Day 5: Just minutes after I posted my last blog, it was decided that we would all be returning to the city. So long, Subic Bay! The ride back was considerably more pleasant, riding through without incident. We ended up returning to Manila and settling in Makati, the business district and "face-lifted" side of Manila. Apparently though, we found ourselves in the Red Light district with young girls (18-20) calling out to anyone who passed by. I suppose this is one of the few places that you can find comparatively affordable accommodations...
Day 6: We went to see Avatar at the IMAX theater. $8.77 to see the movie in 3-D was totally worth it! Has everyone else seen this movie in 3-D? I don't think there is any other way to view this movie BUT in 3-D. And what a steal! I think to see a movie at an IMAX theater in the states would usually cost at least $15.00? We paid a little more than 1/2 of that. The concession stand was not bad either. For 2 small drinks (12 oz = McDonald's Happy Meal size), a small popcorn (cheese) and a long hot dog (about a foot long), we only paid P189 or $4.14; I know in the states, it would have cost us at least $20.00. It was a little too much fantasy for my liking but it was a good movie that kept you captivated througout; I couldn't believe it was almost 3 hours long! What I did realize after seeing this movie was that James Cameron's last mega-blockbuster, the Titanic, I saw in Tokyo almost 10 years ago...it made me think of what movie he will come out with in the next 10 years and where I'd be then?....
Later that night, we went to Martin's (new groom) aunt's house. Their house was BEAUTIFUL! Maybe a house you'd see in Hollywood or something...And as it turns out, her 20-something year old son (early 20s), designed it! Talented and promising. Very contemporary with a nice jacuzzi, waterfall in the yard along with a large collection of paintings (at least 20) by national artists; the house could easily be confused for an art museum. The family went through great lengths to prepare a feast for us and had it nicely decorated. On the menu: pork and chicken adobo, pancit, garlic prawns, stuffed fish (Bangus?), and some other delicious entrees that I don't know the names for...
But the highlight of the evening was the BALUT. If you don't know what balut is, according to Wikipedia it is "a fertilized duck (or chicken) egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell." It's readily available in Hawaii (right next door to my work place in fact) but honestly I have never had the urge to try it. Since I was in the Philippines though and because it was being served at this celebratory party, I felt compelled to try it. Along with the urgings of the rest of the group almost all who had already been inducted into this elite club of balut eating...
I was actually surprised to learn that it is a hard boiled egg. For some reason, I always thought that it was a little underdeveloped chick with its juices...thankfully, it was "cooked" but that didn't eliminate the feathers or the mental hurdle you have to overcome to try someting like this...
Surprisingly though, it wasn't THAT bad. I'm just not a big fan of egg (in any form but mostly hard-boiled) so it wasn't entirely enjoyable for me.
VIDEO:
Sorry, the business center is closing so I will end here...
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