Manilla – through the streets in a pedalo!

Pedalling around the city one gets a great view of what is going on. Everything is different!

Approaching Manilla with the boobies and sunrise!

We looked out at the misty city in the sun’s initial glow hoping for something radiant. First views did not look inspiring.

Boobies hung in the air around the ship.

Manilla – Away into the sunset! Photographs.

I do enjoy sunsets.

Farewell from Manilla. Photos.

We had a last scoot around Manilla before slipping away into the twilight of evening. The hazy city, bright busses and shanty towns.

Another place of massive inequality. The rich in their penthouses with their limos and yachts, the poor masses surviving on scraps, living in ramshackle huts.

Manilla – Streets and St Augustin Nunnery

If it’s not fortresses or castles it’s churches, temples or mosques.

Power is visible in monuments.

Manilla – on the Film Set

In the park they were filming some strange production of what looked like Beauty And The Beast. Couldn’t be sure as nobody spoke English.

Manilla – Streetlife

Out on the streets we hailed a tuk tuk and headed off to explore. Colourful busses, pedallos, electric wires. It was bustling.

Goodbye to Manilla plus Sunsets – Photos

It was early evening when we left Manilla.

On the quay, there were two groups of musicians and dancers who seemed to be competing with each other.

It

There was a huge difference between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’.

We had celebrity status!

Then the sun started to set.

Manilla – Off to the Museum for a bit of culture. – Photos

I loved the colourful busses! The guy pedalling us around in the sultry heat was very fit and appeared to be in his thirties. He told us he had eleven children.

I thought that explained the massive overcrowding and poverty that bedevilled the city. I talked it through with him but he did not seem to make the connection.

Our pedalo guy took us along a row of what seemed to be past Presidents.

He was very happy to take us to the museum. He was being paid by the hour. It was an easy hour for him.

Inside we were confronted with the past – real spears and shields, musical instruments and various strange effigies and gods.

Then it was off to the park before heading back to the ship.

Manilla – San Augustin Church – Photos

 

When we quizzed our pedalocab guy about where to visit he told us that we really ought to go to St Augustin’s Church – that it was beautiful. So we did. It was.