The rainy season is upon us and it would be inevitable to see some pious Catholics make their way to this particular corner near the intersection of Aurora Boulevard and Katipunan Avenue (part of the C-5 road network) Considering the area’s proximity to the commercial districts of Eastwood City and Cubao, not to mention the educational-commercial “district” of Katipunan Avenue, it is surprising that the place itself is a quiet neighborhood…quiet enough for a monastery like the Real Monasterio de Sta. Clara de Manila to be there. But this one is not just any monastery where devout Catholics go to pray for good weather or some other intercession, It is a…
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A Path to Martyrdom: Rizal in Fort Santiago
Today, the nation marks the 112th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Philippines’ National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. (technically, he is not officially declared a national hero, but that’s another story) As it is during Rizal Day, many will surely commemorate this day by a visit Rizal Park or any of the Rizal-related places and shrines throughout the country, one of them surely would be the Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago. This Rizal Shrine in Fort Santiago used to be barracks of the soldiers who were stationed in the old Spanish fortification of Fort Santiago. Today, it is a quaint little museum that is home to some Rizal memorabilia like…
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Of conquistadores and libertadores: the case of Intramuros monuments
The southwestern portion of the area outside the walls of Intramuros is a curious sight to say the least, for the presence of a hodge-podge of monuments which have little to do with each other nor do have any commonalities with a single aspect of Philippine history…if any. I have blogged about some of these monuments before: the Ninoy-Cory monuments and the Cardinal Sin one located near the corner of Padre Burgos and Bonifacio Drive, which are part of that particular monument complex. A bit farther is the most imposing of all the monuments in the area, and also the oldest in existence. This is the Legazpi-Urdaneta monument erected in…
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Intramuros on a Segway
For a long while, a tour around the Walled City of Intramuros would normally involve a ride in one of the city’s oldest modes of transport: the trusty old calesa. But with time and technology catching up in this historic part of the city, the Intramuros experience just got itself enhanced. Thanks to the folks behind the first hotel in Intramuros, the White Knight Hotel located right across San Agustin Church, (AKA the oldest church in the country) they introduced in March this year a unique Intramuros tour experience which they dubbed, quite appropriately, the Electric Chariot tour. The electric chariot in question here unfortunately does not involve robot horses…