We joined this walking tour in Intramuros and here’s what we discovered
Intramuros has been one of the shining jewels of the country’s capital when it comes to tourism. Its cobbled streets, ancient architecture, and unique scenery can instantly transport you to that Old Manila era, with the exception of some commercial buildings and residential areas. While new spaces have been built in the historic spots, Intramuros still bears the marks of the country’s storied past. And among those are tales about ghosts that continue to be present and talked about in the area.
Sharing those stories is Wander Manila through its walking tour dubbed “One Night In Intramuros.” For two hours, participants will be strolling around Intramuros and visiting key places such as San Agustin Church, Memorare Manila 1945, Manila Cathedral, and Fort Santiago, among others.
We’ll spare you the stories of the places we’ve visited. That’s something for you to experience when you join the tour. What we are listing below are the things we discovered after 7,000 steps around the tour.
Stories from the past
When it comes to tales about the supernatural, people tend to take that with a grain of salt, and that’s just right. In “One Night In Intramuros” tour, guide Benjamin Canapi shares stories about paranormal occurrences that have historical significance, based on executions, murders, wars, etc. Some he has experienced himself and the locals. But, of course, you can choose to believe these stories or not, as per him.
What Manila could have been
As you go on the tour and hear the stories, you can imagine how beautiful Intramuros was during its early years. Manila was the center of commerce and was once a powerful and influential city. It was even dubbed the “Paris of Asia,” according to Benjamin. Today, apart from the heritage sites that are still standing tall, Intramuros is filled with ruins of the war between other nations. This will make one wonder what Intramuros, or Manila in general, could’ve been if it didn’t become a battleground for conflict.
Value of history
“This is a historical tour disguised as a Halloween tour,” Benjamin said. “One Night In Intramuros” tour is not here to scare people but to share the history of Intramuros and how these tales shaped it and us into what we are now today. Many of the topics discussed on the tour haven’t been into history books today. After the tour, one can get a better understanding of the value of history, which will make you want to rediscover Manila even more.
“The difference between a normal history tour from a dark history tour is that the latter concentrates on the more violent and graphic stories about history,” Benjamin said. “We study the mistakes and the follies of past events. We don’t want to have another Battle of Manila and violations of human rights… If we don’t learn the lessons of history, we are doomed to repeat them.”
Interested to join “One Night In Intramuros” tour? Visit Wander Manila’s Facebook page to be updated about its next schedule.
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