Welcome to Manila

“Now I feel like a glutton.” As I sat there with a full belly & a smile across my face all I could manage was a big nod and a sigh of contentment.

OK rewind! Lili and I arrived in Manila late (9pm) on Tuesday. A driver was supposed to pick us up- key words supposed to. He was a no show and neither mine, nor Lili’s phone was working. We had some help from a few people at the airport and made our way to the condo where we would be staying in Manila.

Since I won the Miss Philippines Fiesta Pageant back in August I was fortunate to score accommodation for my trip here in the Philippines or so I thought. ‘Who? What? Do you have the owner’s phone number? Can you contact her?’ ‘No, I can’t because our phones don’t work. Are you sure there isn’t a key for me?’ ‘No ma’m, sorry.’

Now it’s about 11pm and we have no idea what to do…either we find a cheap hotel which could take even longer given the traffic or check into the 5-star Edsa Shangri-la literally across the street. Mind you Lili and I spent all day traveling and were still exhausted from Bali, and Alex (my friend staying with us who met us at the airport) fainted earlier in the day on his flight from Bangkok. 5-star it is.

I must give credit and thanks to a Filipino staying at a condo in the building we were supposed to be at, as well as my Padre for taking time out of work to call & contact my coordinator from the Pageant. As fate would have it Arvie, the Filipino, was in the lobby when he overheard our dilemma and graciously offered the use of his phone, as well as escorting us to the Shangri-la & the help of scoring us the local rate at the 5-star hotel. And my Padre was the only one we were somehow able to get a hold of, which was a HUGE advantage in settling this whole issue.

Finally, settled in around midnight I receive word that the key was in fact left at the desk for me but it was hidden and poorly placed. The administration received a mouthful from the owner (my coordinator) and since we already shelled out the mula for the 5-star Alex & Lili stayed there while I stayed at the condo.

The Edsa was heavenly and I didn’t even sleep there, from the amenities to the 24-hour in room dining which Lili and I took full advantage of, before I left for the condo. But the breakfast buffet made my eyes pop out of my sockets. Filipino food, Western food, Japanese food, Indian… EVERYTHING you could want in one place…crepes, sago, babinka, omelets, fresh fruit, homemade granola parfaits, pork tocino, dal, sushi, pandasal, ensaymada…

And so after we ate whole day’s worth of food in one sitting Lili comes out with, “Now I feel like glutton.” AGREED :O) Looks like things certainly have a way of panning out, and the condo which is also owned by Shangri-la is pretty darn fancy as well with the same sort of facilities- pool, sauna, steam room, gym. No 5-star breakfast buffet but we can always wander back to the Edsa for that!