Intramuros Adventure Part 2

Hi there!

Yesterday, April 1, 2017,  I went out biking again towards Intramuros. This time I was more confident of my biking skills because I was able to get a feel of the road last Saturday. I went out early again using the route I used before to avoid traffic and I want to ride while the sun is still not high up in the sky.

This time I went to a really nice place inside the Intramuros wall which is Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago is really rich in history because this is the place where our national hero, Jose Rizal was imprisoned prior to his execution. 

Finding the place is not so hard because there are road signs leading to Fort Santiago.

I arrived at the entrance. It looks really nice because you can see horses with carriages on the side which you can ride around the Intramuros wall for a fee.

The main entrance. The Fort Santiago gate is further ahead. They are making renovations on the place so some places looks disorganized at the moment. Entrance fee is Php 50.00 ($1.00) for children and students while it is Php 75.00 ($1.49) for adults.

Unfortunately I can't take my bike inside with me so I have to find a parking space near the area.

Luckily I found one. This area looks safe enough to leave my bike and there are people guarding the area.

Upon entering you will see a trinket and souvenir shop, cafe and the administration office on the side 

Walking a little further will take you to "Baluartillo and Reducto De San Francisco Javier" area which was a defense line of Intramuros

The gate is not open to the public

A closer look to the tunnel entrance

At the right of you will see old structures and the picnic grove/wall of martyrs,

Tables and chairs are placed in front of the old building

Some old cannons and some artillery shells are placed near the picnic grove. My guess is they are from World War 2 era

You can also a sculptures of General MacArthur and President Manuel L. Quezon in one of the benches

As you walk further you will arrive at the main gate of the Fort Santiago. The wall of the gate is huge as seen in this picture. I like how they designed the bridge towards the gate. You can see waterlilies below the bridge.

The design of the gate looks amazing. It reminds me of old cathedrals

From the gate you will see this in the right area. The structure along the right is the Rajah Sulayman theater.

The structure on the left is the Rizal Shrine/Museum

I went to this pathway towards the museum

The museum allows you to take pictures using your phone but you cannot activate flash. Maybe because some of the relics and paintings here are sensitive to light. Most of the images I took inside the museum are in low light condition so I was not able to capture them properly. 

So lets go in shall we?

The first thing you will see upon entering is the timeline of Jose Rizal's life. 

This is where he was imprisoned prior to his execution. In here he wrote a farewell poem to his family which he hid in a lamp

A painting and a picture that depicts his execution 

Jose Rizal's vertebrae that was hit by a bullet

These are coats that he is usually wearing on his monuments

On the second floor you can see some of his legacy. These are Philippine money that bears Jose Rizal's image

I exited the museum and visited other places inside the fort

Baluarte de Santa Barbara

Memorial Cross

The dungeons. Unfortunately the gate to the dungeons is sealed so I was not able to enter.

I just peeked in to see a closer look

Rajah Sulayman Theater

Postern of our Lady of Solitude Gate

Here is the view of the entrance from the side of the Museum

After the tour, I was tired so I decided to eat Halo Halo which is a popular dessert here in the Philippines. It is a mixture of shaved ice, ice cream and milk with various ingredients like oiled sweet beans, coconut, sago, gulaman (agar jelly), tubers and fruits.

I stumbled upon a cat with green eyes :) so I took a picture :D

So that wraps it up.I hope you enjoyed the adventure.

See you on my next update 

Thank You :D