And welcome back to Part 2 of 'First Time as a Business Traveller' post. I know, it has been really long time and it's about time to update with Part 2; but hey, the best things takes time right? Well, I'll let you all be the judge of that.
The Next Day....
After my delicious dinner and the some medicine I took from my fancy first-aid kit; I fell asleep like a baby and it did not even take a minute to shut my eyes, the moment my head hit the pillow, I was completely shutted down. I only woke up next day, which was Sunday 26th March '23 with no alarm and I felt well rested all energized but knowing I am having a long day ahead, I decided to order in a healthy breakfast. I am not much of a breakfast person but I am flexible enough to adapt if I am aware of what are the consequences if I do not take care of myself. So, I went ahead and ordered this breakfast which had boiled white rice, chicken and egg in different forms and mushrooms and god knows what else it was in it but I can tell you, it kept me going for the whole day.
While waiting for my breakfast, I of course made a coffee for myself and unpacked my bags, made few arrangements for the week and the day ahead. This day was the only day I had in my schedule to visit as much as many places I could and do as much as shopping I could because from Monday onwards I'll be busy with work. Now, the challenge was the shift I worked was 12:30 PST to 21:30 PST; where many tourist attractions opens around 09:00 - 10:00 PST and my location being located bit far from the main city and the traffic that comes with it, does not help me to be at work on time and of course many places closed after or even by 21:30 PST. Hence, this Sunday was 'the' day to cover as much as I could. One good thing came out of this trip was I learned I have a long distance cousin in Philippines; [talk about the fact this is a small world] and that is because one of my uncle married to a Filipina and it's her niece; I was really thrilled to meet her and spend the day with her and so grateful that I had someone I know and who knows the area to go out with. Luckily, she lived close by and I already informed her the day I landed about our plan; she was coming to meet me at the hotel around 10:00 PST. Having woken up quiet early after a good 7-8 hours sleep, I was ready to go by that time. Met my cousin at the lobby area past 10 in the morning and started our day out by walking out of the hotel.
The BGC is well-equipped city with anything you need and want; as I mentioned in my Part 1 article, it's a financial district and it is accommodated for it's upscale and vibrant residential lifestyle in it. Plus, it is safe enough to walk at any given time [as a female traveler we tend to focus on the safety side if you are travelling alone and the safety applies for everyone regardless of the gender :) ]. Since it is a small city, no matter where you start, you circle back to where you were; it is like walking in circle and every place is within walking distance unless you need to move out of BGC. The area has many places to sit back and relax, whether it is outside to enjoy a good sunny day with a cool drink with couple of friends or even indoor with a nice dinner or a nice cup of coffee.
Places I visited...
We kicked off first roaming around the area for a while and stopped to cool our system down with a cold juice at this place called 'A Mano', it's an Italian restaurant with both outdoor and indoor seating and we took the outdoor; the weather was beautiful and sunny day with a clear sky, you don't feel the burn in your skin or neither you sweat but it dehydrates you pretty quick, so always keep hydrating yourself and keep a water bottle with you.One of the monuments I came across while walking around was this tree made out of copper, it looks like a nest turned upside down and providing shelter underneath it. Curious enough to understand what is the story behind; to see it is three trees are standing together with their branches intertwined.
The significance on this is, the trunk of each tree symbolizes the stability and the branches and leaves the '
circle of life', basically the relationship between each individual or animal in the nature and the vital role each one of us plays. This is located where it is called as 'Burgos Circle' in BGC itself
After hydrating ourselves well-enough for our next round, we visited a museum called,
'The Mind Museum'. If you are or were a science geek in your school days, this is your place to refresh your memory and even learn something you don't know. It is not just for kids but for us adults too, to explore a bit and pick our brains, get some information into it.
After exploring and absorbing some science knowledge and taking my memory way back to school days; we headed off to The Venice Grand Canal Mall. It is a man made replica of the infamous city in Italy, Venice with Gondolas moving around in the canal surrounded with various types of restaurants and shops.
One reason for us to head to that way, was to show where my office is located and exactly opposite the Venice Grand Canal Mall; well that was satisfying and my lunch and dinner problem was resolved. We grabbed a quick bite at Jollibee Burger spot. It is a popular Philippine based burger chain; wouldn't say it was the best, but wanted to give it a try.
Our next stop was head off bit further from BGC and visit MOA or in full version 'Mall of Asia' located in Seaside Boulevard within Manila Bay, which is 30 minutes away from BGC without traffic. Of course we took a taxi for this ride and just like Uber, Philippines has
Grab; it is a Singaporean based company which is the same used in Singapore and Malaysia as well.
Before we headed off to Mall of Asia, we decided to take a ride with MOA Eye. This is an observation wheel next to Mall of Asia in Metro Manila. Best time would be during the sunset or at night to see the city lights, but our timing was not that good but still did not want to miss the chance; so we got in. The cabin cost at that time was 200 PHP but if you want to make it a memorable ride with a view underneath your cabin while flying high in the wheel, it costs 250 PHP. It was a bright sunny day and the view up in the air facing Manila Bay looking far in the South China Sea.
After taking the ride, we headed inside the Mall to do some shopping. I would say, best place to do shopping and you have everything you need including luxurious brands if you are a fan of it. From long different aisles of chocolates, candies and to coffee and many many more, you name it. It is so crowded yet you do not feel it because of the massive space but you won't exit from the same side you entered, that is for sure. Just make sure you don't get lost inside and stick with the crowd if you are not going alone.
This is the MOA Globe, located in the centre surrounded with MOA Eye, then Mall of Asia on the other hand and MOA Arena, which is a sporting arena built with high quality standards to even host a NBA event.
After spending couple of hours and couple of bucks; got into a cab (Thanks to Grab App) and headed back to BGC to my hotel room, lay off all the exhaustion and have a nice cup of coffee and a nice dinner. As we had a long day, while gulping down our warm cup of coffee, we were thinking what to have for dinner and where. I personally was craving for a good italian cuisine and so we found this beautiful, little Italian place right behind where my hotel was located and it was within walking distance. It's name is L'opera Ristorante and located in the Fort Strip. It's an ideal place for a beautiful dinner date too. The food was amazing, tastes so authentic, and the ambiance is so calm, peaceful with brick walls around you; it brings out the Italian in you for a split second. It was the best place to unwind with a glass of Red Wine after a long hectic day we had.
Now with one Sunday and a week packed with a busy schedule and on top of that with an unusual shift; you do not get much of a time to cover every corner of the capital city, considering the size of it. Manila, being a highly dense and urbanized city located on the island of Luzon, on the eastern shore of Manila Bay, is rich with spanish colonial architecture along with modern skyscrapers; it has so many historical places to visit yet so little time.
See you in my last episode of Manila where I am coming back home....
Until then, enjoy & live in the moment....
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