Adventure: Mall of Asia & the Casino
What can I say… three malls, built side-by-side, the one with an ice skating rink is enclosed and very air conditioned. Hearing things like “shopping is a sport” and “this is the craziest mall in the world” prepped me for a lot more chaos than necessary.
Yes, the Mall of Asia is huge and busy, but it’s mostly people walking around, wandering in and out of the air conditioning. Rather relaxed, lots of ice cream, and not one fight over a good sale. I have to say: to be so busy, everyone is much more well behaved than American’s in December.
This is also the best place to catch a free shuttle to the casino. There are several casinos nearby, but the shuttle takes us to Solaire Resort & Casino — it’s bright, happy, not too crowded, and — drinks! One of the newest casinos, everything is “best foot forward” and before finding a place to try our luck, a walking tour of the whole place is almost mandatory. The artwork alone is worth the stroll, but then you also know where all the bathrooms are. Bonus! Public toilets are not a given in Manila, so take note whenever you see one that you can use. Mark it on your google-map just in case you need to find it again. Seriously. Do this.
Then you can sit, mesmerized by the craps table for as long as you want, worry-free.
Did I mention air conditioning?
Welcome to the Himalayas!