Dog Food And Good Food

I have arrived in Manila safely after a torturous four hour flight from Singapore. Apparently I ordered a meal in advance (which I don't remember doing but okay) but I wish I hadn't as the slop resembled dog food glistening in marrowbone jelly rather than something fit for human consumption. Indeed, I have been to countless hawker stalls and street vendors during my trip so far and all served food vastly superior to this monstrosity. It had the same texture and look as dog food yet I've actually tasted better dog food. Best avoided.

Adding to the torture of the flight was the swapping of my seat from aisle to window, meaning there was reduced leg room (the aisle is useful for stretching your legs) and the fact I was stuck next to an Australian couple who kept doing piggy snorting noises at each other. After four hours this got a wee bit annoying *snort* so I was glad to disembark and get into the airport.

Customs was a breeze, and with my baggage being second on the conveyor, I was through in about 20 minutes. Manila's main airport is far less developed than its Singaporean counterpart and there are many hawkers in the arrivals hall touting their taxi services. Thankfully, my furry friend Louis was on hand to meet me, and after a kind security guard pointed me to the designated meeting point, we were soon sharing a taxi into the heart of the city and towards my hotel.

Manila is a mad bustling city of erratic driving and crazy lights - neon is everywhere, with the lamp posts in particular having collars of colour which glow in the dark. Jeepneys are also everywhere, bright silver bus-cum-trucks and a relic of when the Americans used to administer the archipelago in the days prior to World War Two. Traffic is always snarled up in Manila, unlike in Singapore where the government keeps the prices of cars high to prevent congestion and pollution (cars in Singapore are the most expensive in the world, with loan plan adverts frequently televised such is their cost). The journey to the hotel though was relatively painless as Louis and I talked about a variety of things. Like in Singapore, the furry scene here is predominantly a young one, with many furs in the 18-20 age bracket and consequently students. There are also splits in the scene too apparently, with deviantart again proving the major catalyst in the escalation of a furry presence in this part of the world.

Checking into the hotel, which is on the ninth to 14th floors above a car park was relatively painless and as it was raining, we decided to grab some dinner at fast food chain Jollibees, which is literally three doors down. This is a Philippine fast food chain and the food was good, a whole meal costing 140 pesos (around £2.20) but the burgers were quite small and deviated wildly from the pictures on the menu. Still, like with Hesburger in Finland, Jollibees sets itself apart with the wonderful sauces they put on top of their oarties and I admit their Yum with Cheese definitely loved up to the name.

I have been told that it is dangerous to venture out into Manila after dark - so after around 8pm here - so I will probably take advantage of the bar (San Miguel is everywhere here but the brands are different to what must be the export version back home), the pool and the anime channel in my hotel which fortunately has English subtitles. Even though Tagalog is the main language here, most people speak English, a legacy of American rule and American television I guess, so I feel pretty comfortable. However, with the erratic driving here, I fear going out during the day too...