Manila, the Philippines.......between the rich and the poor

The flag of Philippines and Jose Rizal Monument at Rizal Park, Ermita

Manila or Maynila, in Tagalog, is the capital city of the Philippines. My first impression on Manila is congested and polluted concrete jungle. But its never stop me from exploring this bustling city that is rich with colorful cultural, heritage and history. However, my 5-day visit was fully scheduled for meetings which usually ended at 5 pm.....and at that time darkness start to crawl in.

Metropolitan Manila is so so so huge. The historical center of Manila is known as Manila City which distributed into 16 territorial districts namely Tondo, Binondo, San Nicolas, Santa Cruz, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Miguel, Santa Mesa, Port Area, Intramuros, Ermita, Pandacan, Paco, Santa Ana and San Andres Bukid. Due to the limited time in Manila, I only managed to see Ermita and Intramuros which were close-by the hotel where I was staying, the Bayview Park Hotel.

Lapu-lapu monument; the pedicabs

Intramuros, taken from the Spanish, "intra & muros" which means "within the walls". It is also considered as the Old Manila and this fortress city located on the south mouth of Pasig River. The old Spanish headquarter, Fort Santiago was located here. The fort was converted into a museum, a very historical piece of landmark where almost all the who's who of Philippine colonial resistance - Spanish, American, & Japanese were incarcerated. The famous Filipino nationalist and revolutionary Jose Rizal's pathway of steps before execution can also be seen within the fort. The Manila Cathedral styled as Philippine version of Romanesque-Byzantine Revival, prominently stands within the walls of this district. When you are in Intramuros do not miss the Casa Manila. The architecture and interior of this casa is a result of the Spanish and Asia fusion.

The main entrance of Intramuros and the wall surrounding the city.

The main entrance of Fort Santiago

Previously standing as Spaniard headquarters

The Pasig river divided Manila city to North and South; The path of Jose Rizal's steps before execution

The garden in Fort Santiago

Casa Manila and Barbaras at night

The main entrance of Casa Manila.....stunning architecture

The tourist guide and guard at Casa Manila, Intramuros

The interior court-yard of Casa Manila; The intramuros wall

Ermita, one of the Tourist Districts (another is the Malate district) south of Intramuros. It has a lively and diverse nightlife. The peaceful Rizal Park, where the National Hero-Martyr Jose Rizal was executed by firing squad by the Spaniards and also Manila's mini rendition of New York's Central Park, the only biggest lung of the city used as promenade with a dual role as a national mall. The Manila Ocean Park is also located in this park complex. with very small fees you can also visit the Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Artist's Gardens, the Orchidarium which are located on the periphery of the park.

Rizal Park, Ermita

Statues of Jose Rizal and the shooter.........a diorama on the execution process

Owhhhhh....after walking here and there.....the stomach was rambling and needs fuel for energy......so where to get Halal foods? Two areas where you can find easily the Halal foods are in Ermita (look for Robinson Mall, from here walk to Ave Mabini which is parallel to M. Andriatico, the halal restaurants located in small street named Salas) or heading to Greenhill, which is about 5 kilometers from the Rizal Park. Interestingly, you can find many Halal certified products such as instant noodle, biscuits and chocolates in the '7-eleven'.

Jeepney or the local buses......brightly coloured!

The calesa......the traditional horse-drawn carriage

Riding public transportations in Manila can be tricky. The local bus or jeepney, is very very synonymously symbolised Manila. The jeepney routes are not numbered. The easiest way to know which jeepney to take, just ask the local people, as they can converse fluently in English. When in doubt, ask the bus conductor if a particular bus will go to a particular destination. Tricycles and pedicabs are limited to short distances as it can access hard-to-reach areas. In Ermita, Intramuros and Binondo, it is still possible to ride a calesa, or traditional horse-drawn carriage. This is not really a public transport, its rather a tourist trap. Fares are negotiated beforehand with the cochero and a one-hour ride for two people normally costs around peso 50-70. There is more about Manila that I did not managed to explore due to time constrain. I just scratch the surface of Manila.....and the limited experiences are shared here. :-)