backpacking

DIY Walking Tour – Intramuros

Posted on July 5, 2010

Location: Intramuros, Manila Starting Point: Plaza Mexico Ferry Station End Point: Starbucks Distance: 3 km Duration: 7 to 8 hours Coming from the Latin word for “within the walls”, Intramuros was a Spanish riverside walled city- surrounded by moat- built on the site of a fortified Malay Islamic settlement called “Maynila”, a name referring to the nila mangrove plant (Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea) that once thrived along Manila Bay. City planning was commenced by Miguel López de Legazpi, the conquistador who establishedRead More→

DIY Walking Tour – Manila Chinatown

Posted on July 4, 2010

Location: Binondo, Manila Starting Point: Carriedo LRT End Point: Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz Distance: 2 km Duration: 2 to 3 hours Covering an area of only a few square kilometers, Manila Chinatown is jam-packed with history, cultural quirks, bustling commerce and, of course, gastronomic delights. Since the Sung Dynasty (A.D. 960-1279) centuries before the arrival of Spanish conquistadores, this riverside area has long been a trading post between native Filipinos and visiting Chinese. Officially established in 1594 when the SpaniardsRead More→

DIY Walking Tour – Quiapo

Posted on July 2, 2010

Location: Quiapo, Manila Starting Point: Legarda LRT End Point: Carriedo LRT Distance: 1.7 km Duration: 1 to 2 hours Named after the kiapo or water lettuce that once thrived along Pasig River, Quiapo is one of Manila’s old districts packed with colorful market stalls, colonial churches and rundown Spanish-period houses. Since the 1970s, business establishments began to move out to other cities leaving much of the area to deteriorate. However, people still flock here to pay homage to theRead More→

ROAM Issue No. 2: Race Across the Terrace

Posted on July 13, 2009

Swoosh! Another tree branch barely missed my head. It’s been 11 hours since I left Manila, with the last hour’s ride proving to be a branch-dodging, butt-bruising and utterly hair-raising experience not inside but atop a jeepney overloaded with young boys spitting red moma, sacks of fresh greens, and a black native pig kept cool with some large leaves. While we bore the summer’s heat, the wide-eyed swine was comfily bound for slaughter on first class. As the four-wheeled circusRead More→