July 2020; Out of my comfort zone; Some days in Manila

Sleeping gentleman in his moto-taxi, Manila, Phillippines

I officially declared July of 2019 a time for bit of well earned R&R. I’d planned some time away from the daily grind, but with next to zero clue as to where I’d go and what I’d do. One of my new years resolutions for 2019 was to see 3 new countries, but up until that point I’d failed to even take the first step to accomplishing my goal, only having been to Japan so far that year (which was by far not virgin steps by this particular city gent.)

I’d already booked another trip back to Kyushu for the latter half of my down time, and I knew that wasn’t gonna be a cheap trip. The land of the rising sun was sure to empty my pockets quicker than a weekend casino bender in Macau, but the cause of my inevitable brokeness was sure to be cameras and cold beers, not losing my house to a mah jong game. As time grew closer I scrambled to book some flights and hotels, only to be visually buggered by the impending summer holidays price hike on just about everything. Crap. I am rarely prepared.

One of the many blessed things about living in Shenzhen is the transportation. This location is so incredibly convenient for travelling just about anywhere hot and sunny, it’s slap bang in the belly button of Asia for flights, and pretty much anywhere in this gorgeous continent is only a few hours away. There’s a ton of places within the walls of the red dragon I’d love to go see. Mongolia, Qingdao, the place they did Avatar, to name but a few. But, domestic flights within this great land of ours are synonymous with flight delays that make you want to hijack the plane, just to make the damn thing take off.

So with domestic holiday bliss scratched firmly off the destinations list, next to cross my mind was Bali. After hearing so many great things about it, the land of mangoes and headscarves was etched onto my travel list. Then I checked the price of flights and hotels, and Bali was not to be. This went on for several attempts, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan, all shot to shrapnel by my restrained budget. But what was affordable was the Philippines. It’s actually very unusual that I hadn’t visited the Philippines before. I was brought to China to join an awesome Philippine band, I had a bunch of absolutely lovely Pinoy friends, and I’d heard nothing but good about the place. Why hadn’t I gone before? So, a ticket to Manila was booked, and plans were set in stone.

Now, Manila is far from being the most obvious location for a first time traveler there. The Philippines is world renowned for its breathtaking beaches, islands and sunsets, but Manila errs more to the infamous side of things. Pollution, guns, crime, and most perturbingly, poverty. But, with my pasty white skin akin to a sickly ghost, beaches were not my thing. I burn quick as a crawfish on a barbeque. In my naïve mind, Manila held a certain uncomfortable attraction. Having been born in London, and only really spent my years in wealthy cities, I harbored desires to be amongst others of a different situation to my own. Time to open ones eyes and take in a deep gulp of reality. And once again, I wasn’t prepared.

After dropping my bag at the hotel and a lovely introductory conversation with the delightful ladies that work there, I decided (as I usually do) to take a stroll around the ‘hood, get a taste of my nearby surroundings, grab a beer or two, and find my bearings. Upon immediate reflection, this was a serious mistake. I should have started at the “nicer” areas, then understood slightly better what I was letting myself in for. Now, we throw the term “wealth divide” around a little too easily these days. We might say, for instance, that Hong Kong has a significant wealth divide, which is absolutely true. But, Manila is at a whole different level. The surrounding locale of my hotel was far from the hedonistic mental images Makati brings to mind. It was in the car fix it area, dozens of garages with platoons of oil covered mechanics and repair guys. No bars, no Starbucks, just automobiles and motorcycles, all sat in varying states of decay.

The weather was blisteringly hot. The dusty roads filled your mouth and ears with grit, and the sight of dozens upon dozens of homeless people became apparent. Now, I’ve seen and experienced poverty in my life, or at least I thought I had. Kids living on rubbish landfill sites in Cambodia. Limbless beggars in Thailand. And trust me, London has more than it’s fair share of the poor and destitute. But this was different. Adults, seniors, children, infants, arms outstretched for some change, with smiles so sweet they wring your heart. This shock to my senses was nothing less than heartbreaking. 

The ladies at my hotel reception had earlier given me a few tips about Makati overall, and one of them was that, under no circumstances, do you give money to the children. If you do, they wisely warned, you will be swarmed by beggars like bees to a flowerbed. But when kids of 6, 7 years old, and many both above and below that, come to you asking for a few coins, it’s a real test of personal mettle. They see you in your clean clothes, camera round my neck worth more they could guess, and you refuse them the price of a snack. This happened throughout my time in Manila, often several times a day. They don’t have it easy.

Armed guards are present pretty much anywhere there is cash involved. Malls, supermarkets, even 7-11, all have smartly uniformed, smiling and helpful men, eager to please and welcoming you with “good afternoon, sir,” whilst toting a pump action shotgun and sidearm. The begging kids aren’t daft enough to brave the risk of entering such places and face the wrath of these foreboding gentlemen, but they wait outside for you. With the sun beating down on me, I took a break in a convenience store, and on this scorching afternoon enjoyed an ice cold red horse, the Philippine beer of choice. As I sat next to the window, my view was blocked by the staring faces of half a dozen dirty skinned little cherubs, some clothed, some not, none wearing shoes, watching me cool down as they baked in the heat. This was my first afternoon in manila, and as I said, I wasn’t prepared for it. After escaping the crowd of helpless and homeless children, I managed to make it back to my hotel, a shopping bag full of snacks and beers, and reflected on my first afternoon there. I cried. A few hours later that evening, I repacked my bag and decided I should come home. I wasn’t prepared for this, and this first day had pretty much crushed me. I can be pretty cold about some things in life, but kids or animals in need truly affect me. I drank, I slept, and woke up the next morning feeling a lot better after a nights sleep. Any troubling decision in life, sleep on it.

The days after that were much kinder on the senses. I ventured through markets and back streets, alleys and church grounds, ate delicious fruit and had the best coffee of my life. With the majority of people speaking English, to a point, communication was no issue. Every single person I encountered was polite, helpful, and friendly in a way that made me reexamine the residents of my own, cold city. I took a bamboo bicycle out for a long ride in the rain. I watched the photo session of a beautiful bride and dashing groom in the cathedral gardens. And after mustering the personal courage and determination, I even took a few hours around Tondo, the area of the city at its lowest point of poverty and desperation. If you are feeling strong and want to consider yourself lucky at your personal situation, do a little reading about Tondo. But still even there, the faces beamed and greeted me sincerely.

To some people, Manila has garnered a reputation that can scare tourists and travelers away, and as much as it pains me to say it, that reputation is somewhat true. But to me, your feelings and perception of Manila is truly defined by how you personally experience it. I would absolutely recommend it to some, and absolutely not to others. For myself, I am looking forward to my next trip there, and to other destinations in the Philippines overall. The people of the Philippines should be incredibly proud of how they represent their country, as a welcoming, warm, joyous place, with the happiest smiles I’ve ever seen. Living in such a wealthy place as we do, it’s all too easy to take things for granted. I’m sure for some of the people in Manila, they can’t afford to take much for granted. Even tomorrow.