What a place! People selling coconuts from carts. Buses, jeepneys, trucks everywhere, people washing clothes and taking baths in the alleyways near peddlers hawking shoes on the sidewalk.

I gave away my extra 2 pair of jeans to the lady selling buko juice. They take a whole green coconut and trim it down and stick in a straw. You can then drink the juice and eat the meat when the drink is gone.

There is an endless flow of people everywhere and you wonder how it all works, but it does.

Everyone seems to know their part like ants at a picnic.

There are small shacks in every concievable nook and there is a pool table under the bridge a guy has set up a mobile pool hall.

This little internet cafe is next to the Sogo short time hotel where you can get a room for 3 hours, usually for a secret rendezeou with a short time lover.

The rooms are usually pretty good with cable tv and air conditioning so I use it wash up and rest before an international flight.

Two ok places to stay in Manila (Ermita-Malate area) are Pension Natividad on M.H.Del Pilar and Friendlys Guesthouse. Both are good for the backpacker.

There are a number of other good hotels in the Malate area starting at 1000 peso+ or 20 USD+ per night.

The Iseya Hotel on Del Pilar and Padre Faura has a nice roof top bar and restaurant. If you play billiards the Duck Inn on 1207 M.H.Del Pilar is open 24 hours a day. (formerly the Jurassic Inn)

Friendly's  www.friendlysguesthouse.com
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Located corner of Adriatico and Nakpil St.
Malate Manila
(0063) (0) 917 333 1418

Pension Natividad
Located on M. H. Del Pilar near the 7-11 and Malate Church

Malate Pension
Located on Adriatico St.
http://www.mpensionne.com.ph