Taking on Manila

The Manila skyline

Just finished a day in Manila, and, wow, what a city. There’s a ton of history woven into the fabric, and most of that history involves conflict—no surprise considering about 85 percent of Manila was destroyed during WWII. Today, Manila holds little back when honoring its war heroes. The first is a man named Jose Rizal, whose writings in the late 1800s helped spur a movement among native Filipinos to fight their Spanish occupiers for independence. In Rizal Park, located in the heart of the city, there is a monument commemerating Rizal, who was tried then executed by the Spanish.

Another Filipino war hero is the great American general, Douglas MacArthur. For those of you who haven’t brushed up on your high school civics readings, MacArthur was stationed in Manila for more than 10 years leading up to WWII. When the Japanese successfully invaded, MacArthur was forced to leave, uttering the famous line, “I shall return.” Less than three years later, he did, and the U.S. took back the Philippines, eventually granting the nation its long-awaited independence. Today, if the suite is unoccupied, tourists can visit the Manila Hotel, one of the oldest in all of Luzon, and see the room MacArthur lived in with his family prior to the war. It can also be rented for $2,000 USD per night. Bill Clinton once stayed in the suite, bypassing the hotel’s presidential suite in order to satisfy his own curiosity for the history surrounding the general.

MacArthur's digs at the Manila hotel

Other thoughts from Manila:

• For comedic purposes, the line “I shall return” seems to play well each time it’s delivered. Briefly leaving the dinner table to use the restroom? Use the line. Bought a drink from the bartender? Time for the line. Bonus points are given for strutting away in a military-style march. And yes, I realize there’s at least an 80 percent chance the joke is getting laughs either out of pity, or because I am a goofy blonde American, but I still highly recommend using this joke liberally.
• The country was occupied for more than 300 years by Spain, then for more than 40 years by the U.S. Influences from both countries are everywhere, from the architecture, to the food, to the names of its cities and roads. Our first meal in Manila happened to be lunch at a Spanish tapas restaurant called Casa Armas. Delicious.

• Spanish food goes great with San Miguel

• One quick note about the roads as we move through Manila: They are filled with wildly colorful contraptions called “jeepneys.” What’s a jeepney? Imagine, if you can, a hummer crossed with a go-kart, crossed with a Mardi Gras float. Jeepneys are essentially the Manila bus system, and apparently can be ridden for just a few Philippine Pesos (PHP) Jeepneys originated right after WWII, when American forces chose to leave their army jeeps in Manila rather than ship them home. The Filipinos decorated them and used them as a form of mass transit and the tradition continues today. Rest assured, America: This week will not pass without my taking at least one jeepney ride.

  A jeepney in motion

• Through painstaking research, interrogation, and relentless journalism (meaning, I asked my tour guide, Medel), I have learned why the Filipinos often interchange the “Ph” and “F” in their language: The country was named after a Spaniard, King Philippe, which was often written with either an F or Ph. The custom of interchanging the two spread into the dialect.

Manila also has one golf course, Club Intramuros, and 18-hole track located within 5-foot walls that date back to the late 1500s. More on this course in the February issue.

That’s all for now. Tomorrow we island hop our way south to Bohol. From what I hear, it’s a completely different world from the fast pace of Manila. Until then…

I shall return.

Perched along the Pasig river, the longest in Manila

Read more about the Scenes from the Philippines!

• Going Global Once Again!
• Part I  - Greetings from Manila
• Part II - Taking on Manila
• Part III - The island experience
• Part IV - Making the most of rainy Cebu
• Part V  - Beaching it in Boracay
• Part VI - The long road home