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| Graffiti and [rabid?] unleashed dogs. This isn't some compound in a Manila suburb. This is Intramuros. |
Intramuros is perhaps Manila's only real tourist destination (EDIT: oh wait, there's Luneta, too) and yet the place is surprisingly unkempt. Most of the reviews I've read from
Trip Advisor are generally positive, and I feel that I may have ventured off the usual tourist trail.
Hardly any place in the country would rival Intramuros in terms of historical significance and hence I expected it to be well-preserved, or clean at least, without much of the trappings of the modern chaos that is Manila. The 7-11 Store smacked in between what looked liked Spanish Era buildings is the last thing I expect to greet me upon entry. A few more blocks and I saw tambays, a couple of sari-sari stores, laundry shop and barbershops. It felt like a real community inside, not any different from your typical barangay.
A number of children roamed around, begging. I've seen one snatch a bottle of soda from a tourist, grabbing the bottle without any word. Unlike your usual snatchers, however, the kid didn't run. He was with four of his pals, two of them shirtless, and they continued to walk casually as if nothing happened.
Around perimeter - close to the fortified walls, that is - the smell of urine lingered. A tangle of electric wires hung overhead. Then there's dog poop, litter, underwear billboards and couples kissing.
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| The [not-so] welcoming entrance arch. |
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| Get a room, please! |
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| This is still Intramuros. |
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| Add caption |
Anyare?
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