Chasing Summer –

September 23-27

Subic Bay & Super Typhoon Ragasa

We left Taiwan early in order to get out of the Super typhoon Casa’s way because we needed to get across the strait between Taiwan and the Philippines. We were marked to be in its direct path if we kept to our original schedule, which was not a good plan.

So we ended up having 2 sea days rather than just the one. On one of the sea days, the 22nd, we had a murder mystery party with about 70 of the residents. It was a lot of fun dressing up and pretending to be a passenger on a ship where there was a murder. That night, there were some rocky waves, but I had had a few glasses of wine, so I slept through everything and woke up refreshed and ready to go.

Even though we had avoided the typhoon itself, we were still in the tail end of its effects. It was raining for pretty much two days straight. Mostly lightly, but with some heavy bursts, the first day in Subic Bay. The port and the town are quite a distance apart, but luckily, there was a free shuttle to take us from the port to a mall.

Now, a mall is not very exciting on its own, but when it’s stormy outside, at least it’s a place to go walking off the boat. The biggest surprise was that the Philippines seems to already be ready for Christmas. There were decorations, and Christmas carols playing in several stores.

After wandering around the mall for a couple of hours, even though it was kind of small, we grabbed some lunch.

The first thing we tried was a Filipino empanada. It is larger than a typical empanada and bright orange in colour. Inside is an egg, seasoned cabbage, a little bit of meat, cheese, and some spice. It is then deep-fried. We shared one and it was OK I give it six out of 10.

Then we went to a restaurant where we basically had hot pot, but Filipino style.

The second day, we took advantage of the lightened rain and walked to the harbor 15 minutes away.

There we saw the sign to the city, some statues, and the Spanish Gate. There really wasn’t much else to see in town, so back to the mall and the shuttle bus we went.

Manila & Tropical Storm Bualoi

From Subic Bay, we traveled overnight to Manila.

Looking at the weather forecast, we would have one decent day, and our second day would be 100% rain, as there was another tropical storm heading towards Manila.

Because of the weather, I decided to do as much outside stuff as I could on the first day and save museums and malls for day two.

I headed off to the Intramuros section, which means within the walls, because the old section was walled in as a security measure. The wall is cool, but it also means that we had to walk quite a distance to find an entrance.

When we entered, we were by the Fort, so that is where we went first. The Santiago Fort costs 75 Filipino pesos to enter, and is cash only. Due to high tides, the dungeon was closed.

Now I walked here with about a dozen people, but at breakfast this morning, the couple I hang out with the most told me that they had sold their cabin and were getting off the boat that day, forever. Now I was reasonably upset by the disclosure and feeling a bit antisocial over it, so I must admit, I quickly ditched the large group and headed off on my own.

After wandering around the Fort and being attacked by mosquitoes, I headed further into the walled section towards Ayuntamiento Building or the Bureau of the Treasury, and the King Charles the 4th monument.

Right across from the King Charles statue is the Cathedral-Basilica. The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, or the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica, has stood over the city for five centuries. It has a Neo-Romanesque architecture that has changed several times over the years. The present structure is the 8th version of the original structure. The cathedral has been destroyed by earthquakes and fires, but it is always quickly rebuilt.

This cathedral is also the highest seat for the Archbishop of the country.

From the Cathedral – Basilica I wandered down the street looking at old buildings and further memorials. There was one eye-catching memorial to the victims of the Second World War in 1945.

Further down the street there is Casa Manila or the Manila House, and is an example of life during the late Spanish colonial era. The facade is inspired by an actual residence from the 1850s.

Across from Casa Manila is the San Augustin Church – Intramuros. This is one of the oldest surviving churches in the country and is a World Unesco Heritage site. It was built by the Spanish during their colonial reign in 1607. It was originally built with bamboo and wood, which, of course, burnt due to fire, and was rebuilt with wood, which also was burnt. It was then that they decided to use stone, and its construction began in 1586; it took more than two decades to complete.

San Augustin Church is the only public building to survive the earthquake of 1863.

Sharing the same space with the St Augustin Church is San Augustin Museum. The museum boasts a proud collection of artifacts, statues, sculptures and monuments from medieval years. There is a strict no-photography rule.

Wandering around, I made my way past the University of the City of Manila, and I found myself at Baluarte de San Diego Garden. The Baluarte de San Diego Garden, which is a bastion built on the southwestern corner of the Intramuros, dates to the 16th century. The bastion was meant to be part of a larger Fort, but it was never completed.

It was built in 1587 and has been altered many times over the years and includes gardens, landmarks, monuments and fountains periods. This also costs 75 pesos to enter and his cash only. The most interesting part is the Torre de Nuestra Senora de Guia which is a circular structure within the bastion.

After leaving the walled-in city, I headed towards Rizal Park, which has a variety of gardens, monuments, and museums.

I decided to make my way to Taps for refreshment.

Being between two storms, it was sunny but very humid. So I decided to head back to the boat to cool off. That evening, we heard the news that we would need to depart that evening to get out of the second tropical storm’s path. So those museums and malls would have to wait for another day.

We had an all-call for everyone to be off or on the boat by midnight with a 2:00 AM departure. Several people, including our boat owners, didn’t make it in time and will have to fly to Boracay Island to meet us.

Here’s hoping that our next adventure is a little drier and we’ve seen the last of the typhoons.