Philippines: The week we spent here seems like a tidal wave. We arrived on Monday and it was hot and humid. We had a driver take us to the hotel and were subjected to guards using mirrors to check for bombs under the car and having our luggage sniffed by a dog and having to pass through a metal detector. We stayed at the Renaissance which is across from the biggest department store complex I have ever seen. A virtual shopper’s paradise, but again you had to pass through security to enter.

Intel’s manufacturing site, Cavite, was about an hour and a half drive from Manila where we were staying. So a driver picked me up in the dark at 5:30 and we headed out. First on what was a highway lined by shack after shack. Then we exited on a splash world and a beautiful golf course community with street names like Pebble Beach and Pine Valley (wonder where those came from?) Lots of bumps to slow us down and guards at various check points. Then onto an extremely busy road with cars, bikes, motorbikes, Jeepneys and people in a confusing swirling mass. School children of all ages walk alongside and through this mess and many people walk in the middle of the street – but I still have yet to see someone get hit. Lots of police have pulled folks off the road – not sure why – it certainly couldn’t have been for speeding. As we crawl and dodge along, I get to see various fruit, meat, fish stands. The meat and fish stands have fans frantically attempting to keep flies off the product. What surprised me was also along this busy road were shacks where people were coming out of just waking up, peeing, eating. The Jeepneys are the most common form of transportation for short distances. They are like an aluminum elongated bus. They are decorated all differently so people know which one to jump onto – and they are packed. Occasionally, you will see one filled to the brim with eggs or coconuts. The pollution is so bad from the traffic that a lot of folks wear hospital masks or cover their mouths with a handkerchief. I can’t imagine it helps.

My busy work schedule left me exhausted so poor David got only one night out on the town during the week. We headed off to a restaurant called Harbor View – which delivered a view of the harbor. From my perspective the ride was more interesting. The taxi driver failed to put on the meter and told us what it would cost at the end – David having run about earlier knew he was trying to charge double and negotiated it down. However, the half hour cab ride was only $3. The driver drove us through the portion of the city that used to be known as the Sin City of Asia where all the US military men would hang out at the sex clubs with three women on their arms. He tried to get us to go to a sex club assuring me that many women do.

When we finally got to the restaurant we got an interesting appetizer of whole baby shrimp (shells and all) fried. My favorite dish was the lapu lapu – a popular local fish. More on the weekend with pictures later!