leaving manila
i think i'll be leaving manila today. the plan is to take a bus to batangas city, then a boat to wawa port on mindoro, then a van or jeepney to mamburao. ill blog again there, maybe tomorrow, to let everyone know how it goes (and if it actually went).
in the meantime, i thought i should name a few good things about manila, so as not to discourage people from traveling to the philippines because of one stupid city:
1) the hotel i stayed at, Pension Natividad, was great. i got a room with a bathroom and shower all to myself for about 18 USD. you can get rooms for cheaper if you don't want a bathroom, and for even cheaper if you don't mind sharing (getting a dorm bed). i think lowest price dorm bed was 330 pesos, or about 6-7 USD. they have a nice cafe downstairs with yummy american and filipino breakfast options, and a pretty courtyard with orchids and an enormous mango tree. the whole place is gated in and watched by a policeman-type guard, so it seems quite safe. it's also in one of the better neighborhoods in manila, if that's saying much. in any case, highly recommended to both filipinos and foreigners - a lot of both stay there (another plus).
2) the Ninoy Aquino airport is maybe my favorite in the world. how posh! what great service! although the baggage claim took like an hour, i think that was a bit unusual. i did fly a 747 over, which had god knows how many boxes of luggage in it. it doesnt not seem like filipinos travel light.
3) the Cyberia Cafe near Pension Natividad on *i think* Quiro Street is a great place to escape the bustle of manila. it may be owned by koreans, given the amount of korean writing everywhere, but in any case, it's nice. access is pretty cheap. yesterday i was here for about 2.5 hours, which cost 168 pesos - just over 3 USD. while it may be cheaper elsewhere (i dont really know, i havent been to any other internet cafes this time around yet), this place has airconditioning, drinks, a little lounge area, and great service. in itself, it's another reason to stay at P.Natividad.
so that's it so far. i should also say that the guy who helped me with my cell phone on Mabini street was cool and nice, but i dont remember his business's name or how to get there. anyway, more later. now it's time to try out the metro system and get on a bus out of here!
in the meantime, i thought i should name a few good things about manila, so as not to discourage people from traveling to the philippines because of one stupid city:
1) the hotel i stayed at, Pension Natividad, was great. i got a room with a bathroom and shower all to myself for about 18 USD. you can get rooms for cheaper if you don't want a bathroom, and for even cheaper if you don't mind sharing (getting a dorm bed). i think lowest price dorm bed was 330 pesos, or about 6-7 USD. they have a nice cafe downstairs with yummy american and filipino breakfast options, and a pretty courtyard with orchids and an enormous mango tree. the whole place is gated in and watched by a policeman-type guard, so it seems quite safe. it's also in one of the better neighborhoods in manila, if that's saying much. in any case, highly recommended to both filipinos and foreigners - a lot of both stay there (another plus).
2) the Ninoy Aquino airport is maybe my favorite in the world. how posh! what great service! although the baggage claim took like an hour, i think that was a bit unusual. i did fly a 747 over, which had god knows how many boxes of luggage in it. it doesnt not seem like filipinos travel light.
3) the Cyberia Cafe near Pension Natividad on *i think* Quiro Street is a great place to escape the bustle of manila. it may be owned by koreans, given the amount of korean writing everywhere, but in any case, it's nice. access is pretty cheap. yesterday i was here for about 2.5 hours, which cost 168 pesos - just over 3 USD. while it may be cheaper elsewhere (i dont really know, i havent been to any other internet cafes this time around yet), this place has airconditioning, drinks, a little lounge area, and great service. in itself, it's another reason to stay at P.Natividad.
so that's it so far. i should also say that the guy who helped me with my cell phone on Mabini street was cool and nice, but i dont remember his business's name or how to get there. anyway, more later. now it's time to try out the metro system and get on a bus out of here!
posted by bethany at 21:49
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