Read this blog: The one where we watch an International fireworks competition Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th March 2025 Robert wanted to tick off his 53rd Hard Rock Café so we ordered a Grab to take us to the Mall of Asia, a large shopping mall built on reclaimed land. Momo the happy Corgi welcomes visitors to the Mall of Asia. The Grab dropped us at the Conrad Hotel and, while Robert was paying the fare, a charming hotel attendant opened the car door for Matilda and asked her if she had come for the fireworks. He explained that there was a competition going on and that there would be fireworks over the bay that night. A quick google search revealed that the 12th Philippine International Pyromusical Competition [PIPC] was taking place on Seaside Boulevard and that on 8th March our home team the UK, represented by Pyrotex Fireworx, would be up against South Korea’s Faseecom. The restaurants in and around the Mall of Asia were gearing up for the crowds and whilst we did not want to stay and become embroiled with the masses, we felt we might be able to see something from the Sky Bar at our […]
Phillipines
Read this blog: The one where we go beyond the walls Friday 7th March 2025 Venturing out beyond Intramuros into Manila for the first time made Matilda feel quite anxious as she had read that tourists are advised to exercise a high degree of caution in the Phillippines. However, there is a very obvious police presence: men (almost exclusively it seems) stand watch in plain pale blue/grey uniforms on street corners and at all the tourist sites we visited and there was a different Manila to be found outside the old city walls, beyond the golf course. The narrow historic streets were replaced by wide multi-lane highways and grand buildings such as the National Museum of Fine Arts [below]. There are plenty of jeepneys on the streets. After WWII the Americans left behind vehicles which the Filipinos modified and have been using for public transport ever since. They can accommodate between 15 and 20 passengers and are often highly decorated with heavy metal inspired names. There are plans to upgrade the jeepneys to make the engines less polluting but people fear this will also mean an increase in fare prices. We looked back across the golf course to the walls. […]
Read this blog: The one where the cracks keep appearing Thursday 6th March We decided to walk the walls of Intramuros as our introduction to Manila. One of the walkways up to the ramparts was conveniently positioned just outside our hotel. The walls are very nearly complete and Robert decreed we should walk clockwise. Our first stop was at Baluarte De San Diego on the southwest corner of the Intramuros walls. The fortification is shaped like an arrow with a circular tower inside and dates from the sixteenth century. There is a small park surrounding the bastion which includes landmarks, monuments and fountains, including the frame of a steam engine which Robert was pleased to see was British made. The bastion was built in 1587 and was meant to be part of a larger fortification which was never completed. The Fort Nuestra Señora de Guia [below] is the oldest stone fort in Manila and is the remains of the central circular tower. Shortly after it was built, in 1593, the upper portion had to be demolished after cracks appeared. Subsequently the rest of the structure was reinforced and integrated into a new bulwark which was named Baluarte de San Diego. […]
Read this blog: The one where Matilda finally gets to use her emergency poncho Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th March 2025 Rain was forecast but it was still quite warm so Matilda took her emergency poncho rather than a waterproof jacket. Santa had put the poncho in her stocking about eight years ago just after she retired and she has been taking it on holiday with her ever since. When we emerged from the metro station it was raining heavily and Matilda finally got the chance to make use of this very well-travelled piece of attire. It proved quite successful: the only issue was that, because it was so light-weight, the hood kept blowing off. We planned to visit the Taipei Confucius Temple first. On the walk there we came across bear statues illustrating the “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil” adage with a fourth one [below left] with its hands behind its back illustrating the principle of “do no evil”. The saying is derived from/attributed to Confucius: “Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary […]