Manila I Keep Coming Back To You

Every chance I get, I come home. Hong Kong has their own bank holidays during the first week of April which coincided with the Holy Week observance in the Philippines. So I was booked.

For a predominantly Catholic country, the Philippines becomes a mecca as people flock back to their hometowns and contemplate on Jesus Christ's life and death. For some, they take it literally. Flagellations and all. For others, a simple prayer on Good Friday suffices. 

It has been a tradition for our family to go on a road trip on Good Friday or Black Saturday. It's the only time we get to see provincial towns and not be consumed by traffic. The goal was to visit at least 7 churches and end with a good meal.  This year, we took an easy route and went around Manila. So we went to  Don Bosco, Binondo, San Agustin, Mabini and Malate with a short stop in the only open tea house in China town.