Seriously? Is this really Manila?

The streets of 16th century Spain are relics in the fortress city of Intramuros.

The sounds of bells ringing on a Saturday afternoon beckon me to a world within an old oil painting.

San Agustine Church.

A ceremony is underway in the Church. It is a world straight out of an old oil painting.

A subtropical afternoon that has crossed space and time.

Stepping outside, I’m reminded, “This is Manila,”

as the reflection of the sunlight off the stone pavement burns my eyes,

and I am pushed back into the real world.