At the Badonkadonk bar in Manila’s historic Ermita district, a lone tourist sits on the balcony at sunset. The tortured cry of a drunken karaoke singer nearby competes with an Alicia Keys video on the club’s widescreen television. The bar, one of the newest in the area, is modern and well-appointed with chilly air-conditioning, cowboy-themed waitresses and a booming sound system, but it is a rarity. The view of Manila's oldest tourist district from the bar's balcony quickly snaps visitors back to reality. On the street below, a homeless man in tattered underwear can be seen bathing in a bucket. A few feet away, an elderly woman sleeps on the sidewalk in a bed made of cardboard and rags. Her slippers are placed neatly beside her, as pedestrians step by gingerly.
Manila’s Mouldering Tourist District
Manila’s Mouldering Tourist District
Manila’s Mouldering Tourist District
At the Badonkadonk bar in Manila’s historic Ermita district, a lone tourist sits on the balcony at sunset. The tortured cry of a drunken karaoke singer nearby competes with an Alicia Keys video on the club’s widescreen television. The bar, one of the newest in the area, is modern and well-appointed with chilly air-conditioning, cowboy-themed waitresses and a booming sound system, but it is a rarity. The view of Manila's oldest tourist district from the bar's balcony quickly snaps visitors back to reality. On the street below, a homeless man in tattered underwear can be seen bathing in a bucket. A few feet away, an elderly woman sleeps on the sidewalk in a bed made of cardboard and rags. Her slippers are placed neatly beside her, as pedestrians step by gingerly.