Tour de Manila

    Hala...There was another fire for the nth time once again near one of the LRT stations and this time it was near Carriedo! You know what happened? Around noon, the LRTA made half-service trips for all stations south of the Pasig River, from Central Terminal to Baclaran. I ahd no choice but to take a jeepney from Caloocan to Manila. Thus start my so-called "Tour de Manila".

    Since the jeepney where I was in was a bit crowded, I never had ted the liberty to really see what's going on outside except for the jeepney's window where I could turn my head.

    First sight to see is Avenida Rizal from Chinese Cemetery to Doroteo Jose., the historic business district that has since lost its luster after the LRT was placed on it. there, I saw historic areas like the La Loma, Chinese and North Cemeteries which lie adjacent to each other. Followed by similarly designed residential and commercial buildings (plus some really old Spanish houses). When I said similar, I meant, they all have a columns and arches supporting the upper floors of the building. But because of the poor lighting and pollution caused by vehicle emission entrapped by below by the LRT structure, it created some sort of urban blight that is both unsightly and unpleasant to see.

    We took a left turn towards the area going to Nicanor Reyes because of the increasing pile-upof vehicles towards the ara where the fire was going on. Next thing I knew, I was in a busy thoroughfare en route to unexplored areas of Manila. I was finanlly somewhere near the Espana freeway and there I saw up and close the Art Deco beauty that is Far Eastern University. It looks good in its yellow facade and oh I wanted to be there if only my application to FEU didn't get lost at one point.

    Suddenly, the lady next to me was making a sign of the cross, meaning we where passing by a parish. I can't see the other side of the jeep because it's still crowded. I can only see bits of the church. I took another look outside and saw Plaza Miranda! WHAT?! So it means, finally I was now in Quiapo and the parish I just saw is actually Quiapo Church! Ooh..nice!

    Then next of course, the jeep is now crossing the Pasig in it's full splendor and i could see bits of smoke coming out from the aforementioned building (Good Earth Plaza Bldg.). we took some twists and turn and next thing I knew we were in Arroceros (Meihan Gardens?) right beside City College of Manila (Known at one point as Universidad de Manila pre-Lim era). The driver drove past Intramuros and before coming out to Luneta Park fully. There I get to see the former skating rink for which now lies the Lapu-Lapu Monument. It took a left turn and went straight out to T.M. Kalaw Street.

    From T.M. Kalaw, the jeepney took another turn to M.H. Del Pilar where I get to see multiple hotels and restos in the Ermita-Malate Area. I also saw a little girl making poop while using a a hole in road as some toilet, eew...!

    I didn't want to wait any further before it reaches Harrison Plaza so I stopped at Pedro Gil, walk my way to Robinson's Place for a while and later went ahead rode a jeep to Taft and walking hastingly in P. Ocampo for me to get into my first class. (I wasn't able to have lunch at noon so after my first class, I took a quick break to the cafe at Main to eat some grub at last). And that pretty much ended my quick one-hour tour of Manila.