Manilla, Philippines 

I was wide awake at 2 am - I guess I am experiencing jet lag!  First thing I did was book a bus to Banaue which leaves at 10:15 tonight.  Banaue is where the rice terraces are in the north and I will move onto Sagada tomorrow afternoon.  I’m not looking forward to an overnight bus but there is no other option so…

After a very good breakfast, I walked to the ferry to try to get a ride to Intramurros, the historic part of Manila.  I had to take a shuttle to the other side-

Unfortunately it was full until 10:30 so instead I caught a jeepney , transferred then transferred again.  Luckily lots of people speak English and are very helpful.  

Intramurros is pretty lame compared to most cities this size and age however sign after sign explained - here stood ___________ destroyed in WWII.  I had no idea but had also never thought about it-

There are also empty lots where buildings used to be-

There’s a very sad monument-

This is the seventh Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral.  Previous ones were either destroyed by fire, typhoons, earthquakes or bombs.  Catholics are resilient!  Because this one was built in the late 40s and early 50s, it’s not very interesting-

Kind of a funny sign in a church-

Further down the street is San Agustin church-

where a baptism was happening- and other families were waiting outside for their turn-

The wall surrounding the old city still stands-

Intramuros is a few restaurants, schools, a couple churches and homes-

Mangoes are processed in the building I liked the most-

It’s not really worth visiting but… right beside it is the Intramuros Golf Course-

It costs about $40 a round and quite a few were playing.  A caddy is required.  I visited the pro shop and it’s about the size of my bedroom.  The grass is that thick bladed stuff that doesn’t really grow but is heat and drought resistant.

Fort Santiago is also in this area.  It was occupied by the Spanish and lastly by the Japanese.  A moat surrounds it-

The entrance-

There’s a dungeon-

where during the Spanish reign they used iron shoes to crush the bones of the feet, thumbscrews to dislocate joints in the hands, forehead screws were used to put pressure on the sides of the skull and lead weights were used to crush the chest and abdomen-

There are also pictures of the city at the end of WWII.  100,000 people were killed in one month during the Japanese invasion-

After Manila was liberated in 1945, the US army discovered 600 decomposing corpses.  They died from suffocation and heat exhaustion.  They were buried in a mass grave below the white cross-

It’s also where José Rizal was imprisoned and eventually killed for being a traitor.  Today he’s a national hero.  He was killed by a firing squad in this room-

There’s a museum honouring him and a garden-

The American barracks were also destroyed in the war-

On a more positive note, there’s a Lego display of historic buildings-

The Pasig River meanders through Manila-

Afterwards I went to Chinatown, the oldest in the world outside of China.  It was established in 1594 by the Spaniards as a settlement for Catholic Chinese-

It was very busy.

Kumquats-

What?

Lucky red-

I went for lunch at Wai Yang Fastfood which isn’t fastfood as we know it.  I had to wait outside about an hour before a table was available.  The cutlery arrived in a glass of hot water-

I had roast duck with abodo sauce-

Fried dumplings with fish sauce and very hot chilis-

and for dessert buchi balls-

It was good but not exceptional.  I think some of the best Chinese I’ve ever had was in Winnipeg when Nico was sick.

I tried to come home on the ferry but it was full so took a couple jeepneys.  It took an hour to get back to the ZHostel where I have new roommates- no one stays too long.  But before I got here I stopped at Saint Peter and Paul Church which was also constructed a few times with the most recent in 1849-

There’s a black Jesus-

I had a shower and am ready to take a Grab to the bus depot for my 10:15 departure to Banaue.  Hope I can sleep!