Yes, you guessed it right. South of Metro Manila.. If you want to drive in Manila you need to adhere to local set of road rules. They are really easy to remember. Maybe because the set consists of one element: no holds barred. Does it sound like a wrestling match rule? Well, it should, because that’s what’s happening on the roads. The stronger wins. So if you are a pedestrian you really need to have your eyes around your head. It doesn’t matter that you are on a pedestrian crossing. Don’t expect the cars to stop. Also don’t expect them to slow down either.

Now, that’s painting a very grim picture of city’s traffic. That’s because it’s true!! If it wasn’t for the fact that it’s a permanent gridlock there I’m guessing the roads would be far more dangerous. On a bright side: Manila doesn’t have the title of worst place to drive in. So maybe traffic hell is a bit exaggerated…

See? It’s not that bad. Like any other big city. For example this:

Or try this:

Or this:

All right, back to Manila. Or should I say: let’s get out of here and head to the beach. That was my idea when I arrived there. Easier said than done. As I have already mentioned in this post the nearest beach is 3 hours away around the town called Batangas. Well? Let’s hop on the bus and go there. So what time does the bus leave? When it’s full. And when is it full? Always. There’s more demand than supply. (If you want more info on this law refer to Adam Smith). What does it mean? That you stand in line (or queue) and wait for the next bus that will accommodate the waiting people. Hint: it will not. So some people will have to stand in the aisle of the bus. The rest that didn’t get on the bus will also have to stand: at the bus stop. I was in the first group.

However, this waiting for the bus before actually getting on it lasted quite long. Long enough to change the destination from Batangas to Tagaytay. It’s still meant getting there way after the sun has set. And as you remember the sun sets quickly when you are close to the equator.

Tagaytay is popular with tourists from the West due to it’s bit milder climate than majority of the country. Of course the lake on an island on a lake on an island is also a big contributor to the town’s popularity. What am I talking about? The Taal volcano. Yes, to make things more interesting the lake is actually a caldera filled with water.

Let’s go closer to see it better.

Nope, that’s not THE volcano. Close, but that’s not it. We need to get this boat to the other side and the do some hiking. See how it looks like in the next post.