A night in the city

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Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. It was a crazy day getting to Siargao, but we eventually made it. I’ll tell that story hopefully later today, but here’s a quick catch-up on Monday night in Manila.

We joined travel mates Jeff and Davina for a Makati walkabout after deciding to save the BGC area for another day. Jeff and Davina are regular visitors to Makati, so they gave us a tour of some of their favorite spots, including the upscale Rockwell area. It really was like being in another world. One thing that really stood out for me was the lack of litter. Hard to believe, I know, but this is a side of the Philippines I hadn’t seen before. It reeked of wealth and richness without a shanty in sight. Happy to see successful Filipinos enjoying their lives, but you can’t escape the fact that overwhelming poverty surrounds you right outside this enclave. There is not much middle ground in this country. Anyway, it was an enjoyable night out on the town. Here are a few photos taken along the way.

Walking amongst the high-rise buildings reminded me of my life in Seoul.
Passing through an upscale mall.
A four-story-tall Christmas tree in the mall.
If I were to live in Manila, it would likely be here. That said, it gave off a “fantasyland” vibe that made me a little uncomfortable.
Not to mention Manila traffic.
Evidence that there is a Manila Hash. Later in the evening, I saw a guy wearing a Hash shirt and introduced myself. Nice to meet you, Ice Balls.
Palm trees lit up for the holidays lined the streets of Rockwell.
The Rockwell skyline.

This being us and all, our tour did include some of Jeff’s favorite venues that also happen to serve liquid refreshments.

We started at this brewpub, where they make their own tasty beverages.
I had the “Legal Blonde” pilsner. I took the name to mean it was aged properly.
Then we had dinner on the roof at a place in Rockwell whose name now escapes me.

An after-dinner pub crawl on our way back to the hotel ensued.

First stop, a biker joint called “Handle Bar.”
That girl of mine surrounded by bar art.
That biker print is worthy of a closer look.
Next up, a Burgos Street bar named “Heckle and Jeckle” decorated with images from a cartoon show that only us old farts would remember.
Last call was at Shooters, where we’d had lunch earlier. Our hotel was conveniently located right across the street.

A 5:00 a.m. wake-up call awaited for our morning departure to Siragao Island. Things didn’t go exactly according to plan. I’ll get back to you later today with that story. Oh, and I’ve also just now got caught up with responding to earlier comments. Sorry for the delay!

8 thoughts on “A night in the city”

  2. Siargao or Siragao? I’ve seen both spellings several times now.

    Looks like a nice part of Manila to be in, but I can see what you’re saying re: the unreal vibe. And you can’t avoid the poor in a poor country. Or maybe you can, but at the cost of walling yourself off from reality.

  3. Kevin, it should be SIARGAO, but I’m a dunce and my fingers like the other way for some reason.

    Yeah, the people who rave about Makati and BGC say it is like living in the West. Except I didn’t move here for that vanilla experience. There are lots of irritations living in the “real” Philippines, but I’ll take them and embrace the life for what it is. And yeah, I’m speaking from the perspective of my big house in a gated subdivision, but that’s close enough to see (and hear) the real world.

  5. Hate to be a stickler but, your first pic is shooters and the second is h and j. Enjoy your trip!

  7. Rockwell is very nice but it’s ridiculous that there is no map or directory anywhere so it can be pretty hard to find what you’re looking for.
    The real Philippines isn’t far. Just stroll down the hill toward the river and you’ll find it.

  8. Drain, I didn’t even know Rockwell was a thing until this visit. All I hear about is Makati and BGC. But yeah, you don’t have to walk far from anywhere to get back to the real Philippines.

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