I went to manila on November last year. It was a 4 days and 3 nights trip. It was not really a planned trip, it was pretty much an adventure for my 3 friends and myself. The tickets were on promotion, so we were quite blessed on that. I was a bit crazy. Maybe too crazy that I only told my parents, family and friends about me going to Manila a day before my flight. My mother was so angry that she nagged me for hours. Thank goodness, my father did not really show his temper.
November 27
I packed enough for 4 days 3 nights trip (more than enough to be exact), in one medium-sized bag pack.
I took a public transportation and went to Kota Kinabalu. The journey took about 2 hours before we reached Kota Kinabalu’s Bus Terminal. I stayed the night with my friend at her brother’s house. That night we went out to Center Point to buy some crucial stuff and we tried to look for money exchange counters but most of them ran out of Pesos.
The four of us had some discussion through Whatsapp that night. We actually had no idea where to go what to do there. We only Pretty daring huh. Despite that clueless situation, we had a good night sleep that night Zzzz
November 28
Having a hearty cup of coffee at KKIA that morning made me cheerful. We exchanged our RM to Pesos before our flight.
RM 103.70 = P1300
Wearrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport after two hours journey from KKIA. As soon as we got out from the airport, we asked for information from a policeman. He directed us to the information desk for tourists. A bonus for us at the information center, the guy working behind the desk was good looking and friendly.
.
We asked for two maps from the guy. We found out that there were many cities (these cities were like small cities within the BIG city of Manila) in Manila. After some
discussion, we decided to go for Ermita, the center of tourists. So, the real
adventure started.
After many long stranded experience
during the (supposedly short if not because of the traffic) bus trip, we
stopped at a bus station. I could not remember the name but the place was really
crowded with people. An extra courage to ask some people for direction was a
must for a traveler. Be sure to choose wisely though. So with extra help from
some people, we finally got to the LRT station.
Crowded with people going in and out
of the station, we were lost for a couple of minutes but somehow managed to get right back on track after some extra exploration. The security in the LRT Station
was pretty darn strict. Very strict compared to Malaysia. They checked our
bags after each entrance, which was both amusing and annoying. So, I found that, it was a safety precaution to prevent people from bringing illegal things specifically firearms
around. After going through several of those bags checking, we finally got to
buy our LRT tickets. P15 per person.
Waiting for the LRT to arrive was
not that torturing as the people were very disciplined to line up and wait.
Well I’m sure some countries didn’t apply such habit. Things went a bit out of
comfy inside the LRT. All four of us were small and the packed LRT was not
really on our side. It was somehow one of the fun sides of our adventure. After
several stations, we stopped at UNITED NATION STATION. Happy to be out from the
crowded LRT, we decided to ease our starvation. McD + WIFI was our choice.
I ordered a combo of 1 spicy chicken burger + a coke + fries. That cost me around p230 (RM18+-) Shifting from Ringgit to Pesos user, was a challenging task. Fun fact about Manila was that the people couldn’t handle spicy food. So, chilli sauce was very rare. A bonus for me because I prefer ketchups. My travel companions, lovers of chili
sauce, were pretty devastated with the situation. Still, thanks McD, we found civilization (Wi-Fi) .
We did not waste too long cause we had to look for a hotel to stay. A
bunch of locals chatting near bicycle-like transportation attracted our
attention. We asked for the direction to Paragon Hotel, the only hotel we knew
(thanks GOOGLE). 2 of the locals offered a ride to the hotel for p50 per
person. We agreed.
We started our Finding-a-Hotel MISSION after Paragon Tower Hotel. We went from hotel to hotel and asked for room rates and all the hotels we found
pretty much offered the same cost. After quite some time, we found an eerie alley and the far end of it was a large signboard “SAN CARLOS MANSION”. We walked to the place and
asked for the room rates. It was the cheapest we could find BUT there was no
room available not until 6PM. The receptionist suggested another hotel.
We continued searching but we actually
still hoped for a room at SCM. So we went to a nearby 7-eleven store, studied our maps again and waited.
A really different ambiance in Manila
with my place is that, Christianity is widely practised in Manila. Gospel
songs were played in stores and franchises instead of the common, Jingle Bells
song. I bought few things such as a mini beauty set for p40, a bottled water
were for p13 (depending on the brand).
The night came real early in Manila compared
to Sabah. 5.30 PM in Manila is like 6.40PM in Sabah.
At
exactly 6pm, we went back to SCM. We were so blessed that there was a room for
us. We paid for a room for 3 person and an extra person . We had a
little chit chat with the friendly receptionists before we were escorted to our
room. The room was decent .
The qualities:
·
A
kitchen cabinet
·
A
large shoe rack,
·
a large mirror with sink and two underneath
drawers
·
A
hot shower with separated toilet
·
A
living space (a table, a fan and sofa)
·
A
dining place (A refrigerator, a dining table with chairs)
·
A
large air-conditioned bedroom (a cupboard, beds, side table, a TV )
·
A
balcony ( the night view of Ermita from top)
In RM the price was around rm37 per night per person.
The long search for hotel ended and
our stomachs started singing choirs. So we went out again, aiming for a McD + WIFI.
It was a disappointment as the McD we went to did not have WIFI. So we had a
traditional conversation called ‘face to face conversation’. Outside of the
franchise were some homeless children. Some were sleeping and some were wandering
around asking for food/money. The good thing was that they do not recklessly
enter any franchises or malls. We did not experience seeing much of them during
our trip though.
After some real life conversation, we went
to PureGold Jr. a supermarket loaded with cheap goods and attractive workers. I
may seem a bit too focused on their looks huh. I can’t help it when they all can
be leveled up the same as Ding Dong Dantes (now a married guy.congrats!).
.
After a long eye washing *not literally, we headed back to SCM and again chatted with the receptionists, Che and Leyn. They actually offered to be our guides touring Ermita as their working hour for the following day only started at 2PM. Shocked with their offer, but without shame we didn’t refuse. They also gave us souvenirs (10cents and 5cents)
We ended our conversation and headed back to our room. One thing that you must do every night, if you are on a budget trip, is to do calculation on your spending and plan for the next day. That was exactly what we did every single night (except our final night..).
We took our showers, talked about all
the blessings we had on that day and went to sleep. Too bad someone had a
strong coffee in the evening and couldn’t really sleep well (ya. Twas me. ).
November
29
We all woke up at about the same time.
Around 6.30 AM. A quick shower for each of us, a little touch up here and there
and we went out for Pesos (we exchanged a certain amount of Rm each morning to avoid spending too much.). We found a good money exchange shop. Rm100 = p1250
+-. We didn’t take any breakfast because we promised to meet Leyn and Che at
8AM.
At around 9 AM we went to Rizal Park.
A female guard was wearing a mini skirt and a black sock which was a rare sight
for us.
The Park was full with students doing school trips. 
If you happen to Go to Rizal Park for
the first time, there will be some people walking around taking pictures of you
using DSLRs and offered the photos printed out for you. We did take quite a lot
from a hard working uncle. He followed us and took pictures of us and for p100
per picture, we have a solid proof of our memory in Rizal Park. In case you
don’t want the picture, tell them straight and clear.
The weather was not really good for
walking
in the park,
so we headed to Manila Ocean
·
Mini
shops selling souvenirs
·
restaurants
and aquariums with large aquatic living.
There were no fees charged as we only looked round. After a good two hours of walking, we saw a displayed real Jeepney
(a famous public transportation in Manila). An old guy with his grandson was
there and after he found out we were Malaysians, he enthusiastically told us
the history of Jeepney in Manila. It was quite awesome, I bet, maybe because he
smiled a lot, but I did not pay much attention as I was starving. It was lunch
time. Still, when it came to taking pictures, I couldn’t resist being excited.
Lol.
Intramuros. It was quite far for a hungry human being but
I enjoyed the scenery. The naughty traffic and the honking. We passed by a golf
club. We stopped a while for some street food outside the golf club.
I tried ‘quek-quek’. Fried quail eggs with
three major choices of dipping sauce. Namely, sour sauce, spicy sauce and
ketchups. I chose the sour sauce and it suited my taste bud. The price for one
quill egg was p3.
Entering
Intramuros was like entering a different country. The ambience was very much
like living in the old English days. The buildings were antiques.
We first went to St. Augustine Church
a 400 years old church.
We had to run (I felt like being in a
telenovela) under the rain. The church was so huge and beautiful . There were allocated times for visitors to visit the church and we
clearly can’t during mass. We had two attempts to visit the church and we were
blessed cause the second time, we finally could.
Another beautiful church we visited
was Manila Cathedral Church.
The interior was superb. All of us were mesmerized by the beauty and the uniqueness of the art inside the church. I felt like I could stay there for hours.
Though we didn’t tell our friends
about our traveling plan, we did think about them so we searched for souvenirs
shops. Che and Leyn guided us to Casa Manila Museum. We did not enter the
museum as the price doesn’t equal the view as Che told us. So we went to Triple
Jr. Souvenir Shop. The price for souvenirs there were much cheaper than the
rest. The lady even gave us discounts for buying so many. We bought mostly key
chains for our friends. Near the shop, was another happy event. A Pre-Wedding
photo shoot.
We continued our walk inside
Intramuros. There were many more places we went to in there, but all cameras
and phones ran out of batteries. Not many photos were taken there. How
unexpected right. The thing is, Philippines uses different plug with Malaysia.
So our trouble started there. A note for self: check out these kinds of thing
before you travel.
A long day at Intramuros, we headed
back to SCM riding a Jeepney. Leyn paid for our fare, (she insisted). Thanks Leyn and Che!
The
first thing we did when we reached our room was sleep. Around 13.30 we went to
Robinson’s Place .
It was massive and the prices of things were
quite similar like any in Malaysia though the doughnuts were so much cheaper.
P15 each.
We took our lunch at
KFC. The KFC is slightly different from Malaysia’s in many aspects.
The rice, the sauce, the menu. Are you
curious? You should try it by yourself. We did a full tour around the mall
after we gained our energy eating KFC. We each bought a doughnut
before we headed out. oo ya, entering any mall, bags checking is a must. Line
up, open up your bag, and if you don’t carry any firearms, you are good to go.
I
bought some JJampong (dush I’m craving for it now), Hi-Ho and some bottled
water. JJampong a brand of instant noodle tasted very different from Maggie. If
you go to Manila, try it. Hi-Ho is a brand of a snack. Peanut coated with
BBQ/SPICY coating flour. Omnomnom-ing those two was a pleasure.
A very long day for us and we had a
good night sleep that night. (we did some math on our spendings and planned for
the next day before sleep.)
November 30
It
was Sunday. I woke up early for church. Audrey decided to accompany me. We went
out as early as 6AM. We walked around and asked for the nearest church. So
Ermita Church it was.
The mass actually started at 7 AM. While
waiting we bought some Sampagita, the National Flower of the Philippines.
The
smell was unique. The mass I went to was conducted in Tagalog. What? But I
enjoyed it. A new experience for us. So it turned out that the English mass
actually should start at 8AM. No regret joining the former. After the mass,
Audrey and I we did a mini tour around Ermita. An early morning walk is always good.
At
around 8.30, we headed back to our room. All four of us left for Visoria (a
local bargain-market) at around 9 AM, again without breakfast. We met Robin,
one of the room workers. He was a chatty guy. We talked about things and our
trip and turned out that he was our age. Wow. So, we got much closer after half
an hour talking, laughing and standing outside our room. With that, we secured
a date for that night.
We took a Jeepney, with the help of
a kind guard. He explained the situation to the driver that we do not speak Tagalog.
The ride was really far. We didn’t bring any valuable things except money in
our pockets. The place was crowded with people. At some point, we can barely
move our feet. But it was fun. The price of things there was really
jaw-dropping. You can find all types of goods. We bought some cool T-shirts
with cool quotes about Philippines. We were stranded there till 3 in the
evening. At Visoria I got to try some of Philippines snacks, such as Sampalok,
mangoes, fried peanuts, fried anchovies and Fried Chicken Skin. Each cost me
somewhat p20 or less. We left Visoria feeling happy.
We reached our room and packed our
things. We settled our room fee and we actually were permitted to leave our
belongings at the hotel’s care while we went for some walk. Later that evening,
we met Robin and Janel, his fellow junior worker. They guided us to see the
weekend life of Manila People. Rizal Park is actually a place to spend quality
time with your family and friends, doing picnics every weekend nights. The
place was much more crowded than during the day. After watching some good
performances, we headed to Manila Ocean Park. The four of us actually had a plan
to have buffet there but we changed to Jollibee. A famous franchise in Manila.
During our walk to Manila Ocean Park, we happened to pass by a Christian
Concert. The crowd was huge and the songs were great.
At Jollibee I ordered a set of spaghetti with a fried drumstick and a
coke.
The taste was not much my liking, but
the locals seemed to love it. had a good laugh during dinner that night.
Around 19.00 we went to SCM to take
our things. Good byes always are the saddest part in any friendships. Che and
Leyn they gave us advice to take care of our belongings and ourselves. They
pretty much felt like my older sisters. We took pictures with them, with some
of the staffs. It was quite an emotional situation. We left SCM and headed to
NAIA by a taxi. We paid p350 though the meter said p150 .We didn’t complain
because the driver was nice. So, let it pass that once.
Exhausted, we secured a good hiding
place at the airport. We had to sleep at the airport that night to prevent
getting caught in the heavy traffic before our flight. Shan and I went to the
toilet and we looked around for things to buy. I love the airport. We bought
hot chocolate and were shocked to see two policemen were standing and talking
to Audrey and Shaz. I was worried actually in case we did any crime unintentionally.
Turned out that they cared for us and asked us to move to a passengers’ resting
place. Most of the locals are really friendly if you go to manila. The other policeman
was on a bit higher level of craziness. In a good way. He actually sang a full
song for us as we requested for it. People were looking and the good thing was,
he has such a nice voice. They thought we were Pinoy who couldn’t speak Tagalog
and so they learned the truth after some good chats with us.
Dec
1st
1AM in the morning and my eyes were
getting heavier. We met new other Pinoy friends. Like other people, they also
thought we were Pinoys who couldn’t speak Tagalog. They were high schools boys
who had their football match in Manila and were waiting for their flight back
home. They were friendly, had good manner and also fluent in English. I enjoyed
listening to them but I couldn’t help falling asleep, so I did sleep.
Sleeping on the hard cold floor was a
real torture. It somehow made us woke up early, around 5 AM. We washed our
face, checked-in and we headed to a 7-eleven store for breakfast. I
tried a seafood instant noodle, and it was great. While eating, we sat near an
old man. He was eating alone. We found out that he was an Indonesian. We talked
about good places in Indonesia. All of us were excited to listen about shopping
in Indonesia.
We left Manila around 8 45 AM. It was raining heavily in KK, from KKIA I headed straight to a
KFC franchise and had my Colonel Chicken Rice. That lunch made me feel like a
Malaysian again.
After a hearty meal, I fell asleep.
Good gracious Shan was around. I went back Tambunan later in that evening and
everyone at home greeted me with big warm smiles waiting for souvenirs. I love
that warmth.
The unplanned trip to
Manila was such a wonderful memory . We went there with almost zero ideas about
Manila. We left with many new friendships, warm memories and great experience.
I felt so blessed. I bought one key chain that pretty much sum up how I felt
during my entire trip . I met many nice people there
If there was only one tips I could give
you regarding travelling to a new place, that must be “Rely on God’s strength”.
Pray and ask for a blessed trip . God Bless.
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