Manila, PHILIPPINES

July 30, 2008
We took the 10 o’clock flight to Manila. It was a big Airbus and we had a smooth 4-hour flight. We reached Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport just before 1 pm. We hailed a cab to Heritage hotel for an overnight stay. We stayed at the hotel before during our last visit.

After checking in and an informal business meeting with our associates, we made our way to the place that would be opened 24/7, the casino. We stayed there most evening, losing all the way. It was a case of things not going in my way. Zack had better luck. Came dinner time, we took a cab to a place called Serendra located at the Fort. It was a hip area meant for the up-market clients. The place was heavy with pedestrian traffic, mostly youngsters hanging out with their buddies.

One thing that surprised me was when the taxi driver asked me to lock the door while we were moving. I was much puzzled by this. The cab driver just told me that I was in Manila, anything could happen. I got the message loud and clear. Another interesting thing was, I was always mistaken for a Filipino. People would greet me in Tagalog only to find out that I was a foreigner that looked very much like any one of them. Walang problema!

The Manila streets were always congested with traffic even though it was past rush hour. The indiscriminate stops made by the jeepneys contributed more problems to the already chaotic situation. I don’t think I dare drive in Manila given the option.

It was another shot at getting easy money after dinner and as usual, I failed miserably. I met another Malaysian at the roulette table, his Excellency the Ambassador. By 3am, I was ready to call it a night.