Experiencing Manila (Philippines)
I was recently lucky enough to travel to the Philippines on business. Being a personal blog I’m not going to discuss the business aspect of this trip here which sadly leaves very little. Originally I was hoping Sharon would join me when my work was complete, and that we’d leave Manila and head off to the many stunning islands the Philippines are famous for. Sharon was however 5 months pregnant, and the Philippines were in the middle of a heated election, so in the end we sighed deeply and decided to leave it as just a business trip.
We (my team and I) arrived in Manila in the dark which meant I saw very little of the city during the 30 minute drive from the airport to the hotel. The airport itself was an eye opening and definitely very third world. As we left the arrivals lounge we were treated with masses of people waiting for family and friends, pressed up against a glass wall and watching us as if we were fish in an aquarium.
Our hotel, the Peninsula, was beautiful and definitely worthy of it’s 5 star rating. They checked us in quickly and efficiently, and we were soon down at the hotel’s bar enjoying an ice cold, local beer (a San Miguel) – which was surprisingly good. Other than that our first night was quiet and I was in bed at around midnight, hoping not to suffer too badly from jet lag.
The next day I was up early (considering my lack of sleep and the 24 hours I’d spent on planes travelling) and took to the streets for a jog. I’ve always said there’s no better way to see a new city than on foot, and this was certainly true of Manilla. It was already 30+ degrees (at 8am), and the air was thick and smoggy. The streets were busy with both foot traffic and vehicles – cars, taxis, and bikes. In fact the traffic was so thick that there was barely any movement. Despite having robots at intersections, they were also backed up with policemen guiding vehicles as it appeared to be a free for all.
The local Jeep taxis (commonly known as Jeepneys) immediately caught my attention in their variety of bright colours and spectacular designs. They were not unlike our local South African taxis, with people crammed into the backs shoulder to shoulder, and on each other’s laps. They seemed equally as oblivious to the rules of the road although, in this case, so were the rest of the drivers. Even working traffic lights had points-men, and there were traffic officers every 100 meters. It was chaotic.
Another thing I noticed on my run through the streets and the local park (Ayala Triangle Gardens) was the high level of security. Every building I passed had armed guards searching everything and everyone that moved towards it (or in it’s vicinity). Mirrors were held under cars to search for bombs, leaving me feeling like I was in a James Bond movie. Shopping malls and office parks were the same, and we were searched every time we entered or exited a building. In fact in one building we were forced to leave our passports which left me feeling rather anxious.
I’m not sure to what extent the security was due to the elections, or just general day-to-day living in Manila. That said I can say for certain that tensions were high which definitely added to the situation.
After a few hot and smoggy kilometers I arrived back at the hotel from my run. I was amazed when they immediately pulled me aside and gave me a small towel and a bottle of water. Funnily enough the water was at room temperature (so 35 degrees) as opposed to ice cold, but it was greatly welcomed none the less. What amazing service!
Back to our hotel – we stayed at the Peninsula hotel which was simply amazing. There were 4 restaurants, a cigar lounge and bar, a night club, spa, swimming pool, gym and more. The rooms were equally as beautiful with massive beds, 3 layers of curtains which cured jet lag, pulsating showers, baths, robes, slippers, mini bars, TVs, and a fruit display that I was convinced was wax since it was so perfect.
Perhaps the only downside of the hotel was the live orchestra which played in the lobby. Upon arrival this truly amazed me as I enjoyed an instrumental version of “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. This however quickly grew old as I listened to the same 5 songs (okay, maybe there were a few more) continuously repeated over the week.
I only managed to eat at 2 of the restaurants during my stay. My preference was the Lobby restaurant in the foyer which was the most relaxed and informal of the restaurants. It also ran 24 hours which amazingly we made use of (eating breakfast at 2am the one morning). They also served an amazing chicken and sesame salad, as well as burgers, club sandwiches, light breakfasts and dinners.
The Spices restaurant was more locally themed and severed dishes from throughout Asia. What I really enjoyed about this restaurant was that it labeled the country of origin of each dish. It wasn’t specifically Philippine themed, but it did provide me with the opportunity to experience many Asian dishes. For starters I ate the Goi Cuon which is a Vietnamese dish consisting of fresh rice paper summer rolls with shrimp, pork and coriander. It was truly amazing. For mains I opted for the Inihaw na Baboy, primarily because it’s an local Filipino dish. It was a spicy pork dish with a chili vinegar dip, and was simply gob smacking. You can find their full menu here (Spices Menu)
As I mentioned earlier, being a personal blog I’m not going to delve into details of the work portion of the trip other than to say it was fantastic to see the different work culture. The developers were seated far closer together than I’m used to, and amazingly off all the people I met none to very few were Filipino. I was also fortunate enough to visit our live dealer studio where I was blown away by the working conditions, technology and security involved.
We generally walked between our various appointments (in the sweltering 36 degree heat) as all the offices were within a kilometer of the hotel. Again it was great to be on the streets rather than stuck in taxis. That said, the few trips we did do in taxis were an experience – racing through chaotic traffic filled streets amidst bird’s nest, electrical connections which appeared overloaded and ready to explode at any given minute.
The local stores were interdispereced with western stores (like Starbucks and McDonalds) and local western counterparts. The Starbucks were particularly welcome and I was especially pleased when we found one in one of our operator’s offices.
I was lucky enough to be taken out one evening to explore the local nightlife. It started at 10pm in a local’s street restaurant serving tacos, and ended in places I can’t mention in a blog my daughters (and wife) may read.
We were driven to a vibrant area of Makati were we wondered the streets. They were brightly lit in a multitude of colours, and were full of life and laughter. When we found the taco restaurant (El Chupacabra) I once again felt like I was in a movie. We were led through the main seating area, packed with lively patrons, and into a back room where we were seated. Our host ordered a variety of tacos along with what appeared to be a pitcher of margaritas (or some closely related tequila based drink). The food was rustic and it definitely felt like we were eating on the streets, which was great and far outdid eating in yet another a westerised restaurant while in such an amazing city.
With our belies full we left the restaurant and started wondering the streets. I had no idea what to expect and was caught somewhat off guard when we walked through a door, followed by a curtain, and were greeted by a bar with a few men and LOT of scantily dressed ladies. We sat down at a table, were quickly surrounded by a multitude of girls, and ordered a round of beer and shots. Much to my surprise the shots were for the girls, and not us. The beers came in their bottle, with the cap removed, and covered by a paper towel. This was apparently to ensure it hadn’t been tampered with…not that a serviette is the best security device on the market.
We moved from bar to bar until we found one that was a bit more lively and there we lurked until the early hours of the morning. It was an eye opening evening and was well worth the experience, but I was glad we did it only once that week. Sadly I didn’t get to experience the KTV clubs which seem to be targeted more at the Asian patrons than us westerners.
Another eye opening evening was spent in the hotel cigar lounge. It’ll be a long time before I have the pleasure of smoking a $500 dollar cigar while sipping on 18 year Glenfiddich. Some of the stories I heard that evening were unbelievable to say the least, although they were (almost certainly) true. From the bar we moved to the Lobby restaurant were we enjoyed scrambled eggs and scotch at 2am. Yet another experience I probably won’t have for a while.
Sadly we never got to leave the business district and experience the rest of Manila. I did however visit a few of the malls which were amazing. Despite the country feeling very third world (combined with first world – similar to South Africa), the malls were vast and incredible. It would’ve taken me days to cover the various floors and hallways so I can’t truly profess to seeing it all. What amazed me however was the number of stores and brands on offer. It far outdid anything available to me in Durban.
The Philippines was an amazing experience. My only regret is that I didn’t get to spend more time exploring the country. None the less I got to witness the culture, talk to the locals, and experience their cities and nightlife. For me experiencing a culture like this is far more interesting than staring at paintings in a museum.
