Journey to the Heart of Manila

    
    I'm not very fond of taking a trip down memory lane. I mean, I know it's fun to look back at the good old days, when everything was simple, when technology has not yet taken control of our day-to-day existence and you can find joy in the most mundane activities so long as you do it with your near and dear friends. I'm not fond of reminiscing because it makes me miss those days so bad I want to stay in one corner of my room and bawl my eyes out for days gone by.

     Seriously though, if you were to ask my 10-year-old self if she'd read history books for pleasure when she gets older, she'd say there was no way in hell. " It is impossible because history is 'sooo' boring. " I'm pretty sure she'd swear, with hand on her heart, that she would never ever come to a point in her life grown up standing in some heroes' bathroom as if in trance, uttering to herself, 'M y God, this amazing amazing hero  pooped in here. Cool! I'm grown up now, very much different from what I thought I would be. Still learning, outside the confines of school, having the time of my life . 
     Every once in a while I  re-visit some places that held no importance to  me when I was a young girl pretending to be a female version of Tom Sawyer.  Recently, I re-visited some of Manila's historical sights. I took my beloved nieces to join me in the Spanish Colonial Period appreciate, in the heart of the Philippines, Manila.

Quiapo Church (The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene)
     Probably the most televised Church in the Philippines, that is Quiapo Church. The life-size image of the Black Nazarene has tens of thousands of devotees as it is said to be very miraculous. Filipino devotees from all walks of life, male and female, young and old, gather in and out of this church every 9th of May to celebrate the feast of Jesus Nazareno Nuestro. The devout devotees then participate in the procession of the sacred image.

Intramuros

     Known as the oldest district and the heart of Manila. Intramuros, meant "within the walls" in Spanish. Hence it was dubbed as the "Walled City" , founded by the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in June 12, 1571. Prompted by the constant threat of foreign invaders attacking the city, the walls were constructed.

     Intramuros has a lot of interesting sights to offer, and it could take a toll on your itchy feet. If you wanted some comfort and relaxation, ride a pedicab that will take you straight to the sights. Or if you want to experience old-school transportation, take the 'callesa' . The pedicab drivers are knowleadgable and callesa about the place and its history, so it's a real treat. In our case, however, we opted to walk around the walled city, we are wanderers, apparently.

Interesting Sights Inside Intramuros

1.  Baluarte de San Miguel

     Notably the most important fortification facing the north side. It was built to keep the Parian of Binondo and bay.

 2.  Educational Institutions inside Intramuros

     Mapua Institute of Technology: Founded in 1925 by Don Tomas Mapua, the first registered Filipino architect.

     Lyceum of the Philippines University: Founded in 1952 by Jose P. Laurel, the 3rd President of the Philippine Republic.

     

     Colegio de San Juan de Letran: Founded in 1620. The Fourth oldest educational institution in the Philippines that is still in operation.

3. The Manila Cathedral 

         This neo-romanesque cathedral is one of the oldest church in the Philipppines.

4. Palacio del Gobernador

        Here in this spot once stood the residence of the Governor-General of the Philippines.

5. Ayuntanmiento de Manila

         Also known as Casas Consistoriales, the old structure used to function as the Manila City Council. Now it houses the offices of the Bureau of Treasury.

    

6. Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines

     The official organization of the episcopacy of the Philippine Catholic Church-- Wiki

7. Plazuela de Santa Isabel

     In this square stands the monument dedicated to the non-combantant victims of World War II.

8. San Agustin Church and Museum

     The oldest stone church in the Philippines. Declared by UNESCO as World Heritage under the Baroque Churches of the Philippines.

Antique furniture used by Augustinian priests.

8. Casa Manila

      The museum exhibits the home and lifestyle of the rich and famous during the Spanish colonial era.

9. House Chinese

     The museum documents the history, lives and contribution of the Chinese in the Philippine life and history-- Wiki

10. Fort Santiago

     One of the fortifications in Manila. Built in 1571, on the site of the native settlement of Raja Soliman. First was a palisaded fort structure of logs and earth. Destroyed in the attack Limahong info in 1574--  Info from Intramuros Admin

     The Plaza de Armas is the only green space in Fort Santiago, surrounded by plants and the fort's ruins .-- info from Wiki

     Rizal Shrine is one of the oldest structure in Fort Santiago. Founded as a quarter for Spanish Soldiers-- info from Intramuros Admin

National Museum of the Philippines
     The National Museum of the Philippines is a government institution serving as an educational, scientific and cultural institutions in preserving the various permanent national collections featuring the ethnographic, anthropological, archaelogical and visual artistry in the Philippines .-- info from Wiki
     It was a lucky Sunday for us, the National Museum opened its doors to the public for free. So we fell in line, like everybody else who wanted to take advantage of the no-fee day. I, like everyone else --in my opinion-- was holding my breath for Juan Luna's Smile. I was not an art enthusiast, I actually know very little about visual arts. But since I've learned history from first grade to second year college, seeing the real Smile was a treat . And boy, I was not disappointed. I felt chills going down my spine as I looked at the  422 cm x 767.5 cm masterpiece. It was a magnificent piece of art. A sight to behold.
     National Museum houses lots and lots of equally breath-taking masterpieces like, the works of Hidalgo, Manansala and more. Check it out. Seriously.

The Smile is a painting by Filipino artist Juan Luna.  The painting was submitted by Luna to the Exposition  Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid in 1884,  where it garnered the first gold medal.

Rizal Park
     The last stop for our journey was historical Rizal Park Manila, known to locals as the Luneta. My parents used to take me here as a kid, I remember. I had so many fond memories here, but when malls took over Manila, I seem to have forgotten the beauty of  this place.
     Darkness had almost fallen when we arrived here, but we were able to take some photos of the two famous monuments. Then we bought some thing to eat, sat on the grass and enjoyed  the park like the rest of the locals.

     So, here we are, the curious wanderers braving the blazing heat of the sun in an attempt to re-discover our roots.  To re-learn what happened in the olden days and the people who made ​​such tremendous impacts in our lives. We are hungry students of life, commemorating the  historical sights that made ​​the capital city of the Philippines what is it today. 

PS

     Since I have the courage to call myself the dog fairy, it is only proper to post a picture of at least one dog I had the pleasure of meeting along the way.  So, meet tsu-tsu, a sweet little darling, playing with its beloved by their own version of snowboarding, without snow, somewhere in Baluarte de San Gabriel.