フィリピンの思い出NO1　想定外空港内の混雑と凄い超高級タワマン！

5年ほど前、私は知人のいるフィリピンに観光とゴルフに行きました。
その知人は、商社に勤めていて、現地の経済界との繋がりも強いので
新しい出会いがあるかも？と淡い期待で初めて訪問しました。
フィリピンに到着して驚いたのは、着陸後もなかなか、空港ターミナルに入れない事でした。
ほぼ定刻に着いたもののなかなか、飛行機がターミナルに接続できず、
ずーとタキシング状態、こうしている間に　時間が過ぎていき、
知人との待ち合わせ時間が過ぎていきます。
ちょっと心配になりましたが、しょうがないのでずーと機中の待機状態で待ちました。
そして、約４０分後にやっとターミナルに到着。
通関等は滞りなくスムーズに通過しましたが、エントランスを出ると
9月だというのにかなり蒸し暑くちょっと驚きました。
そして、そこで知人と待ち合わせなのですが、午後１０時過ぎでも人が多く
右も左も全く分からない状況となりました。
どうしようか？と思い、タクシー乗り場だと待ち合わせ場所として
説明し易いかなと思い、乗り場に向かいましたが、　そこも大勢の
人だかりでもう、私は「ギブアップ状態」になりました。
日本だと羽田でも午後１０時を過ぎるとかなり旅客も少なく、移動しやすい
のですが、状況が違い面食らってしまい、暑さと人込みでかなり不安になりました。
携帯で連絡してもつながらず、仕方ないので最悪は、知人の住むマンションに
タクシーで行こうかな？と思いましたが、とりあえず、迎えに来てくれる予定なので
もうしばらく待つことにしました。

しかし、５分～１０分経っても相変わらず人が多く、不安になったので、近くにいた
警備員に相談するとなんと！？とカンタンに携帯で連絡がついて　近くにいるので、
もう少し待つことになりました。
知人も早めに出た様ですが、来る途中想定以上の渋滞に巻き込まれ、到着が遅れたとの事です。
マニラの渋滞は昔の東京の様にかなり時間がかかります。
再度２０分ほど待って、やっと知人と再会できました。
そこで、ちょっと驚き！
なんと知人は、会社の運転手付きのSUV車で来たのです。
私と知人は後部座席にのり、雑談しながらVIP気分で知人のマンションに向かいました。
そして、到着したら再度、驚きが～！
マンションはなんと超高級高層マンション（いわゆるタワーマンション）で門には複数人の警備員がいました。
なんでも、元政府要人も住んでいるとか？
彼は３０階？に部屋があり、バルコニーから夜のマニラ市街が一望できました。
さらにさらに、驚いたのは、そこには国内ではあまり見る事がないゲスト専用ルームや
メイド専用ルームまでがあり、正に富裕層向けのマンションでした。

（こんなマンション見たことない！）

私達は荷物を置いて、すぐに夕食を食べに出ました。
マニラの最初の夜は日本人街の和食の店で、異国の地で日本酒と寿司を楽しみました。
その後、カラオケに行き　片言の英語で　コンパニオン嬢と楽しいひと時を過ごしました。
その、コンパニオン嬢は　看護の専門学校の生徒で間もなく資格試験を受ける予定だと言う事です。

マニラはご存じの様に英語が公用語になっていて、私の片言の英語でもコミュニケーションが出来ました。

また、社交辞令かもしれませんが、会った人がほとんど親日的で
「日本に興味があり、是非行きたい！」と言ってくれたのが非常に嬉しかったです。

また、逆にフィリピンは日本人も一度は訪問したい国だと思います。

Memories of the Philippines no.1,

unexpected airport crowds and awesome super luxury townhomes!

About five years ago, I went to the Philippines for sightseeing and golf with an acquaintance.
The acquaintance works for a trading company
and has strong connections with the local business community,
so, I visited there for the first time with the faint hope that I might meet someone new.
When I arrived in the Philippines, I was surprised that I could not enter the airport terminal
even after landing.
We arrived almost on time, but the plane could not connect to the terminal.
The plane was taxiing for a long time, and time was running out.
The time to meet my acquaintance was running out.
I was a little worried, but I had no choice but to stay in the plane and wait.
Finally, after about 40 minutes, we arrived at the terminal.
Customs clearance went smoothly, but when I went out of the entrance,
I was a little surprised that it was quite hot and humid even though it was September.
I was to meet an acquaintance there, but even after 10:00 p.m.,
there were so many people that I had no idea where to turn and what to do.
I was in a situation where I didn’t know where to turn left or right.
What should I do?
I thought it would be easier to explain the situation if I went to the taxi stand,
but it was also crowded with many people.
In Japan, even at Haneda, after 10 p.m., the number of passengers is quite small
and it is easy to move around.
I was quite anxious because of the heat and the crowd.
I tried to contact someone on my cell phone, but I couldn’t get through,
so I decided to take a taxi to the apartment of an acquaintance.
I thought, “I’ll take a taxi to my friend’s apartment,” but he was going to pick me up anyway.
I decided to wait for a while longer.

However, even after 5 to 10 minutes, there were still as many people as before,
and I became anxious, so I asked a nearby
I asked a security guard who was nearby to help me.
He called me on his cell phone and told me that he was nearby and that he would wait for a while longer.
We decided to wait a little longer.
My friend also left early, but on his way to the airport, he was caught in a traffic jam
that exceeded his expectations and arrived later than expected.
Traffic jams in Manila are like those in Tokyo in the past, and they take a long time.
After waiting again for about 20 minutes, I finally met my acquaintance again.
Then, to my surprise!
My acquaintance had arrived in an SUV with a company driver.
We sat in the backseat, chatting and feeling like VIPs as we drove to his apartment.
And when we arrived, I was  again surprised!
The condominium was a super high-class high-rise condominium (a so-called tower condominium),
and there were several security guards at the gate.
I heard that a former government official also lives there.
He had a room on the 30th floor? He had a room on the 30th floor,
and from the balcony we could see the whole city of Manila at night.
What was even more surprising was that there were rooms dedicated to guests and maids,
which are rarely seen in Japan.

（I have never seen anything like it!)

We left our luggage behind and immediately went out for dinner.
Our first night in Manila was spent at a Japanese restaurant in the Japanese district,
where we enjoyed sake and sushi in a foreign land.
Afterwards, we went to a karaoke bar and spent a pleasant time with a companion girl
who spoke only a few words of English.
The companion was a student at a nursing school and was scheduled to take a certification exam soon.

As you know, English is the official language in Manila,
and I was able to communicate with her even in my broken English.

Also, although it may have been a social call, most of the people I met were very pro-Japanese.
I was very happy to hear them say, “I am interested in Japan and would love to visit!”

On the contrary, I think the Philippines is a country
that Japanese people would like to visit at least once.