Manila

map of Manila                 see my pictures in Manila

Fondest memory of Manila: Not exactly my fondest memory, but more an account of what I felt when I just arrived in New Manila International Airport( New MIA) . When I arrived at the airport I took a cab to the pension where I had booked my first night`s stay. I was quite unprepared for my 15 day stay in Manila. I had only booked for one night since I figured I would probably find a place to live soon enough. (Eventually I did). Anyway, as soon as I dropped my bags in my room I went outside to take walk and get to know the area. I was staying in the `nera airport area(at phillipines village hotel (1 of the best hotal in manila), a busy tourist hotal. My first impression of Manila was one of confusion. Upon seeing all the tall buildings, huge shopping malls, fastfood chains everywhere, English written newspapers and hearing the US-style radio DJ`s, I thought I had mistakenly took the plane to the other end of the US instead of Asia. Though the Philippines were under Spanish rule for almost 400 years, there are not many remains that can show this. I gues the Americans did a pretty good job at `Americanizing` everything when they followed up on the Spanish and stayed in the Philippines for about 50 years. Amazing what can happen in only 50 years compared to the 400 years before that...

Favorite Restaurant: for muslims there is very very few restaurant (There are too many to mention! I hate the tradtional Filipino restaurants where you can enjoy freshly prepared fish (milkfish, aahh!) and plates such as `Pork Adobo`(with plenty of garlic), `Roasted Lechon` (pork) and `Pangsit` (fried noodles, mostly eaten as merienda, a snack).
 

Activity: Visit the district called `Makati`. This is the business and most cosmopolitan area of Manila. Here you can find modern office buildings, deluxe hotels, great shopping, trendy clubs and international cuisine.

Nightlife Spot: Manila is a very lifely city and you will find that there is plenty to do in the evenings and nights. The tourist area of `Malate` is always busy as well as the clubs and bars in `Makati`. If you like live music performances: Manila is the place to be. I was abolutely surprised by the number of venues that offered live performances. And there`s plenty variety too. Whether you like jazz, rock, soul, country or any other type of music: you are likely to find a suitable spot. I enjoyed the nights out with my collegues and friends when we went to different clubs for performances of our favorite Filipino bands.
Unique Qualities: I loved the fact the the Filipinos consider food (munchies & snacks) part of a night out. There was no way we could go somewhere and just order drinks (pepsi only  lolz)without something to to munch to go with it :-)
 Location: `Zu`: Shangri-La Hotel, Ayala Avenue. Ayala Center, Makati tel. 816-4792

Off the Beaten Path: Not really off the beaten path, but just outside Manila is `Lake Taal`. It`s a lake with a small vulcano in the middle of it and it makes for a stunning view! If you visit in the weekends you`ll meet many Filipino families who take huge coolers with them, filled with food and drinks. Grandparents, parents and children spend all day outdoors, playing, talking, eating. Love it!

FACTS................

The 'Pearl of the Orient' in the quiet days of Spanish rule, Manila now lets its core of grit show. Manila is located on the west coast of the Philippine main island of Luzon and surrounded by fertile plains. The city straddles the delta of the Pasig River, a short navigable stream that connects the freshwater lake of Laguna de Bay with the huge natural harbour of Manila Bay and the South China Sea.

Originally Manila was a conglomeration of 17 towns and villages that were brought together under the regime of President Marcos in 1976. Metro Manila is the actual urban core, based around the colonial capital of Intramuros and the other districts of Ermita, Malate, Quipao, San Nicolas, Paco and Binondo. The 38.3 sq kilometres (15 sq miles) of urban sprawl extends to outlying towns and villages such as Quezon City, Pasay City, Pasig City and Makati City, the centre for business and much of the nightlife.

Historically, Manila Bay's topography and strategic location, between the Old World's silk and spices on the one side and the New World's silver on the other, favoured commerce and made the bay a natural magnet for maritime traders. The Chinese were the first foreigners to arrive and trade in the islands in 98AD but by the late fifteenth century, the restless Europeans had sent Ferdinand Magellan westward to the Philippines. He landed in 1521 and claimed the islands for Spain, which took over Manila (called Maynilad by early Muslim settlers) in 1571.

Despite a revolution and proclamation of independence, the Philippines fell to the United States following the 1898 collapse of the Spanish Empire. In 1935, the USA approved the Commonwealth of the Philippines, only for it to be crushed by the Japanese invasion in 1941. After a bitter rearguard action around Manila, the American and Philippine forces finally surrendered in 1942 but managed to recapture Manila two years later in a series of ferocious land and naval battles that left it ruined and depopulated.

The Filipinos gained independence in 1946 but following the 1965 election of Ferdinand Marcos, anti-government riots gave him the pretext to declare martial law in 1972, inaugurating perhaps the kitschest tyranny on record, ably assisted by his wife (and governor of Metro Manila), Imelda Marcos. The brutal absurdities of their regime continued until 1986, when 'People Power' and the defection of key supporters drove them into well-heeled exile. Subsequent democratic administrations have improved the image and politics of the Philippines, but not its economy.

Manila today is a sprawling chaotic agglomeration that exercises a disproportionate influence on the entire country and is a lesson in contrasts. The dichotomies of wealth and poverty are evident, with the palatial neighbourhoods around Makati contrasting with squatter camps along the river where the destitute scavenge to survive. So much of Manila still remains mired in the Third World, and democracy has brought little change as yet to the poor. The city's chaos also reflects the Philippines' cultural diversity: there are more than a hundred cultural minority groups living in the country.

Manila is an overpowering city and can certainly prove to be hectic if you are not prepared for it. A combination of the bustle of the traffic, noise, pollution, poverty and often-shabby infrastructure makes the city seem intimidating, but Manila's energy and the good humour of its people become infectious