I have not read many encouraging words about Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

But since I’m passing through between Palau and Japan, I decide to spend three nights in the city and check it out for myself.

As I research accommodation, one hostel immediately stands out — Our Melting Pot in Makati City, Manila. Their TripAdvisor and HostelWorld reviews are stellar across the board, and their rates are quite reasonable.

Upon arrival I see there’s a free walking tour of Old Manila departing the next afternoon. I love free walking tours! Count me in.

The manager named Chateau is fabulous — she guides the tour and is so welcoming to guests. Plus she takes photos of us during the tour to add to Facebook later that evening. This is a smart marketing move, as we now have an incentive to ‘like’ this hostel on Facebook and then tag ourselves in the photos. While everyone on the tour has their own cameras, it’s nice to round out our photo collection with Chateau’s group shots. Again, all of this is free for hostel guests! The only thing we pay for is transportation and entrance to a few historical sites (maybe around $7 USD total).

Here’s our group:

We take public transit — a combo of the metro and jeepney (more on that later) — to Rizal Park. There’s an ice cream vendor so of course we stop to sample.

Here’s our group on the stops of the Department of Tourism, near Rizal Park.

That statue is Lapu-Lapu, the first native to resist Spanish colonization back in the 1500’s (he later killed Ferdinand Magellan). Now he’s considered the first Filipino hero.

I LOVE this group of students below. They spot my camera and pose for a photo, then as I walk away they call out, “One more!” and pose for a more serious shot. They are all so happy!

File under random: as we approach this water basin, a Britney Spears Christmas song plays over the loudspeaker. It’s September.

Allow me to introduce you to the jeepney, the most popular form of public transit in the Philippines:

These vehicles were originally made from U.S. military jeeps left over from World War II. The name is a combination of “jeep” and “jitney.” Jeepneys are small buses that travel regular routes with a flexible schedule. There’s an opening in the back for passengers to hop-on / hop-off. Once aboard, pass your fare up to the front — a ride costs 8 Philippines Pesos, which is 17 cents. Quite affordable!

Here’s our group inside a jeepney:

The traffic in Manila is horrendous. I snap this shot as we get off the metro:

We meander through Intramuros, the historical center of Manila. There’s a giant wall sectioning off the original citadel.

This is Baluarte de San Andres, a central part of the Intramuros:

It now overlooks a golf course.

We continue our tour at the San Agustin Church, which is over 440 years old. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s a Wednesday afternoon and there is a wedding taking place.

Chateau takes us to a tourism shop. I don’t think we purchase anything, but it’s fun to browse various hand-crafted goods.

Our next stop is Fort Santiago. It’s a former defense fortress and prison.

Jose Rizal, a Filipino nationalist, novelist, poet, ophthalmologist, journalist, and revolutionary (thanks Wikipedia) was imprisoned here before his execution in 1896. These bronze footsteps commemorate his final walk from his cell to the site of his execution.

These statues represent former President Quezon and General MacArthur, who became linked early in their respective careers before growing into their roles as President of the Philippines and General of the U.S. Army, respectively. In the 1930s MacArthur came to Manila to help Quezon stave off Japanese Imperialism.

These old dungeon prison cells were actually death traps — the Pasig river would occasionally flood and drown all the prisoners trapped in these cells.

Chateau points out slums across the Pasig River.

We briefly tour this museum showcasing mementos from Jose Rizal’s life.

Our tour concludes with dinner at Army Navy, a fast food chain that makes burgers and Mexican food. I taste my first guacamole in months! And we eat overlooking the wharf above.

A few of the meals I ate during my three days in Manila:

One last look at our friendly tour group:

And here’s a few shots from inside Our Melting Pot Hostel. If you’re looking for a place to stay in Manila, I can’t recommend them enough. In addition to the welcoming staff and free walking tour, they have fast Wifi, a decent free breakfast, and a great common area to relax.

Here’s a shot of my dorm bed. I love the privacy curtains and power points next to the beds.

Fair warning: bring earplugs, as this city is noisy at night. This is not the fault of the hostel — it’s simply a loud city and karaoke music is loudly amplified in public spaces into the wee hours of the morning.

The hostel is located on an upper floor of this building. I’m including a photo because that one sign in the window is the only way to find it (there are very detailed directions on HostelWorld and I had no problem getting there in my cab from the airport).

Special shout-out to Rolly, one of many stellar employees at this hostel. Even though it’s raining and he’s not officially on the clock yet, he comes outside to help find me find a taxi to the airport and negotiate a reasonable fare. We chat throughout my stay here and he’s the nicest person. And he loves the LA Lakers!

Tomorrow I’ll detail another adventure in the Philippines — a day-long tour to hike a volcano several hours outside of Manila.