Manila is a city of many striking contrasts. Glass and steel skyscrapers stand alongside the concrete images of heroes past. Sleek cars drive past horse-drawn carriages. Ancestral churches are a stone's throw away from modern shopping malls.

Manila, the home for nearly 12 million people, is the result of a merger between 12 cities and 5 municipalities - now called Metro Manila. Metro Manila is also a city that's fighting against the most horrible traffic situation I've ever seen (worse than Mexico City!) and against exhaust pollution. However, Manila still has its pleasant sides: pleasant Rizal Park, historic Intramuros, stunning Chinese Cemetery, bustling Chinatown, various museums, Antipolo with perfect views down to Manila...

Manila is also home to various universities, markets, cinemas, bars, restaurants, and shopping malls. To sum up, Manila is a fast growing metropolis with countless possibilities for the enterprising tourist.

During my 2-months stay in Manila I lived in Makati, the premier business, communications and financial center of Metro Manila. Its 2,986 hectares comprise some of the most valuable real estate in the country. Banks, embassies, airlines, multinational concerns and at least 57 of the country's top 100 local corporations have established their offices here (as well as the Austrian Trade Commission).
A "city" in its own right, modern-day Makati is a metropolitan landscape of sprawling residential villages alongside congested tenements, tree-lined roads and shaded parks nestled with concrete jungles, hushed museums cheek-by-jowl with bustling malls, elegant limousines, cozy jazz bars and pulsating night clubs.

Taal Volcano is one of the smallest and most dangerous volcanoes in the world.
Talisay is a good starting point for trips to the Volcano island. From top of the volcano you have got a great view to Tagaytay, Talisay, and of course down to Lake Taal.

Villa Escudero is a coconut plantation and a resort. It's famous for its cultural attractions and its waterfall restaurant where fabulous Filipino food is served.

Puerto Galera with its beautiful bays and nice beaches, as well as with its attractive underwater world is a popular destination, especially for Manileños. It's just an approximately 5-hours drive from Manila (bus and ferry).

The country's summer capital, Baguio which is also known as the "City of Pines" stands amidst the mountainous region of the Cordillera. Situated 1,500 meters above the sea, Baguio is one of the few places in the country blessed with a cool climate. At any given time, it is eight degrees cooler in Baguio than the lowlands.

The spectacular rice terraces around Banaue, in north Luzon, have been described as the eighth wonder of the world. Carved out of the hillside by Ifugao tribespeople 2000 to 3000 years ago, these remarkable terraces stretch like stepping stones to the sky - some reaching an altitude of 1,500 meters.

Like emerald jewels scattered in the warm seas of middle Philippines, the islands of the Visayas beckon with the allure of sun, sea, and sand - ideal settings for our island-hopping vacation.

Sunday, April 30, 2000

Flight with Asian Spirit from Manila to Tagbilaran, Bohol. In Tagbilaran we hired a tricycle at the airport that brought us to the bus terminal.There we took a bus going to Carmen - the trip with this bus was pure adventure. Sometimes I feared that the bus had no brakes as we were driving like hell, however we survived the ride - and even my backpack survived! It served as a seat for a man as the bus was so jam-packed.
During the ride we got to know a travel guide who promised us to show us the beauty of Bohol the next day.
When we arrived at the Chocolate Hills we first were speechless - we haven't seen such a mysterious nature before - 1,268 hills of unknown origin scatter the land around Carmen. And the sunset was breathtaking, too!

Monday, May 1, 2000

In the early morning we went to the viewpoint and enjoyed the wonderful sunrise over the Chocolate Hills.
At around 8 a.m. we met with our travel guide Peter (the one from the bus). After stowing away our things on the motorbike (one motorbike for 3 people and 2 big backpacks!) we started our trip through Bohol. Wonderful nature, primitive work in the fields, the mahogany forest, deep provinces, a bamboo suspension bridge, the oldest stone church in the Philippines and the tarsier, the world's smallest monkey, earned our admiration.
Back in Tagbilaran we left with a ferry to Cebu City, Cebu.

We arrived in Cebu City in the evening. We let the day come to an end with a walk and a movie (probably the cheapest price I've ever paid for a movie in a cinema: 25 Peso

Tuesday, May 2, 2000

Sightseeing in Cebu City: Taoist Temple, Fort san Pedro, Plaza de Independenzia, Cebu Cathedral, Basilica de Santo Nino, Magellans Cross, City Hall, Carbon Market, Shopping (Colon Street, Gaisano,...).

Wednesday, May 3, 2000

At 5 a.m. we took a bus and afterwards a ferry to Bacolod, Negros. Around noon we arrived in this lovely city. Why "lovely city"? Bacolod isn't, in my view, a typical Philippine city. Bacolod namely offers a lot of parks and green spaces, the traffic isn't that heavy, and there exists a sort of a centre, the City Plaza.

Thursday, May 4, 2000

First we bought the ferry tickets for tomorrow at Banago Port. After that we again did some sightseeing (San Sebastian Cathedral, City Plaza, Ocean Park, Bacolod City Hall) - frankly, there weren't much sights in Bacolod to see, therefore we simply enjoyed the nice atmosphere in this city. We visited some markets (with very delicious mangos!!!) and did some shopping. Unfortunately, it started raining in the afternoon.

Friday, May 5, 2000

At around noon we left Bacolod and headed to Iloilo City, Panay.
Iloilo City is a delightful contrast between east and west, old and new... of tall buildings and nipa huts, of modern steamers and scurrying native boats, of free-wheeling cars and jeepneys and slow moving bullcarts and calezas. In Iloilo one can see once impressive Spanish buildings in colonial style, but also less impressive huts of the poor.
We've never been greeted "Hey Joe" more often than in Iloilo. Foreigners in the Philippines are mostly greeted at the beginning with "Hey Joe" (a hangover of G.I. Joe in World War II), until they get introduced and a real name is substituted.
In the afternoon, we did an extensive walk through Iloilo.

Saturday, May 6, 2000

This day is characterised by just one single word: Shopping - what else shall I say? Great clothes, perfect shoes, yummy food - to sum up, good bargain.

Sunday, May 7, 2000

In the early morning, we headed to our next and final destination - Boracay. It is said that Boracay has the best tropical beach in the world. As I haven't been to other tropical beaches yet, I cannot confirm this statement although I have to admit that the sand on Boracay is really unique - pure, fine-grained, white sand.
While on the bus to Caticlan (the gateway to Boracay) Oli and I got to know the travel guide Rommel whom I liked very much. He accompanied a couple from Japan on their honeymoon to Boracay. Rommel told us a lot about the Philippines and Japan in general, and especially about Panay and Boracay, respectively.
From Caticlan we ferried over to Boracay.
In the evening, we went out with Rommel, his cousin, and the just-married couple from Japan.

Monday, May 8, 2000

Our first day on Boracay - we enjoyed the beach, the sea, the promenade, and the sun. In the evening, we as well went out with Rommel - we slurped some cocktails and we made a real pig of ourselves at the All-U-Can-Eat Filipino Buffet. Yum!

Tuesday, May 9, 2000

On our second day on Boracay we rented 2 bicycles and explored the island and its fantastic hilly nature. After 1.5 hours we ended up at a beautiful, lonely beach - there, we enjoyed the peace, the sun, and the sound of the breaking waves.
We got back to our accommodation at lunch-time. In the afternoon we again went down to the beach and strolled along the promenade.

Wednesday, May 10, 2000

We said goodbye to our paradise-island! And you can trust me the farewell was so hard... so, we - sadly but enriched by new impressions and experience - flew back "home" to Manila.