These are not the photos taken in a day. One day MK and I went to the Immigration office to inquire about visa extension (he had extend while I wasn’t sure if I needed to). [In another outing AL and PB were also present.] A branch office where we first went to wouldn’t do that. We had to go to the main office. Near the Immigration office, on the bank of Pasig river, is the China Town of Manila (Binondo). (Binondo’s Chinatown located in Manila, Philippines is the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594, says an entry in Wikipedia).

There, in the China Town, we were meeting our Chinese classmate FS. FS was supposed to take us to a Chinese restaurant. He did but the restaurant turned out to be fake. The food was so un-Chinese, FS said, and the quality too was, well, ‘Chinese’ (that is as per popular jokes in Nepal- Made in China, Aja chha voli chhaina- which literally means products made in China don’t last for more than a day!). So the food was terrible, even the chopsticks were Japanese, FS said. The only good thing about the place was a free wifi signal that was coming from ANOTHER shop.

The Fort Santiago is a wonderful place. MK had gone there multiple times before but today he was accompanying us. I liked the place where we took a quick siesta as FS took pictures of us lying on the wall overlooking the Pasig river. Beautiful place.

A friendly police station

Rajah Suleman

DW at Manila Bay

Sea

On the bank of Pasig River- Near China Town

Pasig River- Near China Town

It’s hot in Manila

Do you believe in God? A cathedral in Intramuros

Man made God’s ‘adobe’ in Intramuros

Inside the Cathedral, Intramuros

Waiting for something Divine while playing with iPhone? Or, is there an iDivine app?

And the notice says….

And the notice was put up on the walls of the cathedral…

Say mwaau…

Footsteps of Filipino national hero Jose Rizal in Fort Santiago (see details below)

Footsteps of Filipino national hero Jose Rizal. In a jail in Fort Santiago where he was kept…

At Fort Santiago

At Fort Santiago

At Fort Santiago

Pasig River and buildings as seen from Fort Santiago

On the bank of Pasig River, at Fort Santiago

At Fort Santiago

Kant and Confucius in deep reflection?: A German and A Chinese in the Philippines

M and D

Who cares about the world when you are tired…DW and MK on the bank of Pasig River, at Fort Santiago, Manila.

A German uses an iPhone that is designed in California and Assembled IN CHINA…it’s ok 🙂

Pasig River

Cleaning the glass for a better view

Sino-Nepali Friendship. In China, hopefully, its ok!

M and FS at Fort Santiago