~manila, you're not that ugly

I’ve always wondered what the Manila Ocean Park was like,but people advised me to wait until everything was open before I went to visit.  Three years have passed since its grand opening in 2007,  but yey I was still an eager beaver to go in for the first time last month!

For a random Tuesday afternoon, I was surprised to see it packed, and not with school kids on a field trip, but with regular families with children and even seniors in tow.

Lots of interesting animals to see, this eel was among the first to greet us…

Such a menacing look from this ray! Doesn’t he remind you of Sebastian in The Little Mermaid…?

Have you ever seen a fish so cute? Or nagpapa-cute? Wonder what those teeth are for!!

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After a nice Pasig river ferry ride from Guadalupe last Saturday, we walked around Intramuros, one of the default must-stops for visitors to Manila.

Literally “within walls”, Intramuros was the creme de la creme of real estate in the Spanish times, where the richest and most powerful congregated and stayed.

The ferry docked at the Plaza Mexico station, where we were greeted by this monument in honor of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade.

Notice the Guardia Sibil in full get-up! All the Intramuros guards wear this period piece now… can I say hot (as in maiinit!!)?

This very spot was eerie for me– I dreamt it before, and was scared zombies would come out of the ruins and run after me!

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Went on my first Couchsurfing Manila gathering on the Pasig river ferry last Saturday morning.  We met at the Guadalupe station at 9:30 am and took the ferry for a 45-minute ride to Plaza Mexico, Intramuros, which cost Php 45.00 one way.

If you’re taking your car and are not familiar with the area, I suggest you park it either in Shangri-la (parking is open even early morning) or Ayala Center, then take the MRT to the Guadalupe MRT Station.  From there, it’s a short walk to the Guadalupe river station.

First question friends asked about the trip– did it stink?  My honest answer: No, it didn’t, it just smelled like a river… maybe a fishy river, but no gaggingly foul smell.

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I first visited the Marikina Shoe Expo (now called– and perhaps more aptly– the Cubao Expo) with my girl friends in 2005. Back then the area lived up to its name as a shoe depot–there were really just shoe shops everywhere! I remember telling friends that Marikina Shoe Expo was the place to get customized shoes done, even knee high boots in various leather colors!

Two Saturdays ago (March 27), I went back to Cubao Expo for Anton’s Photoblogging class, and was happy to just walk around this  U-street in Cubao and be curious again.

Parking is still available inside, although I don’t remember it being so expensive (I paid P50 for a little over 3 hours of parking)!

There was a street tiangge on that day though, which took up most of the slots…

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Ambeth Ocampo recently wrote about his love for the Pasig River in Hidden history of the Pasig River, in which he waxes romantic about how the river was once integrated into the Filipino’s daily life.

A Filipino in pre-Spanish times, he says, would describe the Philippines as a group of islands connected by water (as opposed to separated by it):

River and sea were not obstacles to the pre-Spanish Filipino. For them water connected rather than separated islands.

 He also touches on the Pasig’s tourism potential:

The Pasig could be an alternative tourist attraction, except that our bridges are not as old or as pretty as those along the Seine. There are 13 bridges that cross the Pasig from end to end: Bambang Bridge (a.k.a Napindan), C-5 Road Bridge, Guadalupe Bridge, Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge, Sevilla Bridge, Lambingan Bridge (which Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim wants to rename Corazon Aquino Bridge), Pandacan Bridge (a.k.a. P. Zamora), Mabini Bridge (formerly Nagtahan), Ayala Bridge, Quezon Bridge, McArthur Bridge, Jones Bridge, and Roxas Bridge (formerly Del Pan). All these bridges were given a face-lift in the centennial years leading to 1998, but only Mabini remains. Huge brass profiles of Mabini ornament the sides and at night the bridge has lights that change colors

Operative word: Potential.

So much potential going about… how do we harness it?

I prepared a guide for cruising the Pasig right when the River Cruise was opened to the public (about 2 years ago). It’s very informal,and was made for personal consumption (no references to sources, sorry) but quite comprehensive with 24 pages.  Routes and schedules need updating though. Email me if you want a copy.

On another note, read another article on the Inquirer, A creative hub vision for the Philippines, which mentions the phenomenon of forced demand (think field of dreams: if we build it, they will come) to encourage (and sustain!) creative industries, particularly the fine arts. An example would be to include museums in tour packages to “force” people to include them in itineraries.. We Pinoys invest in our culture without even intending to, it’s time we do it mindfully, with a sumptuous harvest in mind!

Heard about a cruise around Manila Bay just recently, was surprised to find out it’s been around for a while.. Looked online for ferry options, found at least four options for the cruise, including one that involves a charted yacht (sosy!!)… I thought the most convenient (and decent, by the look of the pics) was the one that leaves from MOA.

OPTION 1
Sail off into the night with a cruise along Manila Bay. You can choose either the sunset cruise (4-7:30 pm) or the evening crusie (8-11:30 pm). P3200 per couple already includes dinner. Call Paul at 09178456738 / 285-7485 or Val at 09223614544 / 5236648.

OPTION 2 - (info taken from a blog dated January 22, 2009)
Manila Bay Dining Cruise
Prestige Cruise (832.8967) offers a 1.5 hours cruise at Manila Bay. It is located at Harbour Square, CCP Complex. Cruise rates are P250 for cruise alone and P495 for cruise with dinner.

OPTION 3
Realship Corp and not from Prestige cruises. You may check out their website at www.realshipcorp.com and numbers at 832-5424.

OPTION 4 (info from our awesome planet, Anton’s blog dated November 20, 2007)
Manila Bay Cruise by Metrostar Ferry @ Mall of Asia
The Metro Ferry dock is located beside The Shrine of Jesus, The Way, The Truth and the Life (Church across Mall of Asia). I would recommend to take the sunset cruise (5.00pm) or the evening cruise (6.30pm) on Fri/Sat/Sun in time for the MOA fireworks

P120, Free for kids below 3ft.
Metrostar Ferry, Inc.
Mall of Asia Termina, SM Mall of Asia
Tel No. +632 407-8826 to 27,
Cel No. +63 928 677 4221

After a number of very enjoyable river/bay rides in Bohol last month, I realized I have a soft spot for water and boats, but was honestly not expecting much from Manila Bay (stench! stench!). Surprisingly though, the “cruise” itself was very relaxing! Well worth the P120 fare.. We were just six passengers, but the staff told us the boat gets filled up on Friday and Saturday nights with families looking to enjoy the fireworks display on the bay. Covers of OPM (mostly APO) were playing in the background, and the wind was a welcome treat on that lazy humid afternoon.

Wish more people support efforts like this so the business gets sustained. It’s a cheap thrill in the city–a good alternative to spending P180 on a movie

More pictures here.

Went to Manila Hotel for the first time this morning as part of the tour offerings of the MVP Philippine History Course…

Caption says:
“A historical landmark — Manila Hotel — built in 1912.
A venue of big events and grand aspirations
Beside Intramuros Golf Course Open day and night to all golfers
Overlooking Manila Bay and Rizal National Park
A place like no other in the world”

Hmmm…can’t say the copy works wonders, but just the same, didn’t expect to find such an old school architectural piece like that so accessible (and still being used!) on a daily basis in the city. Built in 1912, that’s almost 100 years old. Our guide, Za, advised us that the Hotel Archives is actually open to the public by appointment c/o the front desk..

Having just come from a tour of the American Embassy a few minutes earlier (where unfortunately taking pictures was prohibited), couldn’t help but compare their American ballroom, which incidentally was the venue for the post-WWII trial that sentenced General Yamashita to death, to the Manila Ballroom at the hotel, which was vast and opulent in its dark, wooden glory.

Grand ballroom with sampaguita-inspired steel railings:

Sarimanok detail on the ballroom staircase


Capiz chandeliers

General Douglas MacArthur was given the whole fifth floor of the Manila Hotel as his primary residence during his term as military consultant to the Philippines.

Today, half of his seven-room suite is still leased out to guests for $2,000/night. Package includes two bedrooms, a study, a formal dining room, a living room/receiving area, and the services of a personal butler.

Also of interest is the fine dining restaurant, Champagne Room, which was purportedly a favorite dining place of Imelda Marcos.

Glass trees and French-inspired interiors

I chanced upon Swagat Indian Cuisine on Rada St. while on a client call last week, and decided to order roti (whole wheat dried bread) for take out. Overwhelmed by the Indian jargon on the menu, I did what every clueless person would do in such a situation: ask for the waiter’s recommendation (wanted a dip different from the usual curry). Ended up with an eggplant mix and a cottage cheese dip. The minimum waiting period is 15 minutes for all orders, so I decided to kill time with a leisure walk around Legazpi Village.

Interesting finds along Rufino St. (formerly Herrera):

1. La Grotta, Italian restaurant which a friend who recently tried it described as “interesting and worth a second visit.”

2. Studio 116, offering adult ballet and ballroom dancing classes:

Once heard that Manila offers the best nightlife in Asia. Quality and variety considered. I have yet to explore other major cities in the region, but given that our bars don’t close at 2am (or worse, 11pm!) and beer can cost anywhere from P25 to P100, it’s fair to say that Manila is not a dud at night.

Hotspots off the top of my head these days: The Fort (Embassy and Jaipur – for dancing), Fiama and Luce along Jupiter St. (if you hate posers, stay away, but lots of eyecandy there), Saguijo for indie bands, Timog/Tomas Morato area for laidback inuman with friends, Greenbelt for flexible coffee-dessert-drink gimmick.
Detailed Party guide for clubbers, mostly house music.

Other things of interest this weekend:

POWERBOOKS’ WAREHOUSE SALE
June 16-18, 2006
10AM-7PM
25 Brixton St. Capitol Subdivision, Pasig City (map)

We’re turning 10!!!

To jumpstart our 10th anniversary, we’re having a 3-day warehouse sale!

Enjoy big discounts on our wide range of new and best selling titles!!! (20% off on regular items and up to 90% off on bargain items). Don’t miss out on the hottest sale this June.

INSTITUTO CERVANTES
1st Non-Stop Around the Clock Reading of Noli me tangere in the Philippines
June 16 & 17, 2006

On the occasion of the official inauguration of its new building, Instituto Cervantes invites all Manileños to pay tribute to José Rizal’s work by taking part in the First Public Non-Stop, Around-the-clock Reading of Noli me tangere in its original Spanish version!

580 pages, 21 continuous hours of non-stop reading! Join the event as a reader or as a listener! Readers will receive a commemorative t-shirt plus a Certificate of Participation.

And don’t miss the simultaneous events! Midnight dance shows / concerts & Midnight Paella on Friday night! Breakfast Party on Saturday morning: Chocolate con churros for the morning readers!

Instituto Cervantes
855 T.M. Kalaw St.
1000 Ermita (map)
Tel. 63 2 526 12 82
Fax 63 2 526 14 49

More on the Instituto Cervantes cultural programme.

On our way home last Friday, my brother and I spotted this photo op, from the 2nd level parking of Pricesmart, Bonifacio Global City. Nice quiet place in the middle of the Fort.

Pricesmart also has a snack area that serves an amazing Chicken Baked Roll. At P99, it’s long enough to half and share between two people, stuffed with mozzarella, chicken and ham. Usually served with sour cream dip, but they ran out last Friday. We made do with mayonnaise and hot sauce.

Pricesmart offers members-only warehouse shopping (if you just want to eat, sometimes flashing a smile is enough to get you in) at Bonifacio Global City. Snack area serves pizza, calzone, chicken baked roll, salads. Also with Haagen Dazs, Sugarhouse, and Zagu stands.