how i survived a 40-hour bus ride and a coffee that tasted like regret
so here i am typing this from a crumbling hostel in manila where the wifi dies every 10 minutes and the ac unit sounds like a dying gecko. i just checked and it's 29 here right now which is the kind of humidity that makes your skin feel like it's melting but at least the bugs are regular now you know?
i first met the local vibe through a guy named jay who showed me the map.
it's not fancy but it shows the chaos right? the grid of concrete buildings and that one wall where everyone just stares at the sky. i took a photo of it but my phone won't stop stealing the shot like it's trying to hide something maybe it's the same kind of thing as this place.
last night i passed a place with these crazy houses painted in rainbowGraffiti. someone told me that was illegal but who cares? the colors were so loud they felt like a party invitation. i heard another traveler rant that the hostel manager took their passport for no reason. yeah that’s probably why i’m not staying there again. also someone said the beach there is good but i don’t have time for that i need cheap coffee and this place is serving lukewarm lukewarm like it’s judging me.
i asked jay for a place to get coffee and he pointed me to a stall near the train station. the reviews on TripAdvisor say it’s a mess of a place but the.owner? they insist it’s authentic. i tried their caramel macchiato and it tasted like the tears of a man who lost his wallet. maybe that’s the point? jay also said if you get bored manila is just a bus ride away so i guess that’s an option? i don’t know i’m tired of options.
oh and this happened last night too i heard this sound outside my window like someone was arguing in a language that sounded like a mix of tagalog and disappointment. i pretended to sleep but i was really just staring at the crack in the wall. the weather guy said it’s gonna rain today but i don’t care. i’ll dance in the street if i have to. speaking of dancing i almost tripped over a backpacker from europe who was trying to take a selfie with a street cat. that cat looked unimpressed which makes sense.
i don’t have a clear plan but i’ll probably leave by the next bus. the owner of the coffee stall gave me a receipt that says '1 cup of regret' which is either genius or terrifying. if anyone asks i’ll tell them it’s a donation to the local cause which is probably a lie. anyway this place has this weird energy where you feel like you’re in a movie but the movie forgot to cast anyone. maybe that’s the good part? i don’t know.
some other travel blogs say manila is overrated but i’m here to say it’s underpriced for the chaos. check out the local markets on TripAdvisor they’re chaotic enough to match the vibe.
i’m gonna go sleep now or maybe not i might wander to that wall again. the bugs are getting bolder.
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