jinirus

[jinirus]

A Trip To Intramuros

Reaching a decade and eight was a challenging and exhausting experience. A lot of ups and downs were faced to be the person who I am today. And celebrating it with the people I love is the best way to tell myself that I did a great job surviving these years; but spending my very special day with the person I cherish the most in a place that has a lot of stories to tell makes it more extra special.

Hey, I’m Jenny Yacap. I just reached 18 years of age two months ago. And I’m here to tell how I spent my birthday.

Just a quick recap, I celebrated my birthday two days before my actual birthday. And then me and my boyfriend (named Ivan) went to Intramuros in my actual birthday.

We planned this trip a long time ago but since we have money and time to do it, we didn’t hesitate and went there. He also told me to just bring myself and he’ll handle the rest. It was one of the most memorable trip since I’m not really familiar with the place or know how to go there but he prepared everything so I was so excited that time.

Going to our destination

This was our first trip in LRT together; it was also his first time riding one so we’re both excited and scared since we both had no idea what can happen during our trip.

We met at VGC to ride a bus going to Monumento, LRT then we got the tickets going to Central Station. It was a long ride, since Intramuros is far from Monumento but it’s a faster way to go there. And in the middle of our ride, I started to feel my feet getting sore from all the walking. I just got to rest my feet when we got to the cathedral riding a tricycle. My boyfriend massaged my feet going there so it’s a big relief for me.

Here’s a pic of him massaging my feet. I’m so thankful for him that time since I’m really not comfortable with my sandals.

He bought new sandals for me but it was more of heels because I just bought what I thought was comfortable and matches my outfit. I can’t blame myself since it was the best shoes I can find at the ukay-ukay store.

We then went to the cathedral after and I was amazed by the designs and structures inside it. It feels surreal for me since I’m not Catholic and I’m not used to seeing those kind of churches. It feels so peaceful and I can also feel the holiness inside. I just can’t imagine how Manila Cathedral managed to survive everything.

Image inside the cathedral. Ivan and I sit for a while since he wants to pray for me since it’s my birthday. It was a heartfelt experience watching him pray for me.

After praying, we walked around for a bit before going out. I checked the time and it was around 1 pm and Ivan asked if I was hungry. I said yes and he said he knew where to go and that we don’t need to ride a trike since it’s just behind the cathedral.

This was the place Ivan mentioned. At first I thought it was a small cafe since it doesn’t look that big at the front.

I was just shocked when we went inside since I was greeted by a short passageway full of flowers and leaves connecting to the staircase. It was full of flowers when we walked the stairs since it’s located on the 3rd floor of the place.

This was the dining place and it was absolutely gorgeous and elegant. Just kinda bit sad since I wanted to eat on the rooftop but it was to hot, given that it was past noon.

It was a fine dining restaurant and I felt like I was a princess because of how magical the place was. I’m glad it wasn’t crowded because I can enjoy and eat at peace with my boyfriend.

This was the food we ordered. My favorite was the pasta and the salad. It was my first time tasting and it did not disappoint.

It was kinda pricey but was worth it. I was full after eating it with my boyfriend. We enjoyed both the food and the place. If I were to answer a question if I’m going to this place again? It’s a yes! It was a super memorable place for both of me and Ivan. We’ll definitely go back here.

We then went to fort santiago. We ride a e-trike going there since it’s a bit far from La Cathedral. You need an entrance fee to enter, we both got a discount since we’re both students. (Student privilege)

This was across the river. Took a few pics too since it was a historical place.

Picture taken by my boyfriend

As much as we both want to explore the place more, my feet can’t handle the pain due to my shoes so we took a rest beside Pasig River. When we both got to rest, we decided to visit the dungeon before heading out.

I don’t have any photos in me but we both did and it was a kinda eerie experience since it was a place where dead bodies were put on.

We’re not yet going home but my feet were killing me so we decided to ride a Kalesa. It was fun and we got to have a conversation with the kutsero (kalesa driver). He toured us around intramuros and said lot of historical events in every place that we went. But we didn’t got to finish it because we requested to drop off near SM Manila. We thanked the kutsero and had a picture with his horse.

This was where he dropped us off and asked if we can take a picture with his horse. He also shared why horses need to cover their eyes. (It was because horses get scared when buses and cars pass by them, so it’s a protection for both of the people riding and the horse.)

We bid goodbyes to the kutsero and went to SM Manila. We just bought some stuffs there to bring home. It was already night time when we got out and traveled back home.

I still have a lot of experiences I didn’t got to share but this was the most of the things I can remember. I was so happy I went there with my boyfriend and I promise myself that we will come back someday to make more memories and to not use sandals or heels that can make my feet suffer throughout the day.