Adventure in Manila!

Here we are--at the airport in Manila, Philippines. We took the ten-hour (!) flight to participate in orientation for new mission presidents for the Philippines Area. What an adventure! We went from Sydney winter to Manila SUMMER, and it was HOT!



Manila is also very crowded, has AMAZING traffic congestion, amazing shopping (cheap and plentiful), and the friendliest people we have ever been around. Everywhere you go, they greet you, "Hello, Sir. Hello, Mom!" (They are saying "ma'am," but with their accents, it sounds like "MOM!") And they drive on the right side of the road, have great American bacon, and--with drivers to take us everywhere, we did great!

Besides being driven in cars, we also saw pedi-cabs (bicycles with little side-car-type seats), tricycles (motorized bikes with side-car seats), and Jipneys. Here is a pedi-cab.

We squeezed into a tricycle for a little 2-block ride. (Curtains, no less!)

And we jumped into one of the thousands of Jipneys (based on the old troop-movers left over from WW II), for a giggly picture--with lots of students.

They are decorated in every way possible. Some with religioius sayings or pictures of Christ or Mary, and others with psychedelic drawings and designs. Here's one version......(from the front)
.......and from the side. Note the open windows, where you can lean your elbows out.

Here's a view of a little of Manila traffic--out the windows of our car.....
Here goes one of the better-looking Jipneys.

More traffic! Think five lanes of traffic crowded onto three lanes of pavement! "The lane markings are just decorations, and the traffic lights only suggestions," one of our drivers tells us.

Another open-air Jipney, with students in white--just finished with their school day.
In a church, we saw a poster explaining "Proper Attire" for Church: lots of things we suggest--like no shorts, no plunging necklines, and no sleeveless tops!
The interior of a beautiful cathedral in downtown Manila--in Intramuros, the old walled portion of the city.
This cathedral was built within the walled portion of the city--when they were worried about attacks from pirates!

We headed for CORREGIDOR--in the mouth of Manila Bay, and the site of big battles during World War II: a sad defeat, and the occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese (1942), and the war to defeat the Japanese and free the Philippines in 1945.

Boarding the boat, there is a prayer (!) said (as part of the safety video) for protection in our travels that day!

On the island, there is much evidence of the thousands of troops who were there to fight. This is one of the dormitories for the army and navy personnel, and evidence of the terrible bombings is everywhere!

When the soldiers were there, they had a golf course, a beautiful movie theater, a swimming pool, homes for officers--and their families, and barracks everywhere!

Here are some of the great guns used during the battles--many of which could shoot up to 17 miles away. "Spotters" were on cliffs with binoculars, helping the shooters of the guns "aim" with the guns, since the shooters couldn't see. The guns were hidden--down in low spots, behind bluffs, etc. on the island...............

Here's Dad on the cute little trolley which took us on the tour around Corregidor.

This statue pays tribute to the American and Filipino soldiers, who fought side by side, and to the fellowship and respect which both felt for the other.

Here are some of the craters--still there!--from the bombings.
General Douglas MacArthur led the American and Filipino fighters through much of the fighting, but was ordered by the US government to Australia. He made his famous statement to the defenders of Corregidor: "I will return!" And he did--three years later.
In the biggest hill on the mountain, a huge tunnel was cut--the Malinta Tunnel--and MacArthur had his headquarters here. Also, the government of the Philippines was evacuated from Manila, and the president of the Philippines and his famiily were brought to the Malinta Tunnel for safekeeping. There was a hospital there, the area for storage of ammunition, and several thousand troops stayed inside for safety.Here is a diagram of the tunnel. The corridors on the upper right-hand portion of the diagram were actually a hospital!
We walked inside, and there was a light and sound show, including a re-enactment of a bombing attack. The mountain shook, the sound was terrifying, and smoke was everywhere. It must have been a frightening experience!

We came away with a renewed appreciation for those who fought--the "Greatest Generation," as Tom Brokaw has called them. If they had not stood to defend our freedoms, we might all be speaking Japanese--or German!

We also visited the AMERICAN MILITARY CEMETERY in Manila.......

There are acres and acres of crosses--looking in all directions.
There are large granite slabs listing the names of 36,285 soldiers who are still Missing in Action. We looked for Pridays and Farnsworths and Nallys.
Beautiful gardens, respectfully maintained by the U.S. government in this far-off land.
There is a feeling of reverence and respect there.
On the ground--in the center area, are seals for each of the fifty states which sent their sons to fight for freedom. Each cross (or occasional Star of David) bears the name of a soldier, his military rank, and the date of his death. It is a sacred, patriotic place. And--it is historic for the Church, because it was here that [then] Elder Gordon B. Hinckley went in 1961 to dedicate the land of the Philippines for missionary work. We're so glad we went--and grateful for what we learned and felt!