What’s to see in Manila?

I was in the Philippines last week for the fourth time and it is the first time I decided to take a look around Manila. Because I had to stay over the weekend (and David was in the states), my friend Sheila came over to do some exploring with me. We started off at the Ayala Museum
which did a great job of covering the history of the Philippines through large Dioramas. We then took a tour (thank God it was in an air conditioned van because it was soooo hot!). Our first stop was the American Cemetery and Memorial – really moving and makes me think what a waste of life – there were so many names (currently ongoing in Iraq also!). Next stop was Rizal Park – in honor of Jose Rizal an important nationalist who was executed in 1896 for writing two books critical of the Spanish regime. We were lucky to catch the changing of the guard. Then we drove by a number of things built by the Marcos – one particularly horrible story was a cultural center being built for an international film festival collapsed on over a hundred workers. Rather than pause to dig them out – Imelda offered the workers' families one million pesos, quite a lot at that time for such poor families to allow construction to move forward. Our guide said you could hear people yell as cement was poured over the collapse to continue construction. Another interesting place was the Coconut Palace (made almost entirely out of materials from a coconut tree) built for the Pope’s visit but he refused to stay when he learned how much it cost to build. We drove by the beautiful bay walk with restaurants lining the bay and then to Fort Santiago and Intramuros. This is where Rizal was held until his execution and they have brass footsteps outlining his last walk. We also learned that he had a number of wives! Our final stop was St. Agustin Church next door where we happened upon a wedding.

The next day we had a car and went to see Lake Taal and rode the donkeys up the volcano to see the bubbling lake. It was an amazingly beautiful day – but hot hot hot and the steam and heat rising from the volcano lake and hills made it even steamier. We lunched over looking the lake (a busy time as it was Father’s Day) and then swung by the Chinese Cemetery before dropping Sheila off at the airport. The cemetery was built because the Chinese were not allowed to bury their dead in the Christian Philippino cemetery. The result is elaborate mausoleums some with running water and TVs. There was a whole range from apartment like structures to large chapel like structures and styles ranging from traditional to modern. It was like an eerie deserted town – a huge contrast to people living in abject poverty in hovels nearby.