Day 5- Baclaran, Intramuros and Luneta- go figure!



I have at last cleared out my schedule except that I will be meeting my brother at his office for lunch. I also wanted to take a photo of ourselves in front of his office. In the morning after much thought, I once again boarded the MRT to go to Baclaran Church. I faintly remember the church anymore but I do remember tagging along with my mother on some Wednesday and walk through a very crowded market to go there. I must say negotiating the MRT station in Taft is like going on an obstacle course that I then notice that I am no longer as fit as I was five years ago. I had to drag myself to walk throught the walking street at the foot of the Baclaran station to go to the Church of our Lady of Perpetual Help being run by the Redemptorist Priests, same people who run Ruam Rudee.



It was Thursday and the church was less crowded. But then it reeked of floor polish which I found hard to get used to. However I was able to spend some quiet time in the church. Then I found my way to the front of the church. In those days, you see the bay across from the church. Now it is just reclaimed land. I took time to take pictures of the buses and the jeepneys.








Unfortunately, the photograph that I really wanted to take still eluded me. I then went back to Ayala to meet my brother for lunch. In the afternoon, I went to Intramuros where the Manila Catherdral is.













I also found time to visit the old church of San Agustin and finally cap it with a visit at Rizal’s Monument near the old Luneta. Rizal Park still remains the park where people from all walks of life visit. However the parks that I used to love like the Japanese Garden (already gone) and the Chinese Garden (very run down). Worst of all the map of the Philippines did not even have any water surrounding it.





I walked towards the UN LRT station. I noticed that the old Jai Alai is now filled with shops. I was trying to figure out how to go to the old church of San Marcelino which I know is just around there. Anyway, I was just glad I was able to negotiate the stairs going to the station because there were no escalators and went back to Makati.



When I got to the hotel I noticed that Lulu and Louie had texted me telling me that they will move our meeting time to 10pm. I thought that was fine because I was still trying to buy some things in the shops. I was contemplating on getting another massage when I decided to just stay in the hotel room and lie down watching “American Idol”. It was slightly past 10 when Lulu and Louie arrived. It did not take us too long to go to their House in Tagaytay because by then the traffic had become much lighter. But we were chatting till past midnight. One thing I remember is that I slept very well in Tagaytay. Perhaps it was the air or the firmer mattress but I slept very well.