Exploring my local area

I slept well, but woke up early with a horrendous cough. When I tried to speak (I often talk to myself 😂), I realised I'd lost my voice completely! I'm sure it's the effect of the aircon. I'd planned a quiet day today anyway, so hopefully it will improve by tomorrow.

After breakfast, I went up on the roof to take some pictures of my surroundings. Then, I went out to explore the local area. I'm staying in the Makati district of Manila, which is known for its shopping and nightclubs, neither of which are my thing, but it's cheaper than staying in the historic centre. I'm only about three miles from the tourist hotspots, and there's an MTR station just round the corner, but it will still take me about an hour to get there! I went to see where the station is because I want to book a walking tour for tomorrow. I get the impression that the public transport system here is going to be a massive disappointment after Hong Kong!

I saw lots of Jeepneys in the streets around my hotel. They weren't going anywhere. They were just parked up with sleeping drivers stretched out across the front seats!

I didn't stay out long. It was 33 degrees by 10am, so not conducive to hiking! I found a couple of local shops and bought some groceries for the next few days, and then returned to my room. I did some planning for my time in the Philippines and grappled unsuccessfully with their online visa extension system. I don't want to book anything until I know they'll let me stay!

I caught up with some UK TV (Race Across the World), and generally had a lazy day, and no, at the end of it, I still can't speak 😂.Read more