A Long Manila Layover

I never pictured myself going to the Philipines. Not for any specific reason, it was just one of those places that I never developed a desire to see. Well, a week before our trip to Australia I realized that the layover that I thought was just a couple of hours turned out to be a full day, plus those couple of hours. The international date line messed with me, but I took it as a challenge. 




In our relatively short time in Manila, we only managed to make our way to Intramuros; a historic walled city built in the 16th century as a defense for government in battle. Now it's buildings act as a college campus, and the walls, churches, and other historic barricades act as a tourist destination. Unsurprisingly, the Philipines in early summer is hot, muggy, and mostly un-airconditioned.

While I can't say that I'll be heading back anytime soon, the experience was welcomed. We got to take in a little bit of history and a way of living that is new to me. We played frogger with cars because road signs and lights are apparently just suggestions to drivers and got a taste of urban life in the most densely populated city in the world.







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