Growing up abroad, my parents would always regale us with stories of how beautiful Manila was in their heydays. Places like Escolta, Echague, Carriedo, Sta. Cruz and Avenida Rizal among others were frequently mentioned.
In the 1980s, Dad was back in the home based assignment so while we lived in Mandaluyong, I have fond memories of going to Quiapo with Mommy using public transport to hear mass at Quiapo church, have lunch and then buying hopia for pasalubong.
My adventure in Manila continued during my collegiate years as I studied in UST. It was roughly one jeepney ride and a bus ride commute from our place to Espana which turned into a raging river every time there was a downpour. Let’s not get into my wading through knee high even chest high flood waters sojourns. Too painful to remember hahaha
Recently, well about 5 years ago, sister dearest and/or hubby and I would go to Bambang in Manila to buy medical supplies at wholesale prices for Mommy’s battle with cancer. Bambang was a familiar place for Dad as he lived there for several years during his working student years.
Through the years, we have ventured into Manila to visit some of our favorite eateries like Tanabe Japanese Restaurant and Aristocrat Restaurant in Malate area and Ristorante delle Mitre in Intramuros.
Yesterday, our main purpose was to get new pair of glasses, as well as get our eyes checked at one of the numerous optical shops in Carriedo. We have read and heard that prices are way cheaper there compared to the optical shops found at malls.
First we had lunch at our fave Japanese restaurant Tanabe where their nabe (Japanese hotpot) is one of the best I’ve tasted in my life. Highly recommended, this dining place is found in Remedios Circle, Malate.
Since the Quiapo area where Carriedo is located is a congested area, we originally planned on using Grab to reach it. Yet the skies were gloomy and it looked like it could rain, we risked it and used Waze to find us a suitable parking area near Quiapo church. Luckily, we found one on Quezon Blvd itself and merely had to take the footbridge to get to the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of The Black Nazarene, we dropped by to pray for a few minutes. Fond memories embracing us as we remembered Mommy.
Carriedo is just a short distance walk from the Quiapo church and it took us about 2 hours to choose suitable frames, get our refraction and wait for some of the glasses which were ready after merely 30 minutes. Quite happy with our affordable but quality eyewear.
A nice stroll along Villalobos street to buy hopia from Master Hopia and some slices of cooked ham from Excelente Chinese cooked ham store then back to Quiapo church for more prayers to express our gratitude to the Black Nazarene for keeping us safe and always watching over us.
I was pleasantly surprised that the whole area (plaza Miranda, Carlos Palanca, Villalobos streets) was not congested and even the church itself was well ventilated and seemed ‘cleaner’ than my memory of it from past years. Traffic was also light even during rush hour as it was already past 5PM.
We capped the long ‘Maynila’ adventure day with a lovely dinner at Ristorante delle Mitre which serves delicious home cooked style meals which are cooked and managed by Augustinians nuns. This eatery is located just across the famous San Agustin Church. A slight drizzle as we walked back to the parking area but really happy with our Manila sojourn which was so nostalgic as we reminisced about our beloved parents. =)
