Day 4
Wow I feel so fresh in the morning after getting a good rest and tight sleep. I bought some snacks from Robinson yesterday so that is enough for the breakfast to start our long day again. Plan today is visting Paco Park and hit to Makati area. My friend, Mba Venny, had an a ppointment with her Philippino friend at SM Ayala Center for lunchie lunchie and shopping. After having a quick breakfast we started the day again with our curiousity, still. What is the Paco Park ? with only 2 minutes walking we are there already. Paco Park is a cemetry complex that build by Dominican during Spanish Period in Manila. Paco Park is circular in shape, with an inner circular fort that stood as the original cemetery. Its walls were made hollow to serve as niches, and as the population continued to grow, a second outer wall was built with thick adobe walls. The top of the walls were still then made into pathways for promenades. A small, domed Roman Catholic chapel was also built inside the walls of the park and was dedicated to St. Pancratius. According to Wiki, an on-site inscription, an order for the construction of a cemetery in Bagumbayan was issued in 1807, due to the outbreak of a cholera epidemic in Manila. The cemetery was primarily designed as a municipal cemetery for the affluent and established aristocratic Spanish families who resided in the old Manila, or the city within the walls of Intramuros during the Spanish colonial era. It was on April 22, 1822 when the cemetery was officially inaugurated, although it had been in use for two years prior to its completion.In 1859, Governor Fernando de Norzagaray proposed the extension of the cemetery to approximately 4,500 square yards, enclosing the original plan with another circular outer wall. On December 30, 1896, Philippine national hero Dr. José P. Rizal was interred at Paco Park after his execution at Bagumbayan. Interment at the Paco Cemetery ceased in 1912. It had been the burial ground for several generations and descendants of those buried in the park had the remains of their ancestors exhumed transferred to other cemeteries in Manila. Moreover, Paco Park has become a very popular venue for weddings and receptions for couples who prefer garden-like settings. Well, the Chapel of St. Panocratius is not too big yes but it is still in used. i am happy I know eventhough just a small portion of the Philippines' history, but I like that one.
So after walking around the Paco Park, we continued our journey to SM Ayala Center Makati. We took MRT from UN Station at Taft Avenue and change to LRT at Pedro Gill, as far as I remember that is the way we took. Then We hit Ayala Centre, we look around at SM Mall and went to the Kultura Filipino, the worth, big, complete and recommended Shop who sell the Local handicrafts, traditional clothes, many kind of souvenirs and a lot more. We were there in the morning and the shop just open, and you know what ? the shopkeepers are dancing to welcome their customers hmmm it is a good attraction and I suddenly realize that the dancing seems like a Portuguese dance, looks more likely the one from my home town (Ambon, Moluccas) dance called Katreji, Ambonesse traditional dance. Okay then, story continued we take an hour to shop here. Then we took our lunch still at SM Mall. I did not recall the name of the restaurant but that is a restaurant that selling the local food (bacolod ?) all we ordered was the local food with a very good taste, but I am sorry I do not remember those food name anymore next time I must write it quickly, lol.
After we are totally full, we moved to walk inside Makati offices park, passing by the Glorietta shopping malls, (it is from the Glorietta one until five) and Ascott apartment as well. We notified that these area has no Jeepney allowed inside these offices belt and it is a spotless area from my point of view. We take several pictures there, I notice the Hard Rock Cafe Manila is here, some famous hotels such as Shangri La Makati. And yes, time to go back to our hotel it has been already 3 pm we must back to take our bags and we prefer using the taxi after taking the MRT back to UN Station as it is the most convenient one in term of the very limited time we had. We have checked out from the hotel therefore it is easy for us to just drop by, picked up our bag and heading to the airport for catching 8 something pm flight.
Oh well after arriving in the airport, we must re-packing our bag again because we did shop again at Kultura Filipina today, weww what a 'homework' hmmmm the cabin baggage allowed only 7 kg, mine has more than that and my friend either. So what should we do ? I will tell you later on the tips in my other writing. Shortly, we were though still looking for some light food to eat since we have a very heavy food in the afternoon. After that we were really in a hurry when realize the line up to immigration checking desk were very long. Ohhh my goodness we maybe would be left behind by the airplane. But we have to follow all the airport procedure for departure passenger. (FYI at the time we have to pay the terminal fee at PHP 200/pax). Soooo once we got stamping on our passport, we really run to the gate, Weww so exhausted the flight ground staff told us that our name have been paged several times however we did notice that because we were in the toliet hihihi, of course we were busy in repacking our stuff. Ohhh and that was true, we are the last one who arrived on the plane ehemmm it was really ashamed for me but I did not care what people think, we are on the plane already hurrayyy....but I noticed other passenger knew that they all are waiting for these two 'clever' passengers that is in panic trapped in a long queue at immigration check point. Hmmmm I promise myself I won't take a risk like this again noooo....I have to be more managable in term of the timing. We finally flew back home, thanks my Good Lord, I finally finished my very tight Manila - Cebu trip schedule. We are back home. Thank you Philippines, SALAMAT !!
TRAVEL TIPS
Based on my experience to travel here, there are few things you must be aware about traveling to Philippines.
1. Cheap tickets can be found during long Holiday of Idul Fitri in Jakarta, avoid traveling to Philippines in December, ticket price have not a promotional offer, all are in a normal fare or even more expensive
2. Please check the weather forecast before you decide to book your ticket since you know Philippines always in a storm track every year. So it is one of a way to make your trip still comfortable.
3. Taking public transportation in Manila and Cebu is quite comfortable for many Asian people, and specifically for Indonesian, the only difference with Indonesian mikrolet / van is beside the car size and model as they have Jeepney and small car like Avanza / Xenia, payment on a Jeepney ride by passenger will be transferred by hand to hand up to the driver at front from the back passenger. The passenger will pay to the driver on the car and not like us here in Indonesia, passenger can pay upon she / he got down if they took mikrolet. Traveling with the public transportation here is considering safe because as an Indonesian, we look quite similar with local so I may say there is no problem. Almost all people we met on the road can speak English, the driver also can understand English though they do not prefer to talk but they understand what is your request. But knowing public transposrtation still a public one, please do not bring your valuable things on the road for your safety.
4. Another tips, if you are looking for snacks, instant noodles or dried food and if you are muslims or restricion on pork, kindly check it first before you purchase it, there always pork sign on the cover that contain pork, so please be careful to pick up the food you want.
5. For gift to bring home the most favourable one is POLVORON, a Goldlock brand, it is the local sweet delicacy and CANDIED MANGO.
6. I will be back if I suddenly have another tips for you, my reader.
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