Blogs from Manila, Philippines, Asia - page 6

I’ve been in Manila a few days now. I planned to write a blog each day I was here, and, well, how about I make that a New Year’s Resolution? Because I’ve clearly been failing. Moving on though! To sum up my first few days here, I’d say that I’ve just been going with the flow, tagging along with people wherever I can – and there’s no shortage of people to tag along with, maybe that’s in part due to Filipino hospitality and me also just being lucky. Karaoke: check. Late night bars drinking multiple nights in a row: check. Various Filipino cuisines, most of which I’m trying for the first time: check. You’d be hard pressed believing that I actually came here for humanitarian purposes. I guess this was the holiday portion of my trip. ... read more

I've been in Manila now for a while and have decided put a few thoughts down about this city. I quite enjoyed being here at first, especially when in the Makati area. That is the main business district, so things tend to be a bit nicer. My favourite part of Makati is Greenbelt and the malls next to it. Greenbelt itself is a row of restaurants and shops around a very nice tropical garden. It is somewhat of an oasis away from the concrete jungle outside. Next to it there are more malls including Landmark, Glorietta and SM Mall. It is a very handy place to shop or just go for a bite to eat. Recently we have been staying in Mandaluyong which is the next town over. Actually it is its own city but the ... read more

A travel adventure to the Philippines is never complete without jumping on one of their traditional public transport vehicles – theJeepney. The price of each Jeepney ride differs depending on your origin and destination, but for most basic connections it is a mere 8 Filipino peso. Unlike other modes of public transportation, the payment system is quite unique for first timers. Here are the steps you should follow in order to pay for a Jeepney ride in the Philippines. 1- Step onto the back of the Jeepney and choose a space on the long bench seat to sit on. Shout the name of your destination to the driver to confirm. The route is also usually painted on the side of the jeep. The final destination is displayed on the windshield. 2- As the Jeepney carries on ... read more

Jose P. Rizal may sound like a South American rapper, but the Filipino Doctor-Poet has a park dedicated to him in the centre of the Philippines' capital, Manila, and has a garden to commemorate his execution. I knew very little (read: nothing) of the history of the Philippines. A collection of islands that were united and subjugated by the Spanish in 1565, and named after their reigning monarch, Phillip II. Jose P Rizal comes in at the end of the Colonial Philippines. He was born in Calamba, Laguna (some thirty miles south of Manila), to a wealthy family. His ancestors were a mix of Filipino, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese, the most notable of whom were Chinese merchants and entrepreneurs. At an early age, Rizal and his brother were already annoying the aurthorities with their political ideas ... read more

Coucou tout le monde ! Comme vous aurez pu le constater, le dernier blog était vraiment long. Je vais essayer de faire un peu plus court pour les prochains et en contrepartie de poster plus régulièrement. Je crois que maintenant que l'Australie est derrière moi et qu'il ne me reste plus qu'à traverser pays après pays, sans taffer, je vais en prendre plein les mirettes absolument toute les semaines... Maintenant que l'introduction est faite, venons au vif du sujet ! Après Bali, les Philippines ! Je quitte une île bien touristique, pour 7000 îles beaucoup moins gangrenées par ces petits être occidentaux que nous sommes ! C'est promis, je vais essayer de toute les faire. Si je n'y arrive pas, je vous paierai un coup en rentrant :) Vous voulez le slogan du pays ? OK, ... read more