Over the years, I’ve made several trips to the Philippines, yet the one thing I’d always missed seeing was a sunset over Manila Bay. Just bad timing on my part; most of my time in Manila was spent in the airport on arrival then just awaiting departure, neither of which came at the time of sunset. Besides, that would not have been the best location to see the iconic sight.

My last trip this past spring was totally different, however. Me, my wife Lynndee and son Yogi spent five days with my lifelong friend Lewis who now lives in Batangas City, roughly 20 miles south of Metro Manila. Lewis and I have known each other since the first grade and all the way through high school, being in the high school band together, working at the same teenage jobs together and actually sharing a job at a factory after graduation. We’ve certainly shared many of life’s experiences together until life sent us on our merry way to our destinies, separating us by the boundaries of space-time, occasionally brought together again through fate’s quirky ways. And one of the ironic quirky things is that two boys from the little suburb in North Carolina, both ended up marrying Filipina anghels, meaning angel in Tagalog, the national language. Go figure that one!

Nonetheless, during our stay with my friend and his wife, we were treated to good food, good drink and fantastic tourism hosted by my friend who knows the history of his adopted country. He took us on a great road trip to see the Taal Volcano and on our final day there, a tour of historic Manila which ended up at the walkway by the bay so we could see the spectacular sunset.

I was the main reason for this day of history for I have been a lover of history since I was a kid. I’ve especially had a great interest in the WWII war in the Pacific, of which Manila has a great deal of history in. In so many of the books I’ve read, soldiers who did duty in Manila, before, during and after the war, there’s always been mention of the magnificent sunset over Manila Bay while being on the former Dewey Boulevard, another piece of history there for the street was named for Admiral George Dewey who as Commander of the Asiatic Squadron defeated the Spanish Pacific Squadron in the Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, uttering the famous phrase, “You may fire when ready, Gridley,” beginning a totally one-sided battle that lasted only six hours.

And while standing there looking out on the bay, if you glance to the southwest, way out in the distance you can see rising on the horizon what is known as “The Rock,” Corregidor, the infamous island where Filipinos and Americans made their famous last stand before having to surrender to the invading Japanese forces, leading to the eventual Bataan death march.

But before we made our way to the bay that day, we also visited The Manila Hotel, where General Douglas MacArthur lived in a penthouse suite while he was Military Advisor of the Commonwealth. And from the balcony outside his suite, he could on a daily basis view the setting sun, something of which he often spoke of.

Yes, I truly am a lover of history, but Manila is the closest I’ve came to visiting WWII history, though I did once land on Guam for refueling on a trip to the Philippines, though I was unable to leave the plane. I do have hopes of one day visiting the Island of Peleliu, roughly 500 miles east of Mindanao, Lynndee’s home island. There was one of the Marine Corps’ bloodiest battles of WWII, eclipsed only by Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

I too have visited several Civil War battlefields: Fredericksburg; Antietam; Gettysburg; Atlanta; and many other lie in close distance from me that I hope to see. And maybe someday, Lynndee and I will be able to go to Europe for there are may sites there I’d love to visit for I am familiar with the history of not only WWII, but WWI, as well. And, no, I’m not being morbid. I just love the history of the times I’ve not only lived through, but the history of what happened before I arrived, making the world that I inherited.

More From the Trip:

• It Feels Good To Be Back
• Welcome Back Get-Together
• Showering Our Beautiful Bride-to-be
• A Milestone Day-His 20th Birthday
• A Good Friend’s Delicious Surprise
• The Wedding
• Dinner On A Hill with A View
• My Great-niece’s 2nd Birthday Party
• Sea You at the Beach
• It’s Buko Halo Time
• Kakanin: A Delightful Filipino Delicacy
• Cheers to Good Friends and Good Food!
• Korean Bun and Purple Yam Cake
• Cousins’ Day Out
• Savor the Flavor
• Korean Dinner Vibes
• A Surprise Despedida Party
• Linguini with Red Clam Sauce
• Trip to Taal Volcano
• Lunch in Tagaytay
• Batangas Road Trip
• Impromptu Coffee Break at The Manila Hotel
• Riding High on the MOA Eye