Good people. Bad people
by ckpeng
Hi,
You won't stay long in Manila Bay especially in the morning or afternoon. It will be hot and not much happenings . I think 1 and a half hour is the most to sit there, have something to eat, look at the sea, ships,people etc.
But if it is in the evening where the weather is cooler and more people , more food peddlers and happenings around, then 2 hours is just nice for you to walk and sit around.
The rest of the time is best to spend at Intramuros.You need at least 2 to 3 hours there. Walking may take too much time and tiring. Taking a trishaw ( 3 wheels bicycle ) is good. Take a map of Intramuros and tell the man to take you to where you want to go in the map. BUT REMEMBER TO AGREE THE PRICE WITH THE MAN FIRST. THEY MAY SAY 30 , ASK 30 PESO OR US DOLLAR. vISITORS ALWAYS THOUGHT THE PRICE THEY QUOTE IS PESO BUT ENDED UP IN US DOLLAR.
Many people were conned by these horse cart man, trishaw peddler, tourist guide who will say the amount in Peso but will ask for US dollar at the end .
I was there in Manila in March. Met many nice and helpful people though.
.
Have a nice trip
ckpeng Helpful people around ready to show you the way.
I have heard of the helpful people in Manila before i went there. But I thought this is common everywhere and nothing special. Everywhere will have its good and bad people.
When I was there in March, one night I was with my wife on the way back to our hotel in Melati. To save some pesos, instead of taking a taxi, we needed to use a few jeepneys . We got up a jeepney in front of Balikbayan Handicraft Centre where this lady told us we were heading on the wrong direction. She volunteered to take us to the nearest station where we could walk to our hotel. On the way,we changed a few jeepneys and she led us all the way and told us to be careful of our belongings .
We told her that we should be able to find our way but she told us that she won't leave us alone especially at this part of old Manila where pick-pockets are plenty. She was on her way back from work that night and she sacrificed her time and effort in helping total strangers like us .
On another occasion, another lady also led us to the correct exit point in the LRT, used the exit point for Philipinos where it is faster than the other lanes. Told us what to do and what to avoid etc.
I'm sure there are many more Philipinos around ready to lend a helping hands to visitors.
And I'm sure too that many visitors to Philipines have met these kind-hearted people.
Thank you Philipinos. I'll cherish and remember this wonderful moment.
Ckpeng
Makati Skyline at Night
by D._Pepper
Manila, at night, is a city aglow. Armed with a tripod and a camera, I enjoy going to the Fort just across EDSA from Makati on a clear night to take long exposure pics of the Makati skyline. The area is safe. In fact, you might get noticed by security people if you stay too long in one spot - there are mobile private security personnel roaming at night. The evening skyline is unique.
Manila Dining
by machomikemd
Filipino cuisine often comes as a pleasant surprise for foreigners as it's more moderate in its use of spices than some other Asian foods. Rice is the staple and is served with almost every meal. Fish features strongly and is served grilled, boiled, fried or steamed. Crabs, lobsters, prawns, oysters, tuna, freshwater fish and a regional speciality called 'sweet maliputo' are all commonly found on local menus.
Pork or chicken dishes are popular and include adobo, arroz caldo and crispy pata (fried pig skin). Vegetarians will have no trouble in Manila. Try gulay, (a vegetable dish simmered in coconut milk), mongos (chick peas) and pinangat (vegetables with very hot peppers).
For dessert please try halo-halo (mish mash of fruits and sweets), buko-pandan (young coconut with pandanus leaf flavoring) or Ube (purple yam), pls see my local custom tips here in my manila page!
Stop and smell the flowers
by GenuinelyCurious
The Flores de Mayo celebrates the beauty of youth... in flowers and in beautiful young people. barangay or local neighborhood has its own version of the celebration with a large presence of 33 major districts converging on the Greenbelt/Glorietta Mall on May (this year).
The parade of young women and their male escorts also can double as a beauty contest or have other competitions. In Barangay Bel-Air , there was a beauty contest and a dance contest from the local clubs.
But regardless of the content, the dress trends towards the formal and ornate, which means long gowns for the ladies and high end barong tagalog for the men
You can see more beauties by clicking here
Purple Yam "Ube" A Sweet Dessert!
by machomikemd
A variety of a true yam, which is known as “ube” or “ubi” in the Philippines. Ube (or ubi) is the Filipino word for purple yam (Dioscorea alata). It contains pigments that gives its violet colorIt has rough textured, dark colored skin and a light purple colored flesh. Purple yam is very gnarled looking in appearance and grows on a vine rather than underground. Purple yam is used to make ube powder, which is a starchy substance added as an ingredient to sweet baked goods, cakes, ice cream, jams, and curries. All varieties of the purple yam are used to make both sweet and savory dishes as well as ground starchy substances used as flavorings and ingredients for other foods.
ube is cooked with sugar and eaten as a sweetened dessert or jam called ube halaya which is a bright violet color. Ube is also an ingredient in the fruity dessert halo halo, another popular Filipino dessert.
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