Thursday, March 27, 2008
A CALESA RIDE FROM ONGPIN TO AVENIDA
posted by Señor Enrique at 7:16 AM
15 Comments:
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said... Oh, I'm reminded of a dream I had lately - a calesa motorcade.. err... parade. What a spectacle - lots of calesas on the streets, colorfully adorned and all. That was the most colorful dream I had ever. :)
Was this in Binondo, Eric?-
Señor Enrique said... And your dream reminds me of the Kalesa Festival held in Manila last September, Rhoda :)
http://senorenrique.blogspot.com/2007/09/manila-kalesa-festival.html
This calesa ride yesterday was from the Binondo to Santa Cruz in Manila.
BTW, one of the things I remain grateful for is the ability to get on and off those calesas ... hahaha!-
nutart said...
One of my favorite memories as a child was the sound of clip-clop of calesas passing upon waking up whenever we are on vacation in the province of my mom. Naku! And tanda ko na pala :-)...
I also do not mind the smell of horse manure because every once a year, my mom would order horse manure from the nearby military cavalry to fertilize our garden.
Yet, i have mixed feelings about calesas then because of the many cruelties the cucheros they would bring onto their horses. I was a child then but I already could see that the horses' gears were not comfortable to them! I refused also to ride the calesas because of the whip---lashing either on the horse's back or the calesa's roof. I recall even a time when there was a traffic jam of calesas and the heat, horse manure and piss was really unforgettable. We were on our way to Sunday Mass and even had pretty bonnets and laced dresses but our faces were scowling :-D!
But I think the best pace way to take pictures of a place is riding the calesa because of its easy gait. If you think that the most challenging thing is getting on the calesa, Eric, try getting on a horse! My sister-in-law is a horse woman and once she invited me to ride on her horse...boy! I tell you...there were four(!) people trying to help me get my butt over the horse. It was so hilarious for me and my sister-in-law (and I think, even the horse was giggling)! The only person pissed off was my hubby ;-).-
said...
calesa brings back childhood memories when we used to walk home from school and there was calesa i could still hear the sound was it clack, clack clack eric? nice photos most of the streets looks clean.
ms.smith-
said...
Going around the city in a kalesa? Great idea! I think I'll give it a try when I visit. What's the chance of being hit by an errand car? LOL.
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Señor Enrique said...
Hi Bernadette,
Once told a kuchero to cool it with his whip; that I actually enjoy a leisurely speed when riding a calesa and there was no need to spur his horse to run as if in the Preakness Stakes ... hehehe.
Talk about horseback riding: I did it once in some Upstate New York stud farm one autumn. I managed to get on the horse all right, but I thought my butt would crack open when that horse started galloping like mad ... hehehe.
Lesson I learned: Never get on a horse without proper training beforehand. Those horses certainly are very smart and would throw you right off them if given a chance.-
Señor Enrique said...
Thank you Ms. Smith.
I once convinced a balikbayan cousin to ride a calesa with me. She was so embarrassed because she felt as if everyone could see her perched up like a beauty pageant winner being paraded. So I urged her to wave to the crowd ... hehehe.-
Señor Enrique said...
Surprisingly, bertN, despite the fact that many Manilenyo drivers, especially those jeepney drivers, can be annoyingly abnoxious, when it comes to the horses, everyone gives way :)
Yes, you must try riding a calesa next time ou're back home :)-
Unknown said...
i had a calesa ride inside intramuros a few years back...it was fun. but sometimes, the chuchero whipped the horse too hard---my friends and i flinched everytime he whipped the poor animal.
on my 40th birthday, i rode a pony for the first time, in baguio.:D i actually enjoyed the ride, but i guess the pony didn't...he peed twice! hahaha-
Señor Enrique said...
Lol ... that's hilarious, Luna! But I don't think you scared the pony, though.
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said...
nice pictures. i esp. like the last one which surprised me when i saw it - the street is totally clean...or did you do some post processing? *LOL*...anyway, pictures such as this remind me that we can actually keep our streets clean if we do our part.
lastly, what camera are you using (if you don't mind)?-
Señor Enrique said...
No post processing except for the usual contrast and cropping, Crisn ... lol :)
The streets of Manila can be surprisingly clean during the mornings, but in the late evenings .... oh, well :)
For street photography, especially during solo flighhts, I mainly use my Canon IXUS point & shoot digital camera. It small and lightweight, most of all, unassuming as compared to my Nikon D80.
However, the point & shoot is not as effective on lowlight situations; not fast enough, either.-
gmirage said...
I was talking with my mom-in-law yesterday and remember the Fiaker I posted a while back? I learned from here it costs 80euros for 30 minutes! whew!
She said that she took a calesa ride in Fort Santiago last year and it costs about 800Php for a family which as I think (not knowing about the prices now) is quite much! or?
Lovely photos in this set as again! I love the last photo with partly the kutsero being seen. And lol at the newspaper stand where the girl is texting =D-
reyd said...
I did my share of fun in riding calesa along Binondo. But when I was a bit older, bihira na, since I can walk fast along Divisoria and Binondo area.
Me kuwento pa nga nuon, some of the horses were formerly good racehorses who used to run in San Lazaro and Santa Ana. :D
They should make the Calesa Ride as a tourist attraction.-
Señor Enrique said...
I can imagine how fine looking those horses were pulling the calesa cabs, Reyd. As you know, those race horses must've certainly been from a fine breed.
The horses from Batangas they usually use nowadays also look just as fine, especially those who are well-groomed.
I always ride a calesa whenever possible, Reyd. That is, before I get too old to climb one ... hehehe.
