View from Fort Santiago
I am back in the super sunny UAE. It is summer here in contrast to the relatively rainy season in the Philippines. Thanks to our weeklong holiday due to Eid celebrations that I managed to have another whirlwind trip to the Philippines. It was in 2008 when the holiday had been this long. We can say that it is a once in a decade occurrence.
Would you like to explore Intramuros by calesa (horse carriage)?
I thoroughly enjoyed the short stay at home, catching up with family (aiming to catch up with some friends in my December trip this year), the raindrops, food, and more. I cannot emphasize enough how happy I am that I was able to revisit Intramuros in this trip and that the weather cooperated that day. I particularly nurtured my interest to revisit the Walled City after I had my share of visits to a number of castles and forts in the past months in the UK.
The last time I extensively wandered in Intramuros was in late 1990s. Not so surprisingly, I hardly recognized some establishments as of 2016. On the other hand, there were corners/spots that I vividly remembered no matter how much they have been restructured or replaced. It is quite interesting though that all the time I was wandering within this beloved Walled City, my eyes were seeing two frames (of the late 1990s and the present). It was a little nostalgic, so to speak.
