Friday, March 4, 2011

Day 58 Manila, Philippines

What an amazing day…  First of all, the warm welcome we receive from the Filipinos is unsurpassed.  Secondly, Ed, Becky & I had a wonderful adventure.  We hooked up with our guide & driver Alex around 8:00 this morning and we were honored to meet our friend Willy’s family when they arrived at the port to visit.  Nice family….  Then we headed out on our way to Tagaytay and lake Taal. On the way we had an incredible treat, we stopped at an unbelievable fish market.  It was fairly filthy & disgusting yet wonderful at the same time….  The photos were fabulous!  We continued our trek toward Tagaytay and the Taal volcano and arrived around lunch time.  We decided to have a snack before taking a boat over to the volcano. The trip across the lake was great and the climb up the volcano torturous…  What a steep climb, I thought my Achilles was going to give out.  The view from the top was fantastic.  The hike down was a pain…  There were many people coming down on horses and they kicked up so much dust we could barely breathe.  The ride back to Manila was wonderful, full of scenic photo stops.  Tomorrow we join Alex again for some more touring.  Bronwyn & Ed will be joining us….  Great day!!!

 

 

5 comments:

guy d said...

great photos. i like the way that they painted the jeepney so it had a grand voyage amsterdam sign on the roof. I want to make a trip to manila someday. good luck on the 2nd day in manila. I hear and see from other blog posts of other peoples hike up the volcano, that it is a rough journey

Anonymous said...

Interesting pics! Were there a number of staff who had family visiting?

Just curious, the little kids seem to be flashing gang signs, is that an issue in Manila?
kristy

Holly said...

Wonderful pics! Such color. ty

Anonymous said...

Very interesting pics! I agree about the fish market... must have been a bit overwhelming in ways; however, the photos you captured are priceless.

By chance do you know the answer to Kristy's question? I wonder if they're flashing a gang sign or if it's just a harmless gesture such as how people here put 2 fingers up for photos (like the peace symbol).

Michelle

John--Phuket said...

You have made our Filipino staff member from Manila--VERY happy-- with your excellent pics of his homeland

He says to tell you "Sawadee Khrap "