After managing to eat breakfast in 31 degrees of heat, TC and I set off for a days excursion in Manila. I had learnt my lesson from last year when my heat swollen feet got ripped to shreds by my flip flops. So I had brought myself a pair of walking sandals instead - obviously they were raspberry pink! And to my surprise TC had brought the same, so they have now been re-named 'The Raspberries'! And suffice it to say, as I lie here on my bed after our day out in this busy polluted city, I am staring down at my swollen feet now suffering from 'Raspberry Blisters'! And feeling very sorry for myself!
We left the hotel around midday and headed straight for The Intramuros (NOT the intramural or Intravenous as I kept calling it?!)
Just south of The Intramuros is Rizal Park, which involves a beautiful walk through greenery and various statues scattered around. We were quite surprised to find that we had to pay a very small entrance fee to go into the park, but paid our dues without question only to find once past the gate that we had in fact paid to go into the children's play ground! And so after admiring the various themed slides, swings and climbing frames, we hurried back out and headed through the park and over to The National Museum of The Philippines, only to find that it and ALL the museums are closed on a Monday!! (This was turning into 'one of those days' again!!).
And so we continued to head on up towards The Intramuros, where surely there would be plenty to see.
The Intramuros is the walled area in the heart of the city built in the 1570's by the Spanish. Basically it is a walled city within the city. Inside of which can be found: St Agustin church, with its Baroque decor and troupe l'oeil murals and what seemed to be a mass wedding going on!
It was built between 1586 and 1606 and is the oldest stone church in The Philippines. It is pretty stunning inside, though I felt a bit conspicuous walking through in my three quarter length jeans and t shirt amongst the many women in their bright pink, or turquoise wedding style dresses. (Don't worry 'south London Geezer' I wasn't getting any ideas!)
Inside the walled city you can also find the 'Casa Manila': absolutely stunning replica of an 1850s mansion. The courtyard was being set up for the aforementioned wedding so TC and I just snuck around the hustle and bustle to look around the outside of the buildings, which was in fact four houses built together. We didn't manage to go inside to see what I can only imagine is stunning decor, nor did we see the 'double latrine' built for the husband and wife to gossip away from their servants whilst at the same time going about their 'daily business'?!?
Other famous structures found within the old walls is: Fort Santiago, in which can be found The Rizal Shrine and then there is The Manila Cathedral which has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times since it was originally built in 1581.
TC and I were taken around these famous landmarks within the walled city by a friendly Tuk Tuk driver called Rico. He showed us his official tour guide ID and told us that the tour takes 30 mins at 300 pesos. We thought that was a bargain. That was until at the end of the tour when he dropped us outside The Manila Hotel and proceeded to charge us 1200 pesos each claiming we had been with him for two hours and it was actually 300 pesos per person per half hour!! I was impressed with TC, she didn't do her Banshee rage thing like she had done so many times in India, instead, every time Rico spoke she just told him to 'shush' until he agreed, that we had been with him for under an hour and would pay him accordingly!
We hurried off the Tuk Tuk and headed inside The Manila Hotel, a stunning five star hotel which opened in 1912 for the best of the best in colonial times. Celebrities and politicians alike have stayed here and we were about to see why.
However, we got as far as the luxurious lobby lounge and had to rest our feet, then got drawn into having a cocktail - the height of decadence at 2 in the afternoon. And as I sat there sipping on my chocolate martini whilst my travel companion enjoyed her Mango Daquiri (which she kept insisting on pronouncing Dak-Kirri and couldn't understand why the waitress was having a problem understanding her), I sat back and tried to enjoy the comfort and tranquility around us, cause over the next few days, we will be experiencing quite the opposite - the Asian style loos and cold scoop showers!
A few hours later, having to have had some lunch to soak up the alcohol and managing not to get lost, we made it back to our hotel in time to relax a bit before meeting the group we are going to spend the next ten days with. As per usual I cannot remember everyone's names just yet. But it looks to be a good group consisting of a few of us Brits (all English), a couple of Kiwis, a handful of Aussies and two Americans.
Our tour leader Bryan took us out to a Local restaurant where there was to be some traditional dancing. I wasn't sure that I would stay awake long enough, jet lag was kicking in but I soon woke up when I realised that TC was pointing at me as one of the dancers came over and I was led onto the stage to do a bit of hopping between two moving bamboo canes without getting my ankles snapped! (Yes it was part of the dance). I wouldn't mind but I had my 'Raspberry Blisters' to contend with!
TC has now been warned that I will be seeking my revenge later in the week.
And so tomorrow the tour officially begins! We are leaving the hotel at 6:30am heading out on a ten hour coach ride to Banaue! (Pronounced Bana-wee).
Those of you that have followed my blog in previous years will know that I generally load my iPad up with a drama series to fill the time on the long coach journeys. This year it is a thriller called 'River', I have been assured by those who saw it back home on TV a few months ago, that it is excellent. Let's hope so!
And so until tomorrow, I shall pop my sleeping pill and bid you all goodnight!
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