Welcome to the USA
Filipino facts;
Made up of over 7,000 islands
Under Spanish rule/occupancy from 1521-1928
Local currency: Philippine Peso (about 66 peso to £1)
National transport; Jeepneys (converted jeeps from world war 2, with an extended body to seat passengers)
Manila is home to around 20 million people, the area is vast so there's only really a chance to see a small piece of it.
We have been staying in Intramuros - a walled city that used to be the Spanish capital, built in 1571.
Breakfast; Chicken Agodo (the national dish, slightly sweet and almost certainly contains Oyster sauce) and Beef Tapa (cured meet, like a sweeter version of biltong) and rice!
We then ventured out for our first look at Intramuros in daylight. Met by floods of children/young adults heading to the schools and universities, even the uni students are in uniform. 7Elevens provide essentials on most street corners.
Instantly we were under constant request to take a tour with the local tricycle drivers, these bikes have a carriage mounted on the side to carry you around on. We declined for the time being and headed to the Manila Cathedral, large signs still up welcoming the Pope who was here a few weeks ago. It has been destroyed and rebuilt 8 times (both from wars and natural disasters). It seems the Filipinos are very resilient people, most of the buildings and information we read today had similar stories of being destroyed and then replaced. It was also here that we were reacquainted with local celebrity status as we were asked to pose for a photograph with one Asian tourist. I had forgotten this might happen, so I've vowed to ask for a reciprocal picture back on any future occurrences on this trip!
We were asked by a handful more tricycle drivers to join them on their tours. One man spotted us making a wrong turn, heading towards the outside of the walled city and pointed out to us that we were going the wrong way and maybe he should take us around. I was sold when he highlighted his carriage was air conditioned (moving his hands through the empty space to symbolise the air flowing through!). Apparently free wi-fi will be onboard next year!
The driver Orlando was 25, lived in the walled city and had a wife and two kids. His English was very good, which he picked up from watching movies with subtitles, and armed with a dictionary to figure out what certain words meant. I was a bit concerned how much information we might pick up from this tour but Orlando was full of information at each site.
We went past the monuments of previous presidents, to the edge of the walled city which is close to the bay of Manila and was a strategic defence point during conflicts. It also looks out to the Manila bay hotel which is where Michael Jackson hung his baby out the window. Tour continued past the oldest church in Manila and up to Fort Santiago. Orlando then offered to take us up to where he lived, calling it the USA (United Squatters Area). It was a collection of many dwellings, crammed in and stacked onto of each other. He explained there was enough room to sleep, the bathroom was a communal area down the way, along with a courtyard where they would cook and socialise. The area they had to sleep in was very small, with 3 places on the ground and 2 upstairs, although Orlando and his family lived upstairs, you would still wonder what the impact of floods, typhoons and earthquakes might be. I will keep this as a good reminder for when I think I don't have enough space on my flat back home. His monthly rent is 3,000 peso £45. He rents the Tricycle as to buy is 6,000 (£90).
Lunch was at some street food stalls built into the side of the walled city, they used to be prisons. Not sure what I exactly had but the first dish was like a cross between an Asian sausage roll and a pork bun, the second similar to a pork sweet and sour sauce. Obligatory bowl of rice on the side, all for 50 peso (£0.75).
After lunch and a quick rest we headed back out to the edge of the walled city, entered some garden space then led up to another fort. Orlando said earlier that the Japanese used it as a prison, but when it flooded the prisoners risked being drowned or shot at if they tried to escape. Next to a golf course things are very different these days but you still risk injury from wayward golf balls. We also took a look around the oldest church museum (San Augustin). On the walk over we were mobbed by a group of 10 or so young children, who wanted a chance to say hello, and ask our names! Also another observation was the street light poles were panted in bands of green, yellow and red. This is a indication to the flood water levels and when an area is not passable.
We decided to take dinner at a place we passed during the day, setup by a nun and employing disabled people. I sampled Bicol Express (a national dish usually pork but I had tuna, that is salty and contains fish sauce, coconut milk and chillies. I've probably found my first dish to create back home). You can't take the Italian out of Italy though as Tash had chicken and spaghetti!
The busy streets we went past in the day were deserted when we walked back through at 9pm.
Bowls of rice consumed: 4
Selfie sticks seen: 3 too many
Trips to 7Eleven: 3