The main campus of De La Salle University in Manila. There is a lovely art museum inside
I went to Manila by Cebu Airways. This is the cheapest airline to go from Jakarta to Manila although the only departure time available seems rather inhumane, half hour after midnight. I had problem with my right ear when the plane took off. Shocking, because it had never happened to me before!!! I could hear my eardrum squeaked and I was terrified. Arriving in Ninoy Aquino International Airport at five in the morning, I was already in a terrible mood. The hot humid air of Manila didn’t help me to feel better either. Fortunately my two friends, Fenty and Pom, were already there waiting for me.
Jeepney - the symbol of the Philippines. They are colourful and very windy since they have no windows and could drive like crazy sometimes
We took taxi to their place in Malate and I immediately fell asleep in their room until 10 o’clock. Miraculously, by the time I got up, my ear and my mood were dramatically restored. I was ready to explore
Manila.
To prevent another mood swing, my friends decided to take me first to lunch. We went to Sala Thai, a nice Thai restaurant where we had tom yam and papaya salad and spicy chicken dish. The meal was heavenly, especially for one who had been through a midnight flight. Fenty said it was one of the best Thai restaurant in Manila. If we go there with a Thai, we’ll get a 10% discount.
Then I visited the university where Fenty and Pom were studying, De La Salle University. It has a small art museum inside the main campus, which is quiet and nice. To get into the museum, non students have to pay 50 pesos.
Max Brenner Chocolate Bar in Greenbelt Mall where all the waiters are bald
Afterwards we took a jeepney (the infamous public transport of the
Philippines �" a windowless van with colourful design) to
Greenbelt, one of the many shopping malls in
Manila. We visited another museum, The Ayala Museum, inside the mall which chronicles the history of the
Philippines from the Stone Age until the present time. There are more than 50 miniature scenes featured plus some documentary films. Still in the same mall, we had a drink at the chocolate bar, Max Brenner. Curiously, all the waiters here are bald, apparently following their slogan: “Chocolate by the bald man.”
After Greenbelt, more malls followed. We went to Glorietta, which is located right beside Greenbelt, then by taxi and FX (another type of public transport in Manila, white air-con van) to Green Hills which is full of pearl sellers, and finally to Mega Mall. After such a mall-packed day, I went home with lots of shopping bags and a headache.
