Adam's epic journey part deux

Adam emailed an update... here it is

I arrived in Manila in the Philippines, after nearly 24 hrs in transit, unsure for what the following days held in store for a "bearded giant".

I was picked up by a friendly man named Rollie, and he had no difficult identifying a 6 foot 3 man with a beard, in a crowd which was struggling to reach 5 foot. Rollie then drove me to the children's home in Manila, where I stayed for a night.

This was my experience of Manila:

Smiling children are laughing here,

As black smoke fills my lungs,

Horns echoeing through manic traffic,

Shadowed by the concrete tonnes.

Eager hands searching rubbish for gold,

Brown water beneath the bridge,

Arms sprawled over each others shoulders,

People so ready to give.

Decaying wood afraid of rain,

Rusted tin waiting for a friend,

Beggars selling whatever they've got,

Roads longing to mend.

Plastic spoons break on ice-cream,

Arms grabbing for hope in a hand,

That someone would met them,

and begging to understand their land.

Smiling children are laughing here.