Manila

It was three days until my vacation began and i hadn't decided where I wanted to go. I had planned on going to Guilin China but had waited too long to get my visa. I scoured the usual air sites and came across cheap flights to Vladivostok Russia, Bali Indonesia, and Osaka Japan. I really wanted to go to Russia, but I didn't have enough time for the visa again, so I decided to go to Osaka.

My vacation to Japan in February allowed us a brief glimpse of Osaka when we accidently got off of the bus at the wrong stop en route to Kyoto. It seemed really similar to Tokyo. I figured it would give me a chance to check out Hiroshima for a few days as well. I finally scrapped that idea because I was low on money and took a last minute cheap flight to The Phillipines. Sandra and i had different vacations, so she planned a trip with Shauna to the same country. She was already there when i paid for the tickets and started planning.

I checked the weather and it was supposed to rain the entire time I was there. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much from my trip. According to a few weather sites, Coron was supposed to get the least amount of rain. I really didn't want to go to the same exact place that Sandra had gone, but I figured that it would be my only chance to avoid a dismal vacation. I knew that we would visit again from Vietnam, so it wouldn't hurt to retrace her steps if Im going with her again anyway.

At the time I didn't realize what i was getting myself into. First of all, the average weather in ulsan was a dry 55 degrees farenheit. I said goodbye to the long cold Korean winter and hello to the most humid and disgusting 100 degree weather imaginable in Manila. I was already sweating through my shirt before i had even picked up my bag and was dying of thirst. I was hounded by taxi drivers on my way out of the airport, but I had heard enough horror stories to know that I needed to find a metered cab stand if i didn't want to pay for the ride in installments.

Soon enough i was on my way to Malate. I had read about drivers stealing bags from tourists, so i was a little uneasy when the driver popped the trunk and placed my back inside. He asked me what hotel i was staying in.

"Don't have one yet" I answered.

"No hotels left man" he countered, "The elections are tomorrow so the hostels and hotels are full."

I started to worry, but knew that I could just try a different part of the city for a room. Manila can't be entirely full. He stopped the car in front of a boarded up building and told me to get out of the car, and that he was taking me to a travel agency. My heart started pounding. I was sure that he was going to nab my bag. He walked me inside and introduced me to a young woman named Nal. She somehow knew that I needed a place to stay without him telling her. The driver left and got back in his car. I assumed that at any moment he would peel out with my passport, netbook, and camera in his trunk.

"The hotels are all full. Only way to get room is we find it." I knew she was lying, but I was scared that if I didn't succomb to buying a room, I wouldnt have anything but the shirt on my back. They found me a nice place with air conditioning. She gave me a price, but I didn't have a grasp on the currency yet, so I couldn't do the math in my head. I ended up paying 80$ USD for the night. I emailed the hotel later in the day and inquired about the same room. Apparently I could have paid the equivilent of 10$ for the same place.

The driver spent the rest of the time, talking about the election. He hoped that someday the country would get a good leader who cared about the people and did his best for his country. "They're all the same" he said. "A bunch of guys who try to reach in your pockets and steal all your money!" At that point, I knew exactly how he felt. When he dropped me off, he asked "Is this your first time in Manila?" When I told him that it was, he acted surprised. "I thought that you had been here before, man" he replied. What a liar. I was feeling really savvy for getting myself into this stupid situation.

When I'm back, I'll have a hotel booked in advance, or at least pretend thats the case. He stopped me on my way out. "Sorry, one more thing I gotta ask man... do you want girls?" I answered no, and he interjected "how bout' a boy." I shook my head and walked away.

The room was nice. I dropped my stuff off and took a quick shower. I turned on the t.v. to a channel where lonely people were trying to find love. "Man looking for boy 18 years old for one night and maybe more. Dinner included." I found HBO and they were playing Band Of Brothers. My room was nice and cool and I was extremely tired. I had to force myself to go explore the city in the heat.

My second impression of Manila was perhaps worse than my first. I was in search for a good place to eat. Korean Restaurant, Korean Restaurant, Korean Restaurant... where were the Phillipine places that i had heard so much about. On every corner I was faced with the same problem. Nude children with their ribs showing would come up to me with there palms out begging me for money. They looked like they had been working in a mine, as they were completely covered in soot. They didn't even have a rag on their body. Their shy mom would be watching from behind a dumpster. This coupled with the extreme heat and the smell of rotting garbage and pollution was overwelming. When I wasn't approached by naked starving children, I was harrassed by a pimp of sorts asking me if i needed a girl.

"Yo man! You need a lady?"

"No thanks."

"How bout two or three girls to walk with you and go to your hotel?"

"No"


"Boys?"

"No."

"I got 12 year old girls buddy!"

"NO!"

I kept worrying about my wallet and bag with my camera and computer. I hated manila. I just wanted to go. I suddenly understood culture shock. I walked back to my hotel dripping with sweat, with black marks under my nose from the pollution and bought a snickers bar to at least eat something. I had no appetite, but i choked it down anyway with a bottle of water because i hadn't eaten in 10 hours.


I calmed myself down and decided that i wasn't going to let manila get the best of me. I locked my camera and computer in my bag and set off again. Among the dozens of Korean restaurants, I managed to find a traditional place and ordered the Chicken Adobo. The food was delectible and the San Miguel went down like water. I felt great for the first time since i stepped off of the plane.

I set off again. It was getting cooler out and I came across a bar. It seemed completely packed when I walked in, until I realized that everyone in the restaurant were waitresses. There must have been five waitresses to every patron. I sat down at a table alone. It was an outdoor patio style bar with metal picnic tables. Some people smiled and waved and a watress gave me a San Miguel. The band began to play some metal and the guitar player rocked a 10 minute guitar solo. They weren't the most creative band, but the guitar player was incredible. They followed up their original with some requests. Soon enough "Nobody" by the Wonder Girls was being performed followed by some other random 90's hits.

I really liked the atmosphere, but the music was getting worse and worse. And all of a sudden, the singer asked me where i was from. The last thing I wanted to do, was draw attention to myself. I told him I was from America and lived in Chicago and he started chanting USA USA USA and screamed "I love America!!!" I was humiliated but I wasn't being hounded by pimps, so the night looking up a little bit. I finished my bucket of beer and decided to move on.

En route to the next place I was confronted with more people trying to get me to buy a prostitute, but i was in a much better mood and brushed it off. I wanted to get away from all of the pimps, so I ducked into the first bar I saw. Three girls immediatly pulled out a chair for me, and handed me a beer. One of the girls began to rub my shoulders. Once again, I was extremely uncomfortable. two girls struck up a conversation with me and the female bar tender joined in. "Want some girls?" they inquired. I was faced with the same uncomfortable situation everywhere i went. I said no dozens of times, and changed the subject a dozen times as well, and eventually they let their hair down and hung out with me.

I bought all four of them a beer and we had a real conversation for once. I talked about my family that i miss, my girlfriend, and I learned a lot about them. They were all in a very tough financial situation that seemed impossible to overcome. They had kids to take care of and bills to pay. My new friend explained "I worry that when I get old and lose my looks, i won't be able to make money anymore so i am saving." Eventually politics took over the conversation and they all voiced the same opinion that they were trapped. Education was too expensive. Every president had been corrupt as long as any of them could remember, and they didn't anticipate any change. They just accepted the eventual dimise of their country. It was really tough. I gave each of the girls a tip and made my way back to the hotel. I had to wake up at 4:30 a.m. and check out by 5:00 to make my flight and it was already past midnight.


Manila is a terrible and beautiful place. I never felt safe, there was so much begging and prostitution, and i couldn't trust the drivers, but deep down the people were great. the food was incredible too. I'll be back some day to give Manila another chance. This time I'll be ready.