Day 61, Manila, Philippines – March 6
Shopping Malls
Today was our second and final day in Manila. There are plenty of opportunities for shopping here with several large malls within a few miles of the ship. The port provided a shuttle bus to the nearby Robinson Place Mall, which is huge (2.6 million sq feet) and only slightly smaller than the largest mall in the USA in Minnesota – the Mall of America (2.8 million sq feet). The Mall of America is the 36th largest mall in the world. The West Edmonton Mall, in Edmonton, Canada, is the largest mall in North America (23rd in the world at 3.8 million sq feet)
The largest mall in the Philippines, and the sixth largest in the world is the SM City North Mall (5.4 million sq feet) located about 6 miles north of the ship. The largest mall in the world is the South China Mall in Dongguan China with over 7 million sq feet of leasable space.
Manila Area showing some of the places we visited
Manila Port Area
The Plan
I didn’t want to spend much time in vehicles today, so I planned a trip to a few nearby spots:
- A walking tour thru nearby Intramuros (Inside the walls) – Old Town Manila
- Singing Cooks and Waiters – a interesting spot for lunch
- The Upside Down Museum for some fun photos
Manila for a Day
A company called “Manila for a Day” caught my eye, offering private walking tours for small groups with a fixed price (about $40 USD per person) for up to 5 people. The 3G tour, “God, Gold and Glory – Extended” would cover Filipino history from Magellan to WW II and promised to offer insight to the Filipino people and what shapes their current culture and attitudes. I always enjoy opportunities to learn more about different cultures and what has shaped their thinking over the years. More info HERE
Arranging the tour was easy and their emails prompt and easy to understand. Full payment was required in advance and based on their outstanding reviews didn’t pose a problem.
Our tour started at 8:15 AM outside the St Agustin Church and Museum and would end up at Fort Santiago at 12:45 PM about ¾ of a mile away.
Even though our starting point was about 1 mile from the ship I decided to arrange for a driver, instead of walking, to take us there and to support the following schedule:
8 am: Ship to San Agustin Church and Museum for walking tour
1 pm: Fort Santiago to Singing Cooks and Waiters Restaurant
2:30 pm: Singing Cooks and Waiters to Upside Down Museum
3:30 pm: Upside Down Museum to Ship
Manila Stay, the same company I used yesterday, was able to arrange these transfers for us for about $50 total. Today, the driver knew our pick-up location and he arrived promptly after I gave him a call to tell him we were ready.
San Agustin Museum
Dustin, from Manila for a Day, met us promptly at 8:15 to start our tour. We spent the first 2 ½ hours walking through the San Agustin Museum where we moved slowly through various exhibits while he explained the influence of Magellan and his explorers, followed by more Spanish and the influence of the Catholic Church. Dustin was able to skillfully weave events from centuries ago and how they shaped the Filipino attitudes still prevalent today.
Dustin was a terrific guide – Highly recommended!
Dustin explaining how a secret voting machine worked
I initially expected the tour to take place outside while we would slowly walk from building to building toward Fort Santiago. As it turned out, most of the tour would take place in air-conditioned buildings with very little walking outside in the heat. This was a nice surprise as I didn’t look forward to hours standing outside in the hot sun.
Dustin’s English is perfect and this coupled with his superb presentation skills along with a very pleasant demeanor made the time fly by. Five is about the perfect group size for this tour, but you could probably go up to 7 or 8 without detracting too much from the experience.
Inside San Agustin Church
Casa Manila
Following our tour through San Agustin Museum we walked a short block over to the Casa Manila Museum, which is a copy of the 1850’s San Nicolas House that was once located in Calle Jaboneros. Rather than simply describe the house and its architecture, Dustin explains the lifestyle and attitudes of the occupants and the Filipino people in the mid 1800’s.
Casa Manila
Halo Halo
Our next stop was a nearby restaurant where we sampled a traditional Filipino desert called a “Halo Halo”. This is a basically a combination of a snow-cone and a banana split and features a variety of fruits served in a large glass sundae. It was very good and every Filipino we spoke with later were all familiar with this treat and they enjoyed them very much whenever they were back home.
Our group enjoying Halo Halo
Halo Halo
Fort Santiago
After we finished our Halo Halo’s we were given the option to either walk about ½ mile to Fort Santiago or take a pedicab. We chose the pedicab option and for 50 pesos per person ($1 USD) we were on our way, avoiding the walk in the hot sun.
The Pedicab ride was worth 50 pesos
While I remembered that Gen Macarthur pledged “I shall return” when he left the Philippines, I didn’t appreciate the battle that led to the liberation of the Philippines in 1945. Dustin described the fighting here at Fort Santiago and how this pivotal event shaped the relationship between the Filipino people and the USA for years to come.
The 3G – Extended Walking tour exceeded our expectations and I highly recommend Dustin and Manila for a Day to anyone who is interested in gaining a greater appreciation of the rich history of the Philippines.
Our group after the tour on the Pasig River near Fort Santiago
Our driver picked us up at Fort Santiago about 1:15 and we headed off to Lunch at the restaurant “Singing Cooks and Waiters” a few miles south.
Singing Cooks and Waiters
The restaurant is on the second floor of a building on a crowded block and was almost empty when we arrived. The “cooks and waiters” were performing constantly on a small area adjacent to the tables in the main dining area. Audience participation is appreciated and we all took turns singing and dancing as the talented crew sang a variety of pop tunes. The food was just OK, but you don’t come here for that, but for the entertainment and good times, of which there is plenty.
Singing Cooks and Waiters
Judy, Susan and Margaret
A singing Cook
A singing waiter
Upside Down Museum
After our late lunch we piled into our waiting van for the short drive to the “Upside Down” museum. We all qualified for a senior discount which was 330 pesos. They don’t take USD or credit cards, so make sure you have enough pesos if you plan to visit.
Once inside there are probably about 10 sets that you can use to photograph yourselves in various poses that give the illusion you are in a room or location that is upside down. There are staff members available to help you pose in a way to get the best effect and they will also take the pictures with your cameras. We only had 30 minutes here, so we had to rush, and we had to skip a few of the sets at the end. I would plan on spending 60-90 minutes here if you wanted to take advantage of all the sets and not feel rushed. This is a great activity for a small group and is highly recommended.
Margaret appearing to fall
Being chased by a giant!
Ouch!
Our driver was waiting for us and we were back on the ship by 4 PM with the all aboard at 4:30.
Evening aboard
After we sailed away, we spotted the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) anchored off in the distance. More about this ship HERE.
Dinner tonight featured a selection of Filipino favorites including: Lechon (Filipino Style Roasted Suckling Pig), Fried Pork Lumpia with Pickled Papaya and Shrimp Ginataan with Calabasa.
Giovanni was the guest entertainer this evening and he put on another good show that would be improved by singing a few more songs and with shorter song introductions.
