INTRAMUROS FROLICKING

These are my shots of the paths above, beneath and beside the walled city called Intramuros.

It is actually my first time to have a tour around the famous walled city of Manila, which is the Intramuros. If not unless this is just a school requirement, I wouldn't get the chance of discovering the living history behind this Intramuros walls. Intramuros came from a Latin word which means walled city. It has the most famous feature: an almost three-mile-long structure of stone walls and fortifications that surrounds an entire district. 

From the streets of Pureza along Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard, we, together with my classmates, rode a jeepney to Quiapo. Then, another jeep transport from Quiapo to the city hall of Manila to where the Intramuros is nearly located. A bus or an LRT train may do also. Our travel time was just 30 minutes less.

 

My friends and I are at the Kalinga Octagonal House.

Once you have entered the Intramuros, it is like an extensive school campus once you see the several students from different prominent schools located inside. You will notice the building of the LPU Culinary Institute at the main entrance. Universities such as San Juan de Letran that has existed during the historical Spanish times, Mapua Institute of the Philippines and Lyceum of the Philippines can be seen at the inside-district. 

San Juan De Letran

A historical fact may help for you not to be just like a plain wanderer of it.

The entrance to Intramuros is free of charge unless you go inside the Fort Santiago, ride a calesa or a pedicab. Those vehicles will help reach your destinations as the driver tours you to different buildings, sceneries and infrastructures inside. The pedicab costs 10php per head only while the calesa may cost higher unless you ride by group.

I, wearing a blue-striped blouse, and my friends, frolicking around the Intramuros.

If you want to experience the 18th century mode of transportation, riding a calesa may do.

The commercial and residential buildings in the district have architectures that are old-fashioned and unique.

These streets make up the district of Intramuros.

ITINERARIES

 

These are my shots of some of the historical tourist spots that can be seen inside the Intramuros.

            This is the piaza mayor  or known as the main square of the Intramuros. The statue at the center is the monument to King Carlos IV of Spain, cast in 1808 and erected in 1824 by a colonial government grateful for his having dispatched a shipment of smallpox vaccine to the Philippines.

Some of the primitive ancestral houses can be seen as you go further and explore the infrastructures in the district of the Intramuros. The picture above shows the Kalinga, which is an octagonal house with the native name, Gilitob.

    In front of the main square stands the Manila Cathedral-Basilica.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Manila. Here once stood the Archbishop’s Palace named Palacio Arsobizpal.

According to the signage, this was one of the original entrances to the Walled city. It was destroyed during Battle of Manila and then restored later on.

Puerta Real and Revellin de Real de Bagumbayan. This is one of my favorite spots. I felt like remiscing what had happened to Rizal when he was in prison during the 19^th centuries.

Though we are all dead-tired, we still have the energy to pose in front of a camera (photo credits to Christine Joy Calsis).

The Jesuit Compound. This is where the first stone church has been built until it was destroyed. For now, it is still under construction. I think they are going to modernize the church’s structure.

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COFFEE BREAK

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After a while, it’s been getting late.

It’s good to savor a coffee scent or  a sweet-smelling pastry after having a great tour in the vast district streets of Intramuros. So it is better to experience the savor and explore the Ciocolata Churros Café, under the Bayleaf Intramuros Hotel Building. Eating at such café restaurants is one of my favorites. I like the coffee-scent atmosphere, the warm and soothing ambiance, the interior design and the healthy sandwiches they offer. 

At the Ciocolatta, I tried two sweet delicacies. It was my first time to taste that what they call the churros, a deep-fried spanish doughnut. You can also choose a dip for your churros—coffee caramel or cocoa. I have also ordered the Cinnamon Pretzel which costs 35php and the Moroccan Mint Tea that costs 85php.

Once again, this kind of deep-fried stuff is called the churros. It is a Spanish doughnut partnered with either coffee-caramel sauce or cocoa. This is peculiarly different from those typical round-shaped doughnuts. This is one of a kind. Its shape is uniquely patterned like a rope and then bended in a U-shape form. If you are health-conscious like me, you should have tissue on your side to absorb those excess oils from the thin, rope-like doughnuts.

The Cinnamon Pretzel glazed with a caramel sauce tastes like just an ordinary bread. The thing is pretzel is much heavier and I feel full in just a few bites of it. I recommend this as a kind of snack that is a much healthier choice than the other menus (i.e. cookies, muffins, etc.).

I like the ambiance of the Ciocolatta Churros Café. They have a soothing instrumental background that suits the warm, modern atmosphere. Their comfort room is also pleasing not just to the eyes but to the nose as well. The citrus-smelling scent filled the air inside. Everything is just worth it.

I like the ambiance of the Ciocolatta Churros Café. They have a soothing instrumental background that suits the warm, modern atmosphere. Their comfort room is also pleasing not just to the eyes but to the nose as well. The citrus-smelling scent filled the air inside. Everything is just worth it.

Well, I think that's all for now. If you have not tried visiting Intramuros, it will be better if you could. It is a way of appreciating the living history behind that great, extensive walls. You will be able to learn some mysterious things from the past.

Enjoy and may God bless your trip! :)