Manila, Philippines

This trip to Manila overall was great! We took the Deluxe bus from San Fernando to Pasay City where the Marriott Hotel was close to. We left the province at 11:30 Wednesday night and we got to Manila Thanksgiving about 4:30 in the morning. Jesse and I enjoyed our time in the Philippines, especially seeing my family in the province and the food. Weather was tolerable since it was humid most of the time. It is congested everywhere especially in Manila. When you come and visit Manila be careful with the taxi drivers. We tried to blend in, I spoke tagalog but as soon as Jesse talked, it was all over. The receptionist at the hotel told us that "they can smell you." The taxi driver from the bus stop to the hotel tried to get us to pay him 3 times more than the meter. He said, "the meter was broken," Jesse paid him a few pesos more than the meter, once I knew we were safe inside the hotel compound, I gave him a lecture on how to treat out of towners better because he is making all the taxi drivers looked bad and giving them a bad name. I should have taken his number and reported him but Jesse calmed me down. Don't con a filipino woman especially when she knows what you are trying to do. My family warned me about something like this and I was proactive at the matter. All the other taxi drivers were nice and courteous after that. I have taken so many taxi's in Korea and as far as I know no one has taken advantage of me so far. The taxi drivers in Manila and Korea are all alike. They do not follow road rules, it is merely a suggestion.

Marriott Manila. Brand new, just opened in November, the 2 top floors are not finished. You could hear the construction going on. The service was excellent everywhere except the room cleaning (housekeeping is better in Seoul.) Next door to the hotel is a casino Maxim's. The area is still being developed. There are condo's being built around the area and there will be a convention center and shopping areas.

At the hotel lobby

The room

On our first day in Manila, we wanted to see the Mall of Asia.

At the crosswalk bridge at the Mall of Asia. Far ahead is the business district Makati

Inside the Mall of Asia

Thanksgiving Lunch at the Mall of Asia. Lunch was lumpia (eggroll) lugaw (rice soup) and fried Bangus (fish). The view was Manila Bay.

Dessert was Halo halo with ice cream on Jesse's.

Manila Bay behind us

Thanksgiving dinner at the hotel. I had hamburger and fries, Jesse had adobo sandwich (pulled pork and side order lumpia. We couldn't find any turkey, not even for sandwich.

On our second day in Manila, I wanted to go to Luneta, famous Philippine Park but Jesse wanted to go to Fort Bonifacio Heights, another shopping area and this is their food court.

Look at all that food, just for just the two of us. We didn't know how big the portions were. We picked pancit, pinakbet, fish seviche, fried and broiled squid. We had so much so we decided to share (give away) the pancit to the table next to us who graciously accepted.

For dinner, we went to the hotel's buffet. I forgot to take a pictures until it was dessert time. It was a wonderful buffet, there was all kinds of seafoof including lobster, there was japanese, chinese, thai cuisine, salads, fruits and vegetables. As you can see this was Jesse's dessert. Very delicious and cheap.

Our last day we went to the Philippine Air Force Museum, walking distance from the hotel. This was inside the museum. See how early they decorate for Christmas.

Picture of the "Bataan Death March" during WWII

General Douglas Mac Arthur said, "I Shall Return" to the Filipinos and here's his picture landing in the island of Leyte in the Visaya's island in southern Philippines.

Philippine Jets

Previous Philippine "Air Force One". See the Philippine Flag on the door, that's the indication that a former president used it. I wonder if Marcos was the one. It didn't say.

The videos are all the way at the end. I tried to put them in order but I couldn't. I'll figure it out eventually but for now enjoy!