Yesterday the Air Asia staffer had affirmed that the misplaced baggage would be delivered by late evening to where I was put up. That came and went and there was not news of it. Repeated calls only brought further assertions that they are making their best efforts to trace the baggage. With no clothes and toiletries I depended on the toothbrush and paste provided in the accommodation. As for clothes, I washed the underclothes, socks and t-shirt the night before and hung them up to dry in the room. This morning they were not dry enough for use. I used the hair dryer in the room to blow dry the items for nearly an hour and I was ready for the day. Breakfast consisted of banana flavored cornflakes, Froot Loops, cold milk and a hot cup of coffee. Scheduled for the day was a historic exploration of Old Manila.
Intramuros is where the history of Old Manila unfolds and it was less than 3 km from my accommodation. I decided to foot it to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells along the way. It was humid and warm, but not uncomfortably so. A few hundred meters along the way came the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Guidance, known in Spanish as La Ermita de Nuestra Señora de Guía. The church is home to the Marian image of the Immaculate Conception, believed to be the oldest in Philippines. The Catholic Church was found in 1606. I was fortunate to be part of the Sunday service that was ongoing at the time of my visit. The bi-lingual homily and a superb choir were the highlights.
Walking past the Rizal Park I came across a popular golf course by the side of the Baluarte de San Diego that is one of the old fortifications within Intramuros. There were many interesting sculptures along the walk. One was the bust of José San Martin, who is regarded as a national hero of Argentina, Chile and Peru, a great military commander, and one of the Liberators of Spanish South America. The other was that of José Martí Pérez, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the liberation of his country from Spain. He was also an important figure in Latin American literature.
The memorial to Cory and Ninoy Aquino on a high pedestal had a few bouquets placed at its base. Ninoy, in whose name the Manila airport is, was the main opposition to Ferdinand Marcos. He was slain at the airport and his wife became the President of Philippines in 1986.
Also known as Old Manila, Intramuros is home to the city's iconic and historic landmarks that were built during the Spanish occupation in the Philippines. Within the 6 meter thick walls, in 146 acres are the ornate Manila Cathedral with its bronze carvings and rich stained glass windows, Fort Santiago, with a large stone gate and a shrine to national hero José Rizal, San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the Philippines, the University of the City of Manila, Spanish colonial furniture and art filled Casa Manila museum, and horse-drawn carriages (kalesa) that ply the area’s cobblestone streets.
Fort Santiago was built as a Spanish fortification in 1571 beside the Pasig River and named after the patron saint of Spain, St. James. The entrance fee is 50 PHP for a senior citizen. The walk in humid conditions called for a cold drink and I spied a cafe near the visitors' center that advertised Halo Halo, the unofficial national dessert of Philippines. The tall clear glass contained crushed ice, coconut milk, jam, sweetened kidney beans, tender coconut strips, cubes of fruit preserves, agar and thick sugar paste. Taking my time over the drink I watched large number of visitors engage guides from the visitors' centre and soldiers doing their routines. The foreground of the Fort has many kiosks vending food, drink and memorabilia.
Armed with a couple of maps from the visitors' centre I started my exploration of the ruins that once housed the Spanish and American armies. The central part of the fort is surrounded by a moat and is entered into from a reconstructed main gate.
The major attractions within are the Jose Rizal shrine and the dungeons. The Rizal shrine museum has on display memorabilia of the hero, including letters written to his parents, brother and family before his execution, a recreation of the farcical trial and sentencing, the prison he was incarcerated in and his footsteps representing his final walk from his cell to the location of the execution. A very poignant and moving memorial, indeed.
A short distance away is a white cross which marks the spot where more than 600 bodies of Americans and Filipinos were recovered, believed to have been victims of Japanese depravity in February 1945. The nearby dungeons vividly bring home the tortures they would have been subjected to. The views of the Pasig River are awesome from the ramparts of the fort.
The Plaza Roma, Palacio del Gobernador and Manila Cathedral is almost a single complex. The Plaza Roma is the centre of Intramuros and has a memorial to King Charles of Spain. Milling crowds at the Plaza and the Cathedral foretold humongous crowds expected for the Grand Marian procession in the afternoon. The cathedral is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the patroness of the country. It also serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Manila.
A short walk away is the Bahay Tsinoy which houses the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center, a museum that documents the history, lives and contributions of ethnic Chinese in Philippine life and history. At the time of my tour it was closed to visitors due to renovation. However, there were a group celebrating a Christmas function within it.
The Manila Memorial is one that recalls the awful consequences of the war in 1945, which affected young and old alike.
The San Augustin church is the oldest stone church in Philippines, having been commissioned in 1607. Dedicated as the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture the church was closed to visitors due to a high profile wedding that was to take place inside. I begged and weaved my way in for a few minutes of prayer and photos.
The Casa Manila has preserved relics of Spanish way of life in a museum, which has an entrance fee. I took refuge in a restaurant besides it for a feast of Sisig, a must try while in the Philippines.
On the walk back from Intramuros I took a detour to admire the Gomburza monument dedicated to three secular priest and hero-martyrs that was moved in front of the National Museum from the Plaza Roma. When I got back to the accommodation I tried in vain to reach the Air Asia official to check on the misplaced baggage. There was no response and I knew any further efforts on a Sunday evening would be futile.
In the evening my nephew, Alex, who has been in Philippines for a dozen years picked me up with his wife, Gael and three lively kids. He drove me around for a feel of a different Manila, a modern and developed one, full of malls, high rise apartments, hotels and restaurants. Being a Sunday evening the traffic was heavy. The Mall of Asia took my breath away and so did most of the other malls. Gael and Alex took me to Crisostama, a typical Filipino dining.
While on a pint of Sam Miguel Light came the sauteed baby squid in olive oil with chilly and garlic. Soon followed sizzling button mushrooms in garlic and olive oil, the beef soup La Paz Bulalo with beef chunks, marrow and veggies, sticky rice, fried pork chunks, eggplant omelette and taro leaves with pork bits and thick coconut milk. Awesome, to say the least. Moreover, the cuisine is devoid of masala and is easy on the tummy.
While at dinner I got an email from Air Asia informing me that the baggage had arrived Manila. Despite being told the day before that it would be delivered to my accommodation, the email asked me to collect it from the airport. Alex, being in the aviation business, promised to take me to the airport and fetch the luggage tomorrow afternoon. After dinner Alex drove me around to a few places that would suit retirees. The cost of living is such that a family of three could lead a very decent life inside of USD 2000. Alex promised to get me details of the retiree visa. If found feasible this would be a good place to see through the sunset years!
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