Manila - Day 3

Sunday, 12 February 2017

I slept less well than I did on the first night at the hotel. Maybe because my legs were physically aching. According to my Suunto watch, I walked more than 11 km yesterday and more than 12 km on Friday. I’m getting too old for this. I need to slow down and not see 12 places before noon.

Everyone told me that I should get to the airport early as there may be a jam as people would be going to / coming from church. So I left the hotel at around 9 a.m. I arrived at the airport at 9.30 a.m. But what can I do. I’m sure they were just being cautious. Luckily there was a lounge right beside my boarding gate to I sat down alone with my book, a sandwich and a beer from 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon. After all, I was still on holiday! The beer I tried here was called Red Horse, also San Miguel beer, 6.9% alcohol and easily the best beer in Manila. So it all turned out good in the end.

Alight the plane, and 4 hours later I was back in KL. I really do enjoy travelling alone.

Manila - Day 2 (Part 2)

Saturday, 11 February 2017

After lunch, a taxi to Binondo, where Chinatown is. It had to be a taxi as I couldn’t see any jeepneys or tricycles around (as I said, this is an ‘atas’ area). Taxis are by far the most expensive thing in Manila. Apart from that, things are relatively cheap, cheaper than in Malaysia.

The Chinatown in Binondo is apparently 400 years old, and is said to be the oldest Chinatown in the world. It is situated deliberately within firing range of Intramuros's cannons, because apparently the Spanish conquerors did not trust the Chinese. I walked around the streets of Chinatown for a bit, and it reminded me of our very own Petaling Street – not very clean, noisy, bustling with activity, and not a Chinese pedlar in sight! I saw the local delicacy ‘balud’ – duck foetus in an egg. I didn’t try. There are limits to my adventures.

Then, after asking for directions, I took a jeepney to Malacañang Palace. Although the gates were open, I was not allowed into the grounds, and not allowed even to take photographs. I had to be content with photographs from outside the palace gates. Nasty creeps. As if I’m a CIA spy measuring the dimensions of the palace in preparation of a siege! In my irritation I informed the guards that in Malaysia one could visit the King’s palace at any time! I bet that lie would have thrown the guards off guard.

Jeepney again to my last destination, Rizal Park. This park is named after Jose Rizal, one of the national heroes of the Philippines. There was the Rizal Monument, where Jose Rizal lies buried, and the 0 kilometer mark.

And then I was done! A jeepney back to my hotel, except again it dropped me off at the wrong Robinsons and I had to take a Grab back to my hotel. More beers and then off to bed.

Manila - Day 2 (Part 1)

Saturday, 11 February 2017

First destination for the day was to the Marikina Shoe Museum in the district of Marikina, which is outside of Metro Manila and quite far away. I bought coffee from the hotel and went downstairs to watch the streets of Manila while sipping coffee when I saw a Philippino girl in the vicinity and I accosted her with my usual chirpiness early in the morning (this is generally true only when I’m on holiday).

I asked her about local dishes and she named some which I took note of to try later in the day. She introduced me to 2 of her friends, JJ and Kent and they joined in the conversation about food. JJ made a very interesting comment, which was to the effect of “in a sense we are all Malays, so our cuisine is very similar.” And I remember thinking, this may be true because the Malays in Malaysia and Philippinos are all considered Polynesians and can be considered to be of the same race. And yet, due to the difference in religion (Muslims and Catholics), what a vast difference in culture, character, outlook in life etc!

I asked my new found Philippino friend (her name is Sugar, how cute!) to call me a Grab and she did. I told you Philippinos were very helpful. Then I was on my way to Marikina. In the car, I asked the Grab driver (Tristan) whether he was a Catholic and he promptly replied, “No Mam, I am not Catholic. I am Roman Catholic.” I didn’t ask him what the difference was.

I was quite disappointed with the museum, it was smaller than expected but its location was very pretty, amongst greenery and quite quaint looking. Here I saw all the shoes once belonging to the former First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. All shoes are in size-8 ½. Apparently she had more than 3,000 pairs of shoes, of which only about 800 pairs were on display at the museum. There were also shoes worn by former Presidents, Mayors, celebrities etc of the Philippines, and types of different shoes from around the world.

Then I took a taxi to Greenbelt Chapel, which was in Makati. Makati is like the Bukit Bintang of Manila. Tall buildings, clean streets, no jeepneys, no tricycles. Where the rich and famous no doubt live. Luckily I did not stay in this area though it was mentioned to me by various people. Greenbelt Chapel is a chapel situated in the middle of buildings which are luxury shopping complexes. It was something very different. Imagine going to church followed by shameless shopping sprees. Or shameless shopping sprees followed by confession in church. Sounds dodgy.

After walking around I went to one of the restaurants to try the local dishes recommended by Sugar. And to drink San Miguel beer, of course. I tried chicken and pork adobo – this is pieces of chicken and pork cooked with vinegar, soy sauce, and I’m sure some spices which I couldn’t quite identify. It was quite good, the pork and chicken were tender. I also ordered tofu sisig which is essentially sizzling tofu. Also quite nice but I think I now understand what Silvia meant by all their food tastes the same – the 2 savoury dishes that I tried both tasted sweetish. Although I have sweet teeth (all 31 of them), I like my savoury dishes to be savoury. Sweet is for milo, hot chocolate, cake etc. 

Manila - Day 1 (Part 4)

Friday, 10 February 2017

And then I was done with Intramuros. It was about 6.30 p.m. and already dark. By 6.00 p.m. it was already getting dark and generally when I travel alone I don’t like going out when it’s dark. However, my next destination was the Quiapo (pronounced Kiyapo) Church, which was quite nearby. Since it’s a church, I figured I’d be safe. God would (should) protect me. A jeepney for that and I was there. It was an area bustling with people. Generally in Manila, I find that there are people everywhere. But even more so in Quiapo.

I went in to the church and just took in the atmosphere for a while. They are devout Catholics here in Manila. There was a service going on but unfortunately in Tagalog so after a while I left, only to join a long queue going into a minor basilica just beside the main church. The minor basilica is home to the Black Nazarene, an extremely famous icon among Manila’s Catholics. We were allowed to touch one of his feet. I’m not sure what exactly that is for but I just followed what everyone else was doing.

And then it was time to head back to my hotel so I stopped and asked someone which jeepney I should take. Stupidly I did not carry the address of my hotel with me so I had some difficulty explaining where exactly my hotel was, and then I remembered it was in a building next to Robinsons. So then they told me which jeepney to take, tell the driver to stop at Robinsons, and from there I need to walk for a bit to get to my building.

The jeepney driver stopped me at Robinsons, I asked for directions to Robinsons and after a short walk I arrived. But it was the wrong Robinsons. There are a few in Manila and my Robinsons was not the Robinsons that I was presently in. I was already tired from walking so when I saw a Grab stand (Grab is officially welcomed in the Philippines unlike in Malaysia where it’s an open secret – roll eyes) and asked for a Grab back to my hotel.

Finally I arrived. Before going up, I went to the supermarket right beside my hotel to buy water, some food (the same supermarket stuff that you can get in Malaysia, no local stuff) and local beer which is called San Miguel (I think Malaysia and Brunei are the only 2 countries in South East Asia which do not have their own beer. It sucks.) and comes in various flavours – Pale Pilsner, Light, Super Dry, Apple flavour and Red Horse (the highest alcohol content at 6.9%).

I bought the Pale Pilsner and Light, but ended up only having the Pale Pilsner. I was too tired and sleepy for anything more, and tomorrow is going to be another long day. So, sleep.

Manila - Day 1 (Part 3)

Friday, 10 February 2017

And finally! I arrived at Intramuros. This is a stone citadel founded by the Spanish in 1571. It has withstood wars, natural disasters and successive waves of colonial invaders, although most of the buildings have been converted to other uses (mostly colleges and schools).

Intramuros is Spanish for "within the walls". It is the oldest district and the historic core of Manila, Philippines. It is also called the Walled City, it was the original city of Manila and was the seat of government when the Philippines was a component realm of the Spanish Empire. Districts beyond the walls were referred as the extramuros of Manila, Spanish for "outside the walls".

Construction of the defensive walls was started by the Spanish colonial government in the late 16^th  century to protect the city from foreign invasions. The walled city was originally located along the shores of the Manila Bay, south of the entrance to Pasig River. Guarding the old city is Fort Santiago, its citadel located at the mouth of the river. This was where Jose Rizal was kept prisoner pending his trial and execution (how sad). Other forts include Baluarte De San Gabriel (built in 1593) with cannons pointed at Binondo (Chinatown) and Baluarte De Dilao (built in 1592) as part of the original fortifications.

Before the American Era, entrance to the city was through eight gates or Puertas namely (clockwise, from Fort Santiago) Puerta Almacenes, Puerta de la Aduana, Puerta de Santo Domingo, Puerta Isabel II, Puerta del Parian,  Puerta Real,  Puerta Sta. Lucia, and Puerta del Postigo. Formerly, drawbridges were raised and the city was closed and under sentinels from 11:00 pm till 4:00 am. It continued so until 1852, when, in consequence of the earthquake of that year, it was decreed that the gates should thenceforth remain open night and day.

After the end of the Spanish–American War, Spain surrendered the Philippines and several other territories to the United States as part of the terms of the Treaty of Paris for $20 million. The American flag was raised at Fort Santiago on August 13, 1898 indicating the start of American rule over the city. The Ayuntamiento became the seat of the Philippine Commission of the United States in 1901 while Fort Santiago became the headquarters of the Philippine Division of the United States Army.

In December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the Philippines. The first casualties in Intramuros brought by the war were the destruction of Santo Domingo Church and the original University of Santo Tomas campus during an assault.

At the end of World War II, virtually all of the structures in Intramuros were destroyed, with only the damaged Church of San Agustin still standing.

Altogether I spent almost 3 hours walking around Intramuros, and some of the other places I saw were:

·    the Palace of the Archbishop (I was not allowed in because this is the residence of the Archbishop of Manila);

·         the Monument to commemorate those who died in the Battle For Manila, 1945 (the battle for  independence against Japan);

·       Manila Cathedral (also known as the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception). The first ever was built out of nipa and bamboo in 1571 and had been destroyed by fire and earthquakes. This is the 8^th structure;

·         Palacio del Gobernador (the official residence of the Spanish viceroyalties to the Philippines. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1863. The residence of the Governor-General was moved to Malacañang Palace (now the residence of the President).

·         Plaza de Roma (sort of like a small park)

·         Plaza Mexico (the same)

·     Ayuntamiento de Manila – once the seat of the City Council of Manila. Destroyed several times by earthquakes. Site of sessions of the First Philippine Assembly in 1907 and Philippine Legislation in 1935. Housed the offices of the Bureau of Justice and Supreme Court during the American and Commonwealth period. Destroyed in the Battle of Manila in 1945. Going to be converted into the Bureau of Treasury Office.

·    Restaurant called “The House That Fried Chicken Built”. Not that funny and yet I took a picture.

·         Aduana, formerly the Customs House.

·         Remnants of Beaterio-Colegio De Santa Catalina and Colegio De San Juan Letran

·         Hospital De San Juan De Dios – built in 1578 by a Franciscan. In the 1930s became known as the largest private hospital in the Philippines. Used as treatment centre for Japanese soldiers in World War II. Destroyed in 1945 during the Battle for Manila.

·   Churches - San Agustin Church (Augustinians) (built in 1607), San Nicolas de Tolentino Church (Recollects), San Francisco Church and Convent (Franciscans), Third Venerable Order Church (Third Order of St. Francis), Santo Domingo Church and Convent (Dominican), Lourdes Church (Capuchins), and the San Ignacio Church (Jesuits).

·    University of Santo Tomas (oldest university in Asia. Founded in 1611, the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas is also today the world's largest Catholic university on a single campus. It has been visited by two popes, and is the alma mater of many illustrious individuals, including national hero José Rizal and a number of presidents of the Philippines)

·         Plaza Santo Tomas (another small park)

Manila - Day 1 (Part 2)

Friday, 10 February 2017

Upon arrival at the hotel, I asked the hotel about directions on the places I wanted to visit and as usual, although I had my own plans, they advised me otherwise. As a result, my first destination was to be Intramuros (which I had planned to do tomorrow). Then came the directions. I must say that I find Philippinos to be generally extremely helpful, and most of them are able to speak (or at least understand) English. Which makes travelling easy.

However, (1) they assume I know all their street names and the locations thereof, and (2) their pronunciation is atrocious. Tagalog is a totally foreign language to me but I did hear some splatter of Malay and Spanish. I’m not sure whether this is the reason for their funny pronunciation. Anyway, my first set of directions went as follows. “Go downstairs, take the tricycle to UNW (U. N. Avenue). Then walk to Jolly Bee (Jollibee, a fast food restaurant) and take the jeepney to Intramuros.” Fool proof directions. How can I ever get lost?

Ok so first the tricycle which I assumed were the motorbikes with a side seat for passengers. There were some parked outside the hotel, I asked them to take me to U. N. Avenue (of course, they didn’t understand what it was; I had to say UNW) and they quoted some exorbitant amount. I told them the hotel said only 10 pisos (RM1) and they said that was the yellow tricycle. But of course! And the yellow tricycle only stopped on the opposite side of the road so I had to commit the suicidal act of crossing the perpetually jammed Manila street. The best thing to do was to tag behind some locals which I eventually did and I accosted the first yellow tricycle I saw and said UNW.

And then, directions to Jolly Bee (at that time I didn’t know what it was or how it was spelt). I arrived. Then the jeepney to Intramuros. Asked around and was informed correctly and got into one. The jeepney is basically an open air van, you get in at the back and passengers sit on both sides on long benches. Each ride, no matter where you stop at, costs 8 pisos (RM0.80) but you must know the route of the jeepney and where to get off. People at the back pass long money to the driver in the front, and any change is also passed along to the back. Quite cute. 

Manila - Day 1 (Part 1)

Friday, 10 February 2017

No Grab car in the morning! Had to make do with a taxi. Luckily the driver drove with some urgency and I reached the airport well within time. Flight at 8.20 a.m., landed in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at about 12.30 p.m. and took a Grab car to the hotel. They drive on the right side of the road. Remnants of Spanish and American colonialization, of course. Horrible traffic jam everywhere and the drive took more than an hour.

Manila is the capital city of the Philippines, founded on 24 June 1571 by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi. Manila is the second most populous city in the Philippines after the former Capital Quezon City with a population of about 12.8 million people as at 2015.

The Kingdom of Tondo once ruled in the vicinity of Manila before it briefly became a province of the Hindu Majapahit Empire. During the Brunei invasion of the Philippines, Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei captured Seludong (a village in modern-day Manila) and renamed it Maynilà, a Tagalog term referring to the presence of the Nila shrub. Maynila was a vassal state of Brunei, established to overpower Tondo. Maynilà had been Indianized since the 6^th century. It became partly Islamic and Hindu-animist by the 15^th century.

In 1571 Spanish Conquistadors arrived from Mexico, from across the Pacific, and founded present-day Manila in what is today Intramuros. Spanish missionaries soon Christianized the city and incorporated Tondo under Manila.

Spanish rule in Manila and the entire Philippine archipelago lasted for over three centuries, until 1898. At different times during the long Spanish period there were local revolts, Chinese insurrections, massive pirate attacks, great earthquakes, Dutch raids and invasion attempts, and a British occupation of the city during their unsuccessful attempt to conquer the Philippines. Order was usually quickly restored and the city returned to the business of trade. In the 19^th century Manila was one of the most modern cities in Asia.

Before the Spanish–American War, Manila saw the rise of the Philippine Revolution. One of the national hero of the Philippines was Jose Rizal, an ophthalmologist and writer (among others) who contributed to writing propaganda in favour of the revolution against Spanish rule. Eventually he was arrested, tried, found guilty and executed by firing squad on 20 December 1896. This would be around the time of Jose Marti, who fought against the Spanish in the Cuban Revolution (a hero of Fidel Castro).

 Under the American rule following the Spanish–American War, the United States changed the official language from Spanish to English and made some changes in education, local laws and urban planning. Towards the end of World War II, during the Battle of Manila most of the city was flattened by intensive aerial bombardment by the United States Air Force. As a result, relatively little remains of Manila's pre-war and colonial architecture, although parts of the old walled city, Intramuros, still remain.