Travel Bites: Oases of calm in sizzling Manila

IT’S more fun in the Philippines, so says the government’s new tourism marketing slogan.

Here at the BusinessMirror, we definitely agree.

So beginning today, and every Monday thereafter, we will bring you the best of the Philippines—popular tourist spots, as well as destinations off-the-beaten track that readers can visit on short weekend trips, or explore on their grand holiday vacations.

Mark Twain once said, “Nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.”

With Travel Bites, we will stun you with the breathtaking vistas in the country, and put you in touch with the kindness and hospitality of our kababayan (fellow Filipinos).

To every tourist, the Philippines offers a unique experience where one’s enjoyment is measured not only by the spectacular sights, but also by the Filipinos’ own brand of fun and recreation, served up with a whole lot of heart.

(San Agustin Church in Intramuros is a treasure trove of Spanish era art and images. Photo copyright owned by the author.)

Destination: Manila 

So what if it’s hot and humid, claustrophobia-inducing and crime-riddled? Beyond all that, Manila is one of those cities in the world that pulsates with activity from dusk ‘til dawn. There are many establishments that appeal to every kind of tourist, at any hour of the day or night.

Sure, it’s crowded and traffic is a mess, but within its boundaries are also accessible pockets of comfort and calm. There are lush parks, havens of wellness, a myriad of restaurants offering simple fare to decadent meals, and a glorious sunset over Manila Bay to set many a romantic heart’s a-flutter.

Tourists, especially from the neighboring cities are most welcome to join the fun!

Must-sees

Historical tours. The old Walled City of Intramuros offers a glimpse into Manila’s colonial past with its Spanish-influenced buildings and churches, American garrisons and a showcase of items from national hero Jose Rizal’s last days at Fort Santiago. Hop aboard Carlos Celdran’s tours for witty anecdotes of life under our country’s colonizers Walk This Way, or the Mabuhay Tour Guides (Call T# 896-5523/63917-846-5729).

Memories at Manila Hotel. Already renovated for a more modern aesthetic, the hotel lobby with its spectacular chandeliers hanging overhead and a stringed ensemble playing music offers guests a quiet respite from the city’s chaos.

By special arrangement, guests can also take a look at its archives and rifle through old photos and other memorabilia documenting the hotel’s heydays when Hollywood celebrities, politicians and VIPs stayed there. If not occupied, the MacArthur Suite, which the legendary American military general who commanded the US Armed Forces in the Pacific during World War II called his home, also offers a curious slice of history from the POV of a leading WW II figure. (T# 527-0011 for inquiries)

Foodie haven. No other restaurant serves Filipino comfort food as authentic as Bistro Remedios (T# 523-9153). Dishes that always wow the palate of the most discriminating tourist are the Pako at Itlog na Maalat (Fern Leaves Salad with Salted Red Egg), Crispy Tadyang (Marinated Beef Ribs) deep fried to a delicious crispiness, and Gising-Gising (minced stalks of swamp cabbage spiced with small chilis and simmered in coconut cream). 

Art spaces. At the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (T# 708-7827/524-0876), beside the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) along Roxas Boulevard, runs an exhibit of Chilean painter Claudio Bravo’s works produced in Manila in 1968. Also ongoing until December 15 are the latest paintings and sculptures acquired by the BSP, including new works BenCab, Gary Custodio, Rodel Tapaya and other Filipino artists.

Those into plays or musicals must not miss Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater until October 19. For tickets and a list of other cultural events, go to TicketWorld .

(Manila's Chinatown is said to be the oldest in the world. Photo from http://www.tropicalisland.de/)

Chinatown stop. This tiny enclave where Chinese-Filipinos traditionally live is a haven for old-style Chinese cuisine; drugstores selling medicinal herbs and roots; and stores offering delicacies such as mooncakes, hopia, tikoy and ampaw. (Take any jeepney going to Santa Cruz, Manila, and go down Ongpin Street). Binondo is also site of one of the oldest churches in the country—the Minor Basilica of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, or simply, Binondo Church, a baroque-inspired edifice originally built in 1596.

For a Buddhist flavor, visit the Kuang Kong Temple on Kipuja Street to ask special favors from the gods by praying and burning incense sticks. For guided tours of Binondo, contact Ivan Man Dy at Old Manila Walks .

Shop ‘til you drop. Enjoy haggling over China-made toys and gadgets, apparel and accessories and the odd one-of-a-kind curios at Divisoria’s 168 Mall. (Take the LRT 1 to Doroteo Jose, then jeepney to Divisoria.) Music enthusiasts, audiophiles and photographers can head off to Raon Street in Manila’s Quiapo district for cheap turntables, stereo speakers, cameras and photo equipment. (Most jeepneys from any point in Metro Manila have connections to Quiapo.) 

When night falls. Watch up-and-coming musicians and bands, as well as Filipino rock legends at the Hobbit House (1212 Arquiza Trade Center, M.H. del Pilar andArquiza Streets, Ermita), a bar staffed entirely by “little people.”

If gaming is your thing, try your luck at the various Casino Filipino branches in the city: Heritage Hotel (Roxas Boulevard and Edsa), Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel (United Nations Avenue, Ermita) and Hyatt Hotel and Casino (1588 Pedro Gil and M.H. del Pilar streets, Malate).

For a romantic interlude, take a sunset cruise around Manila Bay via Sun Cruises (T# 834-6857 to 58 or 527-5555), then get a brisk but relaxing footmassage by a trained reflexology therapist at MTO Spa (1709 Apolinario Mabini Street, Malate).

Where to stay. Manila Hotel by the bay for the pomp and old world glam; CityState Tower Hotel (#1315 A. Mabini St. Ermita/T#708-9600 to 09) or Cherry Blossoms Hotel (#550 Jorge Bocobo Ext. Ermita/T#708-9901 to 06) for the value-for-money, quality guest service experience.

(Travel Bites is published every Monday in the front page of the BusinessMirror . This Manila piece was published on Sept. 24, 2012.)

Manila Hotel: A grand old dame turns 100

(The night’s celebratory toast with the Yap family and executives of Manila Hotel. From left: lawyer Francis Gaw, Michael Yap, Emilio C. Yap III, Basilio Yap, Manila Hotel Executive Vice President Enrique Y. Yap Jr., Manila Hotel Chairman Dr. Emilio T. Yap, Manila Hotel President lawyer Joey Lina, Manila Hotel Senior Vice President Ginny Banaag and Johnny Yap.)

“If it’s a good story, it’s like Manila Hotel.”—Ernest Hemingway

MANILA HOTEL, fondly called the “grand old dame,” was bedecked in her finest Wednesday night (July 4) as she celebrated her 100th birthday, looking even more brilliant and feeling optimistic about her future.

About 800 guests in formal Filipiniana attire, including President Benigno S. Aquino III, came and helped the venerable and much-loved hotel celebrate its birthday in a grand in a grand celebration dubbed the ”Centennial Ball” at a huge tent on the premises.

The celebration began with cocktails at 6 p.m. before a short audio-visual history of the institution was presented and projected on the wall of the hotel. Declared a national historical landmark in February 1997, the hotel has attracted VIPs such as Gen. Douglas MacArthur (where a suite is named after him), Hollywood celebrities such as Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr., and boxing legends like Muhammad Ali, to name a few.

Guests were then served during the sit-down dinner starting with wild mushroom consommé with truffle custard, accompanied with Casa Lapostolle, Chardonnay; Southern Spiny Lobster and Apple Salad with Celery and Crisp bacon, tarragon, and sherry vinaigrette (with Cuvee Alexandre Lapostolle, Chardonnay); a passion fruit sorbet as palate cleanser; with the main course of Oven-roasted sea bass with brown butter and tomato fondue, potato and a bell pepper frittata with spicy sausage (Casa Lapostolle, Merlot); and for dessert, a Lemongrass mousse on coconut-chocolate joconde cake, pineapple compote, and ginger crème Anglaise as well as chocolate pralines with either coffee or tea. (The rest at InterAksyon.com, July 5, 2012. Photos courtesy Manila Hotel.)

Finding love in the Year of the Water Dragon

(Feng shui expert Marites Allen gave a preview of her 2012 predictions during a recent press briefing at Manila Hotel. On January 22, 2012, the hotel will usher in the Year of the Water Dragon with a Chinese bazaar, fireworks, blessing ritual by Allen, and an exquisite midnight feast at the Mabuhay Palace. The dishes will symbolize luck, longevity and wealth in the coming year. Copyright Stella Arnaldo)

EVERYONE’S still talking about the bombshell that showbiz princess KC Concepcion dropped last Sunday.

Well, I won’t dwell too much on it, since I don’t want to add any more to the noise. And as her mega-mom Sharon Cuneta did say, KC and Piolo are adults. In other words, KC knew exactly what she was getting into.

Of course, like many single, unattached women...KC’s desperate cry about wanting to find true love does tug at the heartstrings. But who, where and how to find it—that’s the big question.

Well, if you ask feng shui consultant Marites Allen about love, she can tell you that she is proof positive of how geomancy can help us single women find Mr. Right. After a failed first marriage back home in Cebu was annulled, Marites says she was able to activate her love life and attract many suitors with the help of feng shui.

She says she found her Prince Charming—an Englishman whose name she declines to reveal due to privacy issues—and married him. That is, “only after I carefully studied his chart!” Marites says she is very much happily married, with a wonderful family life with their four children. What’s more, she now has a great career as one of the country’s top feng shui consultants.

Marites, who is president of the World of Feng Shui Philippines, spoke to the media recently in a preview of Manila Hotel’s festivities to help usher in the Year of the Water Dragon on January 22, 2012.

So, of course I asked her: What can KC do to find that elusive “true love”? (KC, by the way, was born in 1985, the Year of the Ox.)

Marites says that KC’s “best match are those born in the Year of the Rat.” She cites the UK’s Prince Harry (Rat) and his girlfriend Chelsy Davy (Ox)—“they were having an on-and-off relationship but they seem to keep going back to each other.... So an Ox pairing with a person born in the year of the Rat is surely a very good start in finding the right one.”

Marites adds that KC’s best allies or friends are Snakes or Roosters.

But the feng shui expert counsels: “For a very pretty, intelligent and independent lady like KC, surely too many guys are already waiting for their turn to woo her heart. However, it is best for her to enjoy her singlehood and surely, when the time is right, she will find another love.”

Marites assures that love will come a-calling again, especially if “KC activates the southwest section of her bedroom with love charms such as peony flowers or double happiness symbols, such as the dragon and phoenix symbol, etc.”

***
(Just some of the lucky charms and feng shui books available at Marites' World of Feng Shui shops in the metro.)

SPEAKING of Rats, guess who was born in that year, KC?

Well, it’s none other than President Noynoy Aquino, who was born in 1960.

Hmmm...KC and P-Noy? Well, why the hell not?! I think it could be a perfect match!

Both of them are smart, well-bred individuals.

They are currently loveless.

They both belong to respectable families with their feet dipped into politics and show business. So there would be an immediate understanding of each other’s priorities, background, and ways of thinking.

Okay, so there’s a 25-age gap. But maybe a more mature man (accent on the latter quality) is exactly what the young KC needs.

After all, this is a lady who virtually grew up without a strong male figure in her life. It was really her mom Sharon who was both mother and father to her, rearing KC as best as she could.

As for PNoy, he is no stranger to relationships with younger women. His ex-girlfriend Shalani Soledad is 20 years his junior—so what’s an additional five years in the case of KC?

And apparently, he is not intimidated by intelligent, outspoken women, having had relationships with Korina Sanchez, Bernadette Sembrano, Shalani, Liz Uy, Bunny Calica, etc. And KC is the same...articulate, well-read, and with just a touch of the right demureness. (She is actually like a slightly refined version of presidential sister Kris Aquino, don’t you think?)

But more important, KC and P-Noy have compatible Chinese zodiac signs! She’s and Ox. He’s a Rat. Who knows, it may just work!

***
(Manila Hotel Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing will be preparing a delectable feast for the Chinese New Year celebration at Mabuhay Palace, on Jan. 22, 2012. Photo courtesy Manila Hotel.)

KIDDING aside, Marites says the year 2012 brings a “general” risk of illness for those born in the Year of Rat, so the President should watch out. “It is a mixed year, so look after your health. Adjust to a less demanding schedule.”

She advises Rats in general to “focus on mentally-challenging activities, rather than doing the party scene.”

Marites adds that stress will bring tension to a Rat’s life, but his allies “are there to the rescue him.” A Rat’s best friends are Dragons and Monkeys.

To avoid falling ill, Marites advises Rats to acquire a Medicine Buddha Moving Mantra Watch “to create an aura of good health around you.” Also they should place a Brass Wu Lou in the Northern sector of the bedroom “as an antidote to the illness star.”

The year 2012 will be a generally favorable for those born in the year of the Tiger, Rabbit, Horse and Sheep, she says.

According to Marites, the Water Dragon’s power will help push dramatic changes in 2012. It may not mean the end of the world as the Mayan calendar supposedly indicated, but it will certainly be a “year of transformation.”

To indicate how momentous the transformation in 2012 would be, Marites recalled the previous Water Dragon years, the last one occurring in 1952. That year saw the passing of King George VI of the United Kingdom and assumption into office of his daughter Queen Elizabeth II. The first hydrogen bomb was detonated in 1952, ushering in the nuclear age. World War II also came to an official end with the Treaty of Peace signed between Japan and 48 countries aligned with the Allied powers coming into force.

She says although 2012 “will be better than 2011,” the Year of the Rabbit, “it does signify continuing disharmony, with conflicts between governments and social classes, and political and social unrest. There are to be key leadership changes; and social and industrial disputes are to escalate.” 2012 in an election year in the US, France, Russia and India, she points out.

Asked whether this meant a new President for the U.S. next year, Allen said: Yes, [US President Barack] Obama is an Ox (1961), and is slowly losing popularity with the yearly economic challenges in the U.S. So chances are, he may not make it to another term… unless he implements major changes more favorable to the U.S. economy.”

Marites will unveil her other 2012 predictions on January 22 at Manila Hotel’s Chinese New Year celebration. A Grand Chinese Bazaar will be held on the hotel premises featuring different stores selling lucky charms, house decorations and delectable Chinese delicacies.

While the fireworks light up the evening sky, hotel guests will dine on a feast prepared by Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing at the Mabuhay Palace. The dishes will symbolize luck, longevity and wealth in the coming year.

Doomsday enthusiasts believe the world would end on December 21, 2012 because the calendar of the Mayans—a now-extinct indigenous civilization that once dwelled in Mexico—ends on that date. Well, I looked through Marites’s feng shui almanac for 2012 and it does include a 2013 calendar at the back. Whew!

(For ticket inquiries and reservations to Manila Hotel’s Chinese New Year celebration, call 527-0011 local 1108 or 1243.)

(My column, Something Like Life, is published almost every Friday, in the Life section of the BusinessMirror. This piece was originally published on Dec. 2, 2011. If you need to borrow the entries and photos on these pages, pls. cite your source. Thanks.)