strolling in MANILA...

2010. First Stop. MANILA.

"Well, I felt like having a coffee so I flew to the Capital"....riiiiight! wish I could say this, but I highly doubt that I would ever be able to say such a thing AT ALL! Because no. 1, I am very much aware of my lowly disposition in this so-called "social stratum" and no.2, I never liked coffee.

Despite the way it looks, my sister and I went to Manila for a very important reason, however let's just say that the seriousness of the business never hindered us from taking advantage of the chance to enjoy the less serious matters. And it all began with...

Yup. That's it right there. The Manila Ocean Park, which by the way we mistook as the Manila Sea World. No wonder why those people were clueless when we were asking for directions. Silly us!

Truth be told, ever since I've been to Sentosa's Sea World, I've already developed this adversity towards the concept of keeping animals away from their natural habitat. I strongly believe that living things in any form should be given the freedom to enjoy the comforts of their destined world. Or maybe I'm just getting sentimental remembering those sharks crammed in an aquarium small enough for their growing bodies. Still the concept just doesn't give justice to the ecology of things. But....

I have to admit, seeing those odd-looking-colorful creatures brings out the annoyingly wide-eyed kid in me. And that admission just cost me the model citizen award from PETA. Oh well, I guess I'm just not a model material. LOL.

On the other hand, speaking of hands, my idle hands seemed to enjoy themselves very much. It's as if they started breathing a life of their own every time it reads a HANDS OFF PLEASE sign. It's either the neurons on the brain of my fingers are working in reverse or it simply just doesn't understand the word please. Good thing it didn't get us in trouble except for a few cold stares. Also...

it's good to know that the aquariums are big enough for the fishes and their friends to hang out and chill around. Those creatures are cool. In fact they're so cool that you couldn't help but goof around with them. But since they couldn't smile for the camera with me I found myself other living creatures to goof around with. Presenting...

"ang mga walang kamuwang-muwang na mga bata." I actually asked permission from their teacher to pose with some her students, the moment she agreed the kids started to line up ready to smile for the camera when...

I said: Look! (pointing at the hovering sting rays above)
Boy in the middle: Punta tayo don ate? (with all innocence)
I said: Hindi, pampapicture lang.
Almost all kids : Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh....

Click. There goes the shot.

By the way to that one kid, I can tell what your future would be like... haha. Anyway...

the next stop was the FISH SPA. I forgot the name but I think they were doctor fish or fish doctor, either way they're all therapeutic. My sister and I were looking forward to this part of the package, because clearly we've seen it on TV and as everyone knows TV is very influential. The experience was very tickling. Because of our very ticklish nature, my sister and I spent a few good minutes laughing so much in between dipping our feet then pulling it away before we finally got the hang of it. I think that's the reason why we felt cheated of our 20 minutes.

Just a short story, based on the info posters hanged on the wall. This kind of fish therapy was discovered by accident in Turkey when a shepherd took a rest from his work and dipped his feet in the water. Then he felt that tickling sensation coming from the fishes and realized that it did some bodily good. So he spread the word about it till reached the Philippines, particularly the Ocean Park.

Now I feel like breeding this kind of fish at home, but still, I'll always ALWAYS prefer...

the jellyfish. I LOVE the jellyfish. They are the most magical, hypnotic, amazing, wonderful and everything good adjective in the dictionary. I'm falling in love with them all over again. I want to bring them home. Next to dolphins they're the pet that I impossibly want to have. I maybe bias to say this but trust me... MUST VISIT in the ocean park is dancing jellyfish area. It's a room full of all kinds of jelly fish dancing gracefully to its different glowing colors. AMAZING. This is the finale that made me say the Ocean Park was worth it.

Anyway...

after leaving behind my precious jellies, my sister and I walked around Luneta. ooiiiiiii strolling2x sa Luneta. Finally I knew how it felt to be strolling in Luneta. If I had a date we would definitely be HHWW(holding hands while walking) to compliment the famous scenery. Maybe next time... haha

Luneta was vast. I never expected it to be that vast. I finally saw the postcard perfect Rizal monument and inhaled some nationalistic vibe. It was nice, but I'm just disappointed that the grass in the park is not green, in fact it's balding that it you're just stepping directly on a brown soil and some brown grass or weed?... Perhaps I just expected too much. But generally, that's what I noticed, our parks here are not green it's very different from the ones we see on TV, again TV is very influential. tsk tsk.

The next day...

INTRAMUROS!... I love this antiquated inner city. My sister had been there once before so she acted as my tour guide, without much historical information to share, except for pointing out the Manila Cathedral and San Augustine Church.

The Manila Cathedral was grand! I love it!. It's probably the grandest church I've ever scene. It's architecture is very baroque that it's simply just a feast to the eyes. Just looking at the cathedral made me imagine what awaits in SPAIN or PRAGUE or other European countries that invests so much on architecture. Maybe when that opportunity to visit comes I would have architecture-gasm!

What I love most about it, aside from the surrounding old buildings, is their pebbled roads. It reminded of Vigan and how I still have yet to go there. Kalesas are still there and so are the kutseros in Barong Tagalog. very cute.

But nothing could beat our favorite transportation, our feet. Because just around the corner it took us to...

the SAN AGUSTINE church. The outside was just ok looking not that grand compared to the cathedral but the inside, bling! bling! Literally bling! bling!. Inside is their museum that stores all the gold, ivory, silver, porcelain and other valuable remnants of the old rich friars slash church. You can just imagine the great divide between the filthy rich church vs. the dirt poor nation. Now I can fully grasp Rizal's ranting. haha.

With all the riches inside the church you'd be tempted to take a golden cup home, but the only thing that might prevent you from doing so is the fear of being haunted. There are times when you feel eerily haunted that you just can't last that long in certain areas, like the columbarium. My imagination and feelings probably got in the way that I never spared time to search for the vault of the famous GOMBORZA. Nonetheless...

The seriously dark aura of the church never prevented us from making fun with our shadows. I have to give credit to their natural lighting. hehe. So...

we continued with our wanderings on foot till we got to the muralla, or the great walls of the olden city. I love it there. It's kinda similar to Fort San Pedro but only way way way longer. I insisted that we experience the MRT and LRT ride, so I practically forced my sister on a tortured walk, relying only on the directions of the strangers saying "doon" o "dyan"...

It was quite an exercise, but the view from the walls was pretty good. From the golf course to the university belt to the buildings and etc2x. It was helluva experience! Especially on the part when we had to walk in the smelly deserted underpass just to get to that LRT. Your defensive instinct could easily be awaken and so is the wish you studied martial arts.

Luckily with only a bit of physical challenge, squeezing in between bodies at the LRT and MRT, we finally arrived at Greenbelt. It was only then that we realized that Greenbelt was really far from where we've been and we only had my cousin to blame for that.

At least we were rewarded with a good dinner at CONTI's, a highly recommended resto and the MANGO BRAVO as the highly recommended dessert!. Nam Nam. that cake was soooo good and price so reasonable.

Toured a bit or their malls and makati park before heading off to sleep.

It was my second time to be in Manila, but my feelings towards it still hasn't changed. I can never picture myself living in the crowded Manila. But, to quote unquote my sister...

"I LOVE HOW MANILA MAKES ME YEARN FOR CEBU"

:)