I'm In The Philippines

A funny thing happened on the way to California

As I soared above the clouds on the way home to California...

The cutest flight attendants ever (on Asiana airlines) were all decked out for Christmas and ready for...

an impromptu magic show on the plane...yes...a magic show

Aside from being totally random, although I was sad to leave the Philippines and all of its great places and people, the magic show was a bit of a silver lining to the clouds I flew over on my way home...

South Korea's Incheon Airport

Paolo and I's last day in Manila at Ate Ana's, from L-R, Ate Ana, Paolo's cousin Peanuts, and Paolo

Paolo and his cousin Rafael

The best purchase Paolo made the whole trip (the hat)

A cock fighting store in the Mall of Asia, supplied with cock feed, cock fighting videos, cock fight shirts, and whatever other crazy crap you need to construct/enjoy a cockfight

If you zoom in you will see that this sign wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous Tourism-Filled New Year

More Intramuros

Carlos Celdran Tours

Carlos Celdran is a local tour guide in Manila. He come equipped with his own boombox, and hats for every section of the tour. One of the most interesting tours I have ever taken, and much to Carlos Celdran's delight I saw Manila in a whole new light. Before arriving in the Philippines I had set my sights on other destinations like Cavite, Boracay, Bohol and Palawan, dismissing Manila because of the congestion, and polution. But after taking this tour, I have a totally new appreciation for not just Manila, but for Filipino history, which Celdran really made come to life.

To be concise here are a few of the interesting facts I learned:

It was never the Spanish crown that wanted to have much to do with the Philippines, as it was the Catholic Church, today evident in the very present Catholocism of the country/culture
According to popular thought at the time (1600's), considering the world was flat, the Philippines was at the outer reaches of the world, and not very important
Jump ahead to the 1900's, Manila is the Pearl of the Orient, considered the most beautiful city in all of South East Asia, theatres, universities, churches
Until...WWII...when the city of Manila was bombed by, no, not the Japanese, but by the US, in order to halt the Japanese in their torture of the Philippines. An estimated 120,000 civilians in Manila died that day as a result. Below in the crypt, we listened to the most intense part of the tour, the above mentioned bombing.
In the crypt below lie the bodies of the 100's of priests who were exectued by the Japanese there in St. Augustine church
St. Augustine Church is the only one of 7 churches originally built by the Spanish, to survive WWII, because it was a red cross station.

In the crypt of St. Augustine Church