This year my Valentine's went a little bit different, well mostly because it was a special day for the Chinese as well. It's also Chinese New Year and what better way to spend it than at it's heart in the Philippines - Binondo.
I won a special slot for a blogger's food wok on Dong's travel blog by leaving a comment. I won't say it in detail what my comment was, except that it must've been special enough to catch his attention. Hahaha
So off we were to Binondo and you can instantly feel the festive spirit in the air. There were so many people and I've probably seen all the colors that are made for the lions. Lion dances abound in the streets. There were a lot of New year trinkets and Chinese memorabilia being sold on the streets.
I was wearing a tank top and jeans because a special someone warned me that there might be firecrackers on the streets. I wouldn't want a scratch on my legs do I? I didn't want to bring an umbrella so I wore a cap instead. The sun was high up by the time we set out from the Manila Post Office which was our meeting place. 
I probably lost a lot of pounds from sweating profusely on the streets of Binondo but I worked up an appetite as well. I'll be blogging about my food adventures separately in the coming posts.
My trip to Binondo was memorable. I should have worn red. The Chinese wore something red that day, and I felt strangely out of place not wearing any red, but then again I'm not Chinese. :-P We also trekked to the different temples and ooohed and aaahed over the giant gold buddhas that we saw.
From left: Archie, Anne, Chying, Dong, Me!, Josh and Doc Gelo
It was a great way to spend Valentine's day and I got to meet and bond with new friends. I also managed to take a lot of good pictures during the walk. I noticed there were a lot of people there armed with the DSLRs too (mine's only point and shoot). By afternoon, I was beat. The heat was more than I'm accustomed to everyday and it zapped my energy. Although I had fun, I was also eager to get home and rest.
Taking a fun shot in the middle of Ongpin St. with Dong, our gracious host.
Thank you Dong for a very memorable day. *Sa uulitin*
Watch out for my Binondo food posts and a review of the Binondo Food Wok Map.
2 comments:
'twas nice to meet you, cher! :D
i've linked you in my blogroll already.
yihaa! i too felt out of place seeing people wearing red. the last walk to seng guan temple was really tiring yet worth the view.
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