escolta

Escolta Museum at Calvo Building

Posted on November 17, 2008

Walking down turn-of-the-century Escolta was like a stroll though today’s Bonifacio High Street or Eastwood City, where commerce and culture thrived as Manila embraced, willingly or otherwise, the 20th century. Elegantly dressed residents regularly visited this street to visit the numerous boutiques, shops and department stores that sold the latest clothes, cigars, jewelries and other fineries. Automobiles, horse-drawn carriages and Meralco tranvias (tramcars) shuttled them through. Indeed, it was a place to be seen. After the destruction of Manila inRead More→

The Labyrinth Called Manila

Posted on October 19, 2008

This article was first published in the premiere issue of ROAM, a Manila-based magazine for alternative travel and outdoor enthusiasts.  While the mere thought of skipping leisurely through Old Manila’s thoroughfares might seem daunting or perhaps even frightening to the uninitiated, such an experience provides an invaluable insight into the history, culture and culinary landscape of one of the most vibrant capitals in the world. (Well, the 69th in Lonely Planet’s The Cities Book. Still not bad, out of 200).   The grind ofRead More→