MANILA, PHILIPPINES

 

MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Sachi G. Dastidar

            We wanted to visit Philippines, one of several nations full of Islands, for some time. Many plans changed because of Covid. However, our earlier plans of visiting her southern Mindanao Island to northern Luzon Island was cut short with Manila and its nearby places. It seems accidentally Philippines completed our 2023 year of travel in island nations – from Aruba in the Caribbeans in March to Hawaii Islands in the Pacific in April to Aegean Sea in the Mediterranean in July to Singapore to Indonesia to the Philippines in August, But, traveling to Bali where I was robbed and the Philippines was stressful because of the robbery. Nevertheless, travel in Manila was fine as people were quite close to Western protocol.

Map of Manila

            Our New York Philippine neighbor told us many times how Manila and New York City are comparable with their population density, and in some ways how they are alike. For a new comer it seems all the restaurant chains and businesses that are found in New York City, they are present in Manila as well. In Manila my hotel was close to the bay, and in the heart of the old city built during its colonial era. Those are now tourist attractions, as well as government office. Here are some pictures for my travel to Manila.

Huge Metropolis from the Sky

View From the Ground

Historic Catholic Church

Old Colonial Buildings, now Government Offices

The Bay Area

The City and Its Public Transportation

Wishing more prosperity to the diverse land!