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| Downtown from Manila bay |
Last weekend was time for some R+R - and what better than visiting Corregidor, WW2 battlefield and scene of Marcos era atrocities?
This was my first solo trip on the LRT (Light Rail Transit), Metro Manila's light rail system. The most recently built line 2 is fast, comfortable and can take you from one side of the city to the other in around half an hour. Line 1 was the first to be built - and even on a Sunday was packed (think London Underground on a weekday rush hour). Still, using the LRT (with a couple of motorbike/sidecar taxi trips thrown in) means I can get from home to the port in around 90 minutes - which counts as good for Manila.
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| View across Manila bay |
An hour's boat ride brings you to Corregidor Island, a former US Military base and the scene of fierce fighting between Philippine/US forces and the Japanese in WW2. Gen Douglas McArthur was based here, before leaving for Australia ahead of the advancing Japanese forces fighting their way down the Bataan peninsula, and making his famous "I shall return" speech.
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| Monument to the Philippine resistance |
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| Japanese monument |
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| Manila almost looks pretty from this far away |
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| No ladies or gentlemen here |
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| Big gun |
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| Malinta tunnel |
Now the island is a tourist attraction and monument. US barrack buildings are crumbling into the jungle among the cratered and shrapnel scarred gun emplacements. The Malinta tunnel, with 24 lateral tunnels running off the side, was used as an air-raid shelter, hospital and magazine.
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| US Army Barracks |
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| Gallery includes depiction of Japanese atrocities |
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| Staring down the barrel... |
It's got to be a recommended visit for anyone staying in Manila who's interested in WW2 history.
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