Spontaneous Stroll to Chinatown

An exchange of text messages and a quick call turned our jogging meetup into a spontaneous stroll to Chinatown. And those few hours of strolling was so worth it.

A little side note. Since we initially agreed to jog, both my friends were in their jogging outfits; where one decided to keep the running shoes on, the other decided to wear her Crocs doll shoes instead. The effect was ok but somehow it looked like she was half on the way to the mall and half on her way to jog. hahaha

It is a challenge to take photos in the Manila area because it is quite notorious but I can’t resist taking shots of this charming place. The food and the surrounding shopping centers that are littered with stalls selling cute, pocket-friendly stuff are bonuses that anyone will find truly irresistible.

Our spontaneity led us to this charming part of Manila.

They say that you can make a wish if it’s your first time to visit a church. And so I did as we entered the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz.

The interior of the church is just so beautiful even with the ongoing maintenance.

One will get a stiff neck looking up at the gorgeous ceiling of this church.

Because this is a mandatory stopover when in Ongpin; hoard and satisfy that hopia fix with their different delish varieties.

This quaint bakeshop has these cute little cakes that we cannot resist buying; it’s just a few steps away from Eng Bee Tin.

Cute little cakes of Pandan, Blueberry and Orange at only Php65 each. Their round cakes are just as pretty and comes in pretty round red boxes too!

I think this one is called Mahu. It’s like chiffon slice with some spices and pork floss on the side. Interesting layers of flavors in a bite.

One last look as we trace our steps back…

After a long walk, we decided to drop by this quaint corner cafe, Cukeng Coffee Shop.

A cool calorie-laden Blue Brandy Layered Iced Coffee Float is heaven after walking under the afternoon heat.

The Chinatown Walk outside the Lucky Chinatown Mall is reminiscent of its counterpart in Singapore. It looks so nice even in its unfinished state.

And the trip to Chinatown will never be complete without a trip to 168 Shopping Mall and the neighboring stores for some good ol’ cheap shopping splurge.