Around Manila
Trip Start
Nov 12, 2011
1
67
114
Trip End
Apr 01, 2012
Manila, Luzon, Philippines
Saturday, January 28, 2012
next to this misery, there are skyscrapers and luxury hotels and a lot of people who try to find the money to survive
I took a jeepney from Mabini, Malate district in Central where is my hotel and came to the park of Loriet or Rizal, the Philippine national hero whose name is found everywhere
the park is very large but not beautiful, green, and with several statues, including one dedicated to Rizal and Lapo Lapo, the native who in 1522 killed the Portuguese navigator Magellan arrived first in this archipelago
I know that there are many other things to visit along this Park and I will go back to it in the following days
not far from the park there are huge yellow buildings, home to various ministries, the town hall of Manila and the National Museum and National Gallery
on this last one a veil is to spread because there are only 5-6 rooms open while others are being restored
it contains only pictures of Filipino painters, most of late twentieth century, and some not bad sculptures
Instead the national museum is definitely better off with 4 floors, but in practice the latter is almost empty
There are Chinese porcelain, vases and pottery especially found in local waters in or near Spanish ships sunk along the spice route that run here and there was even a rout leading from the Philippines to Mexico as both countries were Spanish colonies
you can admire the reconstructions of vessels and galleons, the board found objects such as the astrolabe and then many artifacts of farming communities with costumes, objects for processing rice, textiles and jewelry, in short, a nice museum from which you can better understand the reality and history of this country
I then entered the nearby Intramuros, ie the old Spanish colonial town, surrounded by walls and a park for golf
during the Battle of Manila in 1945, against Japanese, the allies destroyed almost all of the old town and only some parts have been rebuilt, but often there are tables that indicate: here was a time, etc. ...
there are beautiful old gates along the walls, ramparts and the highlight is Santiago fortress with the reconstruction of the cell where the hero Rizal lived long years in prison before being shot in 1896
there are also interesting antique furniture of his house in another nearby old palace
the other beauty of Intramuros is the church of St. Augustine ,convent and museum, which is in the UNESCO list and contains several galleries upstairs with many religious items, statues, vestments in addition to the kiosk and the beautiful altar
I then moved to the nearby China Town very large but definitively not particularly interesting
Undo editsDizionario
- preposizioneinintoontoatbyofwithin
Comments
Hi Gianni,
if you're still in Manila, find a few hours and 400 pesos and visit Manila's Ocean Park. It's amazing place, much more interesting than Underwater World in Singapore. A lot of colorfull fishes in dozens of tanks!!!! Great place!!
Regards, Oleg.