MANILA, Philippines - 10. The Hong Thai Travel Bus at Quirino Grandstand
After Monday’s hostage crisis, just about every bit of grandeur seems to have been drained out of the Quirino Grandstand. CNN couldn’t help but point out the crime scene’s being the venue of P-Noy’s oath-taking, but on the day after the drama, several female students couldn’t help but whip point-and-shoots out for photo-ops (as these photos uploaded to Facebook prove). From a place that represented the start of progress, to one where tourists were shot, to one where idiots take touristy shots of themselves — you can definitely make a pilgrimage and pay your respects to irony here.
9. HongKong
That shopping trip GMA took to HK when she was still president, and still Manila’s Marie Antoinette, was pretty tasteless for her. But then there’s now, when Filipinos — and most especially Filipinos looking to work — will probably raise many eyebrows in Immigrations. Go ahead — eat and shop, just don’t expect bounding Hongkongese hospitality any time soon.
8. P-Noy’s Closed-Door Meetings
Obviously, some serious *#%$ goes on in there, inaccessible even to heads of state who need just a few words of comfort ‘bout the threatened lives of their nationals.
7. Mariel Rodriguez and Robin Padilla’s Indian Love Shack
If you’re still skeptical about the rama in Robin and Mariel’s kama, there’s no win-win situation if you break and enter to black-light the suite they’re staying at in India.
6. Wherever Venus Raj Grew Up
‘Cause evidently, you don’t get any major major (as in, bonggang bongga) life experience there. And you’ll be extremely thankful for it.
5. The Precinct in Asuncion Street, Tondo
Travel becomes travail when it’s the torturous type, care of the Manila police who allegedly give prisoners here a good beating. At least passable video footage of your once-in-a-lifetime experience is taken.
4. Ampatuan’s Backyard
Imagine how many unaccounted-for bodies lay ‘round his black-tile infinity pool.
3. Tagged on Facebook as a Member of Ronald Singson’s Posse
If you’re a wannabe of a group as cool as his, you might also wanna be behind bars.
2. Hacienda Luisita
This land is not Noynoy’s land (so he says), this land is not farmers’ land (‘cause some haven’t been paid diddlysquat), and this bloody land is not one you’d want to visit any time soon.
1. Buses, Period
They ram into the vehicles of former beauty queens, drive off of mountain roads in Benguet, and are a damn easy hostage target. (And let’s not forget their daily transgressions on EDSA.) Talk about a tasteless tourist trap.