In this post I’ll try to write down some memories from my Philippines trip that are worth preserving. It was an intensive trip with few moments to write a diary, so I’ll do it now as a retrospective. English will be the language used, because that’s what I’ve spoken during most of the trip. Also, one of the first surprises in the Philippines was that all the road signs, advertisements and messages were in English ;-) Allright, let’s go!
At first there were four of us: Chris, Patrick and Gregor from Germany and myself. We set off on Saturday at seven in the morning after a short night. First by cab, then plane, bus and finally metro we arrived in the centre of Manila.
Arrival in Intramuros, the old town of Manila
Inside the old walls of Intramuros lie several famous buildings, for example the old San Augustin Church and the Manila Cathedral. But sightseeing is hard if you carry a backpack and your last meal is seven hours ago… besides, weddings were held in both churches, so we saw them only from the outside. Walking around San Augustin Church, however, we heard somebody calling us: Quentin and Camille! We had planned to meet them later on the bus to Banaue, but since they were visiting the same spots of Manila, we could continue together!
It’s amazing to see how seriously Catholizism is taken in the Philippines. Not only are there many churches, but also there are signs at the road reading “Jesus our Lord and God”, and many Jeepneys are dedicated to Mary the Mother of Perpetual Help or another saint.
Be Faithful, poster at the wall of Manila Cathedral
Jesus on the neon sign, with Jeepneys below.
There aren’t many more impressions on Manila, because after dinner, we already had to get to the bus terminal. At ten our bus left, carrying us through the night to Banaue in the north…