We just can't get enough! This is an entry of me second trip with my friends - Team LG goes to Manila ! Guess what? It's another "first" in my life. Finally set foot on the lovely soil of Luzon.
As usual... Spent the night before the trip somewhere else... This time at K's place. We planned on not sleeping at all so we had to do crazy stuff to keep ourselves alive and kicking! Haha.
But our mission failed. We couldn't fight the feeling! We slept for like an hour or two since we had an early flight. fortunately we still woke up just in time and met our self imposed deadlines.
At the airport! Just in time... Waiting for the plane! I love this paparazzi-like shot! Wearing the Terranova top that my uncle got me! Yayyy!
Before I forget, thank you to le mum for letting me borrow her bag! Haha. Asked permission this time! I was afraid of getting caught again!
Pasaway lang eh? Last minute photos before getting caught by the flight attendants!
Ola lipstick girls on the loose!
Almost had to use this! I forgot my meds! Haha. Good thing I was able to tolerate. Didn't throw up! Such an achievement. Pokie kept on talking to me while I was in an unresponsive state of mind. I was cooncentrating on how NOT to vomit
Touch down MNL!
Brrrr! It's cold in here! They're always teasing me about m jacket with holes. They said it looks like it doesn't help in thermoregulation at all... but believe me... it does. Waiting for my luggage! On struggle mode!
Jeff was not on the same flight as ours. He arrived 10 minutes earlier than us. So he had to wait! Haha :D All purple guy!
Shuttle! Haha. I felt like a tourist the moment I went in it! Haha. It felt like I was in a Japanese drama. Haha
[back seat!]
Upon arriving at MNL our first agenda was to go to our hotel and check-in and immediately spend the day loitering at the malls. So we went a little bit mall hopping. The taxi driver kept asking us why we chose that specific hotel. It was kind of annoying! Haha. We stayed at Kabayan hotel since it was near the MRT and LRT. Breakfast and lunch are included when you get a room there and you can take it out :)
We tried the LRT first. It was a traumatizing event for me! Haha. People in Manila always seems to be in a hurry. Talk about brisk walking! When the train arrived a lot of people were already in it and only few got off. So we had to push ourselves through the sea of people.
Pokie reminded us, before we got in, to hold hands... Forming a chain like formation. Haha. Karla, Jeff, and I got in first. All of a sudden the buzzer did its part! The lights above the door were flickering... Signaling that doors will close any minute. Pokie was still outside. He wasn't able to get in on time. He was reaching out for Jeff's back thus getting his arm stuck on the doors of the train. Haha. Can you imagine how painful that was? Then the guard yelled to let go and Pokie did... He got left behind! Hahaha. Thank You Lord! I wasn't last in line. Haha. I wouldn't know what to do. I'd probably go back to the hotel and just sit in the lobby since the room keys were with Karla. Haha. The good thing was that Pokie wasn't bothered at all. He was more concerned on how fast he'd get to where we were and how long it will take for another train to stop by... So we waited for him.
An unforgettable experience for all us. Haha! :D
MRT was way much better. Not too crowded and people give way to others. I am dumbfounded of the existence of a lot gentlemen in the MRT. I think I spotted two or three who stood up and let the ladies/old women take their seat. They still exist! There's still hope! Haha :)
We had another mistake when we rode an MRT that was NORTH bound when we were supposed to be heading towards the south... Or was it the other way around? Haha. My sense of direction is pretty lame. I easily get lost. Anyway, we had to seek assistance from the security and we had to cross to other side again and ride what we were supposed to ride in the first place. Haha. Good thing the guards were very accommodating :)
I bet a lot of tourist commit the same mistake. Haha!
On our last MRT ride... There was a gender separation thing. Separate section for boys and girls which I think is appropriate. I wonder why stations don't have the same policies. Some make people fall in line and some just let them be.
All the same. It was fun! It made us save a lot of money for transportation.
First stop: Intramuros, St. Agustine Church (Oldest Church in the Philippines), Fort Santiago, and Rizal Shrine
We didn't get in to other parts of this wonderful tourist spot since there was some sorta shooting going on and they closed some parts. Boo hoo! Bad timing!
Got a little bit kilig when that ajushi said something with "Anne Curtis" pertaining to me DAW! Haha. Was wearing taylor red lipstick all throughout the trip! Just to give color to my pale lips! :))
I realized how interesting history is now that I've seen some of the places where it all happened before!
We were walking around Intramuros in a not so suitable weather... I bright idea just popped into our heads. We signed up for a tour from a sikad driver who was very willing to do so. We got two - one for the boys and the other one for the girls
This was our first stop for the tour! :)) My favorite parts of the museum was the stairs and of course the historical stuff and the very relaxing view! Though at some points I felt an eerie feeling because of the "oldness" of the place and the very quiet environment... we still enjoyed it! Only a few photos taken since picture taking, video, and other media stuff weren't allowed in so many parts of the museum! If you go to Manila... I think this would be one of the "MUSTs" :DD
[San Agustin Church. Intramuros, Manila :) ]
Everything looks fancy and elegant. It felt so serene being there. There were only a few people inside. We got to enjoy the place very well.
"The Nave"
"Quadripartite Dome"
"The Pulpit" - priests used to preach here in the olden days...
The "Gallery" according to my sister.
[Super old book of songs and musical notes!!! It's pretty huge too!]
[I think it's for the choir... Pretty chairs that felt so Hogwartsy! :)) ]
[The view from the "Gallery"]
I think it's safe to say that getting a tour guide is advisable if you really want to know where all the stuff came from. We didn't get any so we really had to read the descriptions and all. We also tried to eavesdrop on some of the tour guides just to know a little bit of information. Haha!
These are ashes of the different artists who contributed to the displays at the museum.
Rizal's monument
Feels like you're in another world. The beauty of nature...
"The Noli Me Tangere"
"El Filibusterismo"
The cell where Rizal was convicted.
The instruments he used for his mother's eye surgery.
A part of his bone where the bullet hit him. Remnants of the bullet where also found.
I am at awe when I saw historical landmarks and the like... It makes me appreciate, if not all, some of the lessons I had in school.
History is beautiful!
Take a peek of the old Manila you can look at some photo from the Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries http://forum.3dpinoy.com/showthread.php?t=2595
The day has ended and the moonlight shines. Time for a quick stroll at Makati City :)
The place was wonderful. I felt like a real tourist! Haha. Always confident in posing anywhere since no one knows us! Haha XD
Realization: Ayala Malls are really into creating environment friendly establishments! Kudos to them!
[This place reminds of a scene from the movie Maid in Manhattan]
Day 2:
Enchanted Kingdom + Bonifacio High Street
Anchors Away!
[Hilaw smile because I'm quite nervous!]
I really didn't want to get on this ride. I've tried a similar ride before at Enchanted Maa (Davao's Local version of Enchanted Kingdom. Not their official name but its what the people deemed on the place). It was nerve wracking and I don't want to go under the same feeling again!
But this just shows how much influence my friends have on me. i'm normally very passive and all but because of them I get to do things that I don't do. Haha! I was blurting out words that weren't pleasant to the ears and yes... I was swearing the whole time! I held Karla and Jeff's arms. They didn't get to raise their hands like everybody else because my grip was too tight! Hahahaha!
They said it was a milder version compared to what I've tried but it was the same freakin' feeling all over again. My knees were literally shaking involuntarily! I was close to tears but I didn't cry! Haha. Phew! The ride felt like it was taking forever to stop! but I'm glad to tell you that... I SURVIVED! :D
Visit their site at Enchanted Kingdom
Food break!
Blockbuster! :)
Got my Kitkat Blizzard with Chewy baked brownies! :))
Served upside down or it's free! :DD
For a sweet tooth... I think you'll find happiness here! Haha. didn't get to finish all of mine because it was too sweet for me! Haha! Next time I'll get a milder version!
After getting all wet from the rides that splashed water all over us we need to get dried up.
So it's time to get dizzy and dry on the flying fiesta!
We didn't get completely dried up but it helped! :)
Got a little bit dizzy though! Haha
We're on top of the world at The Wheel of Fate! :D
We were too busy vlogging or should I say... We were distracting ourselves.
Haha. I'm not exactly sure how high this ride is but I would say it's high enough that you felt like you have a view of everything and the people below were very tiny!
Going up? Not really a challenge but the feeling when it goes down... I hate that feeling! Felt like my soul left my body! Haha
It was fun but it was a little bit bitin for me! Nonetheless you can repeat the ride anyway if you want to! We did a lot of walking afterwards... We happened to bump into these two mimes while walking down the streets of Enchanted Kingdom...I tried to grab both of them to get a photo but it turned out they got me instead... They started going on circles. It made me a little dizzy!
What the? What's happening?
We finally got a decent photo after so much struggle! Haha. He asked for an imaginary tip after the picture taking... So, I gave him my invisible money. Hahaha!
It was a superb 5-10 minutes of fun struggle! Loved them! It was, after the whole thing happened, I realized none of us were making any sound during the whole encounter with the mimes! Haha. It's like we entered their world!
We did save the best for last - Space Shuttle! Maaaan! It was good but I couldn't get over it right away. I had to compensate.
Night time... The Magic Stays With You...
Day 3:
ABS-CBN Studio Tour and Bonifacio High Street Stroll
So I'll just give you a little preview of my ABS-CBN experience because there's just so much to tell!
Our last night in Manila spent at Bonifacio High Street :)
We really intended to go partying that night but Seventh High was having an exclusive event so we couldn't get in. So I just posed at the other side of the street. Haha!
If there's one thing that I loved about the place its the city lights and the tall buildings. Everything looks big and I felt so small. I guess its the beauty of urban living. I wonder how it feels like to visit other countries with taller buildings and brighter lights.
Well, you all know how much I love cats... Couldn't help but take a picture with a trash bin!
We made the most out of the night. It is after all our last night in Manila.
Day 4
Hotel + Makati + Airport
We were supposed to wake up extra early so that we can still go to Makati before our flight but we woke up late. Everyone was in a rush! Haha. We made it! Karla wants to shop at Forever 21 and we also went to the Landmark. Panic buying! Haha. We did get some stuff and made it right in time. We left our luggage at the hotel so we had to go back for it.
Before leaving the hotel we were struggling to take a photo with the four of us complete. An american couple approached us and offered to take the picture! So kind of them :)
We were kind of drained that day because of the lack of sleep for 4 straight nights.
Karla and I flaunting our F21 shades! :)
Had to put some color on my lips since we didn't have time to take care of ourselves while we were rushing before our flight! Haha
Last minute changing of gates! Haha. Luckily we heard the announcement! We were the last ones to get on the plane!
The flight felt like it lasted for hours! Feels good to be back home. I still believe Davao's the best!
The whole experience was surreal! Experienced a lot of firsts again! I still want to go back. Favorite place to shop: Greenhills! I'm going to write a separate entry on our food trip and ABS-CBN tour there! Watch out for it! Until next time! Ciao <3
Photos by Karla Misa and Jose Pacquiao
Editing by AMG
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