Ninoy Aquino International Airport
I finally arrived in Manila after a short flight from Beijing. Metered airport taxis were waiting just outside the arrival terminal to greet tourists. I managed to take a taxi for a 45-minute ride to the hostel. There was so much traffic as expected during rush hour. Luckily the route to the hostel went on the main road alongside the Manila Bay and past many historic sights.
Red Carabao
This hostel is actually a 5-story house transformed into a home-away-from-home for many backpackers and travelers coming through Manila. I arrived at night so I didn't get to see much at first, but it is located in a nice neighborhood in Santa Cruz, Manila. The owner of the hostel happens to come from Orange County and a friend of a friend! The staff was extremely helpful and friendly.
Intramuros
Intramuros is the name of the neighborhoods that is surrounded by the old city walls. Inside Intramuros, I saw many famous sights such as the St. Agustin Church, Fort Santiago, and the Manila Cathedral. Fort Santiago holds a great collection of memorabilia of Jose Rizal and is the place of his incarceration. The areas outside of the main walls are home to more contemporary buildings such as the National Museum, the Post Office, and Rizal Park.
SM Mall of Asia
Obvious from its name, the SM Mall of Asia is literally the biggest in Asia and consists of an entertainment complex, a department store shopping complex with indoor skating rink, and a supermarket. They say Filipinos are mall-crazy. You will find that many people visit the mall on a frequent basis to enjoy retail therapy or possibly the free internet and air conditioned buildings. SM Mall of Asia sure did live up to its reputation as an all-purpose, one-stop shopping mall.
SM Mall San Lazaro
This mall is significantly smaller than the Mall of Asia. But it's only a ten minute tricycle ride from the hostel. It is a convenient place to buy groceries, eat out, watch a movie in its 6 cinema theatres, use the internet café, or just roam its 3 floors. The layout of the mall is similar to any SM mall.
Bureau of Immigration
If you not familiar with the geography of Manila, you would get lost like me if you had to go to the Bureau. Located deep within Intramuros, the Bureau of Immigration is the stop for all those who wish to stay longer in the Philippines. I happen to go to the Department of Foreign Affairs across town in Pasay City, but luckily a random stranger was kind enough to give me a ride on his motorcycle to my destination.
Chinese Cemetery
The Chinese Cemetery is home to hundreds of large mausoleums and graves of wealthy Chinese nationals living in the Philippines. The buildings in the cemetery actually look more like houses, some with locked gates, chairs, and even bathrooms. Surviving family members would construct such elaborate houses under the belief that their dead loves ones could take material things into the other world.
Rizal Park
Rizal Park is a large recreational public park and monument dedicated to Jose Rizal. It actually gets quite crowded even during a weekday because the air is cool, the wind is blowing strong enough to fly kites and there are several statues worth seeing. It’s no surprise that so people often come to relax on the grass after work or school. And of course, it’s free to get in.
