cheap thrills in manille

after a series of very serious postings -- carried away as i was by the devastation wreaked by super typhoon yolanda on my beloved tacloban city and some parts of samar, leyte, cebu and iloilo -- i am doing something light that can hopefully bring a smile or two on our wrinkled faces and restore some luster on our greying hairs caused by the government's ineptness in dealing with the storm.

if you are tired of staying inside the airconditioned shopping malls that tempt you to buy, buy and buy things that you don't actually need, then may i suggest walking around roxas boulevard (if you don't mind the occasional stench coming from the filthy manila bay, street kids in tattered clothes begging for money, and the homeless staring at you with hunger in their eyes) and the cultural center of the philippines all the way to the philippine international convention center.

it's best to do this in the afternoon so you can catch manila's famous sunset along roxas boulevard or even at the seaside at the back of the folk arts theatre where some yachts are docked. (if you are a morning person, then it's best to go before six so you can catch the sunrise.)

for the past few months, i have been doing this: walking from roxas boulevard to the ccp complex and all the way to picc. then when i am tired, i would sit at one of the benches at harbour square and stare at the sea or wait for the sunset. sometimes, if i have some money, i would buy a cup of cappuccino at starbucks or a glass of halo-halo at iceberg.

or you can walk a little from roxas boulevard to my old favourite hunt, cafe adriatico, to sample the restaurant's filipino and spanish dishes. you can try my all-time favourite merienda: dinuguan at puto.  if you are the religious kind, you can pray at the historical and centuries-old malate church. feed your soul first before feeding your body and mind.

anyway, here are some photos that i took that will give you a glimpse of what you are missing while you are busy dreaming about a vacation in maldives or athens.

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roxas boulevard -- the boulevard of broken wings.

while i commend former manila mayor alfredo lim for getting rid of the bars and restaurants that dotted roxas boulevard, a brain child of his predecessor lito atienza, he however failed to maintain its beauty. the whole stretch was neglected, filthy and has become a home for countless beggars and homeless people, further adding to the sorry state of the place.

but don't let that deter you, roxas boulevard still offers the best view of the sunset.

if we are lucky, then maybe former president and now mayor joseph estrada would beautify the place and clear it of beggars and the homeless. while these gentle people are harmless, they still need to be relocated to a more decent dwelling. why not provide them cheap homes and livelihood elsewhere? i am sure with the multi-billion peso funds that would be freed from the removal of pdaf or pork barrel after it was declared illegal by the supreme court, the government will have extra money for this. right?

while i am at it, it has been my dream to start a soup kitchen along roxas boulevard to feed those homeless kids, old folks and beggars. i just don't know how to go through with it. i want to do this even  twice a month, if only to make these people feel that they are still being taken cared of by this oftentimes neglectful society.

after i witnessed a well-organized soup kitchen at villamor airbase that offered foods and drinks to victims of typhoon yolanda after they disembarked from c130s, i thought why can't we do this along roxas boulevard too where there are a few hundred famished souls living around it.

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cafe adriatico. this old  two-storey spanish house converted into a restaurant is a favourite among bohemians, artists, politicians, writers, celebrities and tourists. the better way to appreciate manila's under belly and the bevy of characters that roam its busy streets : street urchins, watch-you-car boys, hawkers, hookers, policemen, waiters calling for customers.

the restaurant's puto at dinuguan, suman sa lihiya, lola ising's adobo, callos, ensaymada, are to die for. they also have the strongest brewed coffee that i have ever tasted. it kept me awake for the whole night when i first tried it. the iced tea, tsokolate (prepared the old fashioned way) and cakes and other desserts like claude's dream are also not to be missed!

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picc. the lovely trees at the park right at the center of the picc, folk arts theatre (now the home of a religious group) and coconut palace where the vice president of the land  holds office will help ease away the tensions in your whole body.

here, you can find health-conscious folks or those trying to maintain their shapely bodies run or do some push ups. this is where i would often walk around for about twenty minutes just to sweat out the toxins and other negativities in my body and mind. it's very relaxing, especially during dusk when everything turns quiet and a chilly air hugs and then soothes your aching muscles.

i love walking beside picc. the street is wide, traffic free and always clean with trees lining up its entire length. it reminds me of the manila of my childhood. ideal for walking, jogging, biking or playing badminton. parking is also not a problem because there are too many parking spaces available.

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if you are more adventurous (chos!),  you can walk at the back of folk arts theatre where the yachts are docked. the area offers a nice view of manila bay as well as of the sunset. this is also where you can take the ferry boats that will bring you to the nearby corregidor island.

you can also rent a yacht to go around manila bay for a party. if that's your thing. why not? just imagine you are in st. tropez getting a tan and hobnobbing with the rich and famous!

it's so peaceful and quiet here. as if you have flown out of the maddening manille.

you would never guess that just a few kilometers away is the mall of asia, or the busy streets of roxas boulevard and vito cruz.

ideal for reading a book, contemplation, writing poetry or just about anything, even doing yoga.

once you are tired of staring at the sea, listening to the seagulls cry, or watching the tourists (mostly koreans and japanese) take photos before riding the ferries that would take them around manila bay, then you can go to gloria maris to sample its delectable food.

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or better yet, walk an extra mile (double chos!!!) to harbour square, which is right across the ccp complex. the square boasts of popular coffee shops, bars, fast food outlets and restaurants such as starbucks, crispy creme, kfc, iceberg, dencio's, pancake house, jollibee, mang inasal, chicken rice shop, among others.  you might even catch some actors, singers and other celebrities having a meal or coffee after a show at the ccp. i have seen quite a lot, by the way, such as snooky serna.

because it's right next to manila bay, you can also enjoy the view of the sunset here, especially if you sit at tables outside of the restaurants.

this is where i hang out most of the time. i would just sit at one corner, read a book and then wait for the spectacular sunset. yes, by now you know that i am obsessed with the sunset.

though it can be a bit noisy on weekend nights because some bars here would play music too loudly to attract customers. but i don't mind. by that time, i am zen enough to take on anything.

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that's all. i hope you enjoy my little side of paradise.
see you here soon!