Manila

Greetings from Manila in the Philipines! We are in Makati City which is an upscale business district of Manila. Manila is similar to Jakarta, with extremes of poverty and wealth but I must confess it is a little cleaner than Jakarta, even the poor parts. There is a much stronger Spanish and American influence here, due to the long periods of rule by both countries. We went to Interamuros which is Old Manila, where the first original Spanish fort was built centuries ago. Learned a lot about their history sensed a bit of animosity towards Spain and the Catholic Church for all the years of torment they caused the Fillipinos.
Enjoy the Jeepneys, kind of "pimp my ride" like buses that owners fix up in their own expressive ways. They are every where and are usually jammed with riders.
They remind me of Herman Munster's car with flair.