bok tours
instead of just talking about architecture, why don't we go and see it?
the first "bok tour" was probably our trip to ayala museum last year, originally organized as a "bok talk." there were only three of us (me, fongi and johannes)who went. the highlight of that visit, for me, was the gaudi exhibit in the ground floor. the details of gaudi's buildings are simply amazing -- with some so weirdly intricate that you can't even imagine how he was able to draw them.
we had fun looking for trivial details (e.g. cats) in the philippine history dioramas in the second floor, and gawked curiously at the severed ivory heads of the saints in the third floor. i didn't feel like there was really much to see inside, but architecture-wise, the ayala museum is a sleek piece of modern architecture. i liked how you can see the landscaped gardens of greenbelt from the glass windows of the exhibit areas above.
while reading the sunday inquirer magazine, i read about two people who've been organizing tours to places in old manila, such as intramuros, quiapo and chinatown. one is carlos celdran, a graduate of the rhode island school of design, and ivan dy, a binondo resident and operations manager of a trading company. lucky for us, they both have blogs detailing the itinerary and schedules of their tours:
www.celdrantours.blogspot.com
www.oldmanilawalks.blogspot.com
i'd like to try carlos' walking tour of escolta and quiapo, or ivan's eating tour of Binondo. each tour has a reg fee of P450-P650, while carlos' binondo tour is actually free (you're also free to donate). if any of you are interested, we can join the scheduled tours or book our own (this needs at least 5 people). i think it's good to support these initiatives. so what'd you say?
posted by Pon @ 10:13 PM
8 comments
8 Comments:
The Celdran tours have been highly recommended by other people. This is the first time I heard of the Ivan Dy tour though but his Binondo tour seems to be the better of the Chinatown tours offered.
I do hear that Celdran is very entertaining and is quite a character.
These walking tours are blowing my mind though. I still find it funny that people are actually making money out of something I've been doing most of my life: living in and walking the streets of Manila!
I actually grew up in an old wooden house in the heart of Binondo and Divisoria. The house was historical in itself with its capiz shell windows, ornate wrought iron works and hardwood floors. The house was right across another wooden house that Jose Rizal used to live in and the only store still selling everything a Kalesa driver would need.
game ako!!! i'm always up for an interesting trip... even if it's just a walk around the block! let me know if and when you guys are going =D
i met carlos celdran while i we were doing our thesis 5 years ago. he really is an entertainer and very outspoken as well. i think he is (still) a member of the heritage conservation society.
i believe these walking tours are their way of promoting the conservation/ preservation of our historic places. i encourage everyone to join these activities.
sana meron uli tour sa ilocos and yung mga lighthouses na rin.
For the more budget concious, you can actually just organize trips amongst yourselves without having to pay a tour guide fee.
Just find a friend or a friend of a friend who actually lives in the area you want to go to.
The locals always know where the best things in a place are.
Hi there,
Was just zipping through when I spotted my name (!).
Now I know where 'archi-freaks' like me hang-out when we're bored or got nothing better to do on our work desks. ;o)
For most part, my WALKX were an offshoot of my personal interest in historic architecture and the desire to paint a more culturally-balanced face in this over-bashed, much-hated and often misunderstood dear city of ours (Manila).
Sure we're no imperial city like Paris , Beijing or even Bangkok but we have 400 (120 alone for the Chinese Cemetery!) years worth of tales and historic architecture. Somewhere along the way, everything just got buried beneath the pollution, garbage, 'amoy-istyets' mentality and MMDA's pink urinals.
Really, if cant appreciate our city's physical mediocrity well at least her unique cultural/
architectural legacy, hopefully we can learn a thing or two about ourselves.
And its really simple, all we really is to take a walk. ;o)
-- Ivan ManDy (not Dy as published)
hi ivan! thanks for dropping by...wanna contribute? :) i can't believe the inquirer got your name wrong...it's the first basic thing a reporter's gotta check.
***
people interested sa tours, kindly post your free skeds. ako pwede april 23/24 or may 30/1. not sure pa after that.
game ako! please post updates when this walking tour would be.:) i hope this would push through.:)
i'm pretty free this may. maybe towards the end of the month? i'm kinda wiped out from all the activites the past 2months =o
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