My girlfriend and I have been wanting to visit Manila for a leisurely walk and finally, we managed to pull it off last weekend. It was a very tiring yet fulfilling Manila trip! The last time we went to the City of Manila was when we did a Binondo food trip and took a ferry on our way home. This time, we think we overused our feet!

We first went to the newly constructed Marikina LRT station. Boarding the train is both efficient and comfortable for us because we plan on taking the connecting route from Recto (Line 2) to Central Station (Line 1) through Doroteo Jose. The only catch is that we're not allowed to talk while inside the train as a precautionary measure due to the ongoing pandemic.

As soon as we reached the Central station, we immediately went to SM City Manila for a quick lunch. We both had honey chicken teriyaki, gyoza, and coffee jelly from Tokyo Tokyo.

Intramuros

For our first stop, we headed to the Walled City of Intramuros. Intramuros was built by the Spaniards some 400 years ago as a fortress and seat of power. Intramuros means "inside the walls". Unfortunately, some of the tourist spots were temporarily closed to the public so we have no choice but to check out some other interesting sights.

The Manila Cathedral is not only a picturesque beauty, it also hosts weddings every hour. While we were there, we witnessed two sets of wedding entourage and pictorials.

Of course, we did not miss the chance to take pictures ourselves! We also obliged ourselves to take pictures with some instagrammable backgrounds.

Rizal Park

After Intramuros, we headed to Rizal Park. Nothing much has changed with the park since I last visited it except for the protocols being observed. One can't just walk around and flock anywhere. Benches have plant pots to minimize sitting people. Some areas are enclosed with ropes to keep people from mindlessly passing from one side to another. As a result, we have to walk around to get from place to place.

But having Rizal Park open is very much welcome! I loved seeing children playing and horsing around after almost two years of being quarantined at home.

It's also a good thing I brought my gorilla pod so we were able to take some pictures from a lower angle.

Luneta Park is a few distances away from the controversial Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach, so we walked towards that place as well.

Dolomite Beach

The Dolomite Beach is a project of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources in an attempt to rehabilitate Manila Bay. The crushed dolomite was transported from Cebu. It was first opened to the public on September 19, 2020, but due to a series of typhoons and recoating thereafter, it was again reopened on July 18, 2021. People flocked to the artificial beach which caused the government to close it again until further notice.

We only managed to take snaps of the Dolomite beach from an adjacent footbridge. Even from there, one can see a very beautiful sunset!

As we walk along the Manila Baywalk, it can be noticed that the whole stretch was fenced because of the improvements being made to the drainage and the Baywalk's facade. Upon asking, locals said that it was being prepared for the Christmas season.

Our feet are already sore from walking but we have to endure until we reach CCP Complex where we can rest. There are no visible benches along the Baywalk because of the fences. The good thing is the weather was very conducive to such leisure walks.

When we made it to the CCP complex, we rested for a while, took some pictures, and were greeted with two layers of rainbows! Later, we took pictures by the bay while gazing at the setting sun. It was a very lovable sight.

Having limited chances of going out of town, it's good to have accessible parks and spaces to unwind to and take a breather. And the best part, we did not even have to spend that much to enjoy ourselves! It's an added bonus to have someone who loves to walk!

We took the train again going home. It was tiring, but fulfilling! We're both hoping to have an out-of-town trip very soon!