First Day in Manila

Getting ready for a late afternoon nap after a great first day in Manila.  Started out with breakfast at the apartment:  insanely fresh ripe mangoes, brioche, over easy eggs and french press coffee.  It was all prepared by Madame Rose and enjoyed with our generous host Carlos, a performing artist.  Then on to immigration to get our visas extended which surprisingly only took about 15 minutes and a little paperwork...thanks Ria :)  After immigration Ria took us to meet Carlos and his two dogs at the Baluarte de San Diego in the Intramuros.  We enjoyed a nice walk around the park before heading back to the apartment for lunch.  Rose had prepared an amazing meal!!  It consisted of Adobo, local rice, Molo (a dumpling soup) and Lumpia.  It was absolutely delicious and a great way to start familiarizing ourselves with local ingredients and cuisine.  After lunch Ria directed us to the mall and we filled in the gaps on a few items we needed before heading to the island.  This evening we will be enjoying a traditional Filipino meal and getting the opportunity to meet Helena's daughters for the first time.  We have been taking pictures and videos, just need to do some editing before we post them so hold tight!

Our temporary home in Manila

Sculptures at the Green Belt in Makati

The Green Belt in Makati