Posts from the 'Photography' Category

Rizal Park and Intramuros, Manila

My last couple of days in Manila were supposed to be a whirlwind of sightseeing activities, but I caught a cold. So on the last half-day, I thought I’d take the LRT to Rizal Park and Intramuros, but I sort of underestimated walking distances and my own endurance so I didn’t get to see as much as I wanted. I got off the train near Rizal Park, and didn’t know there was a shortcut through the nearby golf course that led straight into Intramuros, so I ended up walking all the way around the golf course to the western entrance to Intramuros. I probably should have taken up a pedicab driver’s offer for a guided tour so I could just sit and take pictures while someone else did all the hard work, but by this point I was pretty weary of everyone in Manila trying to sell me something, so I stubbornly refused his offer and struck out on my own on foot. It turns out (I knew beforehand, but I didn’t *know* if you get my meaning) that Intramuros is still just a part of the city where people live and work. The Jollibee and Mercury Drug Store are in pretty old buildings, but don’t have any real historical significance on their own. I was already pretty tired and sweaty by the time I got to Intramuros, so I only had enough juice to wander around for a couple of hours before I found myself in front of the Bureau of Immigration and decided to take a taxi back to my hotel instead of taking the train again. Good thing I petered out when I did, because the way traffic was I got back to my hotel just in time to take a quick shower, check out, and catch a ride to the airport.

Giant Map of the Philippines, Rizal Park, Manila

I’m working on an annotated  image that shows where Pili (where I spent most of my time) is in relation to Manila.

Manila Orchidarium

On my way through Rizal Park, I stopped by the Orchidarium. Apparently January isn’t really orchid season so there wasn’t much to see.

Cathedral of Manila, Intramuros

I couldn’t find San Augustin Church, so here’s the Cathedral of Manila. I didn’t go inside because I was self-conscious of my sweat-soaked t-shirt. Probably should have just done the pedicab tour.

Statue of King Carlos IV in Plaza Roma in front of the Intramuros Administration Building

View of the golf course and Manila from the wall around Intramuros

The shortcut I missed >_<

Quick shot of the tarmac as I catch my flight to Taipei

Guess I’ll just have to go back for more pictures, and try not to get sick next time. Taipei pictures coming up next.

j j j

A Little Side Trip

The day after Christmas we took a little vacation-within-a-vacation to Legazpi City, the biggest city in and administrative center of the Bicol region. It’s not nearly as big as Manila or Cebu, but it’s probably for the best. After a couple of days, I definitely feel like I’ve had enough Manila, but I could hang out in Legazpi for a while. It’s touristy and urban enough that there’s nice places to stay (for way cheaper than comparable accommodations in the US) and eat but it is definitely an actual living, breathing, working part of the Philippines, so you’re not missing out on any of the “Philippines experience.”

Embarcadero, Legazpi City

The Embarcadero is a seaside mall sort of thing that has, unfortunately, seen better days. The city had ambitious plans to make it their version of Manila’s Mall of Asia, but there’s two or three pretty big malls downtown (and another even bigger one under construction) so I can’t imagine how a city this size can support one that’s sort of out of the way. The end near the street is pretty busy with shops and restaurants, but farther in it’s largely empty.

Mayon Volcano from the top of Lignon Hill

According to another couple we talked to, the view of Mayon from Lignon Hill is just as good as the one you get from the expensive ATV tour, and it only costs 20p to walk to the top of Lignon Hill. You can drive, too, for a higher entrance fee or pay a guy to take you up in his sidecar (sort of a stripped-down tricycle). There’s a little souvenir shop/cafeteria/visitor center at the top but really what you’re here for is the amazing view of Legazpi City and Daraga on one side and Mayon on the other.

Mayon from Lignon Hill

Legazpi City and Daraga from Lignon Hill

Mayon and surrounding fields from Lignon Hill

I’ve got some more photos from Manila and Taipei coming.

j j j

A Little Preview Post

I’m finally back in reliable Internet service. I spent two weeks in the Bicol region, mostly in Pili, Camarines Sur but with a small side-trip to Legazpi City. I’m back in Manila now for a couple of days before heading home (with a day-long layover in Taipei). I’ll post more pictures when I’m back home.

Fresh (and mostly still moving) fish at the open-air market in Pili.

I’m still not comfortable photographing strangers, which means I missed an opportunity to record the gruesome but fascinating process of cleaning a fish in about ten seconds with a single very large knife to bonk it over the head, scale, and gut it.

The port town of Pasacao

We took a little trip on Christmas day to visit some family in Pasacao. Without access to a car, this involved a tricycle ride over to the right bus route to catch a bus to the terminal in Naga City, then another tricycle ride to another bus terminal, where we caught an express van (which is faster than a bus and sometimes infinitely more terrifying, depending on the driver) to the bus terminal in Pasacao, then a pedicab ride to the center of town where my relatives run a motorcycle parts/services shop. The pedicab charged me double, which is I think is fair.

The primary mode of transportation in the Philippines

The jeepney is iconic, but I think the real official transportation of the Philippines is the single-cylinder motorbike. At 100-125cc’s they’re not particularly fast, but they’re relatively cheap, reliable, and fitted with an extra pair springs and shocks, will carry just about anything on a flat road. Apparently it’s technically illegal to carry a child on a motorbike as pictured, but most people don’t own cars and are just making short trips around town, so this rule is not strictly enforced. This being the Philippines, the owners are also fond of customizing their bikes so you will see all sorts of racing liveries, modified exhausts, and chassis lights.

j j j

Hard Drives Fail Sometimes

I recently re-discovered some photos from my last trip to the Philippines (and a brief layover in Tokyo) that I thought I had lost when my old laptop hard drive decided to pack it in.I must have had a rare moment of foresight and backed them up on the portable hard drive I usually use for work. With another trip to the Philippines right around the corner, I guess it’s a good time to go through them so I can get more excited than I already have been. I’ll post them as I get to them and they will not be in any particular chronological or thematic order.

Cabanatuan, I think.

Weird-looking horse.

Jeepney designs are not typically known for subtlety and restraint, so this one stood out.

Some kids playing in an alley in Irriga.

American fast food franchises seem to have a slightly loftier status in Asia. And those little vans are adorable :3

Tokyo uses space very efficiently. Even side-streets and alleys are packed with storefronts and eateries. Not being on a main street doesn’t seem to be the handicap it is in the US…

…but of course being on the main street is a huge boon to visibility. Again, adorable little trucks and vans.

There’s at least one more batch I’ll be wanting to share, and then a whole bunch more when I come back from the Philippines in January. I’ve got two overnight layovers in Taipei this time, so hopefully I’ll have some bonus pictures from there, too.

j j j