Note: this trip was made at Christmas 1995. In the time since then I'm sure much has changed so it may not be a great idea to treat this as a guide. Treat it as a memoir, which - give or take some editing - is exactly what it is.
The next day we returned, to Manila, retracing that terrible long journey, arriving with almost no time before dinner. Eleven of us set off to find a Chinese restaurant called the Hong Kong Tea Room which had been recommended to us.
The Hong Kong Tea Room
The next day we returned, to Manila, retracing that terrible long journey, arriving with almost no time before dinner. Eleven of us set off to find a Chinese restaurant called the Hong Kong Tea Room which had been recommended to us.
The Hong Kong Tea Room
looked a fairly basic place with no elaborate decor but with a promisingly large number of Chinese eating in it. That is always a good sign. We sat down and ordered one main dish each with lots of rice. Food started to arrive and then kept on arriving. Chinese waiters with more trays of it hovered while others whipped away the dishes from the table the moment that they were empty making room for more. Chicken dishes replaced Prawn dishes replaced Beef dishes replaced Noodle dishes until no-one was sure what they were eating. Finally food stopped coming and a little later we stopped eating. There was still quite a bit of food left on the table but we all agreed that we had made a magnificent attempt.
We left the restaurant and wandered up towards Rosie's. All the way along the street Filipinos tried to tempt us to whichever bar they were touting for. One of them, on being told where we were headed started to cry out
"Rosie's no good. Rosie's closed down now. "
Of course Rosie's was not closed down. In fact it was filled to the point where I felt sure that it would be impossible to seat eleven more. A waiter appeared and somehow guided us through the crowd. As if by magic he insinuated eleven chairs around a table that had appeared and suddenly we were seated. From the drinks menu we ordered pitchers of frozen Margaritas which arrived faster than you could say "Rosie's Aloha Hawaiian Bar and Restaurant".
On the tiny stage a band was belting out soft rock cover versions with enormous enthusiasm and very little skill. The silent TV behind the bar was showing an American football game. Bar girls flitted from one table of drunks and near drunks to the next but left our table alone as it consisted almost completely of couples. Soon the first pitcher was gone and we moved on to our second. When that too was gone we decided that it was time to be back in our hotel.
We left the restaurant and wandered up towards Rosie's. All the way along the street Filipinos tried to tempt us to whichever bar they were touting for. One of them, on being told where we were headed started to cry out
"Rosie's no good. Rosie's closed down now. "
Of course Rosie's was not closed down. In fact it was filled to the point where I felt sure that it would be impossible to seat eleven more. A waiter appeared and somehow guided us through the crowd. As if by magic he insinuated eleven chairs around a table that had appeared and suddenly we were seated. From the drinks menu we ordered pitchers of frozen Margaritas which arrived faster than you could say "Rosie's Aloha Hawaiian Bar and Restaurant".
On the tiny stage a band was belting out soft rock cover versions with enormous enthusiasm and very little skill. The silent TV behind the bar was showing an American football game. Bar girls flitted from one table of drunks and near drunks to the next but left our table alone as it consisted almost completely of couples. Soon the first pitcher was gone and we moved on to our second. When that too was gone we decided that it was time to be back in our hotel.
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