A walk through Manila

Walking discovers the beauty of manila
by: Jun Frank Condrada

Everybody excitedly enjoyed the plan going to manila and visit some famous trademarks of the city. Each and every one of the hype’s publisher staffs gladly want to join the trip, like it’s going to be a field trip, back in elementary an in high school. Partly yes, this is a literally a walk through manila.

On September 14, the day of journey, we planned to meet in Recto Isetann. And just the day has started for us; a snatcher was being captured right before our eyes! A very good prelude to start our day! Whatever, we just disregarded the “unexpected incident” and went through to our journey.

A walking marathon happened as expected from recto, we first visited the San Sebastian church, Quiapo church, Escolta, the walled city of Intramuros, the city’s largest clock in manila city hall, the historical Luneta park, manila grandstand and just behind it is the latest attraction of the city, the Manila Ocean Park where lively dolphins and other fishes swim “what do you expect?”, and lastly is the famous manila bay at night. The different colors of lights that brightened the bay eased the aches of our feet which we didn’t even notice when we’re on the walking marathon.

To this trip in manila, we discoved its uniqueness and simplicity of its beauty by simply walking through the place. We couldn’t have seen it if we use other means of visiting the places.
 We could now say, “Iba ang ganda ng maynila”

Trip to manila
By:Ana besa
Literally walking around Manila is pretty exhausting. It was tiring, yes, but when you're in a group of fun people, it never gets boring. From recto to Quiapo to Intramuros. Though I had to come home early, I seriously enjoyed exploring Manila. Different places. Different poeple. Diffrent sceneries. People should discover what's in store for them in Manila and they should know what makes the city different from others. (minus the Quirino grand Stand drama and the chaos it brought) FUN. FUN Day!.

Conquered the City
By: Ivy Habana

I was late! The call time is at 10:30 in the afternoon, I arrived at 11:30. Honestly, I was so excited that day! I love going to different places. I love exploring new places, though my school is located in Manila, and I have been to many places in Manila, I believe I still have so many things and places to visit in the city. MANILA - everytime I hear this word I immediately think of holdappers, garbages, bad smell, beggars and etc., Recto to Legarda then here comes Quiapo the DVD Capital of Manila then Escolta going to Intramuros then Manila City Hall now comes to Luneta passed by the Quirino Grand Stand then went inside the Manila Ocean Park after a 30 minute rest, walked to Baywalk, atlast!. It was dead tiring, but it was all WORTH THE EFFORT. I really had fun. We really had fun. I'm proud to say that, despite of all the bad smell I inhaled, the smell of the people's sweat I passed by, the hunger, most especially the thirst. . . I CONQUERED MANILA!

It's a Field Trip!
 By: Merlita Garing

September 15, 2010. I prepare myself for a long distance walk not because of alay-lakad and not to join the aktibista's walk out. Our group had a tour in Manila. It's a walkathon from Recto - Legarda - Quiapo - Intramuros - SM Manila - Manila City Hall - Luneta - Quirino Grand Stand - Manila Ocean Park and our last desination, Baywalk. We've walked literally around Manila. It's a very great experience. I felt like a kid having my school field trip and was amazed from the things I just discovered that day. My way to school passes the streets in Manila. I find common and ordinary, but because of the tour the stories behind it unveiled to me.


The Concrete Jungle
Mike Angeles

Unmasking the 2 faces of a city I love
It’s been 5 days since the last time I visited the HYPE page, and before I start I must ask my deepest apologies for not writing a perfectly good article, see I didn’t cite some references, and I forgot to put my byline, so my deepest apologies to the readers.  Last Saturday, I must say that the launching of the HYPE website has been successful because we got everything what we wanted.  The challenge came when the professor noted us to make a “walking tour of Manila”.  I had a mix of emotions when I heard the order come down like gummy bears from the sky, I was excited at the same time nervous, we got to tour one of the greatest cities in the country, but with just so little time, its rather sad that the week went by so fast.  And tomorrow, another chapter begins, I’m just hoping that it won’t be something that bores me, hmmm come to think of it, so far, I haven’t found anything boring in free writing, it’s like a wrestling cage match, NO RULES apply.  And before I get to bore you, I proudly present my view of Manila….
It’s been a long time since I get to venture Manila, and I must say that I didn’t even notice a 5 hour walkathon around the city, from Claro Recto, Quiapo, Sta Cruz, Escolta, Intramuros, Luneta, Baywalk, Malate, and finally, United Nations Avenue, I must say if it wasn’t for issues like time, money, and aching feet, id definitely go on around one more time.  Walking along the route was somewhat enlightening, if you get to be a small time writer like me, you’d think of a million things to write, a million angles to prep your article with, it’s a rather normal thing for writers, I hope, for my sake.  But setting everything aside the experience was amazing.
While walking it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the different sides of this city.  The infamous “namamalengkeng mata” see’s all or something like that, by walking thru the twists and turns of the city I noticed that there always was an underbelly around the corner, a “rotten” vegetable among the heap.  The things that make you just shake your head because you know for yourself that whatever you do, even though you want to be an advocate of change like all those dead idiots that dreamed, and all the living idiots in power who dream of a straightening some crooked road or something, (not pointing fingers reallyJ) you can’t, simply because change must come within them, but then they tell you that they have no choice and they’re just forced to go with the flow and accept their destiny, or fate, or whatever cosmic event you could think of.  It’s a rather an endless debate of who’s right and who’s wrong.  Anyway I’m not ashamed of these so called “rotten” vegetables or, quoting from the book of Neil Gaiman Neverwhere, where he described beggars as “individuals falling thru the cracks of society” it’s a good book by the way, worth reading.  Anyway I’m proud of these people, because they are the main elements of the city, since I was a kid I grew up along the streets of Manila, I started college venturing these streets and I always give them a smile and utter words like “only in Manila”, not that I’m proud or anything, it’s just that these people add up the spice in the city, it’s like our version of those homeless guys in the States, or in London, or in any other city.   Some might say that all I need is to get mugged by these people, but hey, there are types of bums and I ain’t interested in messing with the muggers and addicts.  Who is anyway?
Walking along the streets of United Nations Avenue at night with all those lights and sights, I stopped by the middle of Maria Orosa and United Nations and I simply stood there and reminisced the times I’ve been there, so many memories since I was a kid.  My point you ask? Well I bet that these things don’t happen only to me, because if you was born here in the city, there will be one place amidst the rotten apples, the elite, the low bargained clothes, food, the cheap movies, the busy streets, there would be that place here, where you would just stand and feel that evertything would be alright.. or something like that

Trip to Manila
By; Kristel Rae Samson
As we walked around Manila, another experience for us, to see personally the tourist spots here in our place. Another bonding for our group, this time we enjoyed walking, talking, laughing and eating. As a broadcast communication student, we need to capture moments. We walked Recto to Roxas Boulevard, just imagine how far was that. Supposedly the last destination of our group was Ocean Park, but our lovely editor wanted us to go at Baywalk, and we also wanted to go at Star City, but we decided to go home at 7pm or 7:30pm. Even though the heavy rain made our life worst, we stayed at Intramuros. Yet it was fun and memorable experience to us. A walked through Manila was great.

Walking thru manila..
By:  Aira joyce Burawin
                Our experience is indeed a blast! Form Recto to Legarda, to the streets of Quiapo, to Escolta, Post Office, Intramuros (plus the heavy rain, we’re stranded there for an hour or so), the obstacles we faced just to get to SM Manila (flood), my first time I LUNETA PARK. Yes! Your eyes are not fooling you. It’s my first time in Luneta! And what Jun Frank and I experienced there is a nice welcome treat, KUMUNOY! Then we went to Quirino Grandstand. The historical Quirino Grandstand, the feeling there is so heavy and we can’t explain and understand why. After there, we headed to Manila ocean Park! Yehey! Nice view! And our last stop? Roxas Boulevard’s Baywalk. So many places in one whole day! And oh, did I forgot to mention that we went to those places thru walking? Nice one right?!

 A unique city
By Cherryben M. Portacio

Last Tuesday (September 14, 2010), Hypers went crazy touring the city of Manila . To tell you honestly, my perception in that place is not that positive. Pollution and people almost give me Goosebumps whenever I think about our capital city. I grew up in a province-like place in Caloocan and maybe the reason why I feel not so secure in Manila city is because it is the total opposite of my situate. Want to know what are the other things that makes Manila exciting for Hypers? Here are some on my groups list:

WEATHER
The very hot condition in the morning suddenly turned into a heavy rain in the afternoon. What an experience too because in just a matter of hour, the flood is already in a knee-level. My group had no choice but to ride on a pedicab and pay 30 bucks just to be in a much comfortable place like SM Manila. And take note, we are only two blocks away from there! We were trapped. Trapped by the black waters of Manila . You know what is the best part? People around us (including us) still keeps on laughing and giggling though it really look like a miserable situation for us.

SHOPPING and FOOD
Manila have great shopping places and foods to taste. From Divisoria to Quiapo and even just in every corner of the street, Manila has something to sell. From the expensive restaurants up to the street foods and from the grandest malls up to the tiangges, you can have what you want depending on your budget. Too bad I don’t have enough money that day.
As what lots of Manileño says, The life in the city where almost everyone wanted to leave at is very hard yet dreadfully fun—as long as you have money.

MYSTERIES
A place like Quiapo can really offer bizarre experience for everyone. Fortune tellers and witchcrafts are in every corner, It is also a very freaky place because you can feel that someone is looking towards you and you really need to seriously take care of your belongings.

VINTAGE INFASTRUCTURES
Manila city is a very historical place here in the Philippines . No wonder lots of tourists always include Manila as their first destination whenever they go in our country. You can feel the history behind every walls and sightings in Manila . Some of the buildings were built since the Spanish colonialism, and some are just forgotten like the metropolitan theatre.

Lastly, still the best part in Manila are the locals. You can never feel outcast because the people are always smiling though not all are nice. In visiting Manila , Don’t forget to brace yourself because it has lots of things to offer—either good or bad. Just have fun and take care!