Madrid-Manila 2: Pedestrian life

What made Madrid become my Madrid? Never mind the obvious charms–that it’s clean (or cleaner than my usual), historical, preserved and its oldest of old buildings are still integrated into modern life; bars don’t close; draft beer is sweet and sometimes free; Zara* shops stand side by side with their discount outlets, Lefties; men in general are pleasant to look at and far from torpe. Never mind all that–for now. What made that city so tangible to me?

I was a pedestrian there. I walked and walked and walked, which let me, literally, feel the city with my skin– I noticed the everyday little things: freshly baked bread, new flavors of gelato in the morning, the welcome warmth of a sunny day after weeks of clouds and drizzles. I knew when fresh fruits would be delivered, when the line at the laundromat would be long, when my street’s sweepers would come to the rescue of poop-stained cobblestones. I was part of the city’s quiet life, the smug ordinary movements that happened day in day out, regardless of the personal issues of the people behind them or of national movements in the greater government.

The streets of Madrid were hospitable and the climate was good to pedestrians. Walking was the norm, and even distance was measured in terms of minutes it took to walk from one place to another. A typical ad in the paper would read “Flat for Rent! 2 minutes from Sol (the city center),” and I was actually fortunate enough to live in such a flat—in the dead center of Madrid, where people naturally congregated, and the pedestrian tide was not just a healthy option but an inviting rhythm.

Realistically, can the same be said of Manila? Where does one begin to walk here? General rule, for safety and spectator reasons: go where there are a lot of people, or to qualify further: go where there are a lot of busy people who mind their own business. My own biases lead me to pin down Makati and Ortigas as accessible centers, Manila (city) as a wishlist, and Cubao as a maybe.

Work has taken me around the Makati CBD on foot, from Buendia all the way to the Ayala MRT, with all the quaint sidesteps. Some of my favorite stretches for peace and quiet: Paseo de Roxas cor. Makati Ave. just by the Ayala Triangle and the old Nielsen Tower, Tordesillas St. near Salcedo/Velasquez Park, and surprisingly, H.V. de la Costa St., from New Bombay Canteen past Chef Ed’s and all the way to RCBC, which always gives me a good mix of sun and gloom. I wouldn’t have “discovered” Amici di Don Bosco, of which I’ve written many times, if I hadn’t been on foot in the city.

Ortigas is a different story. My first recollection of braving the streets there was out of necessity: during one weekend camp out in school, we snuck out early Sunday morning to scurry over to St. Francis Square for that McDonald’s breakfast craving. A more recent occasion to get intimate with Julia Vargas and ADB Ave. has been the yearly music festival, Fete de la Musique, usually held in El Pueblo.

There’s also been a recent aggressive move to get to know the streets of Manila City itself, often on tour with loud and proud streetwalkers Carlos and Ivan. Itineraries include Intramuros, Chinatown (old district or culinary), the cemeteries, San Miguel, and CCP. Without a guide, I’d say a good starting point apart from the Walled City and Baywalk would be the literal starting point of all: Kilometer 0 or Zero, which is in Luneta Park.

Legend in Spain has it that whoever stepped on Km 0 would be back there someday, so I made sure to hop on the marker everyday. Actually it would make for a good tourism contest here—invent a legend for our own Km 0.

My best friends as an amateur pedestrian:

*Note: Zara was put up by a man, who’s now the richest in Spain. There’s one opening on October 15 in Powerplant Mall.

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Other posts on Madrid-Manila:
Mad-Mla9: Relearning Spanish
Mad-Mla7: Finding Travel Buddies
Mad-Mla 6: Of Diplomats and Art
Mad-Mla 5: The English Language
Mad-Mla 4: Metro and Unlimited Rides
Mad-Mla 3: Painting Club!
Mad-Mla 1: Introduction