97 deg F / 37 deg C. Sixty percent humidity. This is exactly why I moved to Arizona. The last time I was in Manila was February 2019, and it didn’t feel like this.
Today I choose to visit the older parts of Manila. But first, we visited the grand hero of the Philippines. The Rizal Monument celebrates the life of Jose Rizal, Filipino nationalist, who was killed late in the 19th century by the then rulers of the Philippines, Spain.
I had a great shot of the flag with sun flares, but I could never get it with the flag in full. I suck.
The Intramuros, “within the walls” in Spanish, is the Manila old town. And let me tell you, they have not cleaned up the telephone lines since I was last here.
The historic area did not survive World War 2 very well. There were lots of open brick walls and buildings, but nothing to really show pictures of. Maybe it was the heat. We entered Fort Santiago, which had served as fortifications for several nations. Here is a reconstructed gate.
Our guide then introduced us to the White Cross, where – after WW2 – the remains of 600 unidentified people were found.
We were then introduced to the San Agustin Church, which has survived disasters both natural (1880 earthquake) and man-made (WW2 shelling). The nearby monastery was not so fortunate. Due to the crowds or tourists (mostly from our cruise ship, to be honest), here is a nice picture from the wiki.
We then got to have tea in the Manila Hotel. I had forgotten I visited here in 2019 as well. We were very well served.
A big difference I noticed from last visit was a reduction in the number of jeepney. Our guide said a few years ago the government started getting more serious about safety and environmental rules.
Easter is tomorrow, so I was not surprised by discovering the Easter Bunny had visited my cabin.
I found a lovely hibiscus in Manila. They may enjoy the heat and humidity, but it kicked my butt.
