A day within the walls

Manila, the Pearl of the Orient back in the days of prosperity of the beautiful country. The Pre-World War II city was a favorite destination of the western countries, it was the Queen City of the East. The Philippines was put into the map of destinations for the westerners.

Conquered by the Spaniards in the 1571 until 1898, Spain introduces Christianity to the Filipinos who were were worshiping idols. 1899, the Americans came and introduced the western culture to the country. This was the period when the Philippines prospered and was a famous place. Under the Commonwealth period, The US Government and the Philippine Republic was preparing for its freedom.

December 8, 1941. Planes hover above the aerial space of the Archipelago. Bombs fell out of the sky, explosions and panic amongst the Filipinos. The men of the Rising Sun has arrived! The Japanese Imperial Army had invaded the country.

Today, much of the history of the invasions remained and has become part of the Filipino culture. One of which is Intramuros or "The walled city". Built by the Spaniards in the 16th Century and it would be one of the bloodiest urban warfare of WW2 during the battle of Manila where civilians were targeted by the Japanese and 100,000 other Filipino Civilians died during the retaking of Manila in 1945.

Intramuros, it was the little Vatican of the East. It had more than 7 Churches inside its walls, it is where I study now. The school I'm attending to was established in 1620 and is the oldest institution still on its original location.

Street Children are rampant around the walls

The once beautiful Intramuros has been a shelter for informal Settlers, the cobbled stone roads are few and ruins have been victims of defacing and vandalism. Although some of the important ruins are being taken care of, I still get frustrated of what Intramuros looks like today.

The Manila Cathedral

Last December 8, me and my classmates were tasked to take photos of historical places around especially the past and present places of the Churches (Because the project was for Theology course) and we, have been studying inside the walls for 3 years already hasn't really walked around much. So we did!

Jairus here looking at the historical landmark of the old Ateneo

What's really funny about the trip was that we were holding a past and present map of Intramuros because the legends were different. We were comparing a 2010 map to a 16th century sketch of Intramuros. Tour guides and Kalesa coaches were quite convinced that we were tourists.

The old Ateneo de Manila Municipal.

Walking around town doesn't tire you out, as long as you wear socks. Intramuros is only less than a kilometer       

A beggar sleeping at the sidewalk.

Poverty is seen around. Beggars, children and sometimes people who talk to themselves. I get really sad when I see them because I don't know what to do, I want to help but how? I just refuse to look at them because it really hurts me.

Walk the walls with your friends, it never hurts to have some company unless you wanna be alone.

After 4 hours of solid walking, map comparing, mistakes in navigation and lots of shared laughter. We ate at our favorite place. "Allysa's Sisig" which is definitely a must try!

This is called the "Kantunan Alley" or "Alley of Canton Noodles" because all the stalls there serve 1 main dish, the Instant Pancit Canton

I hope the preservation of Intramuros strengthens and gets support from the Government. This place is historical foot by foot and a symbol of the mixed culture of the Filipinos.

Boracay Part 5: The Last Day: Island's Black out and the race to Manila

6:30PM - I was in my cottage at Boracay Dream Resort relaxing on the bed, just staring up at the celing fan while it moves in the same way as others before me had stared at it. This was my last night in Boracay and I've planned myself to go Bar Hopping on my own. I've set my eyes on at least 4 bars around station 2, order a couple of beers at each stop just to get the feeling of each Bar. 

Then the dark clouds got together and formed a threat that made other tourists outside looked up and at the horizon. The sky was getting dark and oh my golly I haven't seen a setting Sun so big before, I literally blinked and wiped my eyes if what I was seeing was true. It was true! The Sun was as large as a basketball inches away from your face.

Sorry for the blurred picture, the orange color at the horizon is the big setting sun but was blocked by the dark clouds.

7:30PM - First on my list was the famous "HOBBIT HOUSE" which was a shocker when I got to Boracay because the Hobbit House in Malate, Manila was my long dream place to go to but I never had the time because of my busy schedule as a student in Manila. So when I saw this place I quickly noted that it is a "Must" place to go. 

They are the "Hobbits" and they are the wait staff AND SUPERSTARS of the restaurant. 

Around that time while I was eating my Carbonara when the sky opened its eyes and release massive amounts of rainfall in the island! I texted my brother to check the weather and they said it was alright, but in my case with a few thousands left in my pocket, I started worrying because the coconut trees started dancing like oompa lumpas!

I have a panic syndrome where when something's not right I think of the worst case scenario, in this setting that I might be stuck for a few days, I took out and calculated my budget and I remembered how I can skip meals and eat every 12 hours when I'm in school and this might be the moment where it will be most useful. 

Boracay might be a paradise but it gets rough too, it's scary especially if you are alone like me! I'm thinking of a lot of survival plans but this is the point where I wished to be just at home. It took me an hour to finish my plate!

I went back to my hotel, I tried to outrun the rain but it was too strong, I got wet and it was really cold. I stayed at my cottage and watched for the news and there was nothing in it! I waited and waited, constantly checking the weather outside.

9:30PM - The rain stopped and I rejoiced! grabbed my jacket and went outside to drink at Pat's Bar. I didn't go bar hopping anymore because I was still watching my budget in case something bad happens. 

Pat's Bar's French Fries with one of the best Filipino beers "Red Horse"

10:00PM - ....whooo! Oh yeah! Party!party!party! I laaaaabbbb Buuuurrraaaaakkaaaayyy!!! - Those were some of the best reactions I heard around the bar when the Island went totally dark! Yes, my last night was turning into some kind of a misadventure! There was a power outrage in around Boracay and Pat's Bar doesn't have a generator, too bad! I wanted to spend the last night with the bar and it's live Reggae jives!

What to do? What to do! I billed out and went back to check out The Hobbit House and eureka! It has a generator, I went inside again and the 3 Hobbits were surprised to see me and I said to them "I told you I'll be back!" So I ordered Red Horse again and started chatting with the Hobbits and even I was surprised with their life stories. They all hail from the capital of the Philippines, Manila! They were hired and brought to the paradise. One said that it was "Boring", the other one said it was "Lonely" but the other one said that it was "Awesome" - We now can guess who the guy Hobbit was.

I was touched by how they handled themselves and their confidence made me think that I'm a smaller man than they are. I liked them and they were friendly and it made me feel that I wasn't alone. Then I ended the conversation and went straight back to my cottage, good thing my cottage have generators too.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ......

8:00AM - I woke up and you know what that is. It's breakfast at "REAL COFFEE" once again! I went there and ordered "Jack's Omelette" I waited patiently for Nadine because I wanna say goodbye before I leave her lovely place. I waited...and waited....and waited... I thought she wasn't coming so I asked the cook to give me a pen and paper and I wrote a note in case I couldn't wait for her any longer. It said in the letter how great the food was and how I was excited to eat breakfast ( I don't eat breakfast in Manila ) 

Presenting: Jack's Omellete!

9:30AM - She finally showed up, she looked a little stressed but it was rinsed away quickly by the barrage of good mornings from her regular customers. We had a little chat and I gave her the letter because sometimes I just can't say things because I'm too shy to admit that I'm such a fan of her place so I gave her the note I wrote earlier. 

Just one more picture as souvenir!

REAL COFFEE was the best breakfast I had in my life hands down, it was the place I missed the most.

*********THE RACE TO MANILA*********

1:45PM - Inside the restaurant across Caticlan Airport, I ordered Tapsilog (Beef Jerky strips, Fried Rice and Egg) worth $4. I was the only one in the restaurant, hearing the roar of the planes taking off and landing at the small airstrip. I haven't even touched my food when I heard on the speaker that my flight was cancelled. I paid the bill and I said that I'll be back for my food.

I ran across the street and inside the airport to settle things, they moved me to a 4:55PM flight instead of my original 5:15PM. After things were put to place I went back to the restaurant to feast on the food I ordered, my order was good but it leans on the expensive side.

3:00PM - Looking at the field of Caticlan airport, I remember the good times I've had, Pat's bar and the Reggae beats, the Hobbit House with their great life stories both the boring and interesting ones and of course, Real Coffee Cafe and their fleet of breakfast meals!

3:17PM - I heard my name over the speaker to present myself at the ticketing counter. The first thing that came in my mind was that "Shit! I didn't pack illegal things inside my bag, or did I?!" So I hurried and got there in no time, well that's because it's only 10 steps away from where I was seated. They told me that my flight's plane can't touch down at the airport due to the strong winds and so they have to transfer my flight to Kalibo airport which was 2 hours away from where I was!

I mean what the hell?! They moved my flight 2 times! Even if they'll be bringing us there by their service van along with some foreigners, I was pissed off with the Airline. But I can't do anything about it because of course, "SAFETY FIRST" policy always comes up!

*THE NEXT PARAGRAPHS ARE THE BLOW BY BLOW ACCOUNTS OF MY FLIGHT

5:37PM - It's a rainy flight, the plane's wings are shaking. The sky, painted with midnight blue and the blinking lights. What a bumpy ride! It's rough! The plane goes up, down, up, down, left, down, right, down!

5:53PM - I took a shaky piss inside the lavatory, the mood and ambiance of the passengers are quite obvious! Eerie quiet, everyone was just not comfortable and the crew were also seated but tried their best to smile. That's one thing you should know, if the crew is seated; it's going to be a tough flight!

5:57PM - Turbulence again. The crew threw a contest, guess the title of the movie line.

6:02PM - Now in the middle of the ocean, I'm looking at a fire red horizon! Magnificent!

6:10PM - I'm seeing thunder and lightning just across the left wing, I bet it's about at least a kilometer away.

6:14PM - At last! I saw land! It's the might island of Corregidor if I'm not mistaken.

6:35PM - Finally! We landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, we took a 10 minute aerial tour of Manila.

Forgive me for the Blurry picture once again, that's the plane I took.

I was so happy to step on land once again! The flight was fast but I felt it was the longest day!

Boracay was "A beautiful ride"

At first I didn't think that the Boracay trip wouldn't be good but the Paradise proved me wrong. It's not the beach that I'm missing, not the white milky sand although it was really impressive. What I miss about the island is not the island, but the people who are in the island. The culture, the nightlife, the feeling of "Hakuna Matata" and the experience made me want to stay just one more night. But fantasies are only short lived, well for now.

Boracay Part 4: The Real Coffee Experience

8:00AM - The alarm goes off to start the day after an awesome night at the sanded bars of Boracay. Barely having 5 hours of sleep, the first thing I did was going to the bathroom and did my morning glory. Take a shower  and I was so slow as a stalking Chameleon, my eyes were still half closed.

Then I remembered, I remembered something! A sign that made me jump off the Tricycle the other day, I was looking for it for 2 days already since I arrived on the island but I could not find it. It was after the Paraw sailing when I saw the sign, so I followed the directions and I saw a small Kubo Hut with people eating but I wasn't sure if that was it so I didn't go inside.

This was not the sign I saw but this is another one I saw after passing through the Cafe.

I got ready and told my Brother and his girlfriend to come and eat breakfast with me, they said yes and so I waited for them at my room until they came after 20minutes.

We went there and I was excited because I knew that this would be a great experience, I researched in the internet about the popular places to go indulge the monsters in my stomach and REAL COFFEE was always in the "Breakfast" category, everyone kept saying on reviews that it was a perfect place to start the day, that the ingredients are fresh and satisfaction is guaranteed. After reading all the reviews I included the Cafe in my Itinerary and so far, it's the first one in the schedule that I actually went to.

You can see my excitement after seeing the big sign!

9:30AM - We went inside like dumbfounded tourists and I quickly recognized the "organized" kitchen the folks in the internet were talking about, you can actually see what they are doing to make your order a delicious one!

While your sitting down you are being entertained by the cooks until you are drooling

We sat down directly to the center facing the kitchen and looked around, my eyes were rotating 360 degrees without moving my head. For some reason, I've got a smile on my face that I can't remove. I was so happy that I was there where the buzz was going on.

Admiring all the details of the kitchen I noticed that the windows were full of pictures, the early customers from local to tourists and even celebrities such as Anne Curtis and Aga Mulach (Trivia: Real Coffee Cafe was used in the movie "WHEN LOVE BEGINS") and more celebrities were in it. I wanted to post my photo but it was full.

Real Coffee's original "Calamansi Muffin" definitely a must try, and yes I believed in Magic after eating one.

We placed our orders, I had the "American Pancake" and boy it was a meal for an appetite of an American. The Pancake was big and thick! My Brother had "Jack's Omelette with Pesto" which is definitely a must try also. While waiting for our orders to come  we tasted the Calamansi Muffin and oh mama was it really good. We also played with the "quotes" in front of us, there were a lot of funny-but-true quotes right there.

The quotes, I love the "Mama Lee says" series the most

The cook got a little shocked at what we were doing with the cards, we were laughing at one minute and in another minute discussing the quote and then another minute saying the word "True, true!" and "ohhh nice!". I can really be happy even in the shallowest of reasons, I'm an average guy on a budgeted trip and what better way to enjoy Boracay? Enjoy the free things there, the view, the beach, the people, the happenings and by just bumming around can really be relaxing.

The American Pancake with egg and coffee, looks small in the picture but no, it's big as my ass

Waiting for the orders could take a while but it's not a bad thing because you can see the kitchen and see that they are not rushing to cook the food and therefore they are not sacrificing quality for faster service. They have their own pace and I'm good with that because I'd rather wait for the perfect meal than a burned Pancake.

We munched on our orders once it gets in front of us and all they can hear from us this time was "om nom nom nom nom nom nom, gulp gulp gulp!" We were eating like Hamsters. I only ate 3/4 of the Pancake because I was so full, I've never eaten so much pancakes in my life.

As we were in the middle of our "pig-out" session, an American-Italian came in the kitchen and started playing  Italian classic songs and I knew that she was the owner of the place so I asked for her name through the cook and before I could start a conversation with her, she turned to me and said.

"You know what, I shouldn't have dressed in all white today. Look at me it's early in the morning and I've got mud on my pants, it was Dude's fault. That's my Dog, I call him Dude so when I was about to leave he jumped over me and I said "Dude? C'mon" ahhh!"

Her name is Nadine, the owner of Real Coffee Cafe. The store started way back in December 27, 1996. They were one of the first business settlers on the island. We were kinda surprised that she initiated the conversation and that made me happy because she tells things out of the Sun but it's entertaining, she also answered all our questions on how she does things and she's a hands on owner too. When she came in she actually asked one of her employees "What can I do?" and the cook answered "Cut the bread" and she said "oh, OK", that was amazing, mutual respect and I loved Nadine for that.

Here's me and Nadine, owner of the Real Coffee Cafe. I just have to have a photo with her!

After eating we stayed for a while to observe again the kitchen, Nadine and other customers. The place brings a certain atmosphere of being at home because it's not designed to be a restaurant, well it is but the mugs aren't the same designs and it looks like a home kitchen so I got the certain feeling of being at home and the friendliness of the staff and a conversation with Nadine would be the main spectacle while eating there. 

Before we got out of the Cafe I asked for a photo with her, well we all did and I'm sure all the other customers do and it looked like she's mastered the photo op category. She also said that I was cuddly and I felt I was Barney for the moment.

The famous rock in Boracay

After having pictures taken and laughs shared in, we took a stroll to the shorelines and I'm quite frustrated with seeing too much man made trash in it. Bottles, plastic and paper are just not helping and it's the fault of everyone who's in the island, everyone should be responsible by their actions. Development really destroys the beauty of Nature.

All in all, the Real Coffee Cafe experience was the best I've had. It was awesome and delicious, I had a great day because of them and besides the Cafe offers Breakfast meals from 7AM-7PM so no matter how wasted you were last night, you get to eat Breakfast even at night. Rock solid!