So I was really glad when Kristine asked me to accompany her to a Chinese temple (which I learned just moments ago, the Santo Cristo de Longos Shrine) a few weeks ago. I was so excited we were going to Binondo. Never mind if it's the temple she wants to check out, not the food. Hey, she did mention that she's looking forward to sample some Chinese noodles.
I was trying to save up for my own version of 'the Big Binondo Food Wok' but, last week, I went out with two of my dearest friends, Bryle and Gracelle, leaving me broke. Then I couldn't seem to save up this week either. Our case study came up and we needed to pay the fee for the LCD projector that our group rented. I only had around 100 pesos yesterday. Plus the fare (tricycle and two jeepneys) and my lunch (if you can call one donut lunch), I was down to around 60 when we (Kristine, Venus and me) went to Avenida. I grew up near the place so I presented to be the guide. My plan was to go to Sta. Cruz church, then go to Binondo church from there. We passed by Raon, what me and Kristine dubbed as 'Akihabara' of the Philippines', and lookee what we found.
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| *sings* Anata to watashi Akihabara de deaeta |
Although I've gone to avenida/raon/binondo/sta.cruz/ongpin/escolta hundreds of times, I'm not really good with places so we got lost. We managed to arrived in Sta. Cruz church after a while.
On our way to Binondo Church, we passed by our first temple for the day.
After taking pictures, we didn't linger around much. We asked the manong if he knows other temples around the area. He said that there are temples around Escolta. We didn't get to see the temple that the manong was saying but our feet lead us to, tada! Binondo Church. We saw a temple on top of a building but we decided to go inside Binondo Church first. Although the place looks like it's set up for a wedding, there were only a few churchgoers around. We stopped and prayed (well, I actually didn't but the others did) for a while. We then headed for the temple that we saw (we saw another temple, but lol, it was just fire brigade with fancy exterior). We learned that the temple (on top of the building) was for members only, and we were redirected to the temple along Narra Street. We were on our way to Narra Street when we saw a temple (Soc Yan). It was a temple alright, but it was closed. We took pictures, then we were off again. When I saw CKSC from where we we standing, we spotted Seng Guan right after..
Yay!!
Although I spend my youth (my first 11 years) around the area, it was my first time actually to go inside. I do pass around it often (on my way to Tutuban) but I really didn't know it was a temple. I was actually thinking that we need to pay for the incense sticks (because I've read somewhere that some Chinese people pay a large sum for a specific kind of incense), but after learning that it's free, I was actually considering the idea of stuffing some on my bag. LOL. I was excited to go up because I heard there was 10 thousand Buddha statues on the third floor. So we went up the second floor, then to the third floor which led us to another staircase. I was really catching my breath by that time so we didn't continue. Haha. There are things to see on the second floor anyway. After lurking around and debating on whether to take pictures or not (we didn't, I don't think it's allowed and we didn't ask for permission anyway), we went home. It was a fun and tiring day yesterday but definitely, I'm going back to Seng Guan.
And we still need to find that 'yes or no' temple.
And I still need to have my own binondo food wok experience.
*Sigh*
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| Shoppers near Sta. Cruz church |
On our way to Binondo Church, we passed by our first temple for the day.
After taking pictures, we didn't linger around much. We asked the manong if he knows other temples around the area. He said that there are temples around Escolta. We didn't get to see the temple that the manong was saying but our feet lead us to, tada! Binondo Church. We saw a temple on top of a building but we decided to go inside Binondo Church first. Although the place looks like it's set up for a wedding, there were only a few churchgoers around. We stopped and prayed (well, I actually didn't but the others did) for a while. We then headed for the temple that we saw (we saw another temple, but lol, it was just fire brigade with fancy exterior). We learned that the temple (on top of the building) was for members only, and we were redirected to the temple along Narra Street. We were on our way to Narra Street when we saw a temple (Soc Yan). It was a temple alright, but it was closed. We took pictures, then we were off again. When I saw CKSC from where we we standing, we spotted Seng Guan right after..
Yay!!
Although I spend my youth (my first 11 years) around the area, it was my first time actually to go inside. I do pass around it often (on my way to Tutuban) but I really didn't know it was a temple. I was actually thinking that we need to pay for the incense sticks (because I've read somewhere that some Chinese people pay a large sum for a specific kind of incense), but after learning that it's free, I was actually considering the idea of stuffing some on my bag. LOL. I was excited to go up because I heard there was 10 thousand Buddha statues on the third floor. So we went up the second floor, then to the third floor which led us to another staircase. I was really catching my breath by that time so we didn't continue. Haha. There are things to see on the second floor anyway. After lurking around and debating on whether to take pictures or not (we didn't, I don't think it's allowed and we didn't ask for permission anyway), we went home. It was a fun and tiring day yesterday but definitely, I'm going back to Seng Guan.
And we still need to find that 'yes or no' temple.
And I still need to have my own binondo food wok experience.
*Sigh*
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