Part 78: Street party....
It wasn't till I got back to Manila that I realised just how worn out and drained I was from Vietnam. As much as I absolutely loved the whole experience, it certainly took it out of me - I was on the go non stop.
That's exactly why coming back to Manila is so important, giving me that base to recoup before heading off again to my next destination. So for a few days it really was catching up on sleep and laying low. Which ironically, is almost impossible to do in a hostel like this one, such is the turn around of people, especially this week with a huge group of 'new age' travelling performers checking in; but it was good to be back nonetheless.
They were here in Manila for a large music & arts festival, that appeared to be another interesting mix of characters from all over the world.
The after party for the event was being hosted right outside the hostel with the street being closed off from traffic and everyone here was really looking forward to it - there was quite a build up to the night.
Celina, one of the hostel owners had arranged DJs and musicians along side the performers for one hell of a street party; so much for laying low then!
It went with out saying that most of the backpackers needed no invitation to fully take advantage of the free alcohol - myself included, and we were all soon shamelessly drunk.
We had unlimited alcoholic punch as well as wine and beer. It was quite a spectacle to see the street performers show of fire jugglers, martial arts and choreographed dance to a background of tribal beats.
The owners do a great job of making this place a hub for boutique travellers, who are into an alternative arty scene and thats one of the many reasons I love staying here - they are all so plugged in; its a very cool place to hang out.
Locals joined in the fun as quite a large crowd gathered until eventually the police shut us down. They will only tell you once here and despite most of us being a bit worse for wear, no one argued with them at all.
We moved the party inside the hostel and a group of Norwegian lads invited me to share a bottle of whiskey with them, which we quickly finished off. Other than remembering us all singing Norwegian songs, the next thing I recall was waking up face down fully clothed, with my shoes and sunglasses still on, in my bed the following day! with absolutely no recollection of what happened or how I got there!
I spent most of the day with the hangover from hell, much like the rest of the hostel; well apart from the Norwegian guys who were chirpy and didn't look anything like the rest of us - they found it rather amusing.
Slowly but surely I felt better, finally leaving the comfort of my bed and darkened dorm. I got talking to an English couple later who were mid way round travelling the world, and asked me for some advice on visa extension in the Philippines, so I ended up helping them both out with all the information and advice I had.
Then later that evening we ordered a 40inch pizza!! So big it didn't fit through the door.
I kid you not it was cheaper than a regular one in the UK and had a total of 70 slices!. Despite sharing it with the other travellers in the dorm, there was still some left over; it was huge!!!.
Chilling at the hostel watching movies, in the comfy sofas and eating pizza was a perfect way to fully cure a hangover.
A few days later my new English friends invited me to Moa bay in Pasay city for food and drinks. Its a great place to hang out early evening, strolling the promenade which is littered with restaurants shops, cafes bars, and home of the 3rd largest mall in Asia!. They had everything here, and it was even busier than usual, especially since it was a national holiday.
We found a great live blues bar right on the sea front to watch the sunset, and with the music, the vibe was perfect.
I was just thinking how great Manila is and how comfortable I was here, how it felt like my home; then suddenly from nowhere, chaos broke out! People were screaming, stampeding towards us, leaping over tables and chairs! it was absolute pandemonium and the level of panic was frightening!!
For a split second I thought it was a tsunami such was the sheer state of hysteria!! People were pushing past each other, scrambling for safety with several falling over, fearing for their lives, us included!!
I cannot lie this was seriously scary, especially since we had absolutely no idea what was happening.
Whilst we almost froze, with everything in slow motion, a burly chap grabbed me and my two friends, pulling us inside the restaurant, locking the doors behind us. Turns out he was an off duty fireman.
'Stay away from the windows and get back' he said.
The chaos and panicking continued for several minutes before pieces of information eventually started filtering out that there had been a gun fight between an armed gang and police!! An ice cream vendor had been shot!! We were all really shook up as it happened just yards from us.
The gang had just shot and smashed their way into a jewellery shop and shot their way back out, before waves of police commandos in bullet proof vests and helmets, armed with assault rifles stormed the Mall of Asia.
Hundreds of frightened shoppers, waiters and store clerks ran for dear life amid gunfire toward the exits - I was so shocked!
It took quite a while for order to be restored whilst we waited in the safety of the restaurant with its shutters pulled down.
The fireman was doing his best to reassure us by telling us to stay put, but it was an anxious wait to see what damage was done, and if any one had been killed.
You always wonder why there are literally hundreds of armed guards everywhere on the streets, and by armed, I mean machine guns automatic rifles, and shot guns; well this is the exact reason why.
Obviously I was still shook up, especially when the information that eventually came out, was that all but one of the gang had escaped and were still on the loose.
We stayed put in the restaurant for a few hours, doing our best to relax and drink a few beers, till eventually we decided to leave and get a taxi back to the hostel where we discovered the incident had made the news.
It was the notorious 'Martilyo' gang who have a reputation here for having struck other malls previously.
This latest incident was nearly a year to the day when a dead body was found in the septic tank of my old apartment in Paranaque, and I thought that was bad enough, but being caught up in this was far more of an ordeal.
The local people who I talk to are quite embarrassed about it but its a reminder that things like this sometimes happen although they are extremely rare in places like Moa bay or Makati, such is the extent of the security. It was clearly an ambitious heist attempt by the gang.
I noticed the security had been beefed up dramatically over the next week or so with an even heavier police presence and more stringent security checks in and around Makati.
In many ways it's quite reassuring not only to have armed guards everywhere but knowing they are actually experienced in dealing with potentially serious situations on the spot. Don't be fooled by their open friendly smiling nature. These guys are well trained.
No sooner had I settled back in Manila, it was time for my next adventure. My sister and dear friend Lindsay were flying to Thailand, so I decided to head there and meet them, this time to explore the west coast and I couldn't wait.
Travel day was upon me and the now common ritual of preparing was second nature to me.
Passport; check. Ticket printout; check. Currency; check. Airport tax; check and lastly, backpack; check.
I was good to go and on my way to the airport.
Next stop, Bangkok.....