manila

Manila is bigger than London, and has a wilder reputation too. They say it's Tokyo or New York from the third floor up, but Jakarta or Mumbai at street level. This seems a pretty fair assessment to me. Having spent the last two days wandering the streets, I've certainly seen some interesting scenes, but I've also felt the need throughout to keep checking for my wallet and camera.

On Sunday I wandered around Malate, the entertainment district. The area is very 'Americanised' and heaves with restaurants, and bars, and karaoke. After a bit of meandering I walked up, via Ermita, to Rizal Park and took in: the Jose Rizal Memorial, the Orchidarium, the Teodora Valencia Statue, the Chess Plaza, and a gigantic pond containing a three dimensional map of the Philippines. With some of the sights under my belt, I had an ice-cream outside the National Parade Ground, and slowly wandered home.

During the course of the day I saw thousands of fabulous Jeepney's, the eccentric form of Philippines public transport, and symbol of the nation. Went a bit overboard photographing them.

In the evening I attempted to go to a karaoke bar, but couldn't find anywhere that wasn't a front for prostitution and gave up in the end. I even asked a policeman to help me find a 'good' karaoke bar, only to have him enthusiastically take me to a local brothel, and try to collect commission from the doorstaff. 'Don't worry,' he said, 'the woman good in here.' I made my polite (he had a machine gun) excuses, and headed back to the Pension Natividad for an early night and to plan the next day.

On Monday I went to the Chinese Cemetery in Santa Cruz. It is odd. It is extremely odd. The Philippino/Chinese community in Manila bury their dead in style in tombs and mausoleums made of marble and gold, double the size of the small shacks inhabited by living Philippinos in the shanty town surrounding the cemetery. Some of the mausoleums are fitted with bathrooms, working showers, and flushing toilets. One has a mini-bar and television, and another - one of the most expensive - has an employed live-in caretaker. The families of the dead do not own these expensive tombs containing their loved ones. They lease them for twenty-five years at a time, and if you can't keep up with your payments the cherished relative is turfed out of the final resting place, and walled up in the perimeter wall of the cemetery. I'm not joking, that's really how it works.

After the cemetery I caught the train to Intramuros, the old walled city and Spanish area. Until it was flattened by the Americans in World War Two the area was the gem of Manila. A lot has since been restored to its former glory, and there is still plenty to see. I visited the Church of San Augustin, Manila Cathedral, and Fort Santiago (for many years the colonial military headquarters of Manila). At Fort Santiago I stumbled across the filming of 'Miss Earth 2006,' and annoyed the film crew by leaning into the back of one of the camera shots. Keep an eye out for me if this is ever on UK television.

I've seen what I want to in Manila so I'm heading north in an hour or so to Baguio, and then up to Sagada, to see the famous burial caves and hanging coffins. I'm not sure what internet access there will be in the north so I might not be able to blog for a few days.