Manila Day 2

As promised, below is a recap of my day of sightseeing.

A guide picked me up at about 8:15, and we spent the next four hours touring the city.  I was especially excited to see the many churches, and they are even more magnificent than advertised.

The first one was the Shrine of Jesus Church.

Here are some street scenes.

The bus-like thing is called a jitney.  They were everywhere!

Busy city street.

Below is the Shrine of Saint Therese Church.  I found this photo online that shows the entire church.

I took this picture of the front of it.  Off center.  I know.

There is a large military presence with the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines having their bases lined the streets in what could be considered "military row."

This picture isn't great but it's better than the one I took.
It's from the Internet.

The next pictures are from the Manila American Cemetery & Memorial where 17,206 men who died in the Philippines during World War II are buried.  They are 16,636 Americans and 507 Filipinos.  It is very much like Arlington Cemetery in DC.  There are rows and rows of white crosses that dot the landscape.  They are arranged in circular patterns that are solemn, heart wrenching and beautiful.

Manila American Cemetery & Memorial Monument

This photo doesn't begin to do justice to the scene,
but I wanted you to get an idea of what it looks like.

These columns form a semicircle from the main entrance on both sides,
and they include the names of all of the men who are buried here,
except for 3,744 who remain unknown.

You can't read the names, but they are listed in alpha order,
by their branch of the military.
These men were in the Navy.

Contrary to what I thought, Manila is a thriving city, booming with new construction all over the place.  Many of the natives have chosen to live and work abroad, and I assumed that it was because their country was poor and destitute.  That is not the case at all.  There are areas with homes reflecting great wealth, and there is a mall with high-end stores that rivals anything you'll see in New York City or Dubai.

Booming cityscape.

As I mentioned in the previous post, my hotel is located in a walled city called Intramuros, a part of the Fort Santiago Fortress.

The main entrance to Fort Santiago.

Another view of the main entrance.

A president and Gen. MacAuthur, I think.

Bombed out building from World War II.

Honoring the dead.

Here are two more churches.

This is the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral - Basilica.
Again, this picture doesn't do it justice.

It was fascinating because a mass was being held
as tourists were walking through the back of the sanctuary!

This is the San Agustin Church, which is a World Heritage Site.
Breathtakingly beautiful!

It is 445 years old!

Another view.

Close-up of one of the door panels.

That's it.

It's been a wonderful couple of days here in Manila.

Tomorrow night I head for San Francisco.

USA here I come!