Back From Manila~

Well, I made it back from Manila! The traffic! I spent nearly two hours in a cab to go 4 km, 1 hour 11 minutes of which was "waiting time" according to the receipt the cabbie printed out for me! Very modern! Not like the original yellow and black isuzu Gemini cabas that whezed arouns when I first went there in 87 or 88! The MRT and LRT trains were the way to get around but the steps are bloody steep! I also played tag with a bloke I am sure was trying to pick my pocket. I had someone try it on me back in 94 when I was on the LRT, never forget the mongrel! Always be very aware of pickpockets on the trains and in the jeepneys! Makati was huge and the malls! Glorietta 1 to 4 and Greenbelt 1 to 4 all laid out one after another and there are more than that to be had! SM Mega Mall is still huge but there are more in ORtigas now and also Cubao and Quezon and gawd knows where else! And of course the malls are full of sweet little Filipinas! Good job this bear is married, saves a lot of heartache and cash! Apart from the traffic and the malls, I have to say Manila is where it is at, if you want to make money and do some buisness. It leaves Cebu for dead as a sleepy, provincial nowhere. Of course tonight it tried its best to emulate the big city wth ridiculous traffic jams but c'mon....it was nothing like Manila! Nothing! I stayed at the Jupiters Arms in Makati, P1400 a night if you ask for the British Embassy Corporate Rate. You still get a McDonalds voucher for breakfast! Cute!