Metro Manila is a place full of stories, and regular readers of Coconuts Manila will not be surprised that ample material is available. But then those of us who have spent most of our lives could easily get tired
of the place.
However, there are others who see things about this metropolis in a refreshing way.
Take for example Greg Bloom. The Phnom Penh-based former journalist and travel writer was a resident of the city from 2003 to 2008. “It’s really a common story,” he told Coconuts Manila, “journalists do end
up becoming travel writers.”
The vagaries of being in a city with a strong English-language press led him to apply for, and receive, the chance to write for the Lonely Planet series of guidebooks, and his first assignment? The Philippines.
Since then, he has not only written guidebooks about Southeast Asia, but also about the former Soviet Union, where he was based for quite some time. (He lived in Kyiv, in the Ukraine.)
Bloom was recently in town to share his thoughts on travel writing with budding writers in an event copresented by Fully Booked, the Lonely Planet books, and Writer’s Block Philippines. The event featured a workshop on travel writing where writers shared and critiqued their work.
Greg says of Manila, “Well, Manila’s a giant. It fits all the stereotypes—it’s congested, it’s loud, it’s intimidating.” But Bloom adds, “I still love it. It has a lot of going for it. It has a seething nightlife; there’s something going on.”
He adds that Manila is a very diverse place, and feels that most Manila residents take the city for granted.
Bloom shared three places first time visitors to Manila should see:
1. Do a walking tour of Intramuros—for Bloom, an obvious choice.
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2. Visit the American Cemetery at the Fort Bonifacio compound—reflecting Bloom’s American bias, but he adds, “It’s a very peaceful place, a place to relax.” He pointed out that there were murals there depicting battles from World War II, if one is into that sort of thing.
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3. “I’m a big fan of the National Museum,” Bloom says. He would go there and stay all afternoon, at least. “I think it’s really underrated,” he says, “I know so many expats who don’t even know that there is one.”
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Photo: Elmer B. Domingo
Bloom concludes, “People don’t explore Manila a lot. Manila [merits] a guidebook [for] itself, really!”
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Photo: Facebook page of Greg Bloom
