TOUR OVERVIEW
Date of Tour : June 24, 2010
Booking Agency : Elaine Castro
Mabuhay Guide : Dennis Geronimo Red Maristany
Guests : 2 Pax
Type of Tour : Site , Walking Tours
Itinerary :
Planned Rizal Monument/ Fort Santiago/ San Agustin/ Casa Manila
Actual Rizal Monument/ Fort Santiago/ San Agustin/ Manila Hotel/ CCP/ Baywalk
Time of Tour :
Planned 8:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
Actual 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM
TOUR DETAILS
Highlights of the Tour:
• Ms Goya Reinoso called to inform me of my tour duty on the afternoon of 23 June, 2010. The contact person for the tour group was Ms Elaine Castro who informed me that the guests were Latinas Originally, the tour starts at the Fort Santiago and ends at Casa Manila . She just wanted to make sure that the guests would be able to ride a calesa.
• I arrived at the fort at 8:00 am to meet with the tour group. I made arrangements with the calesa drivers that we were to be dropped off at the San Agustin Church after our tour of the Fort. I informed the contact person on her cellphone that I was at the gate. Apparently they had gone in to the Mananzan Store to buy hats for the walking tour.
• I was slightly amused that there were only two guests: Ms Castro and another Latina lady. Initial exchanges were pleasant. I then found out that our guest was from Colombia and she was here for a series of lectures on dermatology. Since we were the first visitors at the fort some areas were closed off. I started my commentaries at the American Barracks.
• Because of our shared history, it was easy to connect with her as she was also asking a lot of questions; seeking parallelisms on the kind of administration the Spaniards were engaging in the Philippines. Obviously, the Spaniards were mostly concerned with expanding the empire and acquiring as much gold as possible.
• The concept of Spaniards colonizing the Filipinos ran parallel with the conquering of El Dorado in Colombia. So the guest identified with my commentaries on so many different levels.
• We did the tour of the fort with the memorial cross and the falsabraga coming after Plaza Armas. We even went down to the gate of the dungeon where we took photos. Then we went up to the Casa Castellana where dozens of photos were taken.
• We stopped briefly at the Plaza Roma and decided we would go back to peek inside the Cathedral. I got them a map of Intramuros after the Calesa ride to San Agustin at the zaguan of Casa Manila. We didn’t bother to view the exhibit but the guests went into the Papier Tole shop where she bought some souvenirs. Then we went to San Agustin church.
• Being Araw ng Maynila, Mayor Alfredo Lim was at the church laying a wreath in honor of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. From there we back-tracked and went back on foot to Manila Cathedral and we witnessed the ordination of the Bishop of Balanga, Bataan. Ms Castro was lagging behind but the guest was walking fast so I had to make sure I looked behind if Ms Castro was keeping or at least trying to keep pace. She was getting exhausted.
• The driver followed us to the Cathedral and we went next to Puerta Real and the Fern Garden. The guest loved the soothing ambiance of the garden. apparently her husband loves exotic plants and she commented that he would go crazy had he tagged along to the garden. There were so many photo ops I had lost count of the number of times we stopped. As we were leaving Intramuros, she wanted to take photos of the golfers so we had to stop a few times along Padre Burgos for photo ops.
• Next stop was the Manila Hotel. She so loved the lobby of the hotel and took so many photos. We then motored by the Quirino Grandstand and I showed her where the president elect Noynoy Aquino was to be sworn into office. Then we went around to the back where I showed them the Manila Ocean Park.
• Then we went to Roxas Blvd. as requested by Ms Castro; the guest wanted to walk along the bay since she claimed she was cooped up in the hotel and was always sitting down even for her lectures. Along the way, I showed her the Army Navy Club (Manila Museum), the Elks Club (Museo Pambata), US Embassy, and finally, Baywalk.
• We stopped and got off at the Quirino Avenue portion of Roxas Blvd. where we started to walk towards the CCP where we agreed the driver would meet us. Along the way, we bought coconuts and then I pointed out the Manila Yacht Club, the Metropolitan Museum, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Navy headquarters.
• As we reached the CCP grounds we went to the area where the dragon boat races are done and then we boarded the car again.
• We got off at the Rizal Monument where we had photo ops. I showed them the Quirino Grandstand from the vantage point of the flag pole. And also pointed out the execution site of Dr. Jose Rizal. It was 11:30 am by then and I went with them back to the car to direct the driver on where to proceed next. They were to have lunch at Tita Muning’s in Malacanang.
• While coasting Padre Burgos I showed them the Planetarium, the Orchidarium, the National Museum, the Philippine Normal College and Technologial University of the Philippines.
• I also showed them the Ayala Bridge and Isla de Convalecencia ( Hospicio de San Jose) and some buildings in the Malacanang Complex. As we were reaching the gates when we turned right on Carlos Palanca Street, I informed them that I was getting off and gave them final directions to the restaurant where they were having lunch.
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