This afternoon I picked up the cargo delivery of our merchandise in Remedios. Before going home, I thought of going to SM Mall of Asia to buy some CD-R’s for our internet cafe. As I went to MOA, I passed by the Esplanade and saw that most of it is under construction. But there is a part somewhere to the right (if you’re facing the sea) that is still accessible to the public. So I thought of making a sidetrip to the Esplanade after going to MOA to have some alone time…again… I feel I have to maximize my leave!!! :))

When we had our Europe trip last year, out of all the places that we visited my favorite was Barcelona. I like Barcelona because it reminded me of Manila; the culture, night-life, city orientation, food, etc… In Barcelona, they have a road by the seawall similar to our Roxas Boulevard. They have a mall beside the sea pretty much like MOA; but MOA is a LOT BIGGER. On thing we don’t have now is a clean beach in the city where anyone can swim for free!

My dad used to tell us that when he was still young, they would swim in the beach here in the Las Piñas part of Manila Bay. That beach is now gone… thanks to the Coastal Road. It’s sad that our generation wasn’t able to enjoy it. I remember a time when I was a child (about 4 yrs old) when we went to the side of Coastal Road to swim. I think that was the first time I went to swim in the sea so I was very excited. The bay was not as polluted compared to now but we only swam there for a few minutes because the dirty water made us itch. We just transferred to a former beach resort that turned to a pool resort (again… thanks to the Coastal Road). I remember I was disappointed that time.

I bet that if Manila is only as organized and as clean as Barcelona, we would attract millions of tourists. Manila would probably be the best destination in Asia. How I wish that there will come a time that Manila Bay will not be polluted anymore. How I wish that we Manileños will be disciplined in keeping the city clean. We were so lucky… we just didn’t take care of it. I hope we can bring the beauty of the city back. :(

I made most of my stay there even if the stench of the pollution on the sea and the cockroaches living in the breakwater cannot be ignored. I sat by the seaside for about 45 mins just thinking and listening to music. I observed the surroundings and the people hanging out. There were not much people at the Esplanade; perfect if you want to have some time alone. There were a few families who brought their own chairs and had picnic. There were also a couple of people who flew their big kites. Some were alone like me just enjoying their own solitude. From afar I see the ships and the big cranes in the pier. The monster cranes reminded me of the AT-AT’s of Star Wars. There were also black smokes coming from that area and it looked like a war scene from the movie trilogy. The area of the sea to where the sun was about to set had rains and thunderstorms so I wasn’t able to see the sunset. I wished I had brought my camera with me. I could have taken a few pictures. I wanted to stay longer but had to go home first and then to Alabang to attend the Young Adults’ Ministry to Others (YAMO) at Lighthouse every Thursday.