December 23, Arrival in the Manila

Even the flight to the Philippines was a little magical. 

First of all I flew First Class, a status which imparted benefits I could not have imagined -- like a special lounge to wait in with hot food, unlimited alcohol, comfortable chairs, a first run movie, free internet connections, and a nice woman who lets you know when your plane is about to board.  Then you get to just walk onto the plane (no line) where a guy is waiting with a hot wet towel for you to wash your hands and face, and your choice of beverages (the mango smoothie was to die for).  And get this, the seats were so far apart you can lie flat!  You have to actually get up out of your chair and walk to the seat in front of you to get the menu from the seat pocket in front of you.  I was so impressed, that I titled my first email home "a better way to go."

Secondly, I was especially fortunate in who sat beside me.  Forest is a hospital administrator who regularly visits the Philippines because he runs a program bringing volunteer doctors, medicines and medical equipment to a small village in the Philippines (www.philoshealth.org).  During our 12-hour flight he generously gave me a lot of good advice about what to do and where to go.  Forest is a big part of the reason I decided to leave Luzon (where Manila is) and spend a week sight seeing on Palawan -- which turned out to be the best part of the trip -- well the second best part of the trip.

Finally, as the plane dropped down across Manila Bay for the landing, the full moon was reflecting off the water, illuminating the little fish nets that section off the bay.  It was a magnificent view.  Then at 4am local time, we landed and the reality of Philippine poverty quickly dawned on me, as if that revelation went hand in hand with the smell and humidity of the warm Manila air that invaded the plane upon landing.

My thoughts in the airport cab 1) the poverty, 2) I didn't know anybody, 3) what if my internet hotel booking was a scam?, 4) had I made a huge mistake?	View from cab	View from cab	Makati skyline as seen from my condo-hotel. Makati is an upscale business district in Manila.	Makati
Condo hotel across the street I spent extra time photographing the skyline because Geraldine was two hours late for our first meeting (she had second thoughts about being my guide).	Maricor (the chaperone) Geraldine (hiding behind Maricor) decided to have dinner with me and then decide whether she would be my guide -- everything was up in the air that first day.	Makati street scene After dinner they decided I wasn't as grumpy as I looked and they agreed to be my guides.	Taxis waiting outside Makati shopping mall	Security at the mall
Fountain in Makati Shopping Mall	Kids playing	Street scene from taxi	Intramuros fort build by Legazpi, a Spaniard, after the Spanish conquered the city.	Intramuros The fort now serves mostly a memorial to a Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, who was executed here.
Intramuros	Intramuros Maricor and Geraldine on a cannon.	Intramuros with view across river	The shantytown just across the river from the fort.	Across the river
This is the beach boardwalk in Manila. I was told it is traditional on Christmas Eve to watch the sunset here.	Maricor and Geraldine	Christmas Eve sunset in Manila

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Last modified: 03/18/09