Trip to Manila 1/3

November 27, 2013

Trip to Manila 1/3

Warning : Long Intro coz so many things happened for this trip T.T since this is my treasure so I just want to write it so it will be memorable for me :D

Finally I went overseas again after few months for my Indonesia solo traveling, this time is another solo traveling to Manila, 21-25 November 2013(5D/4N). Manila is the capital of Philippines, one of South East Asia countries. I always kinda nervous n hesitate about can i do that or not (read:solo traveling) since few days before my departure there was a super typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan hit the south part of Philippines which was super bad, more than 10,000 ppl were affected by disaster. But i heard the typhoon were leaving Philippines already so I just packed my bags n leave the rest of it n of course pray. Got midnight flight at 00.30, so i came straight from the office around 9pm and hoping to get Damri bus at Polda but the bus always passed the fast line, i kinda desperated at that time..walking til in front of Hotel Sultan but still no bus so i decided to take bus n wait in Slipi n still still still no bus T.T its already 11pm so i was so worried..i have no money at that time, i only have IDR 150,000 for airport tax n IDR 60,000 something on my wallet, the rest of it i already exchanged it with Peso (Philippines Money) which is 3500 php, less than IDR 1 million (1 PHP = IDR 270). Thats why i want to take Damri Bus (IDR 30,000) but there were no Damri bus passed that road. Some taxi driver, motor-taxi keep approaching me at that night to take me to airport..i keep saying i have no money thats why i didn't take taxi, until there was a motor-taxi asked me how much can i pay him? Then deal at IDR 60,000, it was 11.10pm, for the very first time i took motor-taxi (ojek) to the airport, he said no worries, we will arrive around 45 minutes, at that time i keep thinking if i'm late or something then i will just go home so nothing to lose except the flight ticket n soon my precious vacation ;( At that time also i still didnt know where will i stay later, i did couchrequest but on that day it was still uncertain, so i just tried to google for cheap hostel or guesthouse. Everything was little bit complicated since i'm in a very poor money condition kkk...but i just think at least i already step in Manila soon. As i rode motorcycle to the airport, i just knew that it cant drop me until the entrance, so when it stopped, i gave the money including the coins to reach the IDR 60,000 then i ran at that night to the entrance and went to Cebu counter to check in my documents and pay Airport Tax (IDR 150,000). As soon as i arrived at the counter, the officer said..no worries mam, it delayed for an hour. Got a little bit problem on immigration coz my passport will be expired soon, already less than 6 months and the officer said, okay we will let you go but you are taking the risk, so I just crossed my fingers that everything gonna be alright. Passing the immigration then went to bags checking before boarding room and well well well..i couldn't bring my soap, so i put the bottle there and put few of soap at the little plastic >< it's 125ml bottle but still couldn't get in.

Day 1 - Thursday, 21 November 2013
Well, okay..Jakarta to Manila took around 4 hours, since its night flight so i could sleep even not really comfortable. I took Cebu Pacific Air to Manila (USD 78) and it will be landed at Ninoy Aquino International (NAIA) Airport. Time difference in Manila is one hour ahead. Met a new friend during the flight, she will go to Cebu to do volunteering. So while waiting n browsing about where am i gonna stay n she waited for her next flight, we chatted a lot. I bought sim card at the airport but not in the Globe counter but in a convenience store, turn left when you see money changer, I got Smart sim card for 50 php (no credit but free 35 sms) if Globe the cheapest one is 300php. I tried to contact my soon-might-gonna-host-me n finally she replied, so my friend, Haidi who almost missed her flight to Cebu went so I went also to my host apartment at Mandaluyong, 10 minutes from Makati and around an hour from airport. Getting out from airport, go to the left side until the exit gate, you can find jeepney there, i took jeepney 8php to MRT Taft Avenue station, just asked ppl if you not sure, they were really friendly n helpful and i did ask many times coz eventhough there was a sign at the jeepney but i prefer to ask directly. When i get on the jeepney, every ppl who want to pay always said "baya..baya.." i thought, wow same with Indonesian word again..almost the same though 'pay=bayar=bayat' i took MRT Taft to MRT Buendia (11php) and decided to walk from there which turns out so tiring coz it was really far from the MRT station ^^;;around 30 minutes by walking. My first day, I didn't go anywhere due my bad condition at that time, I just laying on during whole day and hope to get well very soon, being sick when traveling such a waste and that was my first time T.T

Immigration Card

Inside the MRT

On the rooftop of my host apartment, around 45th floor

such an amazing view~~!! me love it definitely!!

they have swimming pool also

MRT-LRT Manila Map which help me a lot ;)

Day 2 - Friday, 22 November 2013
My condition is getting better, on that day i went to Greenbelt & Glorietta at Ayala, from my host apartment I walked until Makati Avenue, top up my credit for my sim card(100php) at the stall which sell handphone & sim card then took a jeepney until Ayala Triangle Garden (8php), passing through Pedestrian Walkway I arrived at Greenbelt. Greenbelt & Glorietta is a shopping mall, each of them have 5 buildings. Greenbelt 1 - 5 and Glorietta 1 - 5, I didn't see much coz basically all shopping mall are the same. I kinda feel this Greenbelt is like Paris Van Java in Bandung, one thing that I got unusual is they have park & chapel in the middle of mall which very interesting for me plus they have free WIFI.

Pedestrian Walkway

Drop off - Greenbelt

That is Jeepney ;)

Christmas Tree inside the Greenbelt

Inside the mall

Greenbelt 5

Park in the middle of the mall

the Chapel~~

i like it :) :)

My lunch at Jollibee, the famous fast food in Manila (76php)

Have you heard about Jollibee? it was a fast food restaurant like KFC, McDonalds etc. actually we had Jollibee also in Jakarta long time ago when I was a little kid but now it's gone. Manila ppl prefer to Jollibee than KFC, Mcdonalds etc. thats why during lunch time or dinner, Jollibee will always full, in addition the price was cheap also. I ate Jollibee a lot there, the taste was really good also ;) I continued walking to Glorietta, SM Department Store, there was a store named Kultura at SM, its a store which sell souvenirs at Phillipines.