Manila Phillippines 3/24/24

March 25, 2024

Manila Phillippines

Magandang araw and welcome to Manila! This city was considered the most beautiful in Asia until World War II when it became the second most destroyed city of the war. It is a city that seamlessly weaves together its past and present. Thankfully the oldest district in Manila, Intramuros, has been lovingly restored so that sights such as Fort Santiago, Casa Manila, and the amazingly unscathed San Agustin Church can be enjoyed. This “Walled City” area also contains the Manila Cathedral, version 6.0, and we saw all these locales by horse drawn carriage. We did not have time to visit the Coconut Palace, famous guesthouse built by the infamous Imelda Marcos, which would have been interesting.

We started our day driving along the scenic Roxas Boulevard, which is he heartbeat of the city before we headed ti the Mall of Asia. It is incredibly huge, makes the Mall of America pale in comparison. Someone said it is the largest mall in Asia, and I can believe that it was a hopping place. On to the barbershop for Mickey and a hair salon for me where we both got much needed haircuts. Both got great cuts and we spent a total of $11 for them.... amazing. We also found a DQ so had to get a blizzard...did a bit more shopping to pick up some necessities then headed to the Intramuros (the Walled City) for some leisurely sightseeing. We were in the city for Palm Sunday so fortunately the Cathedral was open, and we were able to go inside to admire the architecture. We then picked up our horse drawn buggy ride to visit all the sights - good thing, as it was 93 degrees and quite humid that day. The San Agustin Church is the oldest church in Manilla, and as stated above, remarkable that it came through the war basically unscathed. Someone from above was watching out for it. The city itself reminded us of Havana in the architectures and layout of the area. Lots of folks (tourists) and a fair number of locals. Our guide and his son were wonderful in taking us around and explaining the significance of the area and buildings. Our little guy guided us through each stop and was our picture taker throughout the day, so very few selfies here. Relics from the Spanish Conquistadors remain as a testament to bygone eras.

Once our tour ended, we headed back to Barbara's, a wonderful restaurant and bar to sip a cocktail and take a break from the heat. If we did not already have dinner plans, we would have enjoyed having a meal there, very historic and gives a glimpse of times past.

And then, on to the grand finale of our day - the Sofitel hotel to enjoy their dinner buffet. Fellow passengers on the ship told us how fabulous it was and invited us to join them for dinner. Unfortunately, John caught a viral stomach bug and he and Mary Ann were not able to go (they had been planning this for 2 years), but Charles and Sheila and Mickey and I decided to head there. It did not disappoint - there are 21 serving stations, a truly international smorgasbord. The experience was well worth it, with the food being astonishingly good. The cheeses had their own separate room - size of a large bedroom, and every imaginable type of cheese available. Heaven. Mickey was impressed that they had three different lobster stations, all prepared in a different manner. He was in heaven... you will see lots of pictures from that culinary experience. After filling up to the max - hard to stop tasting - we headed back to the ship for another folkloric show highlighting the Phillipines dances - probably the best one we have seen so far. A very long day but so satisfying from a city that blends past and present so beautifully.

Tomorrow, we head to Subic Day.

Manilla as the day goes on...