Friday, May 21, 2010

We took a vacation today to go visit El Corregidor, an island located in Manila Bay.  On our taxi ride into manila, we saw another fire happening in an open field along the way....I still have yet to actually see a fire truck around here. I'm pretty sure there are fire stations, right?  The fire was getting dangeoursly close to a large bank, and no one really seemed all that worried about it as ashes were falling from the sky.  As we reached El Corregidor's dock, a large group of people were meeting outside for a free morning workout session, unaffected by the nearby fire.  Theeeey were pretty funny.  It reminded me of 80's workout sessions. 

We got on a jeepney that would take us to the ferry boat we would be riding on to get to El Corregidor...A wowowee was installed on the TV overhead, so edgar and I immediately spotted a videoke opportunity, and passionately sang total eclipse of the heart for our friends and others aboard...at 730 in the morning.  If I were them I would have hated me...which I'm sure they did....but it was fun. 

El Corregidor is most easily described as the Ellis Island of the Philippines.  I have been surprised at how little of the Filipinos we have talked to actually have been to El Corregidor.  It's gorgeous and so close to the city.  We signed up for a day tour and took a 45 minute ferry ride from Manila to the island.  It was disgusting to see the water closest to Manila....neon green colored from the pollution and full of shoes and trash.  As you get closer to El Corregidor the water gets bluer and more fresh looking, but it was so tragic to see the way the water just outside of Manila was being treated.  Seeing the natural beauty of El Corregidor made it obvious how Manila could look if it wasn't overwhelmed with pollution and city life.

The day tour was purely historical...we took a tram around witnessing and walking amongst the ruins and memorials from World War II.  We took this picture right after a fiasco in some barracks located right next to this cannon.    The other interns were entering this super dark room as I was trying to be bold and explore further inside to see what was up.  As I got closer to the back of the barracks, something came flying towards me...like I was in a haunted house.  I'm still not sure if it was a bat or a bird, all I remember is screaming and ducking low as fast as I could before bolting out and running into Ziwei...breaking her glasses. I'm pretty fast so no need to worry guys....I avoided getting bit by a bat and therefore did not get rabies during my trip to El Corregidor...thank goodness. Hope witnessed the whole thing and thought it was hilarious.  My heart was still beating pretty fast in the picture above. And in case you were worried for Ziwei...the glasses I broke were a pair of fake Ray Ban's (Ziwei I hope you don't mind me admitting this), which I also had a pair that I could just give to her to replace. 

The tour was pretty interesting...and overwhelmingly hot.  When I am outside here, I am just...constantly moist with sweat.  ...and at times, drenched.  I don't know how else to describe it.  It's disgusting.  One of our friends likes to remind us that it is good for our pores....but I don't even care.  Even Filipinos are saying it's hotter than usual.  I saw on a sign that it was 39 degrees Celsius...which didn't sound that hot until I looked up the conversion and realized it meant 102 degrees Fahrenheit.  Ridiculous.  I was grateful to have seen that part of Manila, and to have remembered to bring my obnoxious fan that I have learned to carry around with me.