Feeding the intrepid soul could do you wonders. This I swear.
I found out how the old, the quaint, the charming, and even, the abandoned, could be a soothing balm for the battered spirit. The heady mix of the old and the new is strangely rejuvenating and uplifting.
I re-discovered Manila, it's hidden charms and little secrets in one fading afternoon -- when after rubbing elbows with a Spanish culture club of sorts at the Instituto for the Book Fair, I had a sudden flash of inspiration to go exploring and to happily get "lost" in the streets of the city. Enlisting fellow pilgrims -- Fretti, Des, and Jo -- was easy, likely companions eager to find little gems along the way.
We took off like Don Quixote to the windmills. Passing through and staring in awe at the streets inside this city bathed in the afternoon's rose colored hues -- old streets, quaint architecture, cracks in its old walls, cobbled streets... and other lost and rather obscure yet pretty things..
Manila is not that ugly when you come to think of it. Its charm comes out when you least expect it.
Here's to finding more beauty in this city we would all love to hate (thanks Jo of Manilarat for the quote)..
