The summer has well and truly hit, and for this month’s roundup ride, the Manila Coffee Cycling Club decided to take off a little earlier than usual to mitigate the impact of the hot, hot heat.
Photo credit: James Rosca
After meetup at San Antonio Plaza, we headed out on our way to Quiapo Church – or the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, to give it its full name. We weren’t quite prepared for the size of the Palm Sunday crowds, though, and ended up staying for just a few minutes.
Photo credit: JC Peralta/Manila Coffee Cycling Club
Pao Moreto flashes a peace sign just behind.
Photo credit: Geo Galisim.
Photo credit: Lito Vicencio
He is second from the right in the white jersey.
Photo credit: Lito Vicencio.
We rode through Jones Bridge and the Manuel L. Quezon Memorial Bridge, the latter of which is pretty spectacular as far as local bridges go.
Photo credit: JC Peralta/Manila Coffee Cycling Club
Photo credit: Geo Galisim.
Photo credit: Ace Tia.
Our next stop was considerately more sedate: Arroceros Forest Park, considered the last living green lung of the City of Manila. The place certainly lives up to its name. As compact as it may be, it is full of lush greenery and trees, and for many of our party, it was our first-ever visit.
Photo credit: JC Peralta/Manila Coffee Cycling Club
The property has a little loop road in it which we rode around in. This is the closest we have to Singapore’s park connector network (PCN) of mixed-use paths, although the similarity is merely visual: this is a closed loop and doesn’t connect to any other parks.
One side of the Arroceros Forest Park is bordered by the Pasig River, which is looking impressively clean these days. Having spent my childhood listening to songs about this river dying a slow death, its current condition is very laudable. This is a good vantage point to see the Manuel L. Quezon Memorial Bridge, and we took loads of photos here.
Photo credit: JC Peralta/Manila Coffee Cycling Club
Photo credit: Lito Vicencio.
Photo credit: Lito Vicencio
Photo credit: JC Peralta/Manila Coffee Cycling Club
Unfortunately, due to what seems to be our utter disdain for parks, this particular one is under pressure. There are murmurs that the local city government wants it closed to make way for a basketball court, which strikes me as pretty short-sighted. Metro Manila has hardly any green spaces and parks left to counter its ever-growing, ever-hotter concrete sprawl; this is in stark contrast to other cities I’ve had the privilege of visiting.
Many thanks to Chiqui Mabanta and Jeni Corpuz for arranging our visit on a Sunday.
Photo credit: Lito Vicencio
Photo credit: Lito Vicencio
Photo credit: JC Peralta/Manila Coffee Cycling Club
Our final stop for the day was a small building artfully named “Backwell.” This is a portmanteau of “back” and “Rockwell,” referencing its location against the posh Rockwell neighborhood of Barangay Bel-Air. Backwell housed our coffee stop, Hineleban Cafe, which was formerly located along Arnaiz Avenue.
Photo credit: JC Peralta/Manila Coffee Cycling Club
Hineleban Cafe offers specialty coffees and quite a few interesting food items. They’re the first place I’ve seen that serves adlai, a type of grain meant to be a rice substitute.
Photo credit: JC Peralta/Manila Coffee Cycling Club
Personally I ordered one of their breakfast options: a large pandesal with sun-dried tomatoes and roasted mushrooms, served with a side of sweet potato chips.
Photo credit: Lito Vicencio
Despite the relative brevity of the ride (leading some to joke about having a full recovery meal for half a ride), it was a nice day out, and for us who’d never been to Arroceros, it was an eye-opener.
Photo credit: Geo Galisim.
Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church). 910 Plaza Miranda, Quiapo, Manila. +63 2 733 4945
Arroceros Forest Park. 659-A Antonio Villegas St. Ermita, Manila. +63 917 848 1004
Hineleban Cafe. Kalayaan Avenue corner Rockwell Drive, Makati. +63 2 816 4772
the accidental randonneur 