Quick Bites - Lechon Kawali and Mediterranean Salad @ Iceberg

So you don't have enough time for a chitchat but you're famished and wouldn't mind a quick bite. Try Icerberg's "Lechon Kawali", roast pork with rice and atchara and their sweetish liver sauce. Or maybe you're on a diet and would rather have their Mediterranean Salad - grapes, apples, cucumber, tomatoes and feta cheese with vinaigrette sauce. This one's from CCP Complex's Harbour Square!

Then there's North Park's Lechon Macau, a variation of the Lechon Kawali..

Yum!

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Lechon Kawali

Mediterranean Salad with feta cheese and vinaigrette sauce

While we're at it, here's North Park's Lechon Macau:

Manila Baywalk and Harbour Square - Is Manila A Hell of a City?

A few weeks ago, while waiting for my ride for Yogya in Probolinggo, an amorous English nurse in her 60’s asked me: “Is it true that Manila is a hell of a city?” I was shocked by such raw impression of the Philippines’ capital. But I wasn’t going to sugar coat – I am in no way Manila’s ambassador of tourism. Expecting I’d actually paint Manila as an otherwise rose-colored city, she was stunned to silence when I replied with a curt, “No, Manila is just plain hell!”

This was a British lady who visits Asia on a yearly basis along with her family. This year they were lounging around Flores Island off the Bali coast. Funny thing is, she and her family have seen much of Asia – even those off the beaten track far removed from the usual backpacker circuit: Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Vietnam. Fact is, Manila hasn't been enjoying flattering impression from tourists and would-be visitors.

My thoughts on this go: those with scruples about the Philippines should just stay away from my country. I am not gonna apologize for any unfair misconception. Just read through Lonely Planet’s Thorntree Forum to realize how unpopular Manila is among backpackers. When one query is posted saying he has 3 months to travel around Asia, and would it be worth gallivanting around the Philippines for a couple of weeks – the replies were disheartening. My heart bleeds for my country. I am more convinced that people who treat us with snide remarks and utter disdain should never experience the grandeur of a Palawan sunset; the serenity of Davao waters; the powder fine-ness of a Boracay sand; the warmth of Pinoy hospitality. They should go elsewhere – we will richly live our lives without them, surely.

So is Manila a hell of a city? She conjured images of Delhi squalor when, to be really honest about it, Manila might as well be Los Angeles compared to the Indian capital. This isn’t hyperbole but a rather objective observation from someone who has traveled Asia far and wide. If I have no reservations to describing it as “hell” to “support” a foreigner’s misconception, I am capable of an objective comparison.

A few days ago, I was able to visit Manila Baywalk from the area beside the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). It has somehow been transformed into a well groomed dining promenade called “Harbour Square”. Manila’s golden sunsets can be enjoyed from here. There are several restaurants for your gastronomic requirements. I must have missed the sunset by 10 minutes, but it didn’t matter. Walking along the lantern-lined baywalk felt peaceful. There were no ambulant vendors nor touts. I am glad I won’t be able to share this piece of “hell” with my amorous pal - the British nurse from London.

This is the Eye in the Sky wishing everyone a Happy New Year! Stay safe and may you all be filled with happiness and contentment!

Cradle of Bethlehem as depicted in a manger by the bay.

Lights adorn Roxas Boulevard.