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TO Manila We arrived without expecting much, a huge city, one of the most populated in all of Asia, with a lot of poverty and not much to visit. However, Manila was the considered “pearl of asia“That was a few centuries ago … things have changed, will there be anything left of that resplendent city?
The first impressions could not be worse, already in the subway on the way to the hotel a girl warned us “be careful with the Filipinos, don’t trust anyone”… 2 minutes later on the street, at the first pedestrian crossing that we crossed, Lety is the subject of a attempted robbery… when he noticed a tug on the backpack and looked back and there was a disguising ladyboy whistling and looking away. That bad! We were invaded by a feeling of insecurity that we have never had in these 8 months of travel. And it didn’t help to realize that our hotel was above a somewhat suspicious bar, at least the bed was super comfortable!
We wanted to get away a little from all the mess and take a walk around boardwalk and central parkAlthough the ubiquitous jeepneys, almost always full of people, were not stopped here (not another thing, but Filipinos are constantly on the move). In the park we visit the Rizal gallows, which pays tribute to this national hero writer, who was assassinated by the Spaniards, scared by what he could write (well, El Jueves would not have lasted two issues here).
Another alternative to the hassle of the streets are the shopping centers! What a novelty! At least here if we did something different, we take advantage of the fact that Lety’s favorite director has released a new movie and that here they put them in the original version (although it didn’t help too much either: P) and we went to the cinema! After so much time! Although we couldn’t do those double sessions in Barcelona.
But for the end of our stay, Manila had a great surprise in store for us: Intramurals. It is the historic walled area that preserves buildings from the Spanish colonial era, and although some of them were destroyed by the Japanese after WWII, they still retain that Castilian touch that led us to believe that we were walking through the streets of ZamoraThe only thing missing was Cousin Shuli posing for the photos.
It’s like a different country, chaos gives way to tranquility, clean streets, Castilian buildings, cobbled streets, little squares at the crossroads, churches, the cathedral … and at the end a fort rises on the side of the river, at times it seemed to me to be in front of the Duero.
USEFUL INFO
Transportation How to get to Manila?
We arrived by plane from Puerto Princesa. To get to the area Malate-Ermita We first took a bus at the exit of the airport that leaves at ESDA (it is a bus station), it costs 20 P. There, you get on the LRT by the stairs next to the McDonald’s and we got off at the Pedro Gil stop, it cost us 15 P. To return to the airport we took a taxi on Av. Roxas (they go faster) for 140 P., about 20 minutes.
Accommodation Where to sleep in Manila?
In this area there are several options, although all quite expensive. We stay in the Amazonia hotel, in Santa Mónica street number 470 for 765 P the night, room with fan, bathroom, wifi and TV. Although it was on top of a bar it was quite quiet, maybe some noise of heels at 3 in the morning something suspicious. In the area there are other GH with cheaper rooms but much more seedy.
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