Intramuros Mini-Photo Walk

Lei & I were on our way to Barbara's for our buffet dinner. We took the LRT to Carriedo Station then boarded a Pier jeep that would take us to Intramuros. But along the way we saw the ruins of the old Aduana building and we decided to check it out and take some shots as well. It was still early and we have enough time before the buffet starts at 6PM.

The place is a little creepy especially when you look through its rusted gates and grills. You could still see the ruins of old stairways and crumbling walls with creepy vines growing out of them.

It would be a great if they could have restored the Aduana to its former glory, but I highly doubt that this would happen. Many drivers and commuters alike just pass by oblivious of the history that lies within.

Just on the opposite side of the street from the Aduana ruins is a statue of King Philip II of Spain. We never even knew that this statue exists and we were glad to have found it.

Sadly, like other historical monuments in the country, I just felt that this statue of the King of Spain, where our country got its name from, was not given much prominence, honor and maintenance.  It's rusting in some spots and a few more years it could be destroyed by acid rain.

Next, we headed to Plaza Mexico near the Pasig River, where the IV Centenario De La Expedicion Maritima Mexico Filipinas monument is located. This monument celebrates 400 years of maritime expeditions between Mexico and the Philippines and it was installed by former Presidents Diosdado Macapagal of the Philippines and Adolfo Lopez Mateos of Mexico.

We have passed this monument countless times before, and finally we got the chance to take pictures of it.  The obverse and reverse sides actually have different designs so I took pictures of both.

Like the King Philip monument, this one is in badly need of maintenance and a fresh coat of paint.  There were graffiti, it's rusted in some places and trash was thrown just about everywhere. It's sad that these monuments have fallen to neglect. I've read in another blog that there is a similar monument in Mexico and that one is well-maintained unlike ours.

Here's a collage of the Mexico-Philippine monument:

Here's a smaller monument with a relief of a galleon used in the Manila-Acapulco trade:

Our photo walk was short and sweet but we greatly enjoyed it. To cap it off, here's a shot of a calesa at the rear of the the Aduana ruins which truly brings us back to days gone by...

Now on to Barbara's for the much awaited buffet!