22nd Nov – Manila, Philippines.
After a relaxing sea day we headed into Manila. And Manila was AMAZING! We were there on a Sunday, excellent, as Manila has one of the worst traffic problems in the world, so off we headed on our private tour.
Paco Park, was previously a cemetery and included the graves of Filipino priests Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez and Jacinto Zamora, who were executed by the Spanish authorities in 1872 for their alleged role in the 1872 Cavite mutiny. And of Philippine national hero Dr. José P. Rizal was buried at Paco Park after his execution at Bagumbayan by the Spanish. In WW11 the Japanese used it as an ammunition depot. The gardens were amazing.
The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. 17,206 graves – the largest number of graves of any cemetery for U.S. personnel killed during World War II and holds war dead from the Philippines and other allied nations.
Then the nearby slum area. There are tours of the slums with some funds going to the local.
On the way out of town we stopped for ‘Extreme Fish Feeding’. What could this be?
It was a small lake stocked with Koi fish. About 400mm long. Thousands of them.
They swarmed on top of each other climbing out of the water to get to the food we bought to throw in for them. Almost disgusting!
Jeepneys – are converted WW11 jeeps. They are now used as local public transport and of course for tourist rides. There is huge pride (and competition) in the decorating of them. They are also used for other kinds of transport!
We then headed up the mountain towards Tagaytay. It is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations because of its amazing scenery and cooler climate. Tagaytay overlooks Taal Lake and the caldera of Taal Volcano in the middle of the lake.
No. Not Santorini.
And all of the things you would expect. All the furniture makers were there. Fruit markets, tourist shops. Pineapple plantations.
Lunch was in Tagaytay and was sensational. We sat in a little hut – in the shade, with a breeze drifting though and ate amazing food.
The tempura water spinach was amazing.
A two man band came and serenaded us. The singer was amazing. The perfect mimic. He sounded like Robbie Williams, then like John Denver, then like John Lennon, then like U2. Amazing.
Spanish Old Town.
Intramuros – is the old and historic walled city of Manila. Built by the Spanish it was the original capital of The Philippines and is now on the Historic Register.
Cigarettes are not sold by the packet. By the cigarette.
So many stunning buildings.
Loved Manila.
Next tab – Puerto Princesa