Valentine's Day in the Philippines is apparently A Big Deal. In the world of Chris and Michelle, it is So NOT a big deal! But my Tito and Tita wanted to treat us out for VDay and sent us off on a walking tour my cousin had been on: "If These Walls Could Talk" featuring tour guide Carlos Celdran.
We'd heard the guy was hilarious but nothing prepared us for this tour. We LOVED it!!!
The tour was about the history of the Philippines back in the day when it was just us Filipino folks ;) and went through the history and influence of other cultures like Spain, Japan and America (oh, and their various invasions and ruling of our country...) We walked through the original Walled City of Manila (Intramuros) and various historical places around the city. They even managed to get me on a trike!!! (terrifying "bike sidecars" - I could not see a thing and just had Chris peering on the side and scaring the bejesus out of me with screams of "OHMYGOD there is a HUGE TRUCK COMING!!!")
We learned so much about the Filipino culture and what the Filipino people have gone through. We had not realized what a golden and flourishing city Manila used to be - a leader in arts, culture and technology. All that changed after the war... and city seems to still be rebuilding itself. Carlos' intent with his tour is to show people how rich we are in culture and how we should work on bringing it back proudly. He is such an inspiration aside from his comedic side, and we reco the tour to anyone going to Manila, Filipino native or tourist! (Chris: People should visit Manila just for the tour!)
Since it was Valentine's Day (insert barfy noises here), a local travel agency sponsered a special treat for the tour. We had a delicious Filipino treat called "halo-halo" (translated: "mix-mix", as it is a sweet combo of milk, crushed ice, candied fruits and beans and of course SUGAR!). The halo-halo was also significant of the tour as Carlos described Filipinos as "halo-halo" since we are such a blend of cultures and beliefs. :)
We then were invited to merienda (light meal usually between lunch and dinner) featuring Filipino dishes. We sat with a few of the other tourists and made some friends :)
And there was a raffle! I totally won dinner at a local Italian restaurant! Score! We actually just treated the family for dinner there tonight to thank them for their hospitality and generosity (they have not let us pay for a thing!!!) So delicious!!!
ALSO!!!! Celia was reading the free local paper and told us today that CHRIS AND I ARE IN IT!!! There was a huge feature on Carlos Celdran and his tour of Intramuros, and on the day we went there were some people from the media (Chris: I just thought they were tourists with really awesome cameras). We are in the photo printed in the paper!!! I'd like to now say we are local celebrities!! Awesome souvenir! :) Even if the article wasn't edited properly and it's not like we were mentioned in it... but our pictures are in the paper! Booyah!
So when you visit Manila, be sure to take "If These Walls Could Talk", the walking tour by Carlos Celdran. You won't regret it!
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