"Manila On a Quiet Sunday" a Manila Travel Page by whvcebu

With a ""Calesa"", the old Spanish name for the horse drawn car, a couple enjoys sight seeing near Taft Avenue coming from the Roxas Boulevard near the Manila Bay.

Please note: A Calesa drive can cost you more than a taxi ride. You need to bargain with the owners to a rock bottom price. For the horses I feel pity as they are sometimes skinny to the bones.

Church of our Lady of the Rosary and Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz at the end of Quintin Paredes Street

It used to be a fine example of Spanish colonial architecture. The original Binondo church was built towards the end of the 16th century by the Chinese who were baptized Christians. Particularly noticeable is the six-storey octagonal bell tower. The church, which is now a minor basilica, is the shrine of the first canonized Filipino-Chinese martyr and saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz. During his childhood he served the parish as an altar boy. His larger-than-life statue nobly looks out from across the basilica.