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| photo credit to en.wikipedia.org |
One night I was
a victim of snatchers while walking along the street of Harrison, Pasay. Two
motorcycle-riding men, one grabbed my purse and they went off. Just like that,
my wallet and phone were gone. The snatcher even used my phone the next day! I
knew coz I called my number the following day. I suspected he used my phone and my sim to
call or text my friends, family or relatives whose phone numbers are booked in
order to ploy and get some money out of them. See...what the…
Ok I will not
go on telling horrible stories in Manila (because it is too many to mention). Terrible
as it is, I still think it is unfair to judge Manila based on those awful
experiences. What I can advise to those who want to go there is to really be
VIGILANT, WATCHFUL, ALERT, WARY, OBSERVANT,..(I think these words are of the
same meaning) Seriously, I can’t say it enough. Never ever be oblivious of anybody's presence especially of the people you don't know.
There are
many things you can do in Metro Manila. Let me count the ways…
- Sightseeing in Intramuros (Manila)-This is a must when you are in Manila. Entrance in Fort Santiago (which is part of Intramuros and is worth visiting) is 75.00Php only (that was 2010).If you have the budget, better join Carlos Celdran’s tour about the history of Manila. I heard he is a very good tourist guide. He will tell you an interesting and unbiased history about Manila in an ecstatic and witty manner. You may inquire him in his blogsite celdrantours.blogspot.com.
- Bar hopping in Makati, Ortigas or Quezon City
- Sightseeing in Manila Ocean Park (Manila) - I haven't done this what a shame.
- Picnic in Luneta Park (Manila)
- Shopping, eating, malling in MOA (Pasay City)...There are many big
shopping malls in Manila. I just think MOA is worth included in the list
because it is an all-in-one shopping/dinning/sightseeing (Manila bay that
is)…can I include exercising? Coz it’s so huge, you’ll get tired
roaming around.
- Shopping in Baclaran (border of Pasay and
Parañaque ) – There are many dirt cheap gorgeous items (to many to mention)
sold here everyday 24/7! I prefer to shop here at night or at early
morning because of the weather. It’s too hot in the daytime.
- Wandering in Makati- We all know Makati is the business capital of
the Philippines. But it’s more than just that. There’s something endearing in Makati and it’s not because I used to
work here. I don’t know if it’s just me or if it’s just me (confused? me too).Seriously,
I love the small specialty shops/restaurants (pastry shops, Filipino merienda
shop, pizza parlors, Big Brothers Burger ,Krispy Kreme, coffee shops, etc..)
along the streets of Makati. I love how generally clean the streets are. I love walking around
Ayala Triangle or Greenbelt park enjoying the art of doing nothing. How I
miss Makati.
- Shopping in Divisoria (Manila)- Just like Baclaran, it offers
dirt cheap prices in variety of goods sold here.
- Eating in Binondo (Manila) - There are many Chinese restaurants
here that offer affordable mouth-watering Chinese cuisine.
There are just
so many things you can do in Manila that's it for now. I can’t count all the ways...
This is just
based on my observations and research. I know there are so many wonderful
things you can do or see. I am not in any way pretending to be an expert in
Manila. There are a lot of enjoyable things that I have not experience there.
Again to
those who will go on vacation in Manila, be very cautious and never trust
anybody especially when it involves money.
For me Manila
is still beautiful. And I miss being there. I will be there soon.
I will leave
you with what Carlos Celdran has said “
You cannot change how Manila looks, but you can change how you look at Manila”.
Clever. I love this man and all his endeavors.
TCB
