Manila is one of those sprawling, seemingly improvised cities that only starts to make sense once you get above the thrum of traffic and buzz of motorbikes. You need to get high up away from the endless tin-roofed colourful shanty towns and closer to the hazy, humid sky and relentless orange sun.
Most of Manila living is high-rise condos. It really is an experience standing on the 30th floor on a balcony overlooking Manila and watching the ominous tropical storms creeping over the volcanic mountains as they approach and then inundate the city. The planes constantly rumble overhead into the busy Ninoy Aquino Airport as the tropical sun seems to swell and deepen it’s orange colour during the golden hour before silently slipping into the sea. However, there are indeed moments of peace. Moments when, ever so briefly, the tropical haze clears revealing the jagged mountains and beautiful bays that surround the giant metropolis.
High-rise condos are a great spot to get out a telephoto lens and start snapping the scenery from above. Here’s a mini gallery of scenes from our balcony in Metro Manila.
