After yesterday’s grueling photo session, I enjoyed a really good sleep. A little too well I suppose. I got up around 11am and only had ‘breakfast’ by noon. Given it was officially half-day, it was too late for me to go to Mount Pinatubo, which I thought of doing today. Because for that, I should get there early since it involves trekking up to the now dormant volcano.
I could have stayed another day in Angeles City and checked out Clark, but in the end, I decided head back to Manila. Figured if I ever come to Philippines again, Angeles City isn’t too far from Manila and I can do Mount Pinatubo & Clark Duty Free then.
I checked out of Red Tulip Hotel and took a trike to Dau bus terminal.
They punch the ticket. Notice the 100 and the 8 on the top right (₱108 = $2.5/€1.8).Was that Mount Pinatubo?
The journey to Manila took less than one and half hours
I reached Manila by 2pm and I had no clue where in the city I was. All I told the bus folks were that I needed to go to Pasay. They stopped under a big flyover and asked me to get down, saying I can easily get to Pasay from here.
Hailed a taxi, passed by an SM Mall and even Accenture's officeIt was one straight drive, but it cost ₱140 ($3.2/€2.3)! I was NOT happy about spending more on a short drive to Pasay than I did getting to Manila by bus!
I had booked a dorm bed for two nights at Kabayan Hotel, a place I liked a lot. I had to catch an early morning flight to Cebu, so I was going to check out by 5am on Monday.
I got the upper bed. A/C dorm, ₱550 when I booked it. Website lists ₱610 ($14/€10) now. I still think it's worth it. You get all the usual Kabayan inclusions like set breakfast AND lunch, with complimentary wi-fi. Pillow and towel inside the locker. The locker came in handy, since I could keep my camera bag inside it and go out. Most hostels charge extra for lockers, and they are usually outside your room.They have a well kept toilet and shower inside the roomThe hallway looks like every other hallway on the other floors. Kabayan doesn't make you feel cheap even if you are staying in the dormitory.If the toilet in your room is occupied, there are many toilets and shower rooms on the floorI stepped out with just my 7D and the Tamron lens attached. I wanted to travel light for once. This is the scene just outside Kabayan and the Pasay MRT station.
I boarded a jeepney and decided to check out Mall of Asia, which was very close by.
I don't remember how much the fare was exactly, but I believe it was around ₱10The journey takes just 5 minutes from Pasay MRT
When it opened in 2006, Mall of Asia was the largest shopping mall in Asia, but has since moved down to third place after Dubai Mall‘s arrival.
I had to take multiple shots using the Tamron lens to get wide shots like thisMerging three shots to create this wide shot unfortunately cost that white man his head. Sorry dude, blame Photoshop.Today was a Saturday, so it was expected the mall was going to be crowdedThe virtual mall directory assistant
There was a small exhibition of properties by SMDC (SM Corp. is the largest property company in Philippines).
Being curious as to how much the cost of apartments were in Manila, I acted as a potential buyer and checked out the properties on offer. A lot of the apartment sizes (compared to India) were pretty small. ‘Large’ flats were 1000-1200sqft, while there were plenty of studios on offer. Prices for apartments ranged from 2 million to 4 million pesos and higher. Expensive, I initially thought. Maybe its because most of the buyers they target are OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), who earn higher wages.
But then I realized that it’s 2,000,000-4,000,000+ Philippines pesos. I mentally re-arranged the zeroes into the Indian numeric system and realized that’s 20,00,000 to 40,00,000 (lakh) rupees! It struck me as affordable — and that too in a city like Manila, which has far better infrastructure than most Indian cities! (Yes Filipinos, complain all you want about Manila. Visit Mumbai/Bombay and then compare the two. You’ll appreciate Manila a lot more.)
It pissed me off (not the first time) thinking how over-priced and unjustified the Indian real estate market is. For a minute, I even considered moving to Manila. Then I thought about the lack of Indian food here, and the frequent typhoons.
Back to the mall.
They have an ACE Hardware outlet here
People watching other people skateThis is an Olympic-sized ice rinkThe Biebs was going to be in Manila. Unfortunately, I would miss the opportunity to see 2AM live as I would be travelling that day. They're really good! Loved 'Saint O'Clock'!They also have an IMAX screen at the multiplex
A novel contraption that makes you curious how fast some coins take to reach the hole. Also a novel way for the mall to get free change.I decided to walk to the promenade
There are over-bridges to get to the BaywalkPlenty of restaurants by the bayWatching the sun set by the bay is a popular activityScores of people visit the Baywalk in the evenings. More so on weekends.Packed with families too!
They have band performances here
Manila PortThey also have fun zip line activities
Panorama comprised of 11 shotsA stature paying tribute to hard working Filipinos -- and Manny Pacquiao, the most famous Filipino in the world currently.Faux Jabbawockeez preparing to do... something
People had gathered to see faux Jabbawockeez perform. Though these guys seemed like a mime act.The convention center, where Maroon 5 was also scheduled to perform in a few days"Hello to you too!"I decided to walk back to the mall and come back once the sun had set
The interiors of this big mall aren't all that impressive, but then nothing is, compared to Dubai MallThis globe apparently lights up at nightBack outside...Love the colours!
Given it was really humid, I craved for some ice cream. Bought one, which began melting by the time I tore through the paper wrapping. Had to gulp it up quick.
Left the baywalk once it had gotten darkThere was little else left to see
Despite being one of the most famous malls in Philippines, Mall of Asia still offers a lot of affordable shopping. It isn’t one of those glamorous malls that draws a lot of people in but where you hardly see any of them actually shopping. There’s something for everyone at Mall of Asia.
The LED globe was lit, and was showing ads among other visuals
I really didn’t have anything else planned after this. My friend Aimee and I had initially thought of catching up, but we decided to push it to Sunday as she was going to show me around Manila tomorrow.
I took a jeepney and headed back to Kabayan Hotel. I left the camera in my locker and decided to take a stroll camera-free for a change.
I decided to explore the Pasay area a bit more, which wasn't a very clean area to be honestI began walking under the other line of the MRT and came across what looked like a street marketHawkers selling everything from fake goods, toys, fruits, clothes, t-shirts, pirated CDs and other fashion accessoriesIt extends a fairly long wayI walked all the way to the end of the track
And then I walked all the way back. Quite an unexpected discovery this was for me. I refrained from buying anything though, as I decided I would keep all my shopping for the last two days of this trip.
When I got back to the main Pasay junction, I decided to try out Chowking, the Chinese food offering from the owners of Jollibee.
Ordered their pork fried rice, dumplings and root beer combo meal for ₱80 ($1.8/€1.3). How was it? Bleurgh! Probably the worst fried rice I've ever tasted. The momos were alright, but then again, how hard is it to screw that up. Sorry Chowking.
After the poor dinner, I went back to my room and decided to spend a few hours on the internet.
The dormitory floor has a recreation lounge with a big screen TV, comfy chairs, and a few computers. You can bring your laptop here and use the wi-fi. Even though the speed wasn't great, I wasn't complaining. I have never experienced such a value-for-money hotel anywhere!
If I ever decide to start a hotel of my own, I would look to Kabayan for inspiration. I really appreciated the quality of service Kabayan offers its customers.
So this what I did today. Basically, nothing much.
Good Friday — today was the big day. I promptly got up on time, had breakfast and was out of the hotel by 8am. I walked to the jeepney terminal and got into one that would first go to Dau and then to San Fernando. The ride to Dau took just 5 minutes, and from there, I was asked to get into another jeepney going to San Fernando city, the capital of Pampanga province.
The ride to San Fernando took around 30 minutes and cost ₱32 ($0.75/€0.52). As soon as I reached the San Fernando city center…
... the 'rituals' had begunLocals flagellating themselves are referred to as the 'mamalaspas' in Filipino
I didn’t know where the jeepney was headed or where it was going to finally stop, but I didn’t wait to find out. As the jeepney slowed down in traffic, I got down.
Despite the blood, this was an all family affair
WARNING: From here on, you are going to see a lot of photographs of people with bloodied-backs. The act of self-flagellation (usually whipping oneself or beating methodically) is a common practice in many religions. In the following context, the act is seen as means of repenting for one’s sins. You may think they are beating themselves to a bloodied state but in reality, they make small cuts on their backs with a blade. They then use those whips with wooden bristles at the end to whip themselves, quite gently ctually. The bristles get stained by blood and eventually spread out out the blood across their backs. But rarely is one profusely bleeding because of the cuts.
Everybody was headed towards the Metropolitan Cathedral of San FernandoThey all convene in front of the church. (By the way, it was scorching hot today!)The flagellants stop in front of the cross, kneel before it or lay flat on the groundThe act of flagellation here is out of devout worship, or so they claimDespite the bloody appearance, they really don't hit themselves that hard
They are even lightly kicked
As one group of devotees would leave, more would come through the gatesOften led by cross-bearers, called 'mamusan krus'I can't imagine how their bare backs must have felt in this heat
While devout Catholics bled outside, the more restraint were praying inside
This was a photography opportunity like no otherThere were many others just like me who came to capture today's peculiar festivities (Shot on the 450D*)To us, this was more an 'interesting' event than a religious one
(Shot on 450D*)
Not sure the formation of a heart shape is intentional or not
It was so hot that I was done with the bottle of water I was carrying in a matter of minutes. There were hawkers and vendors selling ice cream, water bottles and chilled coconut water. I had one glass of that, and then another. Five minutes later, another glass. Dehydration was a major issue in this heat!
These nuns were a lot less tepid with their act of penance
More and more flagellants just kept coming
Not sure if they were covering their faces more so that people will not know they took part in this actBloody, yes, but none of them were screaming in pain
After spending more than an hour at the cathedral, I felt it was time for me to move on
I drank another glass of coconut water, bought a bottle of water and left the cathedral.
This was the only 'hotel' I could find in the area (Shot on 450D*)It was right next to the cathedral
There were taxis, both jeepneys and pedal taxis to take people to San Pedro Cutud, where the site of the crucifixion re-enactment would be taking place. I decided to take a cycle taxi.Shot the following using my Canon 450D*
Flagellants from barangays (villages) walking towards the Metropolitan Cathedral of San FernandoIt was a short ride that took around 5 minutesThe taxi driver dropped me here and told me I had go through this alley to get to the main road leading to the siteThis led to the site of the passion play
Today's show would feature horses too I presume"One photo? One bottle!"Took around 10 minutes of walking to get to the crucifixion grounds (Shot on 450D*)The crowds weren't huge yet, which was good as I wanted to come early and find a good spot for myself
The crosses for today's crucifixionJesus, or rather the one who playing him today, gets nailed to the cross in the middleI could see a media platform and I wondered if there was a chance for me to get on there with all the equipment I was carrying
I walked up to the media registration counter and told them I was from India and I run my own website. I was wearing my “It’s Football, Not Soccer” t-shirt and pointed to the back to show him my url (which was printed on the back). I also showed him the equipment I was carrying, and that was it — I got the pass to go on the media platform! 🙂
I came hoping to secure a good spot and I end up getting a great spot! (450D*)The view from here was perfect!Flagellants walk in this heat barefoot, and then get whipped? The torture!The locals unfortunately had to watch it from there (Panorama comprised of 8 shots)To say this isn't a major media event here in the Philippines would be an understatementThe GMA news crewThere were photographers representing reputed press agencies like the Associated PressThey all had some serious gear
Not to feel left out, I set up my tripod, raised it to its highest and mounted the 70-200mm lens on my 7D. Trouble is, it was even more scorching hot here! My sunglasses and sunscreen weren’t enough for the burning heat. Many had umbrellas and I felt I should have carried mine as well. I hadn’t experienced such piercing heat since my years in Bahrain.
Some of the flagellants passed out in the heat and had to be taken away by medics in stretchers (450D*)It was so hot, people took refuge under the stage. But not for long. Security came by and asked them to please come out. Probably because the authorities didn't want to be held responsible if the stage collapsed on them (450D*)
All of a sudden…
... a mini-tornado formed and began swirling around in the grounds (450D*)It eventually dispersed but not before taking out a stall's canopy (450D*)Well, that's one way to get a better view 🙂 (450D*)Back on the hilly mound, the flagellants kept on coming (450D*)
I stood on the platform at around 11:30pm, and everyone here was getting restless in the heat, wondering when the ‘show’ would start. A lot of worshipers kept coming, but not ‘Jesus’.
Even this guy in a gown cameThis dude came carrying a white crossUnfortunately, he too passed out due to the heatHe also had to be taken on a stretcherWhere medics were on hand
Finally, just past 1:45pm…
The passion play was about to begin (450D*)
Mother Mary and her entourage made their way
Jesus escorted by Roman soldiers for his impending crucifixionThe actors make their way to the crossesThe (Filipino) Roman soldiers push (Filipino) Jesus aroundJesus gets kicked to the ground
Time for the crucifixionThey lower the crossHey, that's the guy who asked for a bottle in exchange for a photograph from earlier 🙂They deliver a few lines (Few of the actors like the woman playing Mother Mary had mics)They raise two other penitents
Though these guys weren't nailed to the crossFilipino Jesus getting readyChecks the nails
There goes in the first one!And here comes the second oneFilipino Jesus didn't have a mic on him, but you could still hear him scream from where I was standing (and some in the crowd jeered and laughed)"You raise me up...."
In case you had any doubts on whether they actually did nail his palmsIf you thought it was over, no. They nail his feet as well.Though I wondered if they just nailed in between his toes
Some more chantsAfter a few minutes, they take out the nails
The soldiers bring him down
Wonder where they were taking 'Jesus'Oh that's right, the hospital
At this point, few of the locals were cheering as ‘Jesus’ was taken away by medics. One could tell from the laughter that this passion play has become less of a religious event and more, comical of sorts.
Anyway, just when I thought it was all over, the announcement came on to inform us that there are going to be other penitents crucified on the cross. These people volunteer in the hope that, by doing so, they are forgiven for their sins.
They bring down the other two volunteersThe second batch of penitents took their placesHere they go again
There was chatter going around me saying these people who volunteer to be crucified are drunk, so they feel less pain.
Looking at some of their faces, who knows, could be true. Though it defeats the purpose if they volunteered to do this in a bid to quit their alcoholism in the first place!
Now for the third penitentI don't know if that medic is capturing this in the name of science 🙂
The put a lot of effort into this event, with the costumes of that era and all thatExcept for, you know, the occasional airplane flying above (450D*)Shot with the 70-200mm lensIs there something symbolic of spearing one's heart (or torturing one's nipple?)I left the media stage and move to the side of the grounds. Plus, the media platform became 'everybody's platform' after the villagers ran on-stage.
There were more penitents in queue
By the point, the locals had infiltrated the grounds and were inching their way closer to the crosses to try and get a closer look.
The 'Romans' tried to stop themBut eventually...
I bumped into the American girl whom I had met on the journey from Baguio to Sagada two days ago. We chatted for a bit and when we saw the people thronging towards the cross, we both assumed the same thing: “Hey, when in Rome…”
And so we both climbed up to get a closer look
What I really wanted to know is why there isn't any blood and was the nail going all the way through his hand. Gory thoughts, I know, but I was still curious.I tried to get a closer look but there were so many people in my waySo I held out my cell phone and took a snap. This is what I captured. So I guess they really do nail their legs.
Since the hustle and bustle was getting a bit too much, I just used my phone to record this video as they were about to take the nails out of the penitents:
As you can tell from the above video, the locals found all this just as amusing as I did. (Just so you know, I don’t find blood and gore ‘amusing’ — it was this whole act and how the crowds were reacting to it that I found amusing).
(Taken on the Nokia E72)
In fact this event shouldn’t be taken seriously. These crucifixions aren’t even organized by the church. In fact, the Catholic Church condone it and do not endorse them in anyway.
It was a local theatrical troupe in the 1950s that first reenacted the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It became popular enough to become an annual event. Word spread across the Philippines, and later, the world. It became a media event, and an interesting one, for photographers both amateur and professionals alike.
Safe to assume these guys take this act very seriously?Anyway, I had seen enough. It was time for me to leave
Hawkers were making hay while the heat took its toll on me. All I had the past 3 hours were lots of water and ice cream. I couldn't wait to get back to the city and eat something heavy. (Nokia e72)
Looking around you can see why the City of San Fernando continues to host this event. San Pedro Cutud is an impoverished village with little else to offer tourists (same can be said about San Fernando city too). So Good Friday seems to be the only day in their calendar where locals earn good income selling everything from drinks to food. There are thousands who visit San Fernando just for this.
Walking back, the flagellants were still at itThis was at 3:30pm
The road was jammed, and I had to squeeze through people, cycles, and cars just to get aheadDC Comics says Congressman Dong Gonzalves is no hero (You may not get the reference if you don't read comics or recognize that logo)
I managed to get a bicycle taxi further up the road, and I asked him to take me back to the cathedral in San Fernando city.
It was nearing 4pmAs always, there's was a McDs and a Jollibee right next to each other. I chose to go to McDonald's.
The McDonald’s was full of tourists who had just come back from San Pedro Cutud as well. Freshened up, sat in the air conditioning and enjoyed my meal. After the meal, I sat a few minutes longer and reviewed my photographs. Needless to say, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I came, I saw, I captured.
But the day wasn’t over yet. Though many were making the long journey back to Manila, I stayed back in San Fernando because I had only planned on leaving after I photographed the procession at night.
I walked back to the cathedral
There were many floats (or 'carrozas') that were going to be used in tonight's processionThe man whom this city is named after
I just stood outside, hoping the sun would set early and the procession would start some time soon. It was just 5pm, so I knew I had quite a bit of waiting to do.
Boy: "Hey!" (grabs sister)... "take photo mister" ~ Me: *clicks* ~ Boy: "Oh, he's actually taking a photo?" (shy)After that, these guys asked for photos. I had to click. And no, I'm not going to put them *all* up. Don't know why they ask for photographs but never ask for a copy. Probably think I'm a newspaper photographer.I noticed these 'No to RH bill' banners on many of the churches here and I had to ask my friend Aimee what the bill was. Turns out it is a Reproductive Health Bill proposed by the Government to control population growth by encouraging the use of contraceptives -- but the church is against it! It was just one of many things I would later learn about the thin line separating church and state in Philippines.I thought of sitting inside the cathedral for some timeBut instead, I went for a strollThe carrozas were lining up
He's highThere were more carrozas brought in from other areas
Looks like the procession was about to begin
Really, they made 13 shitty sequels?
I walked back to the cathedral and saw people walking as the procession had begun. I asked a police officer as to where they were headed and he told me they would be going around and coming back to the cathedral by sunset. I only wanted to take photos of the procession once it had gotten dark, so I sat inside the cathedral until the sun had completely set.
Sitting inside the cathedral under the fans made me feel sleepy. I guess all that scorching heat and the early morning wake up was getting to me.
The dome
After half an hour, I looked outside and by 6:30pm, the sun had set. So I left the cathedral.
There's a lot of grilled chicken on the streets of PhilippinesI waited for the procession to make its way down this road
The carrozas were lit up, which made them even more beautiful
Definitely more than a thousand people were taking part in this procession
I took one final parting shot as the procession group continued its way into the city
And with that, I was done! Phew, what a day!
I walked by myself down the quiet road and tried to catch a jeepney going to Angeles City.
It was 7:15pm when I clicked this photo
I had to wait around 15 minutes until I finally managed to get a jeepney going to Angeles City.
It took nearly half and hour with all the stops until I finally got to Angeles City
But the driver eventually asked me, where exactly I wanted to go because he was nearing his final stop.
I didn't quite recognize any of the surroundings, so I told the driver I needed to go near SM Clark. He said, for that I'd have to hop onto another jeepney passing by Balibago
Which is what I did. Then when I got asked to get down from the second jeepney, I saw SM Clark, but it was still a bit far. So I hopped into another jeepney going up Perimeter Road and got down at the jeepney terminal.
Three jeepneys and ₱50 later, I was back in familiar territory. Even though I wanted to go back to my room and take a bath, I decided to have dinner now itself since I was out anyway. Plus, I was desperately craving some chilled beer!
Despite being Good Friday, some of the nightclubs and casinos were open. I took a stroll down Walking Street and finally ended up sitting at club called Angel Witch, only because it sounded badass and they were playing rock music. They had a few girls dancing to Bon jovi’s “It’s My Life,” but 15 minutes later and a beer down, I was bored and soon left.
I stopped by the Turkish restaurant on the way back, packed a meal and walked back to my room. I got out of my blood-stained clothes (you can’t help it, droplets of blood will splatter on you if you are close to the flagellants) and enjoyed a good, clean shower.
As I copied my photos over to my back-up hard drive, I couldn’t be more happier with my coverage of this, erm, interesting event. The above are just 220 of the 793 photos(yup!) I shot using my three devices: my Canon 7D (mostly), the Canon 450D* and my cellphone.
With the main event of this trip in the bag, I felt this visit to Philippines was well worth my money and time. And to think, I still had more than a week left and a lot more to see in this country!
*Regarding the photos taken using the Canon 450D. I mounted my wide angle lens on the 450D so that I could use the other lenses on my 7D. But I noticed just about every image I shot on the 450 was very blue. I only realized this after I had taken a few shots and I could figure out why the photos came out that way. The tungsten filter wasn’t enable and the white balance was et to auto. I couldn’t afford to restore the camera to factory setting in case it formatted the SD card in the process.
I did try and correct the blueish hue in every image, but only some I could turn from this:
I got up at 5:30am, and had to freshen up using water from the hot shower as the tap water was freezing cold!
I checked out of George's Guesthouse (by leaving the key on the table because there was nobody at the reception) and walked outWhere I had dinner from yesterdayA few inter-city buses were parked at the village centerAlfredo's Inn (L), Sagada Guesthouse (2nd from right), Gandu Yan Inn (R) -- plenty of accommodation near the bus station (Panorama shot comprised of 4 photos)I boarded the first bus to Baguio leaving at 7am (ticket cost ₱200/$5/€3.5)The bus left on time. Since I was still sleepy, I decided to keep shooting using my phone as I was in no mood to take my DSLR out.Good morning to you tooVery misty at this time
This was the last photo I took before I fell asleep
But I ended up waking up just half-an-hour later when I briefly opened my eyes. I just had to take my camera out now and take a few shots of the terrain I was passing through.
I didn't dare open the window as it was freezing cold outside, so I shot all these behind the not-so-clean glassMostly rocky rivers in these partsWe arrived at some town/village
Where we wereThere was more beauty to behold
We kept going higher and higher
Lettuce farmsFrom a market we stopped atA lot of the passengers were villagers or farmers getting down at various markets to sell their produce
The stretches of sunshine didn't last too long
We stopped here for a few minutes for a snack/toilet break
The dark clouds gave way to sunlight
There weren't many bad stretches on this highway, for the most part, it was a lovely journey!And after nearly six hours, we were in Baguio
I arrived at Baguio just past 1pm. Where the bus stopped was at some lot inside a shopping complex. Didn’t look like a main bus station or anything, so I asked around how I could get to Angeles City. The locals told me I would have to go to another bus depot near SM Supermall and catch a bus from there. So, in a taxi I went.
Riding through Baguio, you could see why Baguio is a predominantly a ‘university town’. Students from all across the North come to Baguio for higher education as it’s the only developed city in this hilly region of North Philippines.
I never had any plans of staying in Baguio because I didn’t find any of the attractions worthy of spending a night here. A short 5 minute ride later (which cost less than ₱100), I was at the bus terminal very near to SM Supermall — the only major mall in the city.
I asked for buses going to Angeles City and was instructed to board any of the buses going to Dau. I bought my ticket (₱290/$6/€4.7) from one of the private bus companies that operates the route and dumped my backpack on my seat. I had a few minutes before the bus departed so I quickly stepped out and went to the nearby Jollibee to pick up some lunch (Jollibee is there wherever you need it!)
The bus terminal was very busy as this being a hugely student populated town (and Holy Week), many of the buses to the various neighbouring provinces were running full
The bus left at 2pm and I had my lunch watching a very charitable man give away gifts and cash to Filipinos on TV. As the TV signal strength weakened, they put on the usual pirated copies of low-budget action films (first, an unheard of horror movie starring a really fat Val Kilmer).
I didn’t take many photographs on this leg of the journey — mostly because there wasn’t a whole lot of scenery worth capturing. It rained a little bit and the bus moved slowly because from here on, we were going downhill and it was quite misty outside.
After a few hours, it got really cold inside the bus as the air-conditioning was truly working. I had to wear my jacket and use my camera bag for additional warmth.
Taken at 4:51pm. We mostly travelled through impoverished towns and small villages.
You know it’s an impoverished part of the country when you see the locals rejoicing with banners when one of their residents become a lawyer. Saw a few of those.
Hey guess what nut jobs, the world didn't end after all!
Soon after one B-grade movie ended, they put on another. This time a Tagalog dub of a Thai action movie starring a popular Thai actress whom I cannot name at all because I only remember seeing the ‘making of’ this film on a show on NHK. Sigh.
I kept wondering how much longer I had to sit in this bus. By sunset, the bus had stopped in the city of Tarlac — and it stayed there for some time. And by now, there weren’t many passengers in the bus. I stepped down to ask if this was where I need to get down but the driver who was taking a break said “no”. I went back in and waited for the bus to move again.
And move on it did. We were on McArthur Highway by nightfall and I again wondered just how much longer I had to go to get to Angeles City.
Around 7:30pm, we finally reached a very busy Dau bus terminal. From there, I got into a trike and asked him to take me to my hotel. The journey took another 10 minutes (he charged ₱110) but I finally got to Red Tulip Hotel. I chose this hotel because I didn’t want a place on Fields Avenue, near all the nightclubs that go late into the night, and Red Tulip Hotel looked like it was a safe distance away. But that was as per the map on their website. In reality, it was a little too far from the main jeepney hub. But more on that later.
I was just glad to see a room so I could dump my bags and stretch my legs!
I had spent more than 12 hours today just sitting in buses. I was tired, so I quickly stepped out to have dinner at 9pm and then went to sleep immediately after getting back. For the first time this week, I didn’t have to wake up early tomorrow!
Day 5 – 21st April 2011
I don’t know how many hours I slept, but I slept well. Lord knows I needed the rest after the last three days! I switched on the television and watched the news reports of how crowded EDSA was yesterday night, with everyone rushing to get out of Manila. In some ways, I guess it was a good idea to arrive a bit early.
By the time I got out of bed, freshened up and made my way down for breakfastbrunch, it was noon.
Looking at the menu, the tulips made sense... the hotel owner was Dutch
I ate lazily, chatted with the waitresses who asked me where I was from and where all I had been to in Philippines so far. Then I went online for a bit after brunch and only at around 2pm did I finally decide to step out of the hotel! I wanted to take it easy for once.
The entranceIt was a sandy road from The Red Tulip Hotel to the San Angelo street (where the Hotel 24 sign is)The walk from San Angelos St. to the main Fields Avenue road was around a 1 minute longAngeles Beach Club hotel, one of the more posher hotels in Angeles CityThis was the jeepney terminal...And I initially looked at hotels on this road, San Narciso street. Hotel Tiger looked atrocious both inside and outside...... so PJ Inn was the one I had selected. But they were late to reply back with my room enquiry and by the time they did, they were full. So I had to book at Red Tulip Hotel for 3 nights (they gave it to me for ₱800/$18/€13 per night)The jeepney terminal was up this road, a 2 minute walk from here. I figured, after I was done with the festivities of Good Friday in San Fernando, I could easily catch a ride from here back to Manila.I walked back to the main roadI had dinner from this Turkish restaurant yesterday night, good shawarmas!I decided to hop over to SM Clark mall to pass some timeThis road leads to the Clark Freeport zone and Clark airportMy friend Aimee told me AOL once had an office in the Freeport zoneThe plan was to first check out SM Clark and then head to the Freeport zone for all the duty free shopsBut as I walked towards the mall...Closed! (Panorama shot comprised of 5 shots)
A security guard came up to me as I took the above photograph, and he told me the mall was closed today and tomorrow, being Good Friday. I asked him how far the Clark Duty Free was from here and he said around 8kms and he told me there’s a high possibility that would be closed today as well.
I sighed and walked towards the jeepney drivers nearby and asked them if the Clark Duty Free was open today but they confirmed it saying it was a holiday today.
Oh well
So I walked to the jeepney terminal to find out where to board the jeepneys going to San Fernando and the timingsThis guy told me to come to this pick-up point tomorrow morning to go to San Fernando. Yes, he was quite joyful to be in the photograph.Decided to check out Fields AvenueI was stopped by another one of those "Hey foreign guy with DSLR, take photo of us!". Guess which was the girl who requested it.This was Walking Street (don't know why they call it such but still allow vehicles in!)Here too, the scene wasn't any different -- just about everything was closed!
But I wondered if it was just because it was in the afternoon.
As I reviewed my shots, I noticed they were all quite dark and that I couldn’t change my shutter speed now. It was stuck at 1/1250! Grrh, I hate it when things like this happen, and that too just before a big event like tomorrow’s crucifixion ceremony! I had no choice but to continue shooting with it.
I went to that locksmith who was fortunately open. He tightened one of my tripod legs with an Allen key as I had misplaced mine. He wouldn't accept the ₱10 I was ready to pay him either 🙂
I walked back on to Walking Street. Only a few places were open and had the usual sight of geriatrics drinking away with their Filipina companionsPretty cool entrance
I walked back to my side of town and felt the urge to have some ice cream.
Iglesia ni Cristo church
Bought my ice cream from a convenience store at a Petron station on this side of Perimeter road, which houses a few more nightclubs, and little else.
Once back in my room, I fiddled with my camera for nearly an hour, switching it on and off, taking the battery out multiple times. Fed up, I went online to find a solution. Saw a few threads on such issues and then felt like an idiot after reading the ‘solution’. I had accidentally pressed the ‘Lock’ button near the dial which stuck the shutter speed at the last setting.
-_-
Anyway. After ‘fixing’ my problem, I sat in the room and worked on a few photos to upload and stepped out only for dinner. I went back to the Turkish restaurant as I miss Middle Eastern food and I wanted to make the most of the authentic food available as much as possible. (The restaurant was run by Turks)
At night, there were a lot more people out and about, but it still didn’t look like this is the most action Angeles City usually sees. So yeah, if you are coming to Angeles City purely for the nightlife, Holy Week isn’t the best time for that 🙂 Some of the nightclubs were still closed.
Back in the room, I packed my camera bags, kept all my batteries for charging, cleaned my lenses, set my alarm, and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be the big day, and I couldn’t wait for it to begin!
When it opened in 2006, Mall of Asia was the largest shopping mall in Asia, but has since moved down to third place after Dubai Mall‘s arrival.
Despite being one of the most famous malls in Philippines, Mall of Asia still offers a lot of affordable shopping. It isn’t one of those glamorous malls that draws a lot of people in but where you hardly see any of them actually shopping. There’s something for everyone at Mall of Asia.
I really didn’t have anything else planned after this. My friend Aimee and I had initially thought of catching up, but we decided to push it to Sunday as she was going to show me around Manila tomorrow.
