When D, a traveler I met in El Nido, told me he wanted to see the Manila Chinese Cemetery, I wasn't sure I was ready to jump on board. Seemed like a sad, creepy site but after doing some online research about the place, my curiosity suddenly got tickled. D's flight back to Amsterdam was scheduled at around 12 midnight so he had a few hours to spare. He certainly didn't want to spend his free time doing nothing. We met at Robinsons Mall in Malate where we deposited his stuff. From there, we took a cab to the cemetery.
[An elaborate mausoleum]

I initially planned on going to the Chinese Cemetery by taking the train, so D can also experience how Manila trains work but a little hiccup he encountered at Terminal 1 took some of his precious time so we opted for a much faster transport option. En route to our destination, D shared with me his awesome experiences traveling in the Philippines (mainly Palawan and the Visayas region). He only had great things to say about the country - friendly people, great beaches and cheap but decent accommodations - which made me so proud about my homeland that I almost cried (kidding).