Manila, Philippines

Arrived in Manila this morning and excited to visit the Philippines, a new country for us. Because we only have a short day here, we booked a ship excursion to take us to Rizal Park, the old town called Intramuras, and the Manila Hotel. We travelled by “jeepney,” a common form of transportation in the Philippines. You can learn more about them here: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15344340/the…

Rizal Park is named after the Philippines’ hero Dr. José Rizal and is in the area where he and fanned the flames of the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spain and where he was executed on December 30, 1896. “The park was officially named in his honor, and the monument enshrining his remains serves as the park's symbolic focal point. The declaration of Philippine independence from the United States was held here on July 4, 1946, as well as later political rallies, including those of Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino, the latter having culminated in the EDSA Revolution in 1986.” - Wikipedia

Intramuras is the walled original city of Manila built by the Spanish in the late 16th century to protect the city from foreign invasions. While it has suffered the ravages of war, many buildings have been wonderfully restored and the expansive grounds are beautifully landscaped and maintained. From there, we went to see the Manila Hotel where Its penthouse served as the residence of US General Douglas MacArthur while he was Military Advisor to the Philippine Commonwealth from 1935 to 1941.

Thomas and Geraldine were on this tour too so we left it together before the jeepney returned to the port and had lunch at a local restaurant to have adobo chicken and lechon. 😋 We enjoyed Manila and wish we’d had more time to explore the city.Read more