Travel Manila: Manila Sunset at the Baywalk

Travel Photography by Ryan Macalandag
Manila, Philippines

This is the last batch of my Manila travel photos.

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Travel Manila: Random Photos

Travel Photos by Ryan Macalandag
Metro Manila, Philippines



I shot more than five hundred photos during my last trip. It's not a lot really but I didn't really get to use my camera either. Reg was always warning me about bad guys in the streets who are so desperate they can wrangle my camera off me in about a second without blinking. I became wary, too.

However, I just had to shoot. I sneaked some shots here and there when I felt it was safe or when my wife wasn't looking.



This photo above was by Reg in our our hotel, Malate Pensionne in Adriatico Street, Malate.

Photo below, another picture of Luneta, processed in LightRoom.









This photo was from an art exhibit in the University of the Philippines. We were going to visit Didine, a friend from Bohol who is currently taking her masters in UP. This art exhibit was called "100 Nudes", a collection of, well, one hundred nude paintings and drawings to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the state university.



While strolling down the paved streets of my dear old UP (I am a UP kick-out and proud of it), I could not help but feel "re-amazed" by the environment just as I was amazed when I first walked the halls of AS and Palma on the day of enrollment. It was made more mesmerizing, too, because walking hand-in-hand with me was my wife, herself a UP graduate.

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Travel Manila: Lovers in Luneta

Photography by Ryan Macalandag
Luneta Park, Manila, Philippines



"Alaala, ng tayo'y mag-sweetheart pa
Namamasyal pa sa Luneta Nang walang pera
So it's the laughter We will remember
Whenever we remember The way we were
Remember... the way we were." - Rico J. Puno

I was rummaging through my head for these lyrics when Reg and I went to Luneta. I didn't really bother to memorize the song before since I never thought I would
enever take a stroll in Luneta, ever in my life. But there we were, taking our time, testing Reg's new camera (cheap plastic for only P2200 plus). It took pretty decent shots nonetheless. (Read more after the jump.)

So anyways, I had fun and felt guilty about it. Luneta wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I saw a few "seamen" here and there, a couple lovers sitting by the "water show", some photographers, and a bunch of kindergartens on their first Luneta trip. Some groups of students (from a nearby college, I suppose), sat on the benches chillin'.

Here are a few photos I took while there. Enjoy! :)





That is Reg's KingCom point and shoot digital camera. It's cheap and plastic but produces decent photos. Check out her blog to see samples.







I forgot to take note of the two buildings that were prominent on the treeline. But they were pretty much on most of my shots.

Lastly, some photos of the Philippine flag . This is Luneta Park after all. This was where our national hero Jose Rizal was executed by the Spaniards. A huge monument with him and some fellow heroes stand in memory.

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Travel Manila: Cebu Pacific Flight

Travel Photography by Ryan Macalandag
Bohol to Manila, Philippines



We took the Cebu Pacific flight to Manila last Thursday, August 28. Reg, my wife, was due to leave for Amsterdam on the 30th. Before we left, Reg had made sure there was no crying or any other sentimental antics so we opted that few people would send her off. She will be taking her masters in the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague.

Check-in was a breeze since one (or more) of the attendants at the counter was Reg's friend. Her over-the-minimum luggage was not charged for the extra four or so kilos. Which was good. We had always been wary of it, especially for the international flight, since one kilo extra would mean 30 euros additional payment. Reg didn't have much euros to spare. (Read more after the jump.)





The flight was quite pleasant also. I was a bit excited to see the newly-opened NAIA Terminal 3. On the plane, we were seated near the front (row 2) and Reg was on a window seat (it's all about connections, baby) which was nice as we got to take pictures of scenes beyond the window, during the flight.

Seated with us (aisle) was the mayor of Maribojoc, Mayor Evasco, who turned out to be a former student at ISS back in 1989. What a great coincidence. Reg had an instant informal orientation about life in the Netherlands - weather, food, trams, travels to other European countries, etc. More importantly, she got a list of possible pinoy contacts who could be of help somehow. We thanked the mayor profusely.

When we finally landed, I saw the newly-opened airport predominant on the horizon. It was huge but it looked oldish to me. It was finished years before its opening. I was a bit frustrated. But it was definitely way better than the old domestic airport.

Anyways, here are a few photos from the flight:







The Metro Manila skyline is amazing from the top. It was a sunny blue-sky day thus the hovering smog that Manila is so infamous for was nowhere out of site. The sprouting skyscrapers looked no bigger than the teeny-weeny houses, cars and buses. As for people on the streets, I'm sure they were just too small to be seen.



More posts and photos to come soon.

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Photobin: Buildings in the Metro

Architectural Photography by Ryan Macalandag



I had always wanted to take photos of buildings. The architectural design is outright pleasing (as an architectural draftsman myself back in high school) while the mystery and aura of buildings as "vessels of people" just amazes me.

Thus, when I, with my wife, went to Metro Manila last December, I was perpetually on the lookout for my building shots. Here are a few of my selections.









We had just passed by some of these buildings on a Taxi. But I was amazed with my Nikon D80 which was not only quick to AF but speedy and fairly accurate (with practice) exposures. The taxi drove quick so I had to take grab shots only.

Pretty decent, eh? For more of this set, please click here.

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Travel: Manila Trip 2007

The Malayan, Ortigas Center, Metro Manila



I barely noticed the day passing through while I was struggling to manage the busy streets of Manila. I arrived at about 10:00 in the morning but went directly to business and visited the store where I was to buy some Cactus V2 RF trigger sets. Reg, my wife, (who was the reason really for my visit, they were having their Christmas party) was to arrive still later around noon.

First thing you really notice is the traffic. So I was in a numb mode and tried to shut myself from the confusion. The city is really not for me.

So as soon as the sun eased itself into the horizon, and we were already at our hotel (The Malayan in Ortigas, posh), had I stopped and opened my senses again to greet the beautiful backdrop of a sunset with the city's skyline as the foreground.



Magnificent. Now if only I had known the number of the hotel spa, a massage would have been lovelier.

So the sun set, and we were off to the party later that night.

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