Philippines Journey - Solo Tour (Day #4 - Missing Stories)

Hi, semua. Jadi, pas kemarin gue ke Manila ada satu hari yang terlewatkan untuk ditulis disini. Padahal hari itu adalah kesempatan gue jalan-jalan di Manila sendirian dan bahkan tanpa menggunakan kendaraan bermotor alias jalan kaki. So, lemme told you my solo tour...

Rencana gue adalah menunjungi National Museum, tapi gue kepagian berangkat dari hotel dan ternyata deket jaraknya. Akhirnya gue jalan aja terus dan memutuskan untuk mengunjungi Rizal Park yang ada di sebelah National Museum. 

Dari Intramuros, gue harus menyebrangi jalan dan melewati jalan bawah tanah ini.
Familiar? Kayak di Blok M :)))

Gue harus melewati Balai Kota dulu.

Banyak sekolahan sepanjang jalan dan BERSIH dari sampah.
Namun, di beberapa lokasi malah bau pesing yang cukup tajam.

Rizal Park

Tamannya gede banget, bo. Asik banget kalo beraktivitas di sini. Masalahnya cuma satu, PANAS BANGET. Sangat wajar untuk menggunakan payung di sana, baik laki-laki maupun perempuan. Kalo di Indonesia, yang laki-laki pasti tengsin kalau pake payung meski panas hahaha. 

Welcome to Rizal Park.

Ada miniatur Filipina di sini. Kalau miniatur Indonesia ada di TMII.

Banyak pohon di sini, bahkan banyak yang tidur pula.
Seru yah asupan oksigennya tercukupi.

Di Rizal Park, ada The Orchidarium, seperti "akuarium"-nya anggrek-anggrek.

Ini salah satu koleksi anggrek mereka. Menurut gue, isinya tidak sesuai namanya.
Anggreknya engga sebanyak yang gue bayangkan.

Seger banget lihat ikan-ikan ini di dalem air.

Rasanya mau matahin bangku ini :)))

Sudah waktunya National Museum buka, dan gue memutuskan untuk beranjak ke sana. 

National Museum

Selamat datang di National Museum

Jadi, dulu bangunan ini adalah gedung "DPR"-nya Filipina. Kemudian dialihfungsikan menjadi museum sejarah Filipina. 

Seneng kalau museum itu penuh. Artinya, masih banyak yang mencintai sejarah :)

Foto ruangan di atas sebelum jadi museum.

Happy kids!

Statues

Ada satu ruangan di museum ini yang mengingatkan gue dengan mata kuliah Botani waktu masa kuliah dulu. Ini buktinya hahaha...

Ini adalah gambar tanaman kayu manis.

Siapa yang suka varian Moringa pada produk The Body Shop?
Ini nih taksonomi tanamannya.

Merasa cukup dengan kunjungan museum, gue memutuskan untuk ke ... mall. Hahahaha. Penasaran kan kayak gimana mall di Filipina. So, the nearest mall I visited was SM City Manila. 

SM City Manila

Gue rasa mall-nya kayak BIP atau Pejaten Village, hehehe.

M.E.N.G.G.I.U.R.K.A.N

They also support in reducing plastic bags, while they still give away plastic bags for free.

Kemana pun gue pergi, harus check-in ke toko musik.
Gue dapet ini dengan harga 70 ribu rupiah saja.

Kembali ke Intramuros

Gue suka jalan-jalan di Manila, karena suasananya mirip dengan Indonesia. Selain itu, gue dikira orang FIlipina, I feel safe here. 

Warung-warung pinggir jalan juga banyak di Manila.
Mirip lah seperti di Indonesia :)

Gue makan siang di Jollibee, restoran cepat sajinya Filipina.

Dan berakhir di ...

Hahaha...gue punya kartu Starbucks Filipina :)))

Kemudian kembali ke hotel dan makan malam di ....

McDonald's! Hahaha... Sukanya gue disini, semua restoran cepat saji yang gue kunjungi
(KFC, Jollibee, dan McD) menggunakan wadah yang bisa dipakai ulang.
Emangnya di Indonesia yang engga mau ribet pake kardus-kardus
sekali pakai dan langsung buang gitu aja. Ih....

Ohya, sebelum kembali ke hotel, gue mampir dulu di mural depan hotel. 

Berjalan kaki di Intramuros itu seru. Berasa di rumah aja sih ngerasanya.

Di Intramuros banyak sekali sekolah dan kampus, dan anak-anaknya pada nongkrong disini. Seru deh.

Ini hotel yang gue tempati selama di Intramuros.
Orang-orang itu adalah teman-teman gue yang lagi rapat, sedangkan gue jalan-jalan :D

Mau kembali lagi kesini deh kalau ada umur. Hehehe. 

Yuk, ah dadah babay. 

Philippines Journey - Checking Out

Disclaimer:

The story wrote offline on the day of checking out from hotel and ready to leave Manila. 

I can’t believe that today is Day #6, which means I have to leave Manila. After checking out, I still have plenty of time to walk around Intramuros. So let us have a look!

Manila Cathedral

Manila Cathedral is the 8th structure to rise on the site. The first cathedral was built of nipa in 1571 and was razed by fire in 1583. The second was made of stone and mortar in 1591 but was destroyed by earthquake in 1599 and 1600. The third was built in 1614 and was again wiped out by earthquakes in 1621 and 1645. The fourth was constructed from 1654 to 1681, damaged by typhoons and earthquakes, and subsequently demolished in 1751. The fifth was inaugurated in 1760 and destroyed by earthquake in 1863. The seventh was inaugurated 1879, damaged by the 1880 earthquake and totally destroyed in 1945 Battle of Manila. The present cathedral completed in 1958 was elevated to the rank of Basilica Minore by Pope John Paul II in 1981. It’s officially named Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. 

The church tour is free. 

Beautiful!

Teuteup selfie!

Inside the curch

Jesus Christ.

Fort Santiago

One of the oldest fortifications in Manila. Built in 1571, on the site of the native settlement of Raja Soliman. First fort was a palisaded structure of logs and earth. Destroyed in the Limahong attack in 1574. Stone fort built between 1589 and 1592. Damage in the 1645 earthquake. Repaired and strengthened from 1658 to 1663. Became the headquarters of the British occupation army from 1762 to 1764. Repaired and renovated in 1778. 

Former headquarters of the Philippine Division of the US Army occupied by the Japanese military in 1942 where hundreds of civilians and guerrillas were imprisoned, tortured and executed. Destroyed in the Battle of Manila in 1945. 

Used as depot of the US Transportation Corps before turnover to the Philippine Government in 1946. Declared Shrine of Freedom in 1950. Restoration and maintenance of the fort began in 1951 under the National Parks Development Committee. Management was turned over to Intramuros Administration in 1992. 

The entrance ticket is Php 75. I forgot to take change Php 25 :(

Selfie lagi!

Inside the Fort Santiago

Heavenly refreshing!

Statue of I-don't-know 

Lunch

It’s hard for me to find some “halal food” in Manila. The easiest choice is fast food. Today, I tried KFC. Hahahaha. The price is Php 165. 

Bedanya KFC Indonesia dan Filipina adalah engga ada saus cabai dan tomat!
adanya saus kacang gitu dicampur dengan tepung.

Starbucks (located at Puerta de Isabel II)

It’s my second visit to Starbucks, to get my reward on registered card haha. So, Starbucks is located at Puerta de Isabel II. 

Front view of Starbucks Intramuros

Bring back memories

Hello, Rakyang.

So, Puerta de Isabel II was opened in 1861. The last gate to be built in Intramuros. Part of route of tranvia (street car) in the 19th century. Damaged during Battle of Manila in 1945. Restored in 1966. Statue of Queen Isabel II originally unveiled at Plaza Arroceros. Removed and stored in 1868. Placed in front of Malate Church from 1898 until 1970. Moved to present site in 1975. 

Queen Isabel II

Chambers built in 1837 extending from Baluarte de Santo Domingo to Baluarte de San Gabriel. Used as military medical qurters and storehouse. Sections demolished by American engineers in 1903. Damaged during Battle of Manila in 1945, only 15 chambers remain intact. 

Walking around Intramuros

I still have plenty of time to sight seeing, but I'm too tired. So, I decide to go back to hotel and writing these blog posting while waiting for my airport pick-up. 

I love Intramuros. So quiet, nice, quite clean.

Warung-warung kayak di Indonesia.

Inside Casa Manila

Inside Casa Manila

Time to say goodbye

Thank you Marnie (and your boyfriend) for accompany me during my last day.
Thank you for arranging my pick up service. See you again!

During my way to airport, the driver told me a lot of stories. The sad thing was when he told me that he back to his family every 6 months. Because his home is in different island, so he must save money to buy ticket. And the sad thing for me was when I had to exchange rupiah to peso (because I lack of peso and have no dollar), the rate is different! When I exchanged in Indonesia, the rate is only 300 rupiahs for one peso. But, in Manila, the rate is 500 rupiahs for one peso. So, I decided to take money from the ATM. 

The traffic is bad but I arrive at the airport just in time. 

Terminal bis ini teh?

Transit in Singapore

First time in Singapore. Next year, I probably travel to this country twice :D

Such a creative environmental campaign!

This facility is very helpful. I don't need to buy water in a single-use plastic bottle anymore,
and this water is very refreshing!

In Singapore, there's more halal food than Philippines. But, when halal food meets styrofoam,
it'll be not good for our food, right? When halalan meets not thoyyiban stuffs.

This idea is great. I think in Indonesia, in every mall, exhibitions,
and every place that give away flyers (and other similar stuffs) must have this dropping box.
For what? To reduce paper waste and reuse them all.

Hello, Indonesia!

Selamat datang di Indonesia. Sesampainya di Indonesia, gue langsung tidur seharian. Babay!

See you soon, Philippines!