Philippines

A trip from Palau to Australia shouldn’t take more than 15 hours, but for us, it took 34 hours.  When you book your flights on frequent flier miles, you take whatever options are available; you can’t be picky when you’re getting free trips.  This meant we flew from Palau to Guam to Manila to Bangkok to Melbourne.  With a 12hr layover in the Philippines, we ventured out into Manila, instead of waiting in the airport.

The city is a chaotic, huge place.  The streets are clogged with vehicles.  Free spaces are filled with makeshift markets selling all manner of crap.  There’s a dichotomy between the brand new skyscrapers and the squatters tents.

We walked through Rizal park, a large, green space with monuments to the nation’s heroes.  By, 11:30 am, however, the heat was unbearable, and we jumped in a pedicab.  Edward, our driver, took us around the Intramuros area, the old walled city.  Since Spain ruled the Philippines for three centuries, there is a distinctly Spanish feel to this area.

For a period of time, it actually felt like we were back in Spain, reminding us of the beginning of our trip, except everyone here spoke English better.  It’s funny how the trip has come full circle in that way.  The main highlights of the area included the San Agustin church, which is the country’s oldest church, the Manila Cathedral where Pope Francis said mass last year, and Fort Santiago.  The Fort was built in the 16th century, and has served as both fortress and prison over the centuries.

We covered only a tiny portion of this sprawling city, but that’s all we had time for during the layover.  We appreciated the chance to leave the airport during this long journey and get a taste of another culture.  The southern Philippine islands are meant to have great diving, so hopefully we will be able to return at some point, and explore the country in depth.

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Beer of Choice: San Miguel