A Kalesa Ride Around Binondo

After a busy mind-wrenching school day in which I sparred with my students on the theories of Quantum Physics, I decided to go to Divisoria to buy some advance Christmas items. If I were to escape the incoming Christmas rush, the time to do some shopping is now.

But, for the life of me, I couldn't get a cab. As it happened it was already Christmas rush! All the kind taxi drivers refused to go to Divisoria, even declining my generous offer of 20 pesos extra for a very short trip. The drivers told me different lies and lame excuses so they will not be obliged to transport me: that they will be eating, or was schedule to fetch a regular passenger, or that they were already going home, blah blah blah....In Manila, you don't tell Taxi drivers where you are going--they tell you where they are going!

Nevertheless, I knew that there is only one important reason why they dread Divisoria of all the pits in downtown Manila: the terror of being stuck in the rush hour traffic. Actually, the traffic in Divisoria is just a myth, not a reality...as there is no traffic in Divisoria...but heavy traffic!
I understood their concern and so I considered other modes of transport: Kuliglig (a motorized pedicab) , pedicab (an unmotorized Kuliglig...hehehe), and Jeepney.

I didn't like the Kuliglig though: they make loud motor noises, and their small engines prone to breaking down; the pedicab, on the other hand, was very slow. The Jeepney was a good alternative but they almost always re-route even before entering the Divisoria vicinity. jeepneys are almost always fully loaded in rush hour. Some greedy jeepney drivers will allow 2 or 3 male passengers to hang on the outside of the jeepney's entrance. I have done it before and almost got killed when the jeepney behind us almost hit me as it tried to jockey for position to fetch the waiting passengers. Now, will I do it again? It was a serious consideration, but my attire would not warrant it. I was dressed in trouvenized and Dockers "wrinkle-free" pants, and carrying a laptop case.

As I was thinking how to get to Divisoria, I noticed that I was standing right beside a Kalesa. It's been such a long time already since I last rode in a Kalesa. And so I asked the sleepy mamang kutsero if he would be so kind to get me to Divisoria. "Sure", he said in a snap, " for 100 pesos". Deal, I said quickly, lest he changed his mind. I thought it was a bargain. By the way 100 pesos just translates to only 2 U.S. dollars!

I was excited, really. And to think that I brought along my humble rangefinder, I could snap pictures along the way! A trip to Divisoria by Kalesa and with rangefinder photoshoot to boot. With this idea in mind, I asked the kutsero if he could tour me around Binondo for an impromptu photoshoot. "Then, it's 200 for 1 hour!" he said in an air of indifference. I said, "I'll give you 250 then". I saw his lips form into a smile and he said: "Salamat! I will then be your tourist guide!"

That's the story of how my Divisoria shopping plan became an impromptu Binondo photoshoot trip (I still did go to Divisoria afterwards, though.)

So what are you waiting for, hop in in our calesa and join me in a wonderful fun ride through the old Binondo. Enjoy the views!

Mang Rody, my kindly Mamang Kutsero. Without a customer, he was lazily napping in his Kalesa when I took this picture. We made a nice deal afterwards.



I was kind of amused to find that there are still plentiful of Kalesas around Binondo and Sta. Cruz (none in Quiapo, though). Although their past splendor as the King of the Streets is already gone, the kalesas still are an obiquitous presence in Binondo and Sta. Cruz. This one is shot near Soler, corner of T. Alonzo.



I shot this while looking from the back of the Kalesa. This is Tomas Mapua street.



Regina Regente corner Soler Street, Binondo, Manila



Near the famous Estero de Binondo. I was thrilled to be riding in a Calesa where once the young Jose Rizal and Leonor Rivera rode in a kalesa in the 19th century. I was expecting my chauffeur to tell me some "Kwentong Kutsero" and all he told me was that there was a beggar who died of cholera after drinking the estero's water. Duh...



Some guys working for a construction site, taking a break. Near Juan Luna (formerly Calle Anloague)



The Meisic Mall along Regina Regente Street, Binondo. Further down right from here is the 168 Shopping Mall (the building with the blue color)



We are now viewing the facade of the Meisic Mall



The most famous landmark of Binondo is, of course, the Binondo Church



Traffic in front of the Binondo Church



This street is formerly known as Calle Rosario, now named Quintin Paredes Street. Calle Rosario used to be the commercial capital of the Philippines. The Escolta was for the nouveau rich, but the Calle Rosario was for the common people.



Calle Juan Luna. During the Spanish times and early American period, it was called Calle Anloague (Carpenter's Street).



Another view of Calle Juan Luna



We are now traversing Calle Juan Luna. According to Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, the fictional house of Kapitan Tiago is somewhere located in this vicinity.



A Binondo street scenery. My kindly Kutsero knew where to maneuver so I could get some nice pictures from inside his calesa.



We also passed near the banks of the Pasig River near the Jones Bridge.



The foot of the Jones Bridge



I had to debark the kalesa momentarily to shoot this scenery near the foot of the Jones Bridge.



A kalesa trip around Binondo would not have been complete without passing though the famous Escolta, once the shopping capital of old Manila.



The old Capitol Theater in Escolta, a beautiful edifice built in 1935 by architect Juan Nakpil. The theatre is now closed, its first floor a ghost of its past splendor.



We had at last reached Sta. Cruz for the first half of our Binondo trip. At this point, my kutsero and I took some snacks before going back to Divisoria, my further adventures in which I will tell you in my next post.