Manila, Philippines

To prolong my Thai visa with a month I had to go out of the country and then fly in again, because by land the visa extension is limited to 2 weeks. This was lucky because even though I always wanted to visit Philippines I didn’t have any plans to go there during this Asia trip.

But now I found a cheap return ticket (one way is not allowed anyway) and the next day I found myself being in Manila, the capital of Philippines.

Arriving at 4 am in the beginning of the week I was surprised to see that the city was still alive and moving. There are no public transport at this time besides taxi and the area I arrived to is a bit expensive, so I get a cheap taxi to another area which some helpful local recommended to me 5 minutes earlier.

The area I arrive to is the party area of Manila. Everywhere lady-boys and taxi-men are yelling after me, dark alleys with people hanging around and strip clubs (“Gentlemen clubs”). But people are really helpful and about half an hour later (around 5 am) I am checked into a hotel and laying in my bed, starting to realize that I am in the Philippines.

The next morning I force myself up at 9 am to get the complementary double breakfast. Double because I have a double room, although its pretty small. Next to me for breakfast sits one foreigner and his lady-boy. They are really friendly people and when the lady-boy leaves the guy tells me his wife is luckily coming firstly next week.

Back in my bed, which covers almost the whole room, I am thinking I can not wait to explore Manila. Just one more hour of sleep…