At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the lounge is bustling with tourists -balikbayans and foreigners alike. Amidst the April summer heat is the excitement to experience not only the scenic landscapes and the sea itself but the adventure that only the Philippines can give.
The heat in Manila would hark back to every balikbayan that he is finally home and that means local food, home cooked and those sold in the streets, and local restaurants are now easily accessible.
In the road coming from the airport to whichever destination, you can be sure that there are people who are selling different kinds of food products -that is how Filipinos are, being very fond of food. Some of these vendors are selling cashew nuts and Philippine peanuts laid out in native containers, some are vending fish balls and squid balls in street corners; of course not to forget sago't gulaman, and the staple summer snack - halo-halo are also being sold in other stalls.
By dusk, balut vendors will be roaming the streets with their famous one-word advertising spiel "balut" with the second syllable prolonged just to make sure that even those in their homes hear that balut and penoy are already available for the taking.
Nightlife in Manila
In Roxas Boulevard, Manila Bay is hustling and bustling with people. Some are having coffee in one of those small coffee shops, while some are seated in the benches waiting for the sun to set.
The whole stretch of Manila Bay is now a tourist destination both for domestic and international travelers. This place is visited not just for the restaurants that offer Filipino and other foreign cuisines but mainly because of the bay's breathtaking sunset.
This is where the old and the new merges and blends -the brick laden pathways gives a taste of the Spanish influence infused in the Filipino culture while the mani, mais, yosi, diaryo, balut, itlog ng pugo, and mangga vendors is a reminder of Filipino mercantile nature and hard work.
Come night time, the bands in the hippest restos play upbeat music signaling the start of nightlife at the bay.
Just across the street is Malate -where most of the teenagers and yuppies unwind, spending time in the bars dancing the night away or drinking a few bottles of San Miguel beer, Tanduay rum or maybe cocktails for the ladies.
For those who are really interested in the Night Life scene in Manila -Timog, Eastwood, and The Fort are places to see.
In the morning, start the day right and take a walk at the bay, or in Luneta Park or maybe even in the academic oval in the University of the Philippines -one of the oldest universities in the country, located in Quezon City just thirty minutes away from Manila. Taking a walk in any of these places would surely be very relaxing.
Colourful jeepneys will pass you by while you are doing your walk. In the sitios and villages in the metro, tricycles are also available to take passengers for a ride; fare for a kilometer is only Php 12.00. These modes of transport, more popularly known as the jeep and the trike by the locals, could only be found in the Philippines, nowhere else.
The Filipino Shopping Experience
The malls open up for business at 10 am sharp. To cool down a little in the urban summer heat, most go for a day's shopping or window shopping in the malls. Popular shopping malls in the metro include, Trinoma, Gateway, Greenbelt, The Podium, Rockwell, SM Megamall and SM City.
The Philippines is famous for its enormous shopping centers filled with shops that sell a range of products. High end shops are also available but for us Filipinos to enjoy our shopping experience, we have to get high quality products at reasonable rates.
Shopping in Divisoria may be tiring but this is part of the bargain. You can find anything and everything there; from clothes to shoes to jewelry to gadgets to plants, even fruits and vegetables. The ride is not such a long one but due to the heat, it is a little fatiguing but it will be all worth it because of the low low prices. If you are looking for cell phones, ipods, television sets, and house appliances go to 168, a mall located in Manila's Chinatown.
A few blocks away, is Quiapo -where you can find Chinese herbal medicine and of course other bargains such as clothes, blankets, bags, watches, among other things. Just down the road is the Quiapo Church -famous for its Fiesta ng Nazareno hosted every first month of the year- where vendors of local Filipino products sit on benches and lay their goods on the pavement.
Greenhills in San Juan is also a good place to buy gadgets and software but for those who love jewelry this is the place to be. The prices are crazy so to speak, crazy in a good way because the rates are very low.
