First of all I would like to say super thank you to Upside Down Museum and also to my friend who owns Lagaw Travelogue, a travel blog for reposting my previous article about the newest and off-the-wall attraction in Manila. That was a hit! For more than 2 years of blogging and continuous posting useful articles it was my first time to gain more than a thousand views in less than 24 hours. Wow! Maybe it could be just a piece of cake for bloggers who started very early in this industry but for me it was record-breaking and totally beyond my expectation. That feeling like you were floating on cloud nine did not lose right away but hey! I need to wake up and create another article. Okay! Challenge accepted! It was the 9th of April when I asked my sister to go with me in Intramuros Manila. My main plan was to visit Fort Santiago but since it was also Palm Sunday I decided to include Manila Cathedral on our Day Tour. A very sunny and hot weather welcomed us when we went out of the church. The heat was really painful but still I never thought of bringing umbrella or putting sun screen for protection that time. What I thought was to bring back my tan skin tone. Oops! Just kidding. We were walking toward the gate of Fort Santiago holding our palm branches and felt a bit uncomfortable since I needed to use my two hands to take photos. That was a challenge though and we had no choice. Putting palm branch over the front door is an old tradition to Catholic families like us. They say that it's not only a simple decor but it also pushes bad spirits away. Our mom might get frustrated too without this when she returns from Iloilo so we bought two for 60 pesos(roughly USD1.20 ) and got blessed by the priest using his holy water after mass.
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to go to Fort Santiago. Simply because I always forget to go here everytime I'm in Intramuros. I've been to different landmarks and historical places inside the "Walled City" before a few times but not here. Only last Palm Sunday that this dream turned into reality. It is given that this kind of place will just show you the Philippines during Spanish era. Yes! Just history and the traces of the past. And that's what I like. Even on my previous articles I also shared that aside from Chinatown this is also one of my favorite places in Manila. It brings you back to the great old days and there are also quiet parts inside where you can relax. If you want to find somewhat a more quiet Manila and away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Intramuros is still a nice place for that.
Welcome to Fort Santiago! You will not get lost inside Intramuros if your way is going here. There are historical landmarks too that are just few minutes walk to this place such as the old and grandly designed Manila Cathedral and an old government building Palacio del Gobernador. For a fair and reasonable price of 75 pesos(roughly USD1.50) you'll be able to see various traces of the past. I highly advise to go here in the morning especially during summer or dry season. Because of the hot weather you may not be able to walk for a long period of time and see other parts of Fort Santiago. They open 8am-6pm daily though. The extreme sweats and painful heat may irritate you so don't forget to bring bottled water. Much better to just wear comfortable clothes too. The image above is the reconstructed main gate of Fort Santiago. Let's now enter the time machine!
A calm moat can be seen before you enter the main gate where water lilies grow beautifully. Fort Santiago indeed makes a big contribution to the rich historical Intramuros and the Philippines, mainly stories of Filipinos during Spanish period. Because of that, it's not strange to see this in someone's bucket list. Either local or foreign tourist will surely include this on their Manila full day city tour. Just a brief history, the fort was named after Saint James(Santiago in Spanish). The patron Saint of Spain. It was a main fort for the spice trade to the Americas and Europe before.
Rizal Shrine. When you enter Fort Santiago a very simple yet striking house can be seen even from far distance. This is a replica of Jose Rizal ancestral house in the province of Laguna. It was dedicated to the lifework of the national hero.
Different photos of Rizal. It is said that great Rizal was multifaceted during his days. This small museum inside Fort Santiago houses various memorabilia such as artworks, manuscripts and books that will prove this. He also discovered and collected numerous specimens of sea shells, butterflies, insects, reptiles and other invertebrates during his Dapitan exile. I got a chance to see also a taxidermied winged lizard which his name appeared in the classification of it(scientific name "dracorizali").
Dr. Jose Rizal was one of the members of a patriotic newspaper organized in Spain "La Solidaridad" or The Solidarity before. This is the interactive area of the museum where you can be part of his life-size photo and other Filipino national heroes. To be more realistic you can wear costumes provided and act like an inspirational writer too.
Footsteps of Rizal. For someone who doesn't know the great guy Jose, this may be just a unique artwork but for someone who know him and truly admire his works this can be heartbreaking. Stepping on these bronze-plated footsteps and following it may later on give you goosebumps. It is because you're also retracing the last footsteps of the national hero before his execution. It's his death walk. On the other hand, walking as if you're Jose Rizal in his last moments will definitely inspire you because of his bravery and sacrificial act for the Philippines' true freedom.
Ruins of Rajah Sulayman Theater. Fort Santiago was declared Shrine of Freedom after World War II and everything was almost erased. Today the ruins serve as traces of the very painful part of that period. One example is an entrance of a theater before(picture above) now somewhat became an old dungeon. Everywhere you look is just brick walls.
Fort Santiago(Fuerte de Santiago) started its construction after the establishment of Manila as the capital of newly colonized islands of Spain in 1571.
Day of Valor. Only after we left Fort Santiago when I realized that aside from Palm Sunday it was also Valor Day that day. I was totally not sure what would be the title for this article at first but to honor the heroism of Filipino soldiers especially during World War II I included the name of this special day. It is also called Bataan Day or "Araw ng Kagitingan" in Tagalog(Philippine language) to commemorate the fall of Bataan(Corregidor) during World War II. Thousand of Filipino and American soldiers died here during many battles in the past.
Islands Souvenirs "I Love Manila". The very last time I saw this souvenir shop was way back 2013 when I was in Boracay. It was a happy feeling to see this in Manila. Now, local and foreign tourists can buy quality printed and personalized T-Shirts just outside Fort Santiago.
Minokawa and Bakunawa(Street Art by Gerilya). We left Fort Santiago roughly 3 in the afternoon. Sun's heat was still painful. While we were walking outside there was a street art that caught my attention. What's that? It was painted with very striking colors at the Intramuros Parking Lot. What are those creatures? The description tells "Bakunawa is a giant sea serpent with dragon-like features and abilities. It has a mouth the size of a lake with a red tongue, whiskers, gills and two sets of wings. It is believed to be the cause of lunar eclipses in the Visayas region. Minokawa is a giant bird which also belongs to the dragon family. Its eyes shine like mirrors with feathers as sharp as swords and everything else of its majestic body made of steel. It is believed to cause solar eclipses in Mindanaoan tales. (A public art project sponsored by Davies Paint, Intramuros Administration, Gerilya, National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Association of Southeast Asian Nations: "A Retelling of the Philippine Mythological Dragons Legend using Street Art)We really thought it's from an anime film or manga characters but no it's proudly from Filipino folktales.
Door of San Agustin Church. I already made article about this church but I didn't get a chance to take a picture with me included. Great thing my sister was with me that time to help. Without a doubt San Agustin church has beautiful doors and no one in the world who would want to miss the opportunity to use this as profile photo on social media. Am I right? There are still a lot of things I would like to discover in Manila especially those attractions in Intramuros. I will make sure to keep you updated when I get back here. Don't forget to like my facebook page Supermarkymacky etc. and instagram supermarkymacky.
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