Exploring Manila: A Stroll Through the Capital’s Highlights

Hello there!

After the jam-packed Coldplay concert, we only had one full day left in the country's capital. With that in mind, we already laid out our itinerary for the day. Since it would be a hassle to go back to our accommodation after check-out time, we decided to pack our bags and check out early in the morning.

We grabbed a quick bite at a convenience store right outside our accommodation, just to fill our stomachs before the adventure began.

That day, we decided to explore the city by commuting. Not knowing which route to take, we kept asking people we encountered about which jeepney to hop on. And let me tell you, my Tagalog was a little off, so I let CJ do most of the talking. Haha.

After two jeepney rides, we finally arrived at Taft Avenue. Our first goal was to reach Luneta Park. Although it was walkable according to the map, with the city's humidity, we opted to ride a tricycle to the park entrance.

At last, we arrived at the monument built to commemorate the execution of our national hero, Jose Rizal, by firing squad at the hands of fellow Filipino soldiers under orders from the Spanish government.

It was extreeemely hot, and with no shade to shield us, we didn’t stay long after snapping a few photos.

We checked the map to see if Intramuros was within walking distance, as Chiarra and Mylbon were already waiting for us there. Seeing that it was, we decided to walk.

After about 10 minutes, we reached the entrance arch of Intramuros. I had always wanted to explore this historic part of Manila, though we only had limited time. But I’ll definitely be back to explore it more fully.

Upon entering, it felt like we were being transported to another era, with all the old Spanish-era houses, some of which have been converted into museums and shops.

It was also cool to see a Starbucks there!

We continued exploring and stumbled upon a restaurant with a museum inside, so we decided to check it out and found a beautiful fountain view inside.

Following the newly renovated stone road, we eventually reached Manila Cathedral. We also passed by San Agustin Church, which we missed exploring because there was a wedding going on. I’ve always been curious about this church, as it’s where many Filipinos were massacred by the Japanese during World War II. I’ve even read some horror stories about the church and its museum.

Exiting Intramuros near Plaza de Roma, we came upon a view of the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge.

After taking some pictures, we walked a bit further and reached the foot of the historic Jones Bridge. It was destroyed during World War II and later restored to its original design.

At the other end of the bridge lies the entrance to the world’s oldest Chinatown, located in Binondo. It was established in 1594--wow!

Before visiting Chinatown, my friends had researched where to eat. We came up with a list, but unfortunately, we couldn’t visit all the spots.

When we arrived in Binondo, we were greeted by a crowd of tourists also doing food hopping, just like us. It felt like a fiesta, with every food shop we planned to visit having long lines.

First on our list was Wai Ying Fastfood. We wanted to dine in, but the queue was so long that we opted for takeout instead. I ordered wonton soup because it was the fastest dish to serve, and I was starving--and getting a little grumpy. HAHAHA!

Next, we started lining up for some Xiao Long Bao, while I think it was Chiarra who went to Wong Kei, where there was also a long line for their fresh sugarcane juice.

While waiting for the Xiao Long Bao, we started eating the wonton soup from Wai Ying because we were so hungry, and it was already 2:40 PM.

We got so full from that, we decided to skip the Xiao Long Bao line and went straight to Eng Bee Tin to buy Hopia as pasalubong for our families and friends in Cebu.

Exiting Binondo, we encountered a dragon dance on the street. I’m not sure what the occasion was, though.

We got separated from @iamcjestrada, his cousin, and Wilfred.

The next thing I knew, I was pushing through a crowd of mass-goers along with Chiarra and Mylbon, and suddenly, we were outside Quiapo Church, which was celebrating its fiesta alongside Sinulog in Cebu City.

After reuniting with CJ's group, we quickly walked to the nearest train station.

Before coming to Manila, the one thing I really wanted to do was ride a train. LOL. There are no trains in Cebu (they were destroyed during WWII and never restored), so I was super curious about how it would feel.

From Quiapo Church, we walked to the nearest train station—I forgot which one, though, huhu. We bought single-journey tickets and hopped on the train to somewhere.

It's just like riding a bus but with fewer stops and fewer bumps. Haha. We were squished inside, surrounded by people.

We were planning to kill some time at the Venice Grand Canal Mall in McKinley Hill, Taguig. This is also where we parted ways with Chiarra and Mylbon, who were heading home to where they were staying.

After taking pictures at the famous spot in the mall, we departed for our last stop, Bonifacio Global City, where @iamcjestrada was meeting up with his work friends for dinner. Wilfred and I opted not to join them since we would just feel out of place, LOL.

Instead, Wilfred and I strolled through this "jungle city," looking for a quiet place to have dinner, until we settled on Goto Tendon.

I ordered their Sizzling Pork Sisig, and I was surprised when it arrived because the sisig was white! I liked it—it tasted like regular sisig, though I still don’t know why it was white. Hahaha!

While waiting for CJ, we spent some time in a park to pass the time. It's funny that the parks there have closing times! LOL. So we walked back to Bonifacio High Street to wait for CJ.

Around midnight, the streets of BGC were still lively, but we had a flight to catch, and we were tired, so we decided to kill time at the airport.

Our trip to Manila was fun and quick. The long walks to get from one place to another were totally worth it, though I did find commuting a bit challenging. Luckily, there's Grab, though it’s quite costly.

One thing’s for sure, we’ll be back soon to explore more. A day just isn’t enough to experience everything. Until my next adventure!