There are many places around the world known for beautiful sunsets. Pristine beaches, remote islands, rugged mountains, skyscraper-spiked cityscapes… Everybody has their favorite spot and so do I: the incredible evening light show over Manila Bay. I’m in good company. For one, General Douglas MacArthur who rose to the rank of the Philippines’ most beloved hero after first defending the country against the Japanese invasion during WWII – unsuccessfully – and then in 1945 freeing the islands from the brutal occupation and thus fulfilling his famous “I shall return” promise. Before the war, when he was the Military Advisor to the Commonwealth Government of the Philippines from 1935-1941, he made Manila Hotel his home. The hotel sits right on the bay and offers a great vantage point to admire fiery sunsets. MacArthur’s penthouse suite is still available for rent for… ugh, USD 2,500/night. Read the rest of this entry
Category Archives: Philippines
Memorial Day in Manila
For anyone who has been to the Arlington Cemetery this place looks oddly familiar. Same gleaming white headstones stretching in long, even rows. Same manicured, lush lawns. Same serenity and silence. But tropical trees and flowers break the spell, with sweet plumeria scent in the air. Read the rest of this entry
Manila musings
Even though I had never been to the Philippines before, Manila filled me with a strange sensation of multiple dimensions of déjà vu. First, there is the Spanish influence over architecture, especially in the historic district of Intramuros. Looking at the Manila Cathedral I had to pinch myself and kept repeating: “I’m not in Mexico, I’m not in Mexico.” Incidentally, during the Spanish colonial period that’s where the Philippines were administered from rather than by Spain proper. The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade route brought Far East riches to the Americas and flourished from 1571 until 1815, ended by the Mexican War of Independence. Read the rest of this entry