Heading to Manila for Swearing In

September 16^th, 2012

It’s time to leave Sabang and head to Manila for swearing in. We are up and on our way at 5:30. The bus ride takes about six hours and we arrive at the Bayview Park Hotel www.bayviewparkhotel.com across the street from the American Embassy. We have four more days of training and preparations for swearing in. PC paid for our entrance to a guided tour of Intromuros. It was pouring but we walked the 30 minute walk to the gathering point for the walking tour with celebrity Carlos, who in a street performance style gives a tour with much historical information about Manila.

The park and gardens are beautiful with the old Fort Santiago walls and dungeons next to the river.

dungeons

that's the river through there

the guys in the boats are scavenging for plastic pipe that's been washed inot the river with the flooding

We learned about Rizal, a national hero who was imprisoned and executed here. There’s a museum housed in the building where he was imprisoned. We were taken by horse drawn carriage to the oldest church in Manila.

The tour ended across the street from the church where we were treated to a national treat, halo halo, a dessert made of ice chips and coconut milk and what seems to be everything but the kitchen sink thrown in including corn, red beans, sweet potatoes, noodles, and chunks of jello. Robinson’s Mall was walking distance to the hotel and a place where you can get anything, including hair salons, yes!

with Iris

All I can say is wow.