Visit to Intramuros and Rizal Park, Manila

The Dynamic Duo finally managed to shake off their body guards and slip into Manila city centre. Their first port of call was Intramuros, the old walled city from the Spanish colonial era … only it was basically a reconstruction. The entire city was destroyed by shelling by the US forces as they fought the Japanese in World War II. 

I found this monument to the 100,000 innocent victims of the Battle of Liberation in 1945 particularly harrowing. You humans. When will you learn some humanity?

In this carefully reconstructed villa I got a glimpse into life during the Spanish colonial period. The life of affluent members of society of the time, that is.

Manila Cathedral, originally dating from the 16th century, has also been reconstructed – no fewer than eight times! Over the centuries, it was destroyed by both natural and man-made disasters – fire, numerous earthquakes, typhoons and shelling. I have to say, the local religious must have been a tenacious bunch. The only building that survived the destruction of World War II was San Agustin Church, and even this suffered serious damage by earthquakes over the years. I was beginning to feel I was on pretty shaky ground here!

At Fort Santiago, the Oldies visited the Rizal Museum, dedicated to the nationalist and writer, José Rizal who was imprisoned in this building before being executed in 1896. My owners looked bemused by the strict rules on visitors’ attire and behaviour. They had to remove their headgear and speak only in whispers. You’d think you had entered a very sacred place. In fact, that is exactly what it is considered to be – a shrine to their national hero.

Indeed, they take their heroes very seriously. In nearby Rizal Park, we came across a diorama of his execution, depicted in a series of life size statues. No detail is omitted – from his trial, to the shooting squad, down to the doctor checking him afterwards to confirm death.

Another thing Filipinos take very seriously is … having fun! And no gathering, large or small, is complete without a karaoke session. I had heard that karaoke is big in the Philippines, but I hadn’t realised just how big. It is an integral part of their culture. There are karaoke machines everywhere and I noticed that practically everyone has a karaoke app on their phone. Many restaurants I saw had private rooms for groups to eat and sing in. Unfortunately, none of them appeared to be soundproofed. If you want a quiet, romantic dinner, you’d better choose your venue carefully!

Naturally enough, there was karaoke, sometimes even with live music, at almost every gathering with our hosts. The Oldies were asked time and again to join in. ‘No. Please no!’ I thought, terrified that they’d burst into Sound of Music hits. Thankfully, the unmelodious Oldies declined. 

Whew! We’d just been spared being run out of the city. I mean, even the best hospitality in the world can be stretched only so far.