Driving in the Philippines

Driving is absolutely an adventure in the Philippines. my company provides a driver (Mon - Sat). sunday is his rest day. I could not resist the urge to drive. And, those who know me well, know I may a map geek so getting lost in Manila would not be an issue. To-date, I have purchased five different maps - greater manila, detailed street view, map to cavite (work), map of boracay (small island where we will spend christmas) , and map mindoro (small island directly south of luzon - the island manila is located).

You must be aggressive. Know that stop lights and painted lines (if there are any) are strictly a guide not a rule. The normal traffic flow does not seem to move much faster than 45 mph on the freeway - if you can call it - a freeway. So fear of a major collusion is low. We went down to Rizal Park in downtown Manila near the Manila Bay. Rizal Park is dedicated to one of the Filipino national heros.

Family photo in front of the Rizal Park. They always have two military soldiers guarding the monument. It is a bit like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington, D.C.

After the park, we found our way to Makati. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines. Very modern and upscale. Most of the expats who don't work in mfg live around the Makati. There are a number of very nice shopping malls around the Makati area. Below is a photo of downtown Makati from the Greenbelt shopping complex