with this Spanish girl staying in my room to do some more of Manila.  At first I was glad to have company, but she unfortunately turned out to be quite the sourpuss.  She hated Manila, got grouchy when she couldn't understand her guidebook and was quite curt and bossy with the cab drivers.  We ended up checking out the National Filipino Museum which was quite good and heading over to The Fort which was not.  The Fort is an area in Manila that from what I saw has been completely Westernized.  The main strip (High Street) was full of shops from Europe and North America, and restaurants serving Western food.  Not sure why you would even bother coming to the Philippines if you were going to stay in that area as you could be anywhere in the world.  But it seemed busy, so what do I know?

My last day in Manila was a bit of a pampered one.  I treated myself to a foot massage (only $6) and went to see Social Network at the movie theatre in the mall before grabbing the overnight bus up to Banaue.

Despite a bit of a rough start, I did end up enjoying Manila and kind of wished I had a bit more time there.  I was just getting used to things by the time I had to leave.  But I definitely wasn't going to miss the karaoke music blaring into my room from the street every night until the wee hours! :P