manila: where humidity hugs you like an overealous cousin

okay so i landed here in manila and immediately felt like i’d walked into a tropical steam room. i just checked and it’s *30 degrees celsius with humidity that sticks to your skin like cheap glitter, hope you like that kind of thing. the locals call it “sticky season,” which sounds like a bad romcom title but kinda nails it.

first thing i did? wander into binondo because someone told me the street food there is worth getting food poisoning for. spoiler: they weren’t wrong. got this noodle soup that tasted like grandma’s secret recipe times ten, then wandered past this kalesa (horse-drawn carriage) that looked straight out of a colonial-era photo album. met this vendor who said, “if you think traffic’s bad now, you should’ve seen it during the spanish era,” which made me feel vaguely better about sitting in a jeepney for two hours.

someone told me the best views are from this rooftop bar in makati, but like, it’s literally 100 bucks for a cocktail. no thanks. instead, i found this hidden park near intramuros where old men play chess and stray dogs nap in the shade. if you get bored, tagaytay’s cooler climes are just a couple of hours away, or head north to bataan for a beach day.

heard some wild gossip about this balut vendor in paco market. apparently he’s been serving it for 40 years and has a regular who comes at 3am just to argue about egg freshness. also, this local warned me that the malls here are basically their own ecosystems - you could live in one for a week and never see daylight. true story.

pro tip: bring a mini fan. not kidding. also, this one bar in malate has a rooftop where you can watch the sunset over manila bay while drinking cheap beer. it’s magical until the mosquitoes show up. speaking of which, this drunk guy at a karaoke place swore he’d seen a aswang* (mythical creature) near the bay at midnight. take it with a grain of salt, or three.

so yeah, manila’s a mess of contradictions - chaotic but charming, loud but welcoming. if you’re looking for polished perfection, keep moving. but if you want to feel alive, sweating and all, this is your place. check out manila attractions on tripadvisor or local eats on yelp for more chaos.

p.s. the pressure’s dropping. might rain later. or not. who knows. that’s manila for ya.

You might also be interested in:

• https://votoris.com/post/lusaka-a-whirlwind-of-information-and-unexpected-weather
• https://votoris.com/post/lost-in-the-rhythm-of-manila-a-drummers-accidental-detour
• https://votoris.com/post/groningens-weather-whiplash-and-why-my-shoes-are-still-wet
• https://votoris.com/post/meerut-chaos-a-photographers-blurry-morning
• https://votoris.com/post/the-tax-system-in-colombo-a-chaotic-guide-for-the-slightly-broke