I am not a night owl. Once I go home, I stay home. There’s plenty of things at home to keep me entertained. Like TV. Or video games. And hundreds of books. The only exception is when I travel. Sometimes the nightlife and sights are just as appealing as things seen in the daytime.
Thus, when I visited Manila two months ago, I decided to go out with my friends. Our Wycliffe Associates (see previous blog) team had eight people. Seven decided to fly back to Manila instead of another 8 hour drive. Two of them were flying out later that did and did not join us at the Red Planet hotel. Of the five left, one of them bowed out because he was not feeling well. That left four of us. We walked down to the boardwalk; our goal: the SM Mall of Asia.
It was a long sweaty walk but when we finally go there, the appeal of air conditioning and meals were a great reward. The SM Mall of Asia was on the boardwalk right next to Manila Bay. We stood at the wall and leaned over to smell the salty tang of the Pacific Ocean.
We found a place to eat called Joey’s Pizza. There is enough American culture here in Manila: Krispy Kreme. I didn’t eat any; pizza was better.
The giant Ferris Wheel was lit up: a nice sight. After dinner, we decided to go back to the hotel via a taxi. When we reached the taxi cab ranks, someone offered to take us back to the hotel for 150 pesos. I noticed that we were headed towards his personal vehicle and told the group to go find someone else because he was one of the many “illegal” taxi drivers in Manila. Fortunately, we found a licensed taxi who took us back to the hotel for the same price. We all got home safely and well earned rest.
One night in Manila isn’t enough to give a full feel for the city. The next morning was spent at a local church and then the airport. For those who stayed longer or actually live there, you can probably tell me that my experiences there are no representative. Fine. No problem about that; I was just a tourist. 🙂
It was a good night.
amicusveritae 
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