[ Intramuros ]

Intramuros (literally "within walls") was built by the Spaniards in 16th century Manila along the southern bank of Pasig River, and is the oldest district in the city. If you're in the area, be sure to visit, you won't regret it.

WORD OF CAUTION THOUGH, Casa Manila , a quaint enclosure located about fifty yards south of Manila Cathedral that houses boutiques, shops, cafes and a museum inside, has this strict rule about 'photoshoots', and the security staff can get paranoid especially with visitors toting ginormous cameras. The fear was of tourists making money out of photos taken in that particular part of the Casa.

One lady officer told us off because she thought my sister and I were doing a shoot for a magazine. HUH? SERIOUSLY?! I get that she only did her boss' bidding who was lurking behind one of the glass windows overlooking the patio. What I found truly offensive was how she and the owner treated us differently from all the other visitors, some with even BIGGER and scary-looking cameras and lenses shooting from all angles as if they were selling the place on Flickr! Ours was only an entry-level dslr.

"My photos are for my personal use (read: Facebook and this blog), not for any commercial purpose, if that's your concern," I said, handing to her my I.D. as a sign of good faith, explaining that should she find cause to sue me for any local violation (I knew we didn't commit any. Four years of law school taught me that) she'll know where to find me.

"You are given five more minutes to wrap up and leave the area."

Wow, talk about due process. We were summarily driven out of there and even as I tried to reason with the grace of a 500-year-old Anne Rice vampire, the lady guard wouldn't let up. So we decided to back off and leave. We didn't want to create a scene and let the encounter ruin our day. We were happy to have left with these photos below:

I still urge you to put the Casa in your itinerary. A friend who is currently awaiting ordination in Spain told me that his second home, San Agustin Seminary, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is located right across Casa Manila. A must-see.

Moving on...

A further tour of the place led us to Fort Santiago and the decision to switch into more comfortable shoes. Thankfully, no close encounters with the anti-camwhore army--only my sister and I and the walled city.

(Lace top--thrifted; Racerback tee--Dorothy Perkins; Pants--Mango; Beige wedge sandals--VNC; Beige oxfords--Gibi)

Top--; Skirt-- Harrison's (worn previously as seen here), ; Shoes--Mendrez; Bag--CMG

Regardless of the seemingly ugly morning brush with the security officer, the day ended on a triumphant note.

I found out at exactly five o'clock in the afternoon that I passed the Bar.