Barbour County (LST 1195) - Naval Cruise Book

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MANILA THE PORT CITY OF MANILA is a highly cosmopolitan city — chic, urbane, and exotic. Multiglingual that the city is, Manila boasts of a huge convention center complex that rivals New York ' s or Chicago ' s. In her bid for a share of the enormous tourist industry, the city offers more than 5000 luxurious rooms to suit the most discriminating of tastes. Every day sees more and more multinationals branching out to the city. The financial row lists bank in a manner like who ' s in world banking. Showcasing the best in art and culture of the country is the Cultural Center of the Philippines in the heart of the nation ' s capi- tal. It ' s mainstays include the Manila Sym- phony Orchestra and prodigious resident art- ists. Occasionally there are many visiting philharmonic groups from all over the world. As if the glorious sunset by the famous Ma- nila Bay is not enough for one ' s eyes to feast on, the Philippine Army and Navy Band, to please his ears, renders free concert which ranges from traditional musiclore to Bachar- ach. A daily fare in well-manincured Rizal Park. Often held at nearby Folk Arts Theater are pop rock concerts, and jazz ensembles. Plays, be it Shakespearian or Broadway or local talents ' , are never in want of bigger audiences in many Manila theaters. The Ra- jah Suleiman Theater is a remain of what used to be a Spanish, then Japanese, fortress. The German Cultural House and The Thom- as Jefferson Cultural Center present modern and perennial classics: Goethe and Schiller find expression to and appreciative crowd in Manila; so does Martha Graham ' s interpreta- tive dancing. To say that Manila ' s night life is an under- statement. Fabulous is the word for a night- out in any five-star-hotel which abounds the city. Numerous restaurants serve sumptuous international cuisine. Plush discos and bis- tros, though a few cater to an exclusive clien- tele have more than their fair share of the city ' s exciting sights and sounds. An admix- ture of old and new Manila is a happy blend of east and west. 34