The weather in Manila changed in the last week. Summer has come and gone. Now humidity is a lot higher and a lot more clouds appeared. I am getting ready to leave Manila after being in the Philippines since mid-March.
NAIA Terminal 1 bade me farewell in the form of a horrible security queue which took about 2 hours to traverse and was uncomfortably crowded. Elated by finally seeing the 787-8 from a window I headed to Gate 2. Sitting here and munching on Piaya I reminisce about the awesome time I had here in the Philippines and all the nice people I met here. Next stop: Tokyo.
I have been struggling with a cold for the last two weeks. I decided to extend here in Iloilo until I am recovered. This gave me the opportunity to do some reading. I sold my Kindle back in Malaysia because I wasn’t using it at all. Not hauling around unused gear is freeing. When I read ebooks it’s usually on my phone during takeoff and landing.
Stacks of James Patterson books in a used bookstore in Iloilo
The great thing about the Philippines is that there is a ton of English literature available. I ventured out to find a great selection of books. I have been reading a lot these last days. I will leave them behind though. Might be hard to finish them before I leave but happy about these being available.
Used fantasy books in a book store in Cebu City earlier this year
One of the drivers suggested that I check out the Jaro Market and Plaza. So one sunny morning with about 42 Degree Celsius I made my way to this Part of Iloilo.
Jaro Belfry and Plaza
I rushed from shadow to shadow. There is a local market nearby with fresh fish laying in the sun and meat being butchered in front of your eyes. My mind was set on finding a coffee. Well, I went early so most coffee shops were closed.
Coffeeshop in Jaro
Getting a bit peckish I found a supermarket where they sold deep-fried dough with jackfruit inside called turon langka. It is surprisingly hearty and less sweet than you might think. It was huge and I had trouble finishing it.
Turon with Jackfruit
Today I wanted to check out Iloilo.
But first I had to get breakfast. Sadly one of the Longganisa sausage on my breakfast plate was undercooked. The second one had off flavor that suggested it was not thoroughly fried. Visual inspection confirmed my suspicion. Let’s hope my stomach acid did its job and killed those germs. To make matters even more complicated for my stomach, I decided to take the ferry to Iloilo. I had heard the day before that seasickness a common occurrence on this route.
Around 9:00 I checked out of the hotel and took a Grab to the Passenger Port Terminal. The last Oceanjet ferry had just left. I had to book a slower one with Montenegro Lines. The Terminal had a fee of 40PHP, and it was hot waiting there. No aircon because of a brownout. I bought pita crackers which in taste and consistency reminded me of Panzerplatten. The ferry was scheduled for 10:30, but we didn’t leave Bacolod until around 10:45.
Ferry from Bacolod to Iloilo
The ride was indeed quite bumpy, and my fellow passengers were dozing off. I probably slept too. A little queasy at first, the crackers, and water helped a lot. After about 1.5 hours, we arrived in Iloilo.
Sleep or watch Aquaman 2?
It’s pretty cool that the Iloilo passenger pier here is up river and not on the ocean. You are right in the city when you arrive. There was a convenient line to metered taxis right at the arrival zone. It even had shade. The guards here are super helpful in the Philippines when you don’t know what you are doing. I always try to be extra nice to them because they helped me out a lot.
I finally got my luggage to the hotel and went exploring. While buying bottled water, I had a chat with the guard at the convenient store to get suggestions for places to see and how to get there.
Batchoy Lapaz is what’s for lunch. After eating and resting I went to Calle Real which reminded me a lot of Carbon Road in Cebu City. The Spanish influence is even more pronounced here in Iloilo. They have a traditional plaza and colonial buildings along this street.
Calle Real in Iloilo City
One of the things I liked here is the Iloilo River Esplanade. It’s a neat bricked walk next to the river, perfect for running. Around dusk, plenty of locals were jogging or strolling.
Sunset on the river
I had a great day in Bacolod and another great day here in Iloilo. People are friendly and curious, as foreigners seem to be a lot less common here than in Manila or Cebu. And so far my stomach has held up, which is a relief.
Mural on toilet in Legazpi Park, Makati
Fountain inside the park
219 Salcedo, Legazpi Village, Makati
View from KL Tower in Makati Manila
Earthquake instructions in Iloilo airport
Megaworld Mall
KTown
Iloilo Business Park