Did you know that the reason they call it a Manila envelope is because the tan folder was originally made with Manila hemp? I got that from Wikipedia, so, you know, grain of salt and all.
Our last day in the Philippenes was spent running around Manila. Though, running isn’t quite the word for it — more like slowly crawling through traffic. Our first and most exciting stop of the day was at the Manila Hotel. Aside from the fact that it’s where General MacArthur stayed during WWII, it’s also home to a bit of family history. You see, my dad was quite a world traveler. His uncountable frequent flier miles resulted in an invitation to fly on the 50th anniversary round-the-world flight of the Pan Am China Clipper.
The flight he was on stopped in Manila and everyone on board headed over the Manila Hotel for a big party where they were greeted by none other then Imelda Marcos (former Philippines first lady). My dad had the honor of dancing with her. So, naturally, I had to go see the ballroom in person. Unfortunately, they only open the ballroom on special occasions. But I told them my dad’s Imelda story and, well, they were pretty excited to show me around!
Me on the Grand Staircase in the Manila Hotel ballroom.
Manila Hotel Lobby
Manila Hotel ballroom
Anyway, that one was for you, Dad.
After the Manila Hotel we went to a Dampa, which means literally “on the ground” or “by the ocean.” But, it’s really just a lunch spot. You go to a stand selling fresh food – vegetables, seafood, etc., pick your ingredients, and then take them inside to be cooked. We went to a seafood spot and picked: Crab (which we asked to have cooked with sweet chili sauce), Prawns (cooked with butter and garlic), and Mussels (grilled and topped with cheese). Wow. It was delicious:
Pow haggling for lunch.
Extremely fresh young coconut milk.
Prawns!
Our last adventure for the day before heading off to the airport was a walking tour of old town Manila hosted by Pow’s sister’s friend’s cousin. Our guide was more of an actor then a guide and, as you can tell from the pics below, Manila has a sordid history with the US (we get made fun of a lot on this tour…). If it’s even possible to sum up the entire history of Manila and the Philippines in one paragraph it would go something like this:
Spain lands and builds chapels and later cathedrals to convert everyone to Catholocism. Eventually, the US buys the country from Spain for a few million dollars (in a deal that also includes Guam and some other island nations). The city of Manila goes from small town to big city nearly overnight. Japan marches in during World War II, occupies the city, and slaughters almost 75,000 people when they realize they can’t hold on to it. MacArthur, who is more of a showman then an actual military man, bombs the city to the ground in an attempt to oust the Japanese. 150,000 people die and the city is destroyed — along with most of its Spanish heritage.
Truly a sad tale, but the upside is that Manila really seems to be making a comeback in a big way. Two of the world’s largest malls are here (the world’s largest mall, big surprise, is the Mall of America in the US). And, if commerce is any indication of the health of a city, I’d say Manila is doing just fine.
Carlos, our tourguide, explaining the US impact on Manila.
More fun with Americans.
Pow and I are currently in the north of Thailand in a city called Chiang Mai, getting ready to head off to Krabi — a beach in the south. But I’ll save that for another day. Here’s a little taste of what’s to come:
Traditional Thai fingernail dance.
Just a minor correction. The China Clipper was the first transatlantic flight to Manila, that’s why it was such a big deal there. Nobody had ever flown a commercial flight that long before. On our last night in Manila we took an LST (Landing Ship Tank) out from the dock at the hotel into Manila Bay for an evening cruise. As we were coming back in the hotel put on a huge fireworks display in our honor.
I read all your posts to Grandma, who was thrilled to be hearing about your adventures. When I told her I could send a message and asked if she’d like to say something to you, she said: “Tell her I love her.”