We have a free day and 4 ladies are going to take us out on a city tour of Manila.
First on the itinerary is Malacanang Palace, and you can see here, Francis, Alice and me (the Malaysians) and Tess and Camille, the Filipinas...the other two are Shirley and Sim
The palace was not open and we had to peer through the gates. In 1986 Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos fled this palace and Imelda left behind 3000 pairs of shoes which become an icon of her (their) tyrannical rule, excesses, corruption etc etc....
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/imelda-marcos-3000-pairs-shoes-9044413
Imelda Marcos' 3,000 Pairs of Shoes Video - ABC News 
abcnews.go.com/.../imelda-marcos-3000-pairs-shoes...
Nov 10, 2009
Imelda Marcos' 3000 Pairs of Shoes. ... Imelda Marcos' 3,000 Pairs of Shoes. More. 2.5.1986 ...
Imelda Marcos' legendary 3,000 plus shoe collection ...
www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Imelda-Marcos-legendary-3-000-plus...
Daily Mail
Sep 23, 2012 - Imelda Marcos' famous collection of 3,000 shoes partly destroyed by ...Mrs Marcos left at least 1,220 pairs of shoes behind when she and ...
Impressive: Just some of the 3,000 plus shoes in the former First Lady's collection
Archives: As this 1986 picture shoes Imelda Marcos' shoe stash was stored on shelves in the basement of the Malacanang Palace in Manila before being transferred to the National Museum
I was not allowed to take photos and I sneaked some shots...
I had wanted to visit this palace to view the infamous shoes left by the former first lady!
I had wanted to visit this palace to view the infamous shoes left by the former first lady!
The 83-year-old's massive shoe collection, said to be in the region of 3,000 pairs, including top U.S. and European brands, astounded the world and became a symbol of excess in the Southeast Asian nation, where many still walked barefoot out of abject poverty.
After the 1986 revolt, Aquino had Imelda Marcos' shoes displayed at the presidential palace as a symbol of the former first lady's lavish lifestyle. The shoes were then removed from public view and stored in the palace basement when Aquino stepped down in 1992.
Imelda Marcos claimed many of the shoes were gifts from Filipino shoemakers in suburban Marikina city, the country's shoemaking capital, for endorsing their products.
About 765 pairs, including famous brands like Gucci, Charles Jourdan, Christian Dior, Ferragamo, Chanel and Prada, survived the Marikina floods. The shoes still look remarkably new due to meticulous museum care, which includes displaying them in airtight and dust-free glass cabinets in an air-conditioned gallery, away from direct sunlight.
The shoe collection draws a daily crowd of 50 to 100 Philippine and foreign tourists, who almost always leave in awe, museum manager Jane Ballesteros said.
'The first word they utter is "Wow," followed by the question, "Was she able to wear all of these?"
'When I say, yes, look at the scratches on the soles, the next reaction is, "Really?" It's amusing. Her shoes never fail to astound people years after.'
Malacanan Palace ...Sim was in high school when People Power (the coup that ousted the President and his wife and ended the despotic regime) and more than 20 years later this is the first time she is visiting the palace, but alas, it was not open on a public holiday.
Now we are driving to the Rizal Memorial Park, Beach National Musuem in Manila, Art Gallery and Manila Hotel.
But first we have lunch at Aristocrat.
Lunch was great ! We are joined by Shirley.
please see post:
We go to Rizal Park first, and note the building behind the memorial,,,,,it will be the photo bomb for visitors who want to take pictures of Rizal monument! See pictures below to get what I mean. Sim has taken two shots : one with the condo (photo bomb) and one without......
This pic has the photo bomb
This pic hasn't...
This is the offending building...
whatever angle people take, the building will be there to mar your photo!!
our group shot with the four ladies...Shirley, Tess, me, Alice and Francis, Camille and Sim.
Then a storm started brewing...
hahaha...do you like my windswept hair? I told you the storm was brewing!!!
Francis is very fascinated and spends some time docementating the storm!
Now we are going to the museum
What is Francis hoping to find under the thatched roof?
His wife too?
The Ifugao House.
This one not in the museum...outside...I am now down with food poisoning from yesterday's seafood lunch and has come down to the foyer to snooze.
The rest of the group toured the whole museum without me
Then they woke me up and took me to the affiliated Art Gallery nearby.
Taking pride of place at the entrance to the Art Gallery is the famed "Spoliarium" so I am proud and happy that I get to view the Spoliarium, a Philippine Art Treasure.
Spoliarium was painted by Juan Luna in 1884
Jose Rizal, the person honoured at the memorial park we visited earlier.
Rizal is their national hero and patriot.
before they left the Art Gallery, they took individual shots of the Spoliarium.
Camille took hers in this sitting position, shirley took hers lying down!
Sim has a story for this series of picture...
I am oblivious I am the third party in this "couple pic"
I said..."I should not be in this photo...I am spoiling their moment" and true enough, Francis is looking daggers at me...hahaha...Sim showed me the look on his face!
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