Tag Archive: Philippines
Thought I’d line up my blogs on “walks and drives” around Manila for those who are interested. In many of these walks and drives, a good 4 hours may be enough. Likely less if you just want to concentrate on a certain area. You can walk around, hop on and off your car or some public transport, combine 2 trips and plan a good lunch in-between, or simply visit a Museum to linger for the next couple of hours. If you’re with children, I’d most certainly advise planning a good meal after 2 hours or so. Attention span and all, you know. A good meal never fails, and I’d usually have the first leg as the “more serious walk through history” and make sure the 2nd post-meal leg involves some window shopping (a.k.a. “Street desserts” and other sweet munchies) or less serious history stuff or simply more open spaces.
HERITAGE SITES/HISTORICAL LANDMARKS
Say Hello to “Mi Ultimo Adios”
San Agustin Church in Intramuros
Universidad de Santo Tomas (UST)
Baluarte De San Diego in Intramuros
MUSEUMS
Dummy Goes To The National Museum
National Art Gallery: Searching For More Lunas
Hidalgo and Luna: Genius Has No Country
CEMETERY TOURS
A Preview of the Cemetery Tour: Wait Till The Shoe Lady Dies
The Old (and Dead) Rich of La Loma
A Nearly-Forgotten Panchong in North Cemetery
SUBURBIAN MANILA
Angono: Art Capital of thePhilippines
Silangan Gardens and Pinto Art Gallery
Antipolo’s Suman, Kasuy and Pan Lechon?
CHINATOWN & Other sites
Urban Escapades
HOTEL CELESTE: A Pleasant Staycation
PINOY DINING 101
What To Feed Your Guests (Part 1)
What To Feed Your Guests (Part 2)
Pinoy Ice Cream? Check This Out!
There was a time when I’d compare travel packages to southeast Asian neighbors against domestic destinations. Because there were promo packages to Hongkong, Macau, Taipei, Bangkok and Vietnam, it was agonizing to choose to go instead to El Nido, Batanes or elsewhere you can fly to within the country.
No, I don’t feel the need to have my passport stamped. Nor do I feel “shortchanged” spending more for a local trip. I’m simply a sucker for COLD WEATHER. So with my family. We love getting all “wrapped up” for a few days, layering up and enjoying no-sweat days.
When we do travel around the Philippines, we marvel at the local scenery. Our landscapes and seascapes are so beautiful that some are wont to exclaim “Parang Hindi Pilipinas” (It’s like it’s NOT the Philippines). This is said in the same breadth as “Only in the Philippines” whenever one finds something utterly WRONG. I’m curious how and why such is the attitude. Why can’t something so beautiful belong to the Philippines? Why is it that something so bad is accepted to be particular to this country?
Next time you travel, don’t hesitate to spend on and in your own country. Who knows? A pleasant surprise may be waiting for you 🙂
A wise traveler never despises his own country. – Carlo Goldoni
What is it, really? Would you go for the baked goodies (think HOPIA)? Or for the spruced up garden overlooking the hills?
Santa is in Baker’s Hill, Puerto Princesa!
It was still the Christmas Season, so the garden and pseudo-park is decorated with American holiday decor from Santa Claus to a giant pine tree to Marilyn Monroe in Christmas red. (Well actually, Marilyn M stays even after the holidays to keep the Walt Disney (or is it Looney Tunes?) characters company for the rest of the year. A Mini-Theme Park! And no admission fee. Free!
Marilyn Monroe in Christmas Red. She’s a permanent fixture here.
It’s been sometime since I last visited. A pleasant surprise….. but they’ve expanded the garden and it’s certainly a good place to while away the time. There’s a good breeze and the panorama from the promontory at the end of the garden offers a respite after an exciting underground river tour from nearby Sabang. Well, just don’t mind the talking bird who wouldnt shut up near the area where they keep the peacocks.
Christmas in Baker’s Hill.
Tamilok, anyone? Ain’t that brave. Fear Factor enthusiasts and fans may try these wood worms here. Prepared raw, “cooked” by marinating in vinegar. Tastes like oysters, they say. I may have tried it though if not for this bum stomach. Couldn’t risk it as there’s a flight to catch.
Yeah. Woodworms. Fear Factor-ish.
Well, there are other choices. Baker’s Hill is really more than just a bake shop. It’s an amusement park, mini-zoo, restaurant row all rolled into a single place. Try the halo halo (literally means “mix mix”) for snacks or dessert. As for me? I would rather try one of the pizzas.
Choose your pizza!
And this theme park is free!
Who lives here?
You don’t need to be a swimmer to enjoy the beaches. I’m NOT. But I do enjoy the feel of sand between my toes. The sun doesn’t scare me — sunscreen lotions are my allies. And I don’t mind bad hair days as sea breeze salt and dry my hair. My “elves” remind me I am starting to look like a starfish, drawing laughter from the rest of the brats. So you can say I don’t mind being a laughingstock too during my “sun and sand” adventures.
No crowds. No touts. Just the sun, sand and the waves rushing to shore.
It took us a whole hour from El Nido town proper to get here. Unpaved roads, no directional signs, remote to a point you get a sense you’re lost if not for our van driver who claims to know the place. No establishments here. No crowds. No touts. Just a lone stone rest house reportedly owned by a German married to a Filipina. White sandy beach stretching some 4 or so kilometers. At one end, one can cross over to another beach where the water is calmer. Climb up a hill and you get the entire panorama of the twin beaches of Nacpan and Calitang.
Check out that lone stone resthouse behind the coconut trees.
Behind these coconut trees is another beach.
Except for 3 pairs of motorcycling tourists (how did they get here?), we “owned” the beach! We have arranged with a B & B in El Nido for this private tour. They have a hut here and so the package included van transfers and a good lunch of grilled fish, chicken barbecue and a generous serving of fried noodles sautéed in shrimps, pork bits and veggies. We watched the waves while enjoying our watermelons and pineapples. For 700 pesos per pax, it’s a good deal.
Barbecued chicken, grilled fish, fried noodles with lotsa shrimps, pork bits and veggies. Onion and Soy Sauce to go with the dishes.
Fresh watermelons, pineapples and coconuts.
And there’s the local flavor. Every now and then, a carabao (water buffalo) would pass by as our van driver harvest some coconuts for us. The crab “box” nets fronting the native huts and the boats resting by the shoreline evoke images of simple lives. I can’t help thinking how urbanites work like horses, save like a Scrooge and then blow away their savings just to experience island life. What irony!
Crab catchers?
The Island Life?
What a wonderful day spent here! I can’t say I can live here. We’re city people who love Internet connections (how else do i blog without it?), going to the movies and dining out. But we also love the beach life from time to time. If only to break the routine, nourish the soul, and simply bond together. After all, aside from “playing together”, vacations meant eating ALL meals together. A luxury we hardly enjoy back in the urban jungle where everyone is rushing to work or school, or too tired for an evening chat after school and work. I should know. I’m HOME ALONE most times, unless my itchy feet take me somewhere more exciting 😉
Truly. Paraiso (Paradise) in El Nido!
It was nearly sunset when we reached El Nido. But the last half hour driving before reaching our destination, we have been awestruck by the looming limestone cliffs jutting out from Bacuit Bay. It was a good intro to what lay at the end of this butt-numbing road trip. The boats are back from their rounds, as the generators roar to a hum and establishments lining the shore start switching on their lights.
Bacuit Bay with its many limestock cliffs jutting out of the waters.
The shoreline is not as long as that in Boracay, but has the same white sandy shore.
The long drive didn’t dampen our spirit. But the power failures nearly did. City people like us felt threatened whenever the power was turned off and the generators failed to switch on soon after. The “gap” gave us anxiety attacks. We had mixed emotions listening to the murmurs of the sea as the waves came rushing to shore, and the erratic hums of the gas-fed generators. We braced ourselves for the worst just as we observed there weren’t too many local tourists in El Nido. Perhaps many cancelled their holidays because of the typhoon. The foreign visitors seem to have been long time guests, completely familiar with El Nido “living conditions”. We hardly heard a complaint whenever the power shuts off, even when the “gap” stretches to more than half an hour. By nightfall, I took out my bottle of sleeping pills and popped one into my mouth. I didn’t wish to take any chances. It would be a full day of island-hopping the day after and sleep-deprived that I already was, I needed the energy for the next day’s adventure.
Vista at 5 am. The lights lining the shore reflected off the waters of Bacuit Bay.
By 6am, the entire shoreline is bathed in sunlight. From our beach cottages, we are treated to this view 24/7.
Because I slept extraordinarily early, I was up even before sunrise. From our beach cottage, I watched the lights lining the shore till it was bright and boatmen got ready to do their island tours. The hotel restaurant didn’t open till past 7 am. I was getting grumpier by the minute, missing my favorite brew. I watched men, women and dogs frolicking by the shore. These views are the types that would make me dawdle over my coffee. Except that there was no coffee. 😦
Our teenage girl is ready to island hop, snorkel, swim and laze under the sun.
And our pre-teen boy is ready too!
By half past 8, we were boarding our small boat to do Tours A and B. That’s right, we are doing both in a single day. We expected to be hopping from island to island the entire day while there was still light! It wouldn’t allow us the luxury to linger in each island, but it would save us quite a bit by combining the 2 tours covering some 10 islands. The idea was we’d only get off in a few islands and just sightsee the rest. For 900 pesos (about US$22) for Tours A and B, we were happy.
10 islands to cover under Tours A and B. Our favorites are Miniloc Island’s Small and Big Lagoons, Shimizu, Entalula and Snake Island.
It’s waist deep getting into that small opening to the Small Lagoon. Then it gets deeper.
We enjoyed the 1st island most of all. Small Lagoon of Miniloc Island would have taken up our entire morning until we reminded ourselves there were still 9 or so islands to cover. The Big Lagoon was awesome too but quite crowded with people and sea urchins! In Shimizu and Entalula Islands, the kids enjoyed the beach and engaged in fish feeding. The waves were fierce too as we struggled against the current while feeding the fish. Lunch was served in Entalula Island, where we enjoyed a simple meal of barbecued chicken, grilled squid and steamed vegetables.
Sea Urchins in Miniloc Island’s Big Lagoon.
Aaaahhhh……. El Nido Islands will certainly charm you!
Low tide in the Big Lagoon?
Busy feeding the fish!
By the time we we were sailing towards Snake Island, the waters became choppy. We could see the swells and felt the rolling waves off Bacuit Bay and in our minds, crossed off some islands in our itinerary. The sandbar we found connected 2 islands, one of which must be Snake Island. There must be people residing here as we found a dog crossing the sandbar, oblivious to the tourists descending on their tiny paradise.
Just passing through…………
Snake Island’s Resident Canine
As we sailed over the rolling waves, we momentarily longed to head back to Entalula or Shimizu Island to simply enjoy the beach and feed the fish. But there was Cudugnon Cave to explore. Not much of an adventure, really, but there was this thrill of squeezing one’s self through a hole before emerging in this small atrium inside the cave. So…. alright, maybe the kids would like it.
Cudognon Cave
I can sip coffee and read a book here to while away the afternoon.
The next cave was strictly for strong swimmers. You swim towards the mouth of Cathedral Cave and pray those swells won’t lift you towards the rocks and against the corals….. Or away in open sea! We passed it of course and here began our “sightseeing”. No more stops. We were all eager to get back. The boatmen pointed out and sailed nearer the islands but without stopping to let us off.
Cathedral Cave. Looks massive!
You have to be a strong swimmer to swim against the current towards the mouth of Cathedral Cave.
If you ask me, one need not check out each and very island. We didn’t want to do that just to keep count. Tours A and B offer many islands but I would have been happy with just 5. I wouldn’t miss the Small and Big Lagoons of Miniloc Island, the fish feeding and beach bumming in Shimizu and Entalula Islands, and walking on the sandbar in Snake Island. Sure, you may want to get off and wait for the sunset in Seven Commandos Beach. Perhaps with bottles of beer and some pica picas. But I wouldn’t want to be sailing in the dark after sunset even if I were confident about my swimming. As we passed Seven Commandos and viewed Helicopter Island not too far away, we felt secure that we were near our beach cottages already. We had enough adventures for the day. No need to be “thorough”…… Life is a beach, after all. By the time the island is blanketed by night, it’s time for some stargazing!
By 5 pm, we were rushing to get back to base.
Spotting Helicopter Island, we knew our beach cottages are somewhere off the bend.
Back to the base now. One of our beach cottages is right up front , with this view!
It was a long weekend. And since I’ve long wished to visit Sagada, my niece arranged everything for this trip. Deprived of many winks, I wasn’t in the best of moods when we made our breakfast stop.
Me: Chow King? Chow King for breakfast?
Driver: The group in the 2nd van wants a Chinese breakfast.
Me: Hmmmm. I’m walking to the corner where there’s a Jollibee. (*not smiling*)
Me: Coffee and Hamdesal for me. Where are the newspapers?
Jollibee Girl: *no reaction*
Me: Bakit ayaw mo sumagot? (Why won’t you answer?) *grumpy now*
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Niece takes over, and I move to take a seat and a table for us. As it turned out, no hamdesal for me. The girl at the counter took my order as another breakfast rice meal. Hungry, I had no energy to insist on my first order. *looking defeated*
Mood Changer: First Sight of Banaue Rice Terraces
Banaue Rice Terraces
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Me (in SUMAGUING Cave): Paano katagal ito? (How long will this take?)
Cave Guide: 1 1/2 hours. Pero sa inyo, baka 2 1/2 hours. (In your case, maybe 2 1/2 hours)
Mood Changer (looking at companions): Will you take my photos, please?
Spelunking in Sumaguing Cave. DAW. :))
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Venue: Log Cabin (arrived 1 hour early for 7pm buffet dinner)
Me: I’m an hour early for my dinner reservation. Can I sit by the bar while sipping a glass of wine?
Wait Staff (Girl): No wine by the glass. You must order 1 bottle.
—- The wait staff (Boy) squeezed himself behind the bar and snagged his shirt.—–
Wait Staff (Boy): OMG. (Some expletives…. then makes out like he’s about to cry)
Me (*feeling sorry*): Sayang. It’s a nice shirt, but you can stitch it up.
Wait Staff (Boy): It’s Chanel. Very expensive. (Slips out, comes back in a new shirt)
Me: That’s another nice shirt.
Wait Staff (Boy): It’s another Chanel.
Wait Staff (Boy): Your dinner table is outside. You can sit by the bonfire meanwhile.
Me: I want a table inside. Too cold outside.
Later…….
Wait Staff (Girl): I got you a table inside. Follow me. (They set up a table INSIDE 1 of the rooms)
Me: It’s a small table. We’re 7 pax.
Wait Staff (Girl): Nothing I can do. You made late reservations.
Me: That’s odd. We were told days before of our confirmed reservations.
Wait Staff (Girl): Well, I don’t handle reservations here. Blah Blah Blah
Later……… A group of 4 complaining ladies were also brought inside the room. Guess what, they had ANOTHER table set up good for 4, while 7 of us squeezed ourselves around a table good for 5.
Mood Changer: I stuffed my plate with food from the buffet. (The spread was a disappointment, but that’s another story. I got mostly veggies as they “rationed” the carving. When we went for seconds, there was none left. They offer you PANCIT instead )
They set up a SMALL table good for 5 pax (we were 7) INSIDE one of the bedrooms. When we said the table’s too small, they ho-hummed us. Later, they set up ANOTHER table for 4 complaining ladies. So there was ANOTHER table!
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On the short hike up to Kiltepan Peak to view the sunrise, the place was a-buzz with youngsters oozing with morning energy as compared to my “low-batt” state. As mentioned in my earlier blog, a lady fiscal went berserk so early in the morn. Confronting a driver who allegedly told her to move to the side of the dirt road, she went a-cussing and a-cursing. Not exactly the kind of language welcomed by early-risers out to enjoy a Kiltepan Sunrise.
Me: Who is that angry lady?
One Youngster: Tita (Aunt)….. Must be AMALAYER.
Me: Who?
Another Youngster: Not AMALAYER. Sounds like AMA-FISCAL.
Then, the sky brightened as the sun peeps out. There was thunderous applause, enough to drown out the monologue started by AMA-FISCAL..
Mood Changer: Laughter. That’s enough, no videotaping allowed. We laughed, we clapped, we enjoyed our Kiltepan Sunrise.
Crowd waiting for Kiltepan Sunrise
I’m a liar. AMALAYER. Of late, this has been a not so private joke among Filipinos especially those from the city traversed by MRT and LRT. The videotaped monologue from this young lady nearly screaming at the top of her lungs versus a lady guard caught the attention of not a few urbanites. Perhaps she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe she’s going through something. Definitely the guy who videotaped the scene shouldn’t have. Well, that’s my take on the matter. But that is not to condone all that verbal abuse. as what happened here in Kiltepan Peak.
Thank you Rex for this lovely photo!
Even Siri didn’t fail. Methinks. I can still feel the breeze.
After that backbreaking overnighter ride to Sagada and that very torturous (but rewarding) spelunking episode at SUMAGUING Cave on the very day of arrival, we pulled ourselves out of bed at 4:30 am to be up and ready for the Kiltepan Sunrise. Still sleepy on the van ride, we missed the bend, backed up and drove on dirt road all the way to where many vans and cars were already parked. We knew there was quite a crowd before us judging by the noise of early morning chatter as we sniffed the morning air.
The Crowd @Kiltepan Peak.
Pleasure in Tranquility!
But wait. It wasn’t just senseless morning chatter we were hearing. Someone was cursing and cussing. So early in the morning!
Foolish woman I am. Should have reminded myself to bend like the grass, to welcome whichever way the wind blows, to simply observe, perhaps with a grin that couldn’t be wiped off my face, to accept but without conforming. But I couldn’t help remarking (just to my companions) that early risers like us don’t deserve this eardrum-stinging “AMALAYER” language directed at one of the drivers from this lady fiscal. How can this lady even brag she’s a lady fiscal with the power to put her adversary behind bars? Tsk. Tsk. One couldn’t help eavesdropping. One and all were all hostages to this drama. The unwanted scenario quickened my pulse; blood surging through my face. Creating reddish splotches. Unbidden. Good thing it was still dark. I felt I’d rather put my head on the chopping block than listen to all the cussing.
Another lovely shot, Rex.
Why do i get a feeling some vampire lurks behind those pine trees? Photo Credits: Rex.
I wondered apprehensively and waited patiently for what’s to happen next. I have to commend the crowd of youngsters for restraining themselves, suffering like me throughout that offensive monologue. And then the sky slightly opened up. And the crowd cheered! The lady fiscal mercifully shut up. As the sun rises, the moon fades. Coffee mugs a-ready and we were all set for some peace and quiet. Finally. And beauty. Nature never fails.
Caught. By. Rex.
Shaky Hands. Moon Fading.
I sniffed as the drama ended. Looked behind me as I caught the last image of a fading moon. Before me, the sun threatened to brighten a day which didn’t start very well. I inched closer for a shot. No DLSR nor my trusted G12 with me. Just Siri, my iPhone cam.
The better shots displayed above were taken by my young friend Rex of Spaceman T-Rex. Thank you, Rex.
Mevlana Rumi: Come, come again, whoever you are, come!
Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come!
Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times,
Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are.
Here’s one for the books. No, I wouldn’t call it spelunking. Not even caving per se. In my book, it’s pure and simple curiosity and blind courage that found me at the mouth of SUMAGUING Cave in Sagada one late afternoon and mindlessly saying “yes” to this adventure. After all, so many of my young blogger-friends have blogged about it. So, I was naturally curious. AND ….. adequately challenged. 😊
The Descent.
Directional Sign to Sumaguing Cave
I’ve been to many caves and had my fill of stalagmites and stalactites. You can say I didn’t have much by way of expectations. My only concern is to get out of it before nightfall as it was already 4pm when we began our descent. James, our guide, looked nonchalant seeing there’s a not-so-young adventurer in his group of 5 pax. I looked around and concluded I must be among the oldest, if not THE oldest, with the curious lot of caving enthusiasts that late afternoon.
Interior Shot. Traffic Inside the Sumaguing Cave! Sagada.
That headlamp was a brilliant (pun intended) idea!
The cave was packed with youngsters who shared the same not-so-brilliant idea with us to spend the long weekend in Sagada. The crowd meant long waits as the group of descending first-timers wait for a line making way to climb up and out of the cave. The extended waits made me rethink my intentions. And as I pondered, I knew this was more a challenge rather than a sightseeing adventure. One look at our guide James competently balancing a lamp between his thigh and left hand while offering his right hand to me, and I knew I just had to get this over and done with.
More Traffic Down Below, Inside the Sumaguing Cave.
Getting All Muddied Up Inside Sagada’s Sumaguing Cave
I was ready. With a headlight and gloves, I made my way down. The initial descent was over slippery rocks. I felt more confident when we did away with footwear, gripped our soles over rocks around pools of water, and slowly, carefully dipped our toes, then our entire legs in cold waters. All the while, I refrained from asking James how much further we should go let I lose heart. I knew the options were quite limited. James had to go with the group and should I choose not to continue, it’s either I go with another group climbing out or I wait for our team. Besides, I was actually growing confident myself, even excited!
No Way To Go But Barefoot Inside Sumaguing Cave
A Natural Beauty @ Sumaguing Cave
This rock cavern gave me a most memorable souvenir when I stubbed my big toe as I nearly slipped climbing up. It was nearly 7pm by the time we got out of the cave. But that was not really the exciting part. Nor was climbing up a rope. From the cave bottom, our guide James positioned himself in a way where he can actually pull us up with one hand through huge rocks a la Jackie Chan. I grabbed his hand, made big strides up and over the rocks but couldn’t pull myself over! Knowing James couldn’t hold my full weight, I didn’t waste more seconds. One hand held by James, I straddled my left leg over the rock and……… ROLLED! Oh yes, even James wasn’t sure what I was doing! But….. I made it.
Yee Haw! I made it!
Now, Where’s the rest of my group? (Lost Inside Sumaguing Cave)
ROCK AND ROLL, indeed! Surely, that made my day. Aching calf, thigh muscles and sore shoulders, the pain remained long after my uber-dirty, muddied clothes were washed and dried. Oh my, what was I thinking then???
Close Up Shot. Inside Sumaguing Cave.
Cold waters inside the Sumaging Cave
Cold. Slippery. At times, Slimy.
When one speaks of La Loma, 2 things easily come to mind. LECHON. And the old cemetery.
I joined a guided tour organized by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines with no less than Architect Manuel Noche guiding us through the flamboyant architecture and interesting history of this urban cemetery.
Little Monuments in the Old La Loma Cemetery
The great divide between rich and poor is very evident here. In death, as in life, the rich enjoy the prominence, the grandeur, the prime slots. One “street” in this city of the dead counts a number of mausoleums big enough to house several of the squatter-families of Manila. Prominent family names adorn the fronts of many of these flamboyantly designed mausoleums for the rich and famous. It’s like a “who’s who of Philippine High Society”.
No. It isn’t a church. It’s a Mausoleum.
Another Mausoleum for the Barredo Family. La Loma Cemetery. Quezon City.
A big pseudo-baroque chapel dedicated to Saint Pancratius within the cemetery which served as its funerary chapel from 1884 to 1962 is now fondly called “Lumang Simbahan” (literally translated “Old Church”). Rich and famous dead lying side by side in their private, marbled resting havens – – truly a city for the dead spanning 54 hectares of land in this former capital (Quezon City) of the Philippines. Spared from the ravages of war where much of Manila was bombed out during the 1945 Battle of Manila, but not spared from serving as execution site during the Japanese occupation. Just the same, Campo Santo de La Loma is a significant link to Philippine history and architecture. After all, this 2nd oldest cemetery (1884)counts among its buried citizens the important icons of history, the old rich and famous, religious leaders and the simply famous. And yes, you read that right. 1884. Second oldest public cemetery, according to Architect Noche. Paco Cemetery spanning only 4 hectares IS the oldest (1822).
Lumang Simbahan or Chapel of Saint Pancratius within the grounds of La Loma Cemetery. Served as funerary chapel from 1884 to 1962.
Details of the funerary chapel which has been abandoned and closed since 1962. Except for the sign “Epistula”, we found no other marker to explain its history.
Despite the heat, we trudged on dripping with enthusiasm and sweating with history lessons from our architect tour guide. If it were any cooler, i dare say these photos may remind one of the old cemetery tours done in Paris, Buenos Aires, and New Orleans.
This is NOT an ordinary street. It cuts across the La Loma Cemetery, lined on both sides by old mausoleums belonging to prominent and old elitist families in the Philippines.
Quite a sight. Who would have thought this is in the Philippines? Or that there’s 54 hectares of cemetery property within the Metropolis?
All of 54 hectares within the metropolis. You’d think one should find better use for this land in this time and age. But it is an important piece of our history. I’m sure the hoi polloi would be interested to read up on the history of some of the prominent families interred here. Them are some of the aristocratic families of old. The illustrados. The hacienderos. Viejo familias. Their names ring familiar as many industries, companies, schools, even streets are named after them.
Must be an old tree growing out of a Mausoleum.
I can only imagine Dona Victorinas coming to light candles and offer flowers in many of these Mausoleums. 😉
As we moved from mausoleum to mausoleum, from one gravesite to the next, we can’t help wonder how squatter-families live here. As we stood in awe viewing the grandeur of some architectural designs and sculptures, we also didn’t miss the empty gravesites where little children play nearby and where laundry hangs from a rope loosely hung between 2 trees. Mixed emotions here. I feel for these impoverished families, yet I lament that this “open air museum” seems to have been taken over by illegal occupants. I really hope our government finds a suitable relocation site where these families can resettle.
This one looks rather NEW. All of 3 storeys high. Looks a bit tacky to me.
There were many interesting statues and monuments. Architect Manuel Noche said he brings his architectural class to these cemeteries every now and then to study art and architecture. Well, history too.
I know there are some who go visit on their own, but guided tours are best if one wants to appreciate the place’s historical and architectural significance. You may google all you want but you may miss out on some historical tidbits. Besides, it’s good to visit as a big group. It’s more fun!
Another Mausoleum for the Rich and Famous.
……….while others are interred in another part of the cemetery.
lifeisacelebration 