As promised here is the continuation of our vacation escapade. So heading to Manila via Eva Air, flight went smoothly, food is okay. I think I slept a lot, lack of sleep a couple of days before due to last minute errands, and the constant weighing/packing of our stuff. Another thing I like with Eva Air, we are still permitted to have 2 free check-in luggages, though, as with all other airlines weight limit has been reduced from 70 lbs each to 50 lbs each. Also at least on international flights, access to on-board entertainment is free, unlike in US domestic flights it is like being nickle and dimed for everything!
I always like to know where we are while flying high above, glad to be able to see our location every now and then. In this photo, we were just nearing Taipei.
Manila and Taipei are on the same time zone, and we reached Taipei at about 6:40 am. We left San Francisco past midnight already, so at least we only lost a day going to Asia.
Layover in Taipei went great, stayed there for about 2.5 hrs, enough time to gather our thoughts, and enjoy the airport. Then off again to Manila..excitement building up! It is about 2 hours flight time, so time for one more meal on board.
Flight arrived in Manila close to noon time and after 2 hours woohoo..out of the terminal. The distinct feel of heat and humidity in the air. But it is not that hot as I remember it in 2008 when I went home at same time of that year. My in-laws did say temps were considerably cooler than usual for a few days then and we are feeling the tail end of it. When they say it is cooler, they are talking about temps hovering in the 68F mark. Usual temps in Manila normally hovers in the 80F and higher range.
Metro Manila is a hodge podge of the old and the new, and there are just a lot of new shopping malls, enormous in size. There is also a big boom in real estate particularly condominiums. Finally, the country is slowly catching up to its Asian neighbors.
In our almost 3 weeks of stay, we have been doing a lot of mall hopping. Funny to even think of it, but there is just a lot to see, especially for my hubby who has not been home for the past 15 years. Land is getting scarcer here, so malls here are often built several stories high, and really intense marketing at play here. Whether actual shopping or just window shopping, always a lot of people inside the malls. I think in part because it is more comfortable with the airconditioning, than being outdoors in the heat.
But let's start with home!
This is home sweet home in Pasig...house pets taking their noon time siesta:
Looks great to see our place there. This is the time of the year we chose to visit the Philippines, I am comfortable it will not rain a lot, and no flooding danger. It floods in Pasig, and due to global warming rains have been heavier too. The level of water that enters the house reaches midway to the grotto, (where my hubby sits), good thing the pet turtle did not choose to escape. And when water reaches that spot, expect the road to be already waist deep.
I did some planting in the garden..cannot resist not to plant heheh! Planter box was empty, stray cats been digging out the plants or making a mess of it. So I found some nice jade plants one day. They also have lots of sanseveira, growing like gangbusters there. Have replanted some, though I have to move the jade plants a little more under the canopy, it might just not survive when the rainy season returns. Had to improvise with the soil, they do not really have cactus soil there. Soil in the Philippines is mostly loamy, thick, rich, soil. And I think some at home were from mud that came down during flooding too. It is just way too thick. Surprisingly, the sanseveira grows well in it even if the soil is too wet. So I think the weather and temperature plays a bigger role in its abundant growth. Being hot and humid, it bodes well for the plants to survive even in soil that will normally kill the roots already. Have to constantly remind them not to water these new plants everyday.In Manila, the general rule of thumb has always been water the plants everyday. So begging them not to water these plants sounded quite weird for them hahah!
I also found a Desert Rose in my mom-in-law's garden..luckily it is in bloom :-)
Anyone wants some pizza?? I have seen monster pizza before, but this one beats it! Just about 30-inch across and costs around 950 pesos (around $21), a special sale price, the seller promoting this humungous size. And this is not the biggest size yet..there is a 70-inch one too!
As I have mentioned earlier, Manila is a good mix of the old and the new. For something looking old, you will always find old churches in every city or hometown, like the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Pasig. It is a 15th century church and I have always admired its quiet grandeur through the years. A silent witness to all the important aspects of our growing years and beyond.
And now for the new..newer and bigger malls all over:
SM (short for Shoemart) has been building like crazy in most major cities. This one called SM MOA or SM Mall of Asia sits on reclaime land, with land area of about 42 hectares.
SM is owned by a Chinese corporation, and since it was just about Chinese New Year when we came, lots of Chinese New Year decor in the mall: Kung Hei Fat Choi!
Now going to another area called BGC, stands for Bonifacio Global City in the City of Taguig. BGC used to be a military base called Fort Bonifacio. In recent times, portions of the land has been sold and is now a premier tourist area, with lots of upscale condominums and shopping. One of the newest malls built is again in the SM chain, called SM Aura Premier. It is being promoted as a bit more high end mall with amazing panaromic rooftop views accessible to the general public. It is a nice mall indeed, but to be honest, ordinary folks will find it hard to shop there, quite expensive for most Filipinos. It may be attractive though to tourists and expats if they want to just to be able to shop in relative peace.
In front of SM Aura: this intersection is such a nightmare for traffic..
I like going here, just to be at the rooftop Sky Park..for the amazing views around Taguig and the ever changing skyline: click to expand photos
There is another mall nearby called Market! Market! Nice name for a grouping of various bargain stores and other typical mall stores. It is also an area were there is a huge selection for souvenir food and goodies. In the Filipino tradition of having a "pasalubong" or a take home present, it makes it really easy to make a selection especially if one is looking for regional delicacies. This mall also has various call centers. Like in India, the Philippines has a lot of call center representatives. They call this industry as BPO - business process outsourcing. The ability of most Filipinos to speak bilingually, helps this industry thrive.
Now off to another mall bordering the cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig, another SM property, called SM Megamall. When I was stills studying then later on working in Manila, this has been our favorite hangout, with its cinemas, and stores, and greather proximity to our home. Even then up to now, it is still a popular place to be in, have recently expanded its mall to give was to a Fashion Hall. It is so popular that it is a nightmare of a traffic to be near this place.
Looks like someone looking over my hubby's shoulder hehe!
More Chinese New Year decor:
Loads of people coming in everyday in this mall, escalators and elevators are running at its peak, all the time: feels like watching a subway rush hour spree!
And of course, shopping not complete till you start getting hungry and head to the food court or in other restaurants..so many choices, local or foreign cuisine.
And this is the new side recently opened: the Fashion Hall. It also houses their IMAX theaters, bowling alley and skating rink.
Another mall area we love to visit is the Glorietta-Greenbelt area in the City of Makati. Makati being the financial district, they have these mall area that really caters to the elite shopper while finding a good mix for the low-medium scale shopper. I like most their landscaping, they have maintained the lush outdoors nicely instead of just looking like a sterile grey urban jungle.
Truly love this hedge of vandaceous orchids woohoo!
Aside from mall hopping, we were able to fit in some much needed family bonding time. Brought our family to Manila Ocean Park. It is smaller in scale compared to the aquariums here in the US, but it is fun enough to visit for kids and students, and the rest of the family. When we came here, we were with busloads of students, so it was a bit crazy going in and out trying to dodge the crowd. But it sure was a fun day!
We also got the chance to go out of town to the City of Tagaytay. Tagaytay is noted for its cooler temperatures and the Taal Volcano. This volcano is still active and is noted for being a volcano within a volcano. It is about 50 km away from Manila and is said to be the 2nd most active volcano in the Philippines.
Lots of outdoors activities here in Tagaytay. We went to an area called Picnic Grove. Hiking, ziplining, bird watching..fun time!
A cool zipline view, of Taal Volcano. The body of water you see is the lake, which is actually the crater of the volcano. Inside this lake there is another protruding tip, which is another crater. Hence, a volcano within a volcano.
Another area we visited is called Palace in the Sky. No palace here for sure, just ruins of what would have been a presidential resthouse during the Marcos Regime. This place now just a place to get a good view, not too well maintained either as it is a painful reminder of greed and plunder in the country's political history.
So there you have it! Highlights of our vacation! Always glad to come home!
And best of all being with family!
It takes a lot of patience to be with family, same thing to return to our homeland, with its quirks and traffic, lots and lots of people everywhere. Just got to have the heart to enjoy it there! Till our next trip whenever!
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