View of Metro Manila from the airplane.
THE SWELTERING heat of the afternoon assaulted us right after we stepped out of the air-conditioned halls of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is officially summertime in the Philippines, but at 42 degrees this afternoon’s weather was unusually torrid. The heat wave might as well be global: New Delhi’s severe temperature made me ill last week. Welcome to warm, sunny Philippines! My colleagues (Neha and Bembem) and I are in Manila for a few days to visit the Manila F.A.M.E. International 2007 exposition for vendor sourcing and to observe the urban retailing scene. They surely expect surprises on their first-ever travel to this part of Southeast Asia. I am thrilled to return home after a long year. On the ride to the Hyatt Hotel in Pasay City, Bembem and Neha quickly noticed the left-hand drive (India drives on the right hand) and the ever-present jeepneys. “We want to ride the jeepney!” the ladies enthused. It will be an eventful week. Next Post: Date With a Giant
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
