imelda marcos sends her regards

I sat on the Philippine Airlines plane, listening to 'Last Christmas' by George Michael, which was playing out on the cabin speakers as passengers boarded. It was the first of a number of Christmas classics which were to follow, including: 'White Christmas' and 'Rocking Around The Christmas Tree.' I looked out of the window at the tropical landscape. I could feel the thirty plus heat. I re-confirmed in my mind that it was only early November.

I then opened my Lonely Planet. The section on the Philippines. I began reading about the local faith healers with bouffants to rival any of Little Richard's wilder hair pieces, about Imelda Marcos and her gargantuan shoe collection, about the seriousness of karaoke (a matter of life and death it would seem), and how, if you ever need to go to a police station to report a crime, you should take off your watch before you go or you'll leave without it.

All the subtle indicators were there; I was going somewhere very different, and gloriously strange.

The flight was good. It's very funny to think that, other than flying from London to Bangkok, it's been the longest single journey I've made on this trip (over one thousand and three hundred miles) and yet it's been the shortest time-wise (two hours and fifty minutes) and by far the most comfortable.

I don't have too many first impressions of Manila yet, as I've only really seen the airport, my hotel, and this internet cafe. I'm staying at the Pension Natividad (Room 5) in the Malate area. It's the cheapest hotel in my guide book, but it's still a lot more expensive - for what you get - than anything I encountered in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, or Laos. It's a nice hotel though, built in an art-deco style, and my room is very comfortable.

You'll hear more from me as I get the chance to look around, but for now did you know that seventy percent of tourists who visit this country are men on their own? I fit this demographic, but hopefully I won't be mirroring their behaviour. Also, after the US and the UK, the Philippines is the country where English is most spoken. Not that all Philippinos are all speaking it here, because a whopping ten percent of the population is abroad at work. Here are a few more facts about the Philippines:

Full name: Republic of the Philippines
Population: 82.8 million (UN, 2005)
Number of islands in the archipeligo: over 7000

Capital: Manila
Area: 300,000 sq km (115,831 sq miles)
Major languages: Filipino, English (both official)
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 72 years (women) (UN)

Birth rate: highest in Asia
Monetary unit: 1 Philippine peso = 100 centavos
Main exports: Electrical machinery, clothing, food and live animals, chemicals, timber products
GNI per capita: US $1,300 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .ph
International dialling code: +63