It is very hot and stuffy on the plane, and outside the window, it is deep night. We are flying east towards the dawn. Time flows very slowly. Ten hours of flight seem like an eternity. Finally, the plane jolted and, changing its usual position, began to descend. The passengers stirred. Outside the window, in the crimson hues of sunrise, there is nothing but two oceans - the sky and the Pacific.
We are flying to the Philippines, a country of seven thousand one hundred tropical islands located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean and the eastern part of the South China Sea. The archipelago stretches 1,850 kilometers from north to south and 750 kilometers from east to west. The larger islands are densely populated. There are 90 million residents in the Philippines.
Since 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan discovered the islands inhabited by wild tribes, the Philippines has become the embodiment of every traveler's dream...
To jump ahead, I will say that our tour of the Philippines was very informative and swift, like a typhoon. During our sixteen days in the Philippines - 30 hours in the air, we visited at least ten islands in different parts of the archipelago, traveled more than 1,000 kilometers by car, over two hundred by water, and about a hundred on foot. And yet we saw only a small part of it. To see all the beauties and attractions of the Philippines would take several months. A lot of interesting things remained off-camera and out of focus of our eyes. Nevertheless, our opinion about the Philippines has become quite definite. I sincerely hope that in these short sketches I can convey the impression of this amazing country.
From Kuala Lumpur - the capital of Malaysia, we fly to Manila. The huge Airbus with 200 seats is filled to only about forty percent. We are flying over an ocean of clouds. The wind, the sun, and other cosmic forces create gaps through which the South China Sea peeks through. The plane shakes as if in a fit of tropical fever. Just a little more, and here it is - Manila.
A mid-range hotel in a noisy part of the capital. We have free time until lunch according to the program. But we are eager to go out into the city. Despite extreme fatigue, we head to the streets. The city is very noisy, with many cars and people. The narrow sidewalks are full of vendors. The locals are friendly and attentive to foreigners. The first impression - nothing special, except for the amusing jeepneys without windows, painted and adorned with various automotive jewelry. They serve as the city's public transport.
These vehicles are called jeepneys, but in addition, each vehicle has its own name, explained our guide Jimmy, who came by noon. Most often, the owners name these amusing machines after their wives and mistresses.
So, the first thing we did was visit a jeepney manufacturing plant in the outskirts of the capital. It turned out that these vehicles are assembled from scrap metal, wrecked and abandoned cars brought here from the USA, Europe, and Japan. The foundation consists of repaired engines, then a metal frame is assembled, which is covered with wood and other materials. As a result, a vehicle is born that resembles an American jeep from a century ago.
