Manila is my favorite city in the world. Sure, it's dirty and old but that's exactly what attracts me to it. I now reside in a relatively "cleaner" city in the metro but I'm not afraid to say that I terribly miss Manila. I lived in Manila for more than 5 years but it feels like there's still so much more to see and explore. That's how fascinating it is to me.
To experience what Manila really is, at least for me, you would have to walk around the dirty streets and pass by a couple of street children having fun in the foul-smelling canal. You would have to endure the heavy traffic almost everywhere and you would have to be aware of thieves and snatchers. That is not to say Manila doesn't have chic and modern places. There are a lot, actually. But what makes it really special is that there will always be things that would remind you of its glorious history.
To experience what Manila really is, at least for me, you would have to walk around the dirty streets and pass by a couple of street children having fun in the foul-smelling canal. You would have to endure the heavy traffic almost everywhere and you would have to be aware of thieves and snatchers. That is not to say Manila doesn't have chic and modern places. There are a lot, actually. But what makes it really special is that there will always be things that would remind you of its glorious history.