A Very Long Weekend - Intramuros


After going to church at Word Community Church in Pasig, John, Frank, Peter and I went to Edsa Shangri-la Mall to have our lunch. We ate at Cravings. I ordered something small cause I'm afraid my stomach will ache again. I was planning to go to SM for an afternoon stroll before going back to Baguio but John invited me to accompany the elder guys with him at Intramuros. Peter said he loves history and was very eager to visit the place. It was a 40-minute taxi ride under scorching noon heat. When we got to the Intramuros town square, the old Manila Cathedral stood pridely in sight. It's architecture is a cross of Gothic and Baroque style and I was quite amazed with it. I have only seen buildings of this type during our classes in Humanities. When I get inside, it was breathtaking. The altar was adorned with ancient statues. You could've imagined it was like something of a Sistine chapel.


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Manila Cathedral


Entrance to Fort Santiago

Anyway after that, we got to Fort Santiago, an ancient walled fortress occupied during the Spanish era by the guardia civil. We got to visit the old areas restored, after being destroyed during "The Battle of Manila" in 1945. Finally, we get to heart of Fort Santiago, the Rizal Shrine. Most of Rizal's work are shown on there and when we get to the prison cell. It felt creepy! Like a forlorn spirit was trapped there inside. I felt goosebumps rising on my arms, I immediately left that place. At the final room, where Rizal's last poem, "Mi Ultimo Adios" was carved in a marble stone, I learned how Rizal spent his last night before he was executed. It was a painful story, where his brothers are not allowed to see him and his sisters and his mother could not even touch, let alone embrace him. Exiting Rizal Shrine, there was a tunnel going underground. I went down on it, but it became too dark to continue, even the light from the flashlight seem to have no effect. I bet it leads to Pasig River, just a few meters ahead. After that, we saw the dungeons but their entrances were locked. Nearby, there was a huge cross dedicated to Filipinos and Americans who died of suffocation in the dungeons during the Japanese era.

It was an hours due of adventure inside the fortress so we decided to take a rest. After that we went out and toured the whole of Intramuros community, visiting the National Museum and San Agustin Chruch but I was too tired to appreciate everything, let alone to share to you the whole details of it. It was about 5 when Peter and Frank decided to call it a day and they went home. Meanwhile John and I, took an FX to Cubao. We have a short dinner at Chowking, and John prayed a for me before I went home to get my things nd go back to Baguio.

Well, it concludes my very long weekend! Good night to you all and God Bless You.