MarkMcElroy.comManila Magic – Touring the Intramuros (Old City)
First GlimpseIn Francis’s tuk-tukFrancis at workHeaded into IntramurosEnjoying the SunlightOur View of the ShipFun with CanonsGlad our chariot was electricCathedralSt. Augustin InteriorWWII RuinsWire Coil Tree is ThrivingLunch at last!Many pork dishesPeanut-butter currySomber RemindersWWII DestructionQuiet RemembranceA Bit about The Photo Gallery
Click an image to see a larger version.
- A first glimpse of urban Manila from our ship’s balcony;
- Mark and Clyde in the back of Francis’s electric tuk-tuk;
- Francis navigating around the many obstacles in the Intramuros;
- a pathway in the Puerta Real Gardens;
- a shot along the edge of Muralla Street;
- a shot of our ship in the distance, taken from the Sky Deck View Bar of the Bay Leaf Intramuros Hotel;
- historic canons along the Baluarte de San Francisco de Dilao;
- a kaelsa, or horse-drawn carriage, featuring one of the “blindfolded” horses;
- outside the Manila Cathedral;
- inside the St. Augustin church (those details on the ceilings are all faux-finishes!);
- more from the Baluarte de San Francisco de Dilao;
- what I call a “wire tree,” also very popular in Thailand;
- three pics from a great lunch (details below);
- the exterior of the dungeons of Ft. Santiago, where Japanese soldiers tortured and mass-murdered anyone even suspected of resisting the Japanese invasion;
- a historical photo of the total devastation of Manila’s old town during WWII, save the church of St. Augustin
- a quiet, green place for contemplation within Fort Santiago.
Story of the Day
I’ve been looking forward to Manila, where we decided to skip any of the ship’s organized tours (a bus trip to a mall?) and blaze our own trail.
We’d planned to walk a mile from the port to the Intramuros, or Old City. (Intramuros means “inside the walls” — you know, like “intramural sports” take place within the walls of schools.) What we hadn’t considered, though, is Manila’s infamous traffic!
After we stepped outside the port, we found ourselves literally swimming and dodging through trucks, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, and other pedestrians. A fire earlier in the morning had caused traffic to be redirected to our neighborhood, and the going was really tough.
Several people approached us offering to negotiate rides, and, at first, I stubbornly resisted. But then up walked Francis (see him and contact him via his Instagram account), calm and smiling, inviting us to see the Old City in his “Philippine Lexus” — an electric tuk-tuk small enough to wind its way past traffic barriers and immobilized cars. We agreed to a price of $30 per hour … and off we went.
First things first: Francis’ tour was worth every single penny. Even though I’d picked out points of interest and mapped out a route, we would have never covered as much ground, learned as much, or made such strategic use of our time without Francis’s help. He moved at our pace: just enough history, just enough time at each stop. We’ve worked with a lot of guides; he’s one of my favorites.
Instead of burying our faces in Google Maps, we just rode and strolled with Francis, letting him guide us from site to site, bringing the Old City to life. Given all its modern charms, it’s hard to believe the entire place, with the exception of one church, was leveled in World War II. (The priests painted a white cross on the roof, tricking pilots into thinking it was a hospital.)
It’s also been the site of terrible atrocity. Under Japanese occupation, anyone even suspected of being a sympathizer was rounded up, marched to the fort, and forced into the dungeons. I won’t go into the details of the torture here; suffice it to say that when the Americans arrived, they found innumerable bodies piled in that terrible place. It’s a sobering reminder of why we cannot allow governments to begin arresting, confining, or executing people the authorities merely claim might have done something wrong. The assumption of innocence is a principle worth defending.
At lunch, we sat down in air-conditioned comfort and ordered a small feast: kare-kare (a peanut butter curry made with oxtail and pork, then seasoned with a red shrimp paste), adobo pork, and kalderetang kambing (goat stew with vegetables). I had high hopes for the kare-kare, and, at first, was disappointed with the blandness … but then Francis scooped a little shrimp paste on it and told me to try it again. Heaven! The condiment unlocked an entirely new level of savory goodness.
Over lunch, we had an interesting chat about life in Manila. After mentioning his father-in-law, Francis asked if we had ever considered marrying a Filipina woman (“You have to find one who is a good cook, first and foremost!”), we mentioned Clyde and I have been a couple for almost thirty-three years.
Francis took this right in stride and chatted some about friends who were part of the LGBTQ+ community. In the Philippines, we don’t yet have marriage rights, but for those who can get married here, it’s quite a commitment: the Philippines does not allow married couples to divorce!
On the way back to the ship, we captured photos of street scenes, stepped into the Cathedral, and saw my favorite Asian tree: the wire coil trees.
When Francis dropped us off, he surprised us a little by asking for a larger tip than I’d calculated in my head … but the fact was this: his work and his charm were worth what we paid. Even with a substantial tip, our adventure cost us less than we would have paid for any of the ship’s guided tours … and we didn’t have to put up with loading and unloading buses, being caught in traffic, or having to move at someone else’s pace.
We’re pulling away from the port even now … and I’m already missing Manila. We’ll be back — there’s so much more to see! And when we do, we’ll be making arrangements via Instagram to hire Francis again.
#Intramuros #Manila #Philippines
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