Our Floating Book Fair Experience

Filipinos really love books and discounts. Despite the scorching heat last Sunday of March 8, 2009, old and young book lovers queued to the Doulos Floating Book Fair 2009 at South Harbor Manila Pier 13.

We arrived a few minutes before 2pm but were not allowed inside the south harbor until 2pm. There were a lot of people outside waiting for the opening, too. At exactly 2pm, we were allowed in. It was realllllly hot and I really pity those who brought their kids but failed to bring an umbrella. The line was long and it took us about 15 to 20 mins under the sun (I can't say enough about the heat but it was really terrible for the kids).

When we finally got on-board, the bookstore was big but was really crowded. The entrance was small, and the aisle between bookshelves were tight. It actualy reminded me of my "rally/ mass action-days" in the 80's - hot, crowded, with everyone sweaty. You cannot spend time to browse books for long because you will be literally pushed forward by the crowd who are just coming in. The price of books? Almost the same as in our regular bookstore - although I think there was a 15% discount that Sunday for some who hold a coupon (how to get the coupon, I have no idea) - that probably explains the crowd, too.

I think our mistake was to go there at 2 pm (too excited!) - it's actually a nice bookstore and just the experience of being in a ship-bookstore is something else, much more if you learn about the history of the ship (it was built in 1914, just 2 years after the Titanic). It has travelled in all corners of the world, and just that idea - that you're in a ship that has visited so many areas, and that you are looking at the same books and in the same ship just as the thousand others from different countries who also visited Doulos - is already monumental. Further, the dedication of the young volunteers from different parts of the world who run Doulos is also something that inspires.

I guess the best time to go to this bookstore is in the evening - then you can really appreciate the ambiance of being in a ship and surrounded by all sorts of books.

We got books for the kids. Geof is eager to watch the CD about MV Doulos history, and Julia has opened all her books. For me and Andy? Our best buy is the "Buy 3 books for P200.00" at a special section of the fair and you get a free Doulos bag. The 3 books we bought were Relic Quest and Ark Fever by Robert Cornuke - these are two story accounts of one man's pursuit of the lost ark of the covenant and Noah's ark. The third book is Jake Thoene's Shaton's Fire, a book about waging war on terror.

The Doulos Book Fair runs in Manila on March 5-31, 2009. Ship Location: Gate 1, South Harbor, Manila Pier 13 (Near Manila Hotel). Learn more about the ship MV Doulos at the website and try the virtual tour.