Finally in the Philippines! My entire stay here felt like a wonderful ending to my Southeast Asia trip. The biggest things that stood out to me in Manila were the food, Binondo, and the Jeepneys!

I’m a little ashamed to admit this but…before this, I had never had Filipino food (not even Jollibee). The first thing I did was go out with Patrick to try EVERYTHING! It was spectacular! Let’s just say that I’m gonna be taking some notes from my S/O’s mom whenever I get the chance to be in the kitchen with her 🤤

Manila also hosts the oldest Chinatown in the world in the form of Binondo. I felt super lucky to have both Patrick and Andrew show me around where they both essentially grew up. What they had taken as everyday familiarity, I saw as unique and interesting. Good eats, good vibes, and good memories! Thank you both for being awesome friends and awesome tour guides!

And finally, what you see me hanging onto in one of the photos is quite possibly the most unique mode of transportation I’ve seen in all my traveling. The Jeepney! You won’t find them as an option on Google Maps, the routes are painted on the sides of the colorfully painted exterior and are only found in the Philippines. I learned about them from seeing Toro y Moi’s extremely eye-catching cover of his latest album Mahal. I became fascinated by the aesthetics and history of them from the moment I saw it. It felt so cool just seeing them literally…everywhere! Go out and see them while you can!

Salamat Manila! Will be back to hopefully catch some waves next time 🏄‍♂️