Chicken and Beer and Friends. Manila.

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To leave Hong Kong, we ended up taking the metro to the airport instead of the bus. It was more expensive, but it was fast, and we were running a bit short on time so we didn't want to gamble on running into any unexpected traffic on the road.

The Hong Kong airport is really nice. Very modern, open, and bright. It's also pretty huge. After checking in for our flight, we grabbed breakfast and coffee, and then waited by the gate with a large crowd of Filipino's returning home before the holidays.

A huge line started to form at the gate as our plane was about to board, and we noticed something different from all the other pre-boarding lines we'd ever been in at airports... People were actually happy. People were talking to each other, laughing, and smiling. Airports are not supposed to be cheerful places, and usually it's almost silent as people shuffle forward, and maybe feeling frustrated at why the line's not moving faster, and “is the plane going to leave on time,” and “am I going to make my connection.” It may be the holiday season that has people feeling more loose and relaxed, but I think we're just getting our first taste of the warmth of the Filipino culture.

The buzz continued on the plane. It was a short two hour flight to Manila, and it was unlike any other flight I've ever taken for a few reasons. There was tons of legroom and they fed us a hot lunch. The Philippines Airlines safety video was practically slapstick comedy and had everybody chuckling along. A big departure from the no-frills serious-faced North American service we are used to.

For in-flight entertainment, the plane didn't have the individual screens in the backs of the seats like many newer planes do, and instead there were several screens that everyone got to watch together. And we all watched some Just for Laughs gags, which must be one of our nations top exports at this point. Not that it's the funniest show ever, but it's universally understood as there's no dialogue to translate. It definitely had everyone laughing.

Just the general atmosphere of that flight was unique. People are just so happy and friendly. It's a big switch form Hong Kong, where people are all business.

Landing in Manila we had a long lines at customs, got our bags, and met a traveler from Germany. Chris had a couple of days in Manila before a diving trip he was going on with some friends. None of us had booked a hostel, but we were considering staying at the same ones, so we decided to share a taxi from the airport.

We took a registered airport taxi from the airport. It's more expensive than a metered taxi, but you avoid the chance of getting ripped off. But in our experience, the drivers are just as crazy.

And Manila has crazy crazy drivers, and he was even crazier than most. There was a lot more weaving from one lane to another, and a couple of right turns from the second lane. Traffic is so dense that I'm not sure what it gained. It was pretty much gridlock, and traffic moves really slow. It's close quarters, and drivers are not shy about getting within a foot (or much less in many cases) of each other. Motorcycles driver up the middle of lanes, which is pretty risky when you consider the constant lane changing of other vehicles.

But we got there in one piece, no accidents, and found the hostel in the Malate neighbourhood. They had room for all of us so we checked in, and thankfully they have air conditioning.

Man it's hot here. Really hot. And humid. It was -30C when we left Edmonton a few days ago, and it's +30C here. That's going to take some getting used to.

Vanessa and I went for a stroll and went for a walk to the sea wall. You really have to be careful when walking on the streets here. Cars have the right of way it seems. You just have to wait until there's a break and go. And cars are often parked on sidewalk so you have to walk into the street to go around. There's not much for stop signs or traffic lights, and they mostly get ignored.

I really don't understand how traffic works here yet, but I'm starting to understand two things: There's a lot of it at all times, and if you can drive in Manila, you can drive anywhere.

There was a bazaar on the sea wall and the sun was setting. People were out jogging (impressive in this humidity). We walked past the enormous US embassy with lots of security. There was a crowd of police officers out front just hanging out. There was probably two hundred of them. Not sure why there were there.

And the police here are just as nice as everybody else. And pretty laid back. We've seen them on their phones texting friends or joking around with their colleagues in public. Every building and restaurant has a security guard it seems, and they mostly just sit and text.

We walked to Rizal park which was hosting a Christmas bazaar. There was also a giant water fountain in the park, and the put on a show with lights and music. It was like a Disneyland type fountain, but maybe actually more impressive. We walked around the market and bought food from the vendors for dinner. It was very cheap. About a dollar per item, or less. And of course we grabbed some ice cream.

Back at the hostel we chatted with a guy from Montreal and met Michael who grew up in Canada and the US, went to the U of T, and now lives and works in Shanghai.

Together with Michael and Chris, the four of us went to find a bar to sit in and have a couple of drinks. We found a place called Chicken and Beer, a brand new Korean restaurant. There were having a soft opening and gave us free food. And it was very good, with some spice. We drank some beers, and some soju, and we talked.

We ended up getting on the topic economics and why it seems tropical countries lag behind their more northern counterparts. Chris (who studies business) pointed out that northern climates have always had to plan ahead agriculturally, so economically these countries also plan ahead. Warm countries traditionally have the luxury of having ready access to food regardless of the season, so there's not as much incentive to do more than what's necessary to get by for just the day. It's an interesting theory, for sure.

After our fill of chicken and beer, we went to outdoor bar on the street just out front of hostel, and ordered a “bucket of beer” which was four bottles on ice... in a bucket. Snack vendors just come through and offer you spiced nuts and pork rinds. They're not affiliated with the bar in any way, but they are not unwelcome. So you can always buy bar snacks if you need them.

Finally, we made the short walk back to hostel very drunk and tired.

I slept in and was definitely not feeling well. It was a very slow morning, but I managed to eat a little breakfast.

Our original plan was to leave Manila right away, but given my (self-inflicted) condition, we weren't going to make it anywhere. So we extended our stay by a night, watched the Matrix 3 on the TV in the hostel lounge, and I napped on the couch for an hour.

When I came to, we got lunch/all day breakfast at cafe nearby, and it was just what the doctor ordered. Well, that and an afternoon nap. And a shower. And we did laundry.

So it wasn't until around dinner time that I was back in commission, and Michael and Chris joined us for a trip to the seawall to grab some food. We had Filipino barbecue, purchasing various skewers of meat and vegetables from the street vendors, and they cooked it up for us.

Afterwards we went to an arabic bar for Moroccan tea and shisha before heading back to the hostel to play some Monopoly. It didn't go well for Vanessa and I, and Michael won easily. A shrewd businessman, that guy is.

And that was our time in Manila. Manila has a reputation of being big, crowded, dirty, smoggy, noisy, a little bit dodgy, and lacking in tourist sights. And it is all of those things, but it's not like it's a wasteland without redeeming qualities. Our plan was just to get in and get out, but we actually liked it better than that. Now, there's really not much here to see as a tourist, it's true, but there's an energy in the city that we're glad we experienced. Even for a big city, people are friendly. The Christmas festival atmosphere didn't hurt it one bit either.

But I'm sure the noise, pollution, and traffic would get on our nerves before too long, and we'd run out of things to do, so I'm not sure I'd spend more than a couple of days in Manila anyway. Plus, there's much more to the Philippines, and that's where our time will be better spent. We're heading straight to the coast to get our first taste of some beach time!

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Photos

Gridlock.
All. The. Time.

Bucket O Beer O'Clock
Chris moved. He has a face.

A Urinal With No Plumbing
Is Pretty Much Not Helpful At All

Jeepney
1 of a million