Halo Halo Manila!

We found an airfare we could not resist and decided to spend the weekend in Manila. This is not our first time to the Philippines but we have always just passed through Manila heading straight to the beach!

After clearing customs and hitting up an ATM, we started looking for the taxi line. We were  approached and led to a taxi desk, paid the 1200 Philippine Pesos and we were off to the hotel in Makati. We got to the hotel around 11pm and were informed that we were getting the last room in the hotel. I felt sorry for the other 6 reservations that would not have a room that night. To get a head start on the next morning after checking in, we slid down to the concierge desk and booked a tour to Tagaytay for Saturday and a Manila city tour for Sunday.

After breakfast we were picked up by the guide and were very surprised when we were informed we were the only ones on the tour to Tagaytay. Manila has HORRIBLE traffic! After observing for a bit, you will quickly notice a few major problems on the road, one of which being that no one obeys rules of the road and the traffic lights don't work, another being those damn jeepneys. What is a jeepney you might ask? They first came about in the late 1940s when the American military sold surplus jeeps to locals and they were extended to hold up to 20 people. They are the most popular mode of transportation in the PI. Since the jeepneys are owner operator they pull over to pick up and drop off wherever they want.

Our driver stopped by one of the original jeepney manufacturers, Sarao. He explained to us that the body of the jeepney is handmade from sheet metal and most of the parts are reconditioned from older vehicles. Interesting also is that the seats are made from coconut fiber.

Down the production line they had jeepneys in various stages of completion from body with no wheels to ones all painted up and ready to clog some Manila city traffic!

American Army Jeep before the conversion

A Sarao custom from 1945

After the Sarao factory we stopped at Las Pinas church to see the bamboo organ. Our tour guide was a nice young boy who was volunteering at the church in order to practice his English. He showed us many of the church's original constructions like the tower bell.  The church's organ was made in 1824 and is almost entirely made out of bamboo. When we thought we has seen it all to our surprise, our guide told us we had to wait for a minute and the organist began to play for us - that was pretty neat.

Back in the car again and back in the traffic, we headed toward Taal Lake. Looking out the window I saw a restaurant with a sign saying "Now every Juan can eat." Our guide explained to us that Juan is what locals call themselves so its frequently used in local advertising campaigns. After nearly 2 hours we finally reached Taal Lake which is famous for being on the island of Luzon, with Volcano Island, which also has a lake, which also has an island inside that lake too. The large lake was created when a massive volcano exploded and fresh water collected on the volcanos remnants.

The guide got us settled for our buffet lunch and pointed out Halo Halo, a local delicacy and told us we should have that for dessert. I usually take that as a cue for me to fill up on everything else.

The Filipinos eat a LOT of pork. More than half of the dishes were pork just cooked different ways. This was our first introduction to Filipino cuisine which we really enjoyed. When we were finishing up the guide asked us if we tried the desert and when we said no, he proceeded to get a cup for us to try.

Melissa got suckered into this local treat which consists of shaved ice, evaporated milk, kidney beans, chunks of coconut, several types of gelatin and even more unidentifiable ingredients. Halo Halo apparently means "Mix Mix" as in you have to mix all of that stuff together! 

Our last stop was Peoples Park in the Sky. The palace was built with the intention for President Regan to visit but before his trip to PI there was a political assassination and the Regans cancelled their trip to PI and the palace's construction was never finished. Now the building looks like it is about to fall over, but it does give you some amazing views of the area.

After admiring the views for awhile we jumped back in the car and prepared ourselves for the 2 hour drive back to Manila.