As soon as the Silver Whisper left the harbor at Sandakan, Borneo we were in Philippine territory. The Philippine Islands spread over a vast area of the western Pacific. I had not realized before going there that islands belonging to the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia are all near each other and the political divisions among them are largely a result of centuries of local politics and arbitrary divisions caused by various European occupiers. In fact, there was a local conflict going on in the Sabah province of Borneo only forty or so miles from where we went on our tour from Sandikan. Islamic rebels from the southern Philippines, loyalists of the now nonexistent Sultan of Sulu, had invaded eastern Sabah and were demanding the right to settle there claiming that the area belonged to the ancient sultanate. They were defeated and arrested by the time we reached Hong Kong. We tourists were perfectly safe but the islands in the southern Philippines have been in various kinds of revolt for centuries.
The Silver Whisper crossed the Sulu Sea (no reference to Star Trek, the Sulu are a local ethnic group not all of them claiming allegiance to the long ago sultan) heading more or less due north to Manila. The Sulu Sea is dotted with islands, some only rocks poking up from the water, others reasonably substantial having trees and buildings on them. The sea was calm but misty. Every so often, a rocky shape would appear and slide by as we proceeded north. As we neared Manila, we saw large tankers and container ships headed north as we were, and passed others headed south. We were in a major seaway. The weather was hot and damp. Intermittent drizzle and a stiff breeze made it difficult and unpleasant to walk laps on the jogging track.
As is true on cruise ships everywhere, a majority of the non-officer crew of the Silver Whisper is Filipino. Some of the crewmembers were finishing their contracts and going home, others were planning to visit their families during the one-day stop. There was an air of expectation and excitement throughout the ship. As the Whisper came into Manila Bay, crewmembers we never usually saw outside came on deck to use their cell phones talking to family and friends. It was quite a sight.
As we tied up to the pier, we could see families waiting in the terminal building. Every so often a few children would try to get near the ship as it was docking and security guards would shoo them back inside. Michael and I watched from the deck as, after the ship was cleared for landing crewmembers carrying their luggage scrambled down the gangway into the embrace of their loved ones. Soon after, family members of crew staying on board started up the gangway. Visitors filled the ship all day. Some of our fellow guests spent the day watching the reunions and talking to the proud and beaming crewmembers and their families. One couple we had become friendly with staked out seats on a chest next to the gangway and sipped champagne for hours as they watched the comings and goings.
I had signed up for a tour of "The Charms of Old Manila" so I boarded a tour bus that set off in a downpour for the "Intramuros," the old walled city established by the Spaniards in the 1560's. Manila was heavily bombed during World War II so only bits and pieces of the original city survive. Some reconstructed buildings and some old city wall give enough flavor of "old Manila "to make an historical tour worthwhile. The original city had a moat surrounding its wall on both sides. The U.S. Army filled in the moat during the early twentieth century to stop the spread of disease and the moat is now a city golf course. How American!
We stopped to tour the Casa Manila, a re-created nineteenth century rich trader's mansion, now a museum. No photographs were allowed inside so I cannot show the beautifully restored interior. Wealthy Filipinos emulated their Spanish conquerors and built grand houses in the Spanish style. This one was a most interesting example from the nineteenth century even though it has been re-created using materials and furnishings from several sources. Walls and floors are paneled in rich Philippine mahogany and other local woods. Heavy Spanish style, locally carved furniture is mixed with lighter imported pieces from Europe and the Americas.
Spain ruled the Philippines for more than three hundred years and many wealthy locals adopted Spanish culture during that period. Ordinary Filipinos were mostly servants and small farmers living outside the Intermuros in traditional villages. They shared the Catholic religion, probably the greatest legacy of Spanish colonization. There is also a legacy of colonialism, at least a reaction to it, even though the country has been independent for more than sixty years.
Our next stop was the St. Augustine Church and Monastery across the street from Casa Manila. The church dates from the sixteenth century and is the country's oldest structure. It is the only building in the Intramuros that survived WW II. The church, damaged during WW II , has been restored. Our tour guide made a point of how sound the foundations are. The stones have withstood Manila's frequent earthquakes and are sound enough to still support the structure
Many religious statues mounted on elaborate wheeled platforms were scattered through halls of the monastery and the alcoves in the church proper. Our guide told us that the statures were being readied for a large holy week procession. They will be pulled through the streets by faithful Catholics in a procession held annually just before Easter. All but one or two of the statues are privately owned. The owners, wealthy individuals and citizen associations, store them in the church for safekeeping. Many are more than a hundred years old and very valuable. The figures have faces and hands of ivory and are clad in rich gold cloth and gems. There has been a lot of theft so the ivory hands and faces are gradually being replaced with plastic and the glass substituted for the gems.
The church itself appears to have an elaborately carved and decorated ceiling but it is really cleverly painted wood in tromp l'oeil style. In spite of the gold and silver objects present in the church, it is simple in style. The church is still in use today while the monastery is largely now a museum of religious artifacts.
The tour of the two sites complete, our busload of twenty plus tourists stood in the rain for nearly twenty minutes waiting for our tour bus. No vehicles were allowed to park on the street so the bus had to be summoned from somewhere far away. We got wet. Crowds of Japanese tourists kept arriving, filling the sidewalk. Our group was wet and crowded but at least the temperature was warm.
The next stop was supposed to have been a walking tour of Fort Santiago, an important cultural "relic". The fort, built by the Spaniards to defend Manila from foreign invaders, is now a park with monuments of cultural significance. The bus pulled up to the wrought iron gates. No one wanted to get out and walk in the heavy rain. The tour guide told us about the fort from the dry comfort of the bus. Some of the passengers asked to see more of Manila from the bus rather than walk in Rizal Park, our next destination, in the rain. Our guide agreed but did insist on the obligatory stop at a local handicraft store mentioned in the tour description.
Our tour group spent about thirty minutes in the store, many using this "shopping opportunity" to purchase souvenirs made in the Philippines. I saw nothing compelling. The prices seemed reasonable but who needs a shell keepsake box of other knick-knack to remember a one-day visit? Our bus reappeared when the buying frenzy slowed to a stop.
Our tour guide and driver gave us an unanticipated "extra." We spent the next thirty minutes driving through downtown Manila enjoying a narrated description of the buildings we passed. Many of them were pretentious cultural monuments of the Marcos era. Our guide said that the Marcos's spent public money on huge edifices rather than on the Philippine people. Even now Imelda Marcos lives on and has been elected to the local assembly. "We have short memories," The guide said. This substitution of a bus ride for more walking in the rain gave me more of a feeling of what Manila is like than I would have had otherwise. The tour finished with a stop at the Manila Hotel for a glass of pineapple juice and peanuts.
Later in the afternoon, Michael and I took a shuttle bus from the ship to what billed itself as "The Third Largest Shopping Center in Asia." Michael had been there in the morning but went inside only far enough to use the free Wi-Fi. This time we walked around part of the mall. It was large, but I do not think it was larger than malls in China. A unique feature was an indoor skating rink. Mania's outside temperature is usually between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit so this is a most unusual entertainment attraction. It was in use, too. Otherwise, the stores were mostly world brands, familiar in many places: Clinique, Hugo Boss, Mark and Spenser, etc.
The day in Manila was over all too soon. Despite the rain, I had learned a lot and enjoyed the experience. I cannot say I understand the city nor the Philippines but I at least got a glimpse of the intriguing contradictions of Filipino society. The most wonderful part was seeing the crew meet their families. The joy of their reunions was contagious.
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