The ferry first passes along Rockwell Center, Makati City Hall, an enormous impressive building and good visible. It shows us as well several bridges along the way and it is funny to pass them in a different way and in a different direction. Sometimes the ferry has to be careful not to push over the "bangkas" but fortunately they have there outriggers so they are not too prone to tumble over. These little boats carry people very conveniently from the one side to the other without traffic problems. Further on the way we pass Mandaluyong, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa and the house where Mabini used to live near the Nagtahan Bridge, also the Malacanang Palace where you are not allowed to take pictures because of security and of course the very nice building of the Post Office.

The disembarkation is at the Escolta station and a little walk to the Edificio Calvo with some memorabilia from past times.

The tour goes further to the Quiapo Church, home of the Black Nazareen image. The church was erected for the first time in 1588 and still survived or was rebuild over and over again after destructions by fire and earthquakes. In 1988 the church was made into a basilica through the initiative of Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin And Papal Nuncio. the Black Nazareen has real human hair and they even wash it regularly!!

Just outside the church you can find candles, your fortune (if given to you by the fortunetellers) and vendors selling the most amazing herbs and amulets.

Next stop is the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista, home of Gregoria de Jesus who was the widow of Andres Bonifacio, leader of the revolution against Spain.

We had a wonderful lunch in a Chinese restaurant and we were all in good spirits when we went back even if the weather gods thought that we did not pray long enough to keep it dry.