Manila - Within Walls

Manila was once a jewel of the Spanish Crown. Perhaps that’s where the reference to ‘Pearl of the Orient’ came from: a pearl in an imperial crown. Away from the hustle and bustle, the sacred and the profane at Plaza Miranda, I walked along Quezon Boulevard to the Quezon Bridge, towards the old walled Spanish city: the Intramuros.

On Quezon Bridge, over Pasig River, Manila

 Passing the old Municipal Theatre, I tried to find a way in to the walled city. The chaotic roads and lack of pedestrian-friendly pathways did much to hinder my progress.

Intramuros gatehouse

Queen Isabella II of Spain, Intramuros

Passing closed gates and relatively imposing walls surrounded by gardens, I was greeted by a closed side entrance along the battlements and a statue of a Queen Isabella II of Spain. Walking along the northeastern perimeter wall, I found an entrance, by a closed Starbucks. Yet in the process, I was distracted by a beautiful, albeit abandoned and gutted structure.

Gallician Stone Cross, Intramuros

Former Customs House, Aduana, Intramuros

The former Customs House, or Aduana, is a beautiful shell of a building, outside the formal city walls of the Intramuros, with a beautifully carved stone cross with strong Gallician influences standing guard outside. Not too sure what is to become of it, but the internal bracing and memorial plaques would indicate a future, hopefully.

Bureau of the Treasury, Plaza Roma, Intramuros

Walking further along A Soriano Jr St, the restoration of the Bureau of the Treasury greeted me, and heralded my arrival to the great Plaza Roma and the Manila Cathedral. As old and weathered as the imposing structure may look, the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, or Manila Cathedral for short, is relatively new, dating from 1958, when 7 previous incarnations from 1581 were destroyed or damaged through wear and tear, war and natural disasters.

Manila Cathedral, Intramuros

King Carlos IV statue, Plaza Roma, Intramuros

Regrettably, the cathedral was undergoing repairs and restoration to make it more earthquake-resistant since early 2012, and not expected to open any time soon. Instead, I had to satisfy my curiosity by admiring from the outside, from the tympanum to the basilica dome, as a statue of King Carlos IV of Spain pointed to a plot of earth on Plaza Roma.

Repairs, Manila Cathedral, Intramuros

Church number 3 done, my aim was now the World Heritage Site of San Agustin Church. I heard much about this church, and her beautiful artwork within. I was very much intrigued at church that miraculously survived the ravages of WWII as the Intramuros and the buildings within were heavily damaged. She was the sole survivor of 7 churches that stood in the city prior to the war.

Corner Anda/Gen Luna St, with basilica dome, Intramuros

Walking along General Luna St, I marvelled at the colonial Spanish architecture lining the street, with the click-clack of horse hooves against asphalt somehow brining me back to the days when Spanish merchants and administrators governed the empire as clergymen paced up and down chanting and worrying for the souls of many.

Horse-drawn carriages, Intramuros

Along Gen Luna St, Intramuros

At St Agustin Church, I was expecting a relatively modest structure, tucked away. Indeed, it was relatively modest, tucked away, but with many outbuildings. Somewhat well preserved, I was not ready for what lay within.

Exterior, St Agustin Church

Exterior, St Agustin Church

The simple, austere exterior belied the baroque ornamentation within. The trompe l’oeil was truly a trick of the eye. The fine detailing of the ceiling and walls, the richly and lavishly decorated interior, chandeliers and altars, all combine to transport you away from the tropics to another world. Words fail to describe the scene, and it was indeed a miracle how this artwork survived the onslaught, and indeed is a World Heritage Site in every way.

Liturgical East, St Agustin Church

Interior, St Agustin Church

As Christmas Day Mass number 6 was about to start, I excused myself and wandered the former monastery. The monastery is now a museum, with fine oil paintings depicting the life of St Augustine.

Artwork inside St Agustin's Church Museum

Cloisters & courtyard, St Agustin Monastery

Along Real St, down from St Agustin, is the Puerta de Sta Lucia, a side gate that opens in to the golf course that surrounds the western and southern walls of the Intramuros. Up here, tall skyscrapers jut out to remind you where you are as shells of war-damaged buildings of the Intramuros remind you of what once was.

Restored and damaged, Intramuros

Looking west towards Manila Hotel, along the battlements

For a moment, my imagination ran wild, as I imagined a time gone by, where the shoreline was closer to the walls, where large Spanish galleons called at port laden with treasure, with the monks chanting in the churches as administrators potter around, while locals and non-Spanish traders set out by the walls, wondering what shenanigans their Spanish overlords are doing in their cloistered surroundings.

Intramuros Main Gate, General Luna St