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.

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.

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.

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.