Manila

 A Short Trip to Manila

 

Last week, I attended a professional workshop in Manila. Tashkent is not very convenient to get in and out of. To attend the workshop, I ended up travelling for 24 hours in both directions (including 11-hour layovers in Seoul), and spending 2 1/2 days on my own in Manila. 

My hotel, and the school that hosted the workshop, are in a part of Manila called Fort Bonifacio. This area is pretty amazing; gorgeous retail areas, green spaces, orderly traffic, lots of restaurants. 

This is called a 'Jeepney.' It is a form of public transport. They're old American army jeeps that have been recycled. Brilliant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On my second day in Manila, I took a taxi to Intramuros, an historic section of the city. It was my introduction to the nightmare traffic in Manila. It took 1 1/2 hours each way. I found out later that many of the people who work at the international schools in Manila rarely leave their neighbourhoods, because of the traffic. 

On my last day in Manila, I visited the American cemetery, the final resting place for American servicemen killed in the Pacific arena during WWII. Seeing the rows and rows of pristine crosses (and some stars of David) was heart-breaking. So many young men, so many dreams, so many hopes, just wasted.