Missed the Boat

This Saturday was the Galeón Andalucía's (a replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon used during the galleon trade between Manila and Acapulco -- thanks, InterNets) last day docked at Manila's South Harbor, where it arrived October 6 and was open to the public. For its last day visiting hours were only going to be from 8AM to 12 noon, so Lola and I woke up early and arrived at a quarter to eight.

Guess we should've arrived earlier, because the line outside South Harbor was already insanely long. Even as we were able to sneak past the gates (told the guard we had an appointment at the Manila Standard), we only ended up on the tail end of an even longer line, because like us they also decided to check out the boat last-minute like. On the other end of the line was a sign posted on the gate of the registration office that read Please be ready for long lines. Registration is from 9-10:30AM. I thought things were looking bleak, but Lola the optimist wanted to stay on.

(Incidentally that's where I also caught sight of a guy dressed as Abraham Lincoln on 3-wheeled motorized scooter. Boy, the things you find on street corners...)

Around 11AM the combined stifling heat and frustration that the lot of us may be lining up for naught were making some people in line antsy and very vocal about line-cutters. One guy, who wore a ring as a necklace while his curly white chest hair was poking out of his shirt (Lola couldn't stop laughing when I whispered that description of the guy has he walked past us) even grabbed a long piece of wood, presumably to look bad-ass and show line-cutter he means business. Right, like he'd risk assaulting someone and face possible jail time because someone wanted to get on a boat earlier than him.

By 11:45 we had to leave the line because I was due to meet Eileen at Robinson's Ermita in a couple of hours (to watch The Town), my feet were killing me and I wanted to eat lunch first since I only had one tall glass of Ovaltine before I left the house this morning. When we got the gate the crowd outside was even bigger than when we last saw it. Good luck, suckers.

Two meaty meals, Royce chocolate samplings and drinks of Cafe Mocha later Eileen found us at Starbucks. Unfortunately Lola didn't join us for the movie because she was determined to clean up her room today. I'd cross my fingers, but based on her past attempts to get her room-cleaning started I'll just end up w/ sore fingers.

After the movie it was "official:" I've been out of the house all day, but once I got home I showered and changed, preparing to join and drive the 'rents to a Chinese Sweet Sixteen (he's a dude) birthday dinner party in President Tea House in Binondo. And what better way to celebrate your 16-year-old Chinese son becoming a... late teenager than by giving guests boxed bottles of Johnny Walker. My head still hurts from being bombard all night by Chinese KTV.