Dog Fairy Journal: Intramuros: The Walled City

In my previous blog, I mentioned some of the interesting sights you can see inside Intramuros. I deliberately restrained myself from thoroughly discussing the must-sees in this Walled City owing to the fact that I do not want the said post to become one-novel-long. Hence, this article is dedicated to the most compelling district in Manila, which houses several of the most captivating Spanish colonial structures and riveting historic sights this city has to offer.

Do not get this article wrong, though, I did not intend to bore you with historical facts (well, I threw some interesting details here and there). I simply want you to see through my eyes Intramuros.

A tinnie-Winnie historical fact, Intramuros was built by the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi to protect the city from constant siege of various foreign invaders.

One of the eight gates or gates of Intramuros,

3 ways to go around Intramuros: tramp, callesa and on foot.

Baluarte de San Gabriel

Notably the most important fortification facing the north side. It was built to keep the Parian of Binondo and bay.
Standing beside of one of th e canon, staring directly at Manila City Hall, my inner-nerd adamantly resurfaced and uttered, 'So this is all you can conjure, Saruman. " Seriously though, it reminded me of The Battle of Helms Deep from LOTR The Two Towers . But make no mistake about it, I felt the tension of the civil guard these walls as they patrol searching for stealthy signs of sudden enemy attack. Blast them cannons!

Baluarte de San Gabriel and its canons! You can only see one, though.

Canon in position. Manila City Hall in sight.

My body guard, cause a body like mine needs guarding. Nah! He is one of the guardia civils patrolling Intramuros.

The Manila Cathedral (The Minor Basilica and the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception)

I was in awe when I first laid my eyes on this lovely lovely church. I mean, I've seen it before, obviously. I was young then, and I did not know how to appreciate its beauty and its history. So basically, I took some photos of its facade, admire it from afar. But u pon entering the cathedral I felt this resonating echo of solemnity. The interior of the basilica paralleled the beauty of its facade. While parishioners were waiting for the mass to start, I was on my knees, praying and making a wish. I was told that when you visited a church for the first time, you have to make a wish because it will come true. Well, this was the first time I've seen the Manila Cathedral in a whole new light, so chances are, my wish will come true. A sneaky dogfairy.

Facade of Manila Cathedral from Plaza de Roma

Our Lady of Immaculate Conception

The dome and belfry arch of Manila Cathedral.

Ayuntamiento de Manila

So, apparently, this used to house the Manila City Council. But the offices of the Bureau of Treasury are occupying the building after its reconstruction due to the irreparable damage caused by the II World War. It was a very interesting structure, though. So white. So clean. If I may say so, I'd rather think it was an old Spanish villa, because it looked more like it. Just me, though.

Okay, so it really looks like a government office in this photo .

Not in this angle though, it looks like an old Spanish villa.

Palacio del Gobernador

Palacio , in English, palace. So, when I hear the word palace, the first thing that comes to my mind is ball . Yeah, dance balls. And like Cinderella, I want to be invited, not to find my prince but for sumptuous food the chef prepared for the guest. On a serious note though, the spot where this striking red structure stands used to be the residence of the Governor General, but now, it houses ... guess what? Several government offices.

Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines

The name says it all, the Bishops of the Philippines gather in this site to discuss important matters concerning, well, the churches and their people. I had no business inside, so ... strike a pose outside!

CBCP

Plazuela de Santa Isabel

Made part of Santa Isabel College which lacked an open space characteristic of Spanish building.
This plaza looked like a miniature park, more likely a garden. One would think that there was nothing special in this piece of land but in the middle of it, one monument was erected . The Memorare, Monument 1945. This black marble statue is very commanding, standing tall. Like it has its own gravitational pull, urging you to read those words carved in its stone marble.

This Memorial is dedicated to all innocent victims of war. Many of whom went nameless and unknown to a common grave. Or never even knew grave at all. Their bodies having been consumed by fire or crushed to dust beneath the rubble of ruins-- Memorare Manila 1945

San Agustin Church and Museum

This Neo-Romanesque church was founded by Padre Juan de Vivero in 1571. The cathedral has endured numerous restoration brought about by natural calamities and man-made disasters.
This is the wedding capital of the Philippines. We arrived here only to find out that there was a wedding going on. We could not go inside, for the sole reason that we were not dressed up for the occasion. So, w e decided to take our lunch hoping against hope that we would find it deserted when we come back. Guess what? There was another wedding taking place. Wedding capital indeed!

San Agustin Church is the oldest stone church in the Philippines and designated by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.

When you found the San Agustin Church, then you found the San Agustin Museum because they are adjacent. The museum exhibits art works from the bygone centuries. Entrance fee: 100 pesos for adults, 80 pesos for students. Take note that there are areas in the museum where it is prohibited to take pictures.

Fr. Diego de Herrera arrived with de Legaspi.
The first Augustinian in Manila.

One of my favorite paintings inside the museum,
well, simply because I love angels.

Casa Manila

This is the area of Intramuros that I like the most. There something about walking on cobble stone street outside Casa Manila, as if it transported me back to the era when ladies, such as moi , wore long skirts or "fun", with a fan in one hand and cute little umbrella on the other. Curtsying. Extremely feminine. Those were the days.
The museum exhibits the home and lifestyle of the rich and famous during the Spanish colonial era. Entrance fee: 100 pesos for adults, 50 pesos for students. Take note that it is prohibited to take photos inside the museum.

Chinese House Museum

I remember passing by this building twice, searching for the only place in the list that I had not crossed out. Chinese Museum houses showcasing the significance of Chinese people to the history and lifestyle of the Filipinos. That item, remained uncrossed. Not knowing, that this particular structure that I took a photo of picture looked worthy because it was the very museum I was searching for. How would I know, it does not look remotely Chinese to me. I was expecting some sort of oriental architecture. Bottomline, I should have done my research properly.

Fort Santiago

In my humble opinion, this is a place to be, historically speaking, in the whole of Intramuros. Powerful images of the battles that took place in this particular area filled my brain. Spanish, Filipino, American and Japanese soldiers fought here. Different times, different wars. This fort held so much history, it's haunting, chilling and daunting for someone like me. There came a point when I stopped taking photos so I could just immersed myself into this historic fortification.
I remember a scene from LOTR The Return of the King when Faramir cried out, "Pull back, pull back to Minas Tirith!" It was as if I could see and hear some soldiers crying out the very same thing the moment the enemy overpowered their troops , well, minus the Minas Tirith part . I strongly believe that no one would wish to be a part of any battle. Not even soldiers who are trained and conditioned to fight for their motherland.
This fort right here, witnessed terrible battles , endured cannon blas ts and was flooded with blood from opposing forces . It held so much history, dark ones. It was destroyed and rebuilt, standing strong until this very day. Reminding us of the past, encouraging us to enjoy and cherish the freedom we have now.
Entrance fee: 50 pesos for students. 75 for adults.

The Keep!

Piazza Weapons

I imagined some guardia civils sipping their coffee right about here and chatting about how action-packed the previous day was.

Jose Rizal's letters for his family inside the Rizal Shrine.

If you were to travel Manila, I strongly recommend you pay a visit to its historic core, Intramuros. This place can pull on your heartstrings, but in a good good way.

"The day will come when I will stop quoting Lord of the Rings-- but it is not this day."

The second dog I met this day ... (I do not know its name, no owner in sight. But I was able to take its photo being all poised.)