Temperature: Max 89 Min 76
Arrived at the mouth of Manila Bay just at sunset, could see the Island of Corregidor, and the fortified rock ship, 26 miles further in was Manila. We on into the bay and anchored about 2 miles off of Manila harbor to wait there until day light the next morning. The lights of all the ships and of Manila in the distance was a very pretty sight.
Got up at 6 a.m. to watch the ship go into dock — we steamed slowly the gap in the breakwater and could soon see the dock to which we going some five or six hundred yards ahead and to the left. It was either very smoky or foggy because one could see nothing of the docks at first except their dim outlines but could hear a band playing. Coming a little closer found it was the navy band and standing at the end of the dock was a handful of people to meet their friends.
After breakfast Bill helped Mrs. Platt get her trunks off and through the customs. Then we all got in a car and drove to the Luneta Hotel, an old Spanish building but airy and cool. There we met Mrs. Slingluff, who took us over to the Army-Navy Club for drinks. She could stay with us only a short time but gave us her car for the morning. We drove all around town and must confess were not thrilled because of so much smell of garlic I guess, and everything seemed so dirty –all streets and sidewalks narrow– yet it was all so new I was interested. The women wore big starched sleeves of some sort of netting and long shirts with a train which they seemed to wrap around and put tuck the end under their belt — and all were stockingless with just a pair of slippers out like our mules. Many of the laboring class of men wore knee length breeches, an undershirt, a hat and the same kind of slippers as the women. Some of the more dressed up men wore a shirt of the same material as the women waist but wore the tail hanging out.
At the Army-Navy Club I looked up Dr Frank Vincent in the phone book and had a nice talk with him over the phone. He told me where his home was and to go right out and see cousin Frances. She has a very nice home on Dewey Boulevard and was so glad to see us. She asked me to stay for lunch and afterwards meet Bill and the three of us drove out to the Polo Club, a most beautiful place on the Bay shore. The roof of the club house is made of palm leafs and the frame work mostly of bamboo, even the floor is bamboo. Watched the Polo game for a while, then sat on the Bay side and watched the beautiful sunset which Manila only has. Drank beer and ate peanuts and potatoe chips. Returned to the Chaumont for dinner feeling as tho I might like Manila in time.
