Celdran Tours

For my BFF Reyn's birthday, I thought I'd do something new... We barely see each other, and it's almost always at home. So, when Louie told me about Carlos Celdran's Manila tours, we immediately signed up for his Livin' La Vida Imelda tour of the CCP complex.

I'm not going to disclose info in this entry... he said things that are pretty much best experienced firsthand, meaning from Carlos himself. But I was saying "Whoa!" and "Really?!" and "I didn't know that!" at every revelation. It was a great, informative and even slightly scandalous tour. :D

I didn't take so many pictures coz I wasn't sure I was 'allowed' so here are the few pics I sneaked...From L-R, Carlos in front of the PICC reflecting pools, a nostalgic look at the PICC where I graduated, and Carlos with Hitler's picture... you'll have to attend his tour to find out why that pic is in an Imelda Marcos themed tour. :)

Having enjoyed the first tour, I dragged Tere to the 'If These Walls Could Talk' Intramuros tour. Since I can still pretty much remember my Philippine history (thank you Sir Azor!), there weren't too many 'revelations' here. But I did get a new perspective on how I saw Manila, and a different view on Spanish-Filipino history, American-Filipino history and World War II. And taking a peek inside Casa Manila and how life was lived during the Spanish era? It's really an experience.

The front of the San Agustin Church from different angles (Tere took these pics... kaya maarte) :) The San Agustin Church was the only church that survived the bombings of WWII.

Posing with free Chocnut in Father Blanco's garden...

Carlos as he talks about the time the Americans came to Manila...

And then we went inside the San Agustin crypt while Carlos talked about World War II, and how we were caught in the middle of a war that wasn't even ours to begin with. And how thousands of people were massacred during that siege, including the hundreds buried in the crypt plus the priests who were stacked one on top of the other on the monument seen in the middle pic. What's weird is... all the pictures we took inside the crypt, and I mean all, had this hazy, blurry quality in them... creepy.

Inside the San Agustin Church.. Notice the 3D like appearance of the murals on the ceiling? They're actually just paintings made to look like, well, 3-dimensional. :)

..and the tomb of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, first Spanish Governor General of the Philippines.

Lastly, we crossed the street over to Casa Manila, where the tour took a more lighthearted tone again. Pictures weren't allowed inside the Casa Manila, but it showed a very Pinoy looking home... with eclectic design patterns from French cabinets, to wood furniture, Chinese bowls, chairs that didn't match...made me think of my own 'eclectic' house.

I really enjoy tours with Carlos Celdran because not only are they entertaining, but also because they add a different perspective to what we see as 'ordinary'. It's weird that I had to travel so far away to realize we have our own little treasures here as well. And we don't need to go to Boracay or Bohol, we don't even need to leave the city! Even the buildings, structures and streets of Manila have their stories to tell, and it's just great that Carlos Celdran in his own way, is making these stories heard, to the people who need to hear them most.

Visit Carlos Celdran's site for Tour Dates and other information. :)