10 years - it has been that long since me and my husband set foot in this tadpole-like island guarding Manila Bay. I have always wondered how this carefully crafted fortress will be like after time has taken its toll in its already war-beaten landscape and if there is something more that this small island has left to offer me after being there already? How will I feel if I stepped again in its hallowed ground? Will it be as memorable as last time?
Finally, an opportunity to answer these questions paved its way after a decade.
All I need to do is give another 48hrs of my life to this historical site.
Will it still be worth my time this time around?
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| Corregidor island ruin - 2012 |
I was still a bit nauseous from the bumpy and long ferry ride that we had to endure that morning when I stepped off the platform and onto the port of Corregidor. I did not remember being this seasick before. My mood changed a bit when I saw the same looking trolley that has guided us so many years ago lined up in the pier to wait for people, I felt excited about it since it felt so familiar. Just like before, the day started with a guided day tour, we hopped on the trolleys and passed by those old ruined barracks that has strangely remained firmly rooted on its ground. It is as if time has really stood still in this place and not a single stone has aged. Little has changed. That's good.
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| Corregidor Trolleys |
Following the same roads that were reconstructed years ago, we were first led again to Battery Way that still has its guns aimed towards the open sea, and even if its guns have not fired a single shot since WWII, it has been preserved dutifully all these years. I was impressed with the hard work the government and the Corregidor Foundation Inc has put in to maintain them.
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| Battery Way, Corregidor Island -2012 |
Its old shell room and cartridge room still has the heavy steel doors intact to its core. And, you can still see those killer bullet holes in its walls. A constant reminder of the ugly encounters between the invaders and the allied forces.
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| Shell room, Corregidor Island 2012 |
And, just like before, we went and visited the Pacific Memorial War Park where the Pacific Memorial Museum, Eternal Flame of Freedom, and the Cine Corregidor which is currently under renovation were located. It is also where Manuel L. Quezon's cars were parked last time we were here, but this time, the cars were not there anymore.
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| Pacific War Memorial Museum, Corregidor Island |
"Sleep my Sons, your duty done, for Freedom's light has come; sleep in the silent depths of the sea, or in your bed of hallowed sod, until you hear at dawn the low, clear reveille of God."
And for those who don't know, there is a small opening on top of the dome that was aligned perfectly with the Sun so that every 6th of May sunlight will pass through it and fall directly to the table. Why May 6? It was the day when Corregidor finally fell to the hands of the Japanese.
The eternal flame now holds on its feet one of my favorite quotes of all times. It used to be nailed on the ground.
We also visited the old Spanish Lighthouse, the Filipino Heroes Memorial and the Japanese Garden of Peace where I finally get to have my picture taken infront of what I thought was a Buddha but turned out to be a fertility goddess.
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| Spanish Lighthouse, Corregidor Island 2012 |
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| at the Japanese memorial park |
I can say that there are definitely a lot of sites here that offers many opportunities to get those picture perfect shots so make sure your camera's batteries are fully charged. It is also a must-do to bring bottled water and put on sunblock. But most importantly, remember to listen and learn about the historical significance of the places you visit. It is good that we can take pictures but it is always best if we can tell the stories behind the places that we visited.
I thought it was going to be another whole day spent on that trolley, then back in the inn for a quiet night, but ten years was too long to keep the same itinerary, and I think their added activities made things more interesting and more fun. After the light and sound show at the Malinta tunnel, we went back to the Corregidor inn hotel to eat lunch which concluded our daytour of the island. I just wish that I wasn't disappointed with the food but I was, I clearly remembered eating a lot of really yummy Filipino dishes years ago, I felt the menu is a little short this time. But nevertheless their customer service is still superb.
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| Our group at one of the long guns at Corregidor |
We were able to check into our rooms and had a nice nap and recharge before meeting again at 5:20PM to see the sunset at Battery Grubbs, which we have never experienced before. It's just too bad that it was a cloudy day that time but nevertheless, the vantage point still gives a beautiful view of the bay. Something that I missed when we were here ten years ago.
The night tour started after the last light fell into the waters, we took some last pictures and headed on to the old army hospital ruin hoping to experience the paranormal. This was something that we also never experienced when we were here. We were eager to catch some ghosts with our cameras but I am glad that even if we tempted them to show their faces, they did not heed to our wishes and let us be.
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| Army hospital ruin, Corregidor Island 2012 |
But, among these places, I was really eager to comeback to the Malinta Tunnel. The last standing ground for the Filipino-American soldiers. We were glad that unlike the time we were here, we were able to go nitty-gritty to its sub-tunnels and not just pass through the main one. With our helmets over our head to shelter us from sharp stones and flashlights in our hands, I feel like we were time warped back during the war. Experiencing how dark, warm and musty it felt like underground, I can' imagine 10,000 soldiers (combat/non-combat) and civilians crammed in these holes.
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| Malinta main tunnel, Corregidor island 2012 |
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| The start of the night tour - Corregidor tunnel 2012 |
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| Corregidor tunnel, 2012 |
The night ended and we were led back again to the inn where we ate a simple but expensive dinner. There's a lot of room to grow for the only restaurant in the island.
We were suppose to wake up at 4AM to prepare for the sunrise viewing and the
We were suppose to wake up at 4AM to prepare for the sunrise viewing and the
Japanese tunnel adventure but we were so tired we decided to skip it. We only met up with the group again during breakfast where they shared their experiences with us and showed us the pictures they took at dawn. They did have fun.
After a traditional Filipino meal we were ready to do the bonus activities that we got with our package. Slide the Zipline and run the ATV around a big field right by the beach. Another good add on activities. We rode those ATV's like there's no tomorrow. It was fun.
We walked back to the inn, cleaned up, played a little scrabble while waiting for the 2PM ferry ride that will take us back to Manila. I don't have any more energy by then, I felt that 48 hrs had gone by pretty quick. But, I'm glad that I went back. There are still some things left out to experience like camping on the grounds and braving the Japanese tunnel or hiking those steep hills, there were things that I realized I've forgotten that was there and things I missed out, there were things that stood still and things that changed but, the familiar and new experiences blended well when we traveled back here and I didn't mind the time I spent in this place. It was definitely worth while.
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