Hello everyone!
I wanted to feature something in WEEKEND EXPERIENCES on a Sunday because, you know, weekend. Turned out I'm late again! So, Wednesday Walk it is!
We visited Escolta as our first destination when we went to Manila last August. The plan was to have a food crawl in Binondo (Chinatown), but we had to pass by Escolta Street before going right to the New Binondo Chinatown Arch. We had to walk from Carriedo LRT Station to Chinatown because my friends to us that it was the easiest route from Makati (where we stayed).
The train ride was an experience in itself because it was my first time. It was my second time in Manila, but we were not able to commute during my first time because we were having a field trip. Our nearest station was Guadalupe MRT Station, so we had to transfer from MRT to LRT to reach Carriedo Station. I prepared myself for the possible huge crowd of commuters, but it was not rush hour, so there was no problem except at one LRT station. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the ride and everything was a smooth journey for me except for the part where we have to buy our tickets. The queues can get long and it can get chaotic at times, so I made my friends buy the ticket for me. 😁
In my previous post, I talked about energy management and how this Manila trip made me realize how different I was six years ago in terms of energy level during travels. It was at the skywalk in Guadalupe Station where I felt I'm growing old. 😅 I found myself catching my breath after a few steps in a series of stairs to reach the station. Since I anticipated that there would be a lot of walking on this trip, I started to question if I still have the energy because we were just starting with our Manila adventure and I already felt like going home.
Good thing I was not the only one feeling that tiredness and the dread to continue. My friends felt the same way, but we have to continue, or else, our itinerary would be drastically changed. We just laughed it off and continued with the adventure. We reached Carriedo Station and the whole day of walking began.
When my friends told me that we had to walk the whole stretch of Escolta Street, I suddenly remembered it was the street that's always been mentioned by veteran actors and actresses of Philippine cinema, especially during interviews on how they started in show business. They would say they walked the whole stretch of Escolta just to look for work in the entertainment industry.
Escolta is rich in history. It's the oldest street in Manila. It was a trade hub during the 1800s at the height of the Manila-Acapulco trade and the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. During the colonial era, it was also the center of entertainment for residents and travelers alike. With a variety of establishments, it became a precursor of modern malls, as it became a one-stop shop for the varying needs of the people of Manila at that time. Today, Escolta has been given a new life where people can enjoy Old Manila and become part of its history, but with a modern touch.
Hub: Make Lab
From Carriedo Station, we walked to First United Building, an Art Deco building that was completed in 1928. The building itself is historic as it was the tallest building in Manila when it was completed. It was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, the son of the famous painter Juan Luna. For more information, you can look at their Facebook Page.
 |  |  |
|---|
From HUB: Make Lab's Facebook Page:
HUB Make Lab is a pioneering creative hub that is artist and maker-led which experiments in art, cultural programming, community activation, and creative sustainability.
The HUB serves as an incubation space for those who wish to experiment in a more stable and sustainable setting. It is open to sellers and concessionaires of crafts, interesting artworks, limited edition merchandise, innovative food items, upcycled clothes and accessories, independent clothing labels, DIY wares, vintage goods, and refurbished antiques.
If you're into some unique finds and cool artwork, then Hub: Make Lab is a place for you. The items in that incubator space are not your typical store-bought trinkets. Since the bazaar is a melting pot of artisans, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs, there's a creative item that will surely pique your interest. More photos:
I did not buy anything because I thought I'm not really good at keeping trinkets. But I had fun looking at the different items in the bazaar. It's interesting to see how these creatives could thrive if given a space for them to showcase their talents. It was a great experience!
 |  |  |
|---|
I guess that's all for this post! See you at the next one! I will probably share about Escolta Coffee Company.
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
If you like his content, don't forget to upvote and leave a comment to show some love. You can also reblog if you want to. Also, don't forget to follow him to be updated with his latest posts.
~~~ embed:1585725946946293761 twitter metadata:OTAyMDY1ODkxMDgwMzc2MzIwfHxodHRwczovL3R3aXR0ZXIuY29tLzkwMjA2NTg5MTA4MDM3NjMyMC9zdGF0dXMvMTU4NTcyNTk0Njk0NjI5Mzc2MXw= ~~~
The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the people( @dennnmarc, @mosesessien ) sharing the post on Twitter as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com.
What a cool place you visited. Perfect to find something unique.
Great you could go by the train this time.
I understand your feeling of thinking you are getting old. Maybe it’s the weather too. Or you didn’t have enough rest… it can be a few things. But yes, we do notice we are getting older.
But the urge of traveling will remain it won’t go away… so we continue traveling and so will you 😉
So great to see this post my friend 😎
Have a wonderful mid-week @ybanezkim26 👋🏻☀️
It is indeed a cool place especially since it's rare to find a spot where creatives are incubated.
In terms of growing old, I think it's inevitable, but we still have to travel because travel is life.
Have a great week to you too, my friend!
Wished they had more like that here in southern Spain 😉🤓
It is indeed inevitable 🤓 we all have to go through it hehehe 🤭 and yes, travel is life @ybanezkim26
Thank you so much, much appreciated! Enjoy yours…
I hear Madrid and Barcelona have some awesome art scenes and art incubators. Maybe Southern Spain is laid back.
They do, but that’s rather far away… here in the far south nothing really. It’s tourist area.
But very very soon we move out of Spain… up to my country number 6. Will see what’s there.
Have a great day @ybanezkim26 👋🏻😊
Whut!? Where will you go? I'm so excited for you!
We have 3 option… it’s a relocation with the company. I hear more in the next 2 weeks 😉
I keep you posted when I hear more. It is outside of the EU most likely…
Thank you so much. 😉🤩
Di pa ako nakakapunta ng Manila pero pangarap ko makita yung mga lumang buildings diyan, yung gawa during the Spanish era.
Di nga kami nakapaglibot ng maayos dahil sa pagod. Babalik talaga kami soon.
Taga Manila po kayo?
No. I'm from Cebu. Travel lang ng Manila for the content. 😁
Oh Bisaya po ba kayo? Taga Misamis Oriental po ako 👋
Yes. Bisayang dako. Hi!
Aww Bisaya diay pud ka, daghan siguro bisaya diari sa hive
Why I haven't visited this place? I did exploree china town months ago but my friend didn't mentioned this place.
Hehe, skyway is Guadalupe is still manageable for me somehow compared in stairs going up the MRT at shaw boulevard😂. My legs are almost shaking and catching my breath before I reached at the top. Thankful the escalator now is working.
It was not actually part of our itinerary and we just walked past it. Since we were already there, we just briefly explored and got some coffee.
Oh my! Manila is not too far from Cavite and in all honesty, I haven't ridden a train ever. I just don't feel like riding it since I'm afraid of being stuck inside when the train stops in the middle of the railway. Lol! Hub: Make lab is not that famous around Manila and to feature this kind of shop is really cool. A wider audience. Those cool art works are definitely worth to buy. Love the mirror shots.
!PIZZA
Time to explore Manila! Inggit nga ako sa inyo dahil madali nyo lang mapuntahan mga spots jan.
Oh, I am now interested in HUB Make Lab. Their shops are gems for me! Hihi. I might take home some artsy stuff or two. MRT was my transpo for almost two years. My eyes were always shifted to those billboards before I arrive at Guadalupe station.
I can imagine you buying some trinkets there. It's really for the creative people.
I gifted $PIZZA slices here:
@dennnmarc(2/5) tipped @ybanezkim26 (x1)
Please vote for pizza.witness!
Your content has been voted as a part of Encouragement program. Keep up the good work!
Use Ecency daily to boost your growth on platform!
Support Ecency
Vote for new Proposal
Delegate HP and earn more
Wow, first and foremost your photograph skills is good what phone did you use in taken such a wonderful photo?
Did your friends still got the tickets for you because you said y'all had to walk the whole of Escolta Street?
You really had fun based on what I read because i see it as tourism which i doubt it is well i like to tour around I love and you got a lovely content I can't wait to see your next post.
I use my normal phone. Xiaomi Lite 11.
Wow amazing 🤩
An interesting place. My memories of Escolta are the old historical buildings and the Love Bus which I took to go home from work. And the jewelry stores in Binondo and eateries at the Estero. Good old days!
You haven't visited recently? I see that you're in the US.
We were there last April but we went to Bohol and Cebu instead.
You were lucky that there weren't many commuters and there wasn't much going on :) I know about the tickets, especially if you don't understand the system behind it directly and it takes you longer.. :) Even if it's exhausting after you after the long hike you are happy and proud.
Greetings!
It was not rush hour and on the weekend, so there were few commuters. But during rush hour, Manila's commute is brutal. It's always on the news.
I love some of the artwork you shared, the high level of art
Thanks!
cute corners lage ni.. I guess it's time to explore manila ...
And since may baby na karon, I guess a walking tour won't be possible na for us :(
Wait nalang mudako gamay ang baby kanang makalakaw na. 😀
mao lage.kanang di na gukodgukoron
Congratulations @ybanezkim26! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s):
Your next target is to reach 6500 comments.
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out the last post from @hivebuzz:
Support the HiveBuzz project. Vote for our proposal!
How WANDERful your experience in Escolta Street @ybanezkim26 and the pictures are amazing.
I never been to Manila but hoping to visit soon where you visited also.
Rooting for you to visit Manila soon!
I felt nostalgic reading your post, it reminded me of youth taking the train to school. Walking and taking the MRT and LRT are excellent ways to experience Manila and its art culture. It is tiring. It's also the vibe of the city where energy levels get depleted easily. Weirdly enough, it's also a place that inspires action influenced by busy city folks who have a full task list to achieve during the day.
Yes, you're right, Carriedo station is the closest to Binondo and China Town. I'm glad you visited Escolta's Hub and shared it with us. I have never been. It's cool that in the last decades, most of the once-abandoned ruins of heritage buildings have been restored including Metropolitan Theater and Luneta Hotel. Did you get to try the food crawl?
It feels nostalgic but mine is from watching television. Growing up, I see the hustle and bustle of Manila from morning shows. But it's different when you experience it firsthand. It's draining even from just watching people walk by.
After this, we went to the famous food places in Chinatown. I tried that famous lumpia that I wasn't able to finish because it was humongous.
Hihi, that's fun! I hope everyone with you enjoyed them too. I have a blurry memory of the food crawl but it was quite an experience to eat so much best shared with friends 😊
It's true that it's more fun to share it with friends. Doing it alone can be exhausting.