Visit to Intramuros

After being in the Philippines for 5 months, we, the Millsers have finally made it to our first tourist spot! No, it's still in Manila, haven't actually gone out of the city yet (so lame, i know!!). But it's a start! We have a bunch of people coming to visit, so maybe they'll motivate us a little to get out of the house! :)

It's currently the rainy season here in Manila, so weather is a little unpredictable. That day was threatening to storm, but we persevered on(only detoured one time to the mall when the rain got REALLY bad). But we got there in the end and our first stop was the Manila Cathedral. I was pleasantly surprised that Tyler was quite interested and was looking around and asking, "What's this place". I gave him some explanation of church and pray and God. Not sure any of those words made any sense to him yet.

Manila Cathedral

Tyler looking at some information board

Tyler checking out the Governor's house guard

Due to the proximity to lunch time, we went for lunch after visiting the cathedral. After a rather disappointing lunch at Max's(yuck), we headed to Fort Santiago which I'm not sure is part of the Intramuros. But like all old forts, there were plenty of collapsed buildings and canons to interest the boys.

Inside an old room in

Standing on canons

Playing cut out figures

I always complain that Alan takes really crappy pictures. How else can you explain the picture below?

I look like a midget and Tyler looks like he is middle age with a pouch!

OK OK.. it was just a camera feature. Now.. who wants their picture to look like that??!!! Here is a real picture.

In front of the gardens at Fort Santiago

At the entrance of the Fort

The fort backs up to Pasig River which is a typical river you see in a third world country. DISGUSTING!!!

Back of the fort

Alan and the kids checking the guard posts of the fort

In Manila, when it rains, it just POURS!!! No warning, no signs. Just goes. So, right about the time after i took this picture, the sky opened up and poured buckets over us! Alan and the kids were lucky that they were actually inside the little room because i was stuck at the top of the fort hiding from the rain(yes, of course we all had umbrellas). When the rain subsided a little, i went down to check them out..

Their little hideout

And funnily enough, on our detour to this place, we bought Tyler a pair of rain boots. He was more than excited to try it out for real! Just to test that it works, he jumped in plenty of puddles!!

Tyler checking out his rain boots

The rain then cleared a little and then poured again and since it didn't look like it was going to let up and it was getting late, we called it a day.

Alan and the rain

Tyler in the rain..

Though it rained and poured that day, i totally enjoyed our day out. Tyler and I were laughing soooo much when the wind was so strong it was blowing our umbrellas away and making it turn inside out(cheap umbrellas!!). And Alan and I probably got nominated the world's most horrible parents for dragging our kids thru the rain. But i think they enjoyed it!! haha!!

Like i always say, they have to be tough to be our kids!!

And oh, i also found out that i didn't actually make it to Intramuros yet.. ha!!