A Taste of Manila

My Dear Great Ones,

Sometimes the unexpected trips are the best.  Despite suffering major jet lag from our travels in North America Celia and I decided to pop down to Manila, Philippines to visit Celia's family.  It was a wonderful time of encouragement, prayer, laughter, affirmation, and great conversations ranging over a multitude of topics. It was a sweet time. It was love ly.  

Manila must mean gridlock in Tagalog the native language of the Philippines.  If the city ever gets its metro system going and build several more roads and ban about a million cars it would be much easier to get around and breathe.  The funny looking vehicle above is called a Jeepney.  The Americans left a bunch of jeeps behind after ww2 and the Filipinos converted them into buses.

Manila has millions of little local kiosks selling anything and everything.  Here Celia is buying some bananas.  Pacquiao, a hero of the Philippines can be seen everywhere.  Here his image is being used as a wall for this little establishment.

Tricycles are everywhere and can be rented for a few pesos to get you around.  I don't recommend this for long distances since they are built for Asian size people.

Unfolding myself out of the tricycle.

Celia and I spent a few hours at a school that Celia's parents help start.  The school serves and supports kids from the slums of Manila who are so poor they don't have the funds to even use public transportation to get there.  It is a great ministry and the kids seem very happy at the school. 

I answered a few questions in a grade three class.  The first question was, "why are you so tall?"  I told them I  got so tall because I did my homework, listened and obeyed my teachers and parents, went to bed on time, and ate my veggies.  Ha ha.  If that was true then I should be 9 feet tall.

The incredible contrasts of Manila and other 3rd world cities.  Densely populated slums right next door to a...

...world class mall....

...in the depths of the slum.  Only a 100 meters away is a lavish 1st world mall...

...inside the mall.  It is beautiful and top class.  The extremes of poverty and wealth in Manila is hard to wrap one's head around. 

An hour south of Manila is the Taal volcano, the world's smallest active volcano.  It was beautiful there.

To view the Taal volcano we are at a place called the Skyranch which had amusements for kids who might be bored of the view.

With Celia's family the Rigodons.  Rigodon is the name of a spanish dance, but I am sure it means "great people" as well.

My princess being served by her brother Rob.

On the way back we saw kiosks with pineapples and bananas for sale.

Now on to some fun quirky stuff.  At a KFC restaurant you could get yourself photographed for a TV set that showed your picture and others every few seconds.  Amusing.  The signs below are amusing as well:

I am grateful for the chance to be with the Rigodons in their beautiful country.  It was a great experience.

Have a great week everyone.

Love adios and ping on!

Dirk