Corregidor
I'm really, really sleepy right now because I woke up at 5 AM yesterday. My sister and I decided to go to Corregidor purely on a whim. I discovered that if you only have 2 days to prepare for an out-of town trip and don't intend on driving anywhere, the best place to go would be Corregidor. It's a history lesson and a nature trip all rolled into 1.
To get to Corregidor, you just have to take a ferry from the CCP Ferry Terminal. We didn't even have reservations in our case. We just showed up before 7 AM and were the first in line once the cruise office opened. For a day-tour package which includes the following: 2-way ferry ride, buffet lunch, Malinta Tunnel Light Show and guided tour; you would spend roughly about 1600 pesos. One useful bit of information I found out from the tour flyers is that if you go on Monday or Wednesday, the whole package costs 50% less than it does on peak days. The ferry then leaves at 8 AM and you get to Corregidor 1 hour later.
Once you get to Corregidor, they already have tram buses waiting for you. The tour guides speak in either English or Japanese in order to tell the history of the island from the American side and the Japanese side. After everyone's settled down, you go around the island on the bus and visit various war ruins. We saw what little remained of the American structures and also various sites of gun batteries. If you get the more adventurous tour guide, he will even let you walk through various small tunnels on the island so you will have a better picture of what it was probably like to be a soldier in WWII.
One of the supposed highlights of the trip is the Malinta Tunnel light and sound show. It's an optional part of the journey but if you want to understand the historical significance of Corregidor in WWII, you might as well join the tour. The special effects aren't that great and the narration is a little tedious to listen to, but it's still the easiest way to learn about the island. One of the most important sites you will see during the trip is the Pacific War Memorial that commemorates the American war effort in the Asia-Pacific region. Personally, I preferred to wander among the ruins. There's an eerie feeling to them, but I was still drawn there.
At the time I went there, there weren't too many tourists. You have a lot of space to wander around and if you get the overnight package, you will have a lot of chances to go trekking on the marked trails. It's possible for you to get a lot of pretty nature shots depending on where you are on the island. There is no permanent civilian population, so all the original trees are still intact and in fact they are still planting new ones.
One thing I have to warn you about the place is that the food isn't great. Make sure you bring your own snacks in case you get hungry along the way. The tour bus though provides its own supplies, but it still costs more than regular prices.
I'm really not into Modern war history. In this century, you no longer need great generals and a real strategy to win a war. It now all boils down to which country has the best weapons and their efficiency in killing with just one shot. Everything's become so impersonal and this is especially reflected in military uniform. Nonetheless going to Corregidor, reminded me of how many people died all for the sake of their ideals. Whether you were fighting for the Americans or for the Japanese, they all believed in something. I'm glad that in one small corner of our country we still have a proper memorial for that so that future generations will not forget.
To get to Corregidor, you just have to take a ferry from the CCP Ferry Terminal. We didn't even have reservations in our case. We just showed up before 7 AM and were the first in line once the cruise office opened. For a day-tour package which includes the following: 2-way ferry ride, buffet lunch, Malinta Tunnel Light Show and guided tour; you would spend roughly about 1600 pesos. One useful bit of information I found out from the tour flyers is that if you go on Monday or Wednesday, the whole package costs 50% less than it does on peak days. The ferry then leaves at 8 AM and you get to Corregidor 1 hour later.
Once you get to Corregidor, they already have tram buses waiting for you. The tour guides speak in either English or Japanese in order to tell the history of the island from the American side and the Japanese side. After everyone's settled down, you go around the island on the bus and visit various war ruins. We saw what little remained of the American structures and also various sites of gun batteries. If you get the more adventurous tour guide, he will even let you walk through various small tunnels on the island so you will have a better picture of what it was probably like to be a soldier in WWII.
One of the supposed highlights of the trip is the Malinta Tunnel light and sound show. It's an optional part of the journey but if you want to understand the historical significance of Corregidor in WWII, you might as well join the tour. The special effects aren't that great and the narration is a little tedious to listen to, but it's still the easiest way to learn about the island. One of the most important sites you will see during the trip is the Pacific War Memorial that commemorates the American war effort in the Asia-Pacific region. Personally, I preferred to wander among the ruins. There's an eerie feeling to them, but I was still drawn there.
At the time I went there, there weren't too many tourists. You have a lot of space to wander around and if you get the overnight package, you will have a lot of chances to go trekking on the marked trails. It's possible for you to get a lot of pretty nature shots depending on where you are on the island. There is no permanent civilian population, so all the original trees are still intact and in fact they are still planting new ones.
One thing I have to warn you about the place is that the food isn't great. Make sure you bring your own snacks in case you get hungry along the way. The tour bus though provides its own supplies, but it still costs more than regular prices.
I'm really not into Modern war history. In this century, you no longer need great generals and a real strategy to win a war. It now all boils down to which country has the best weapons and their efficiency in killing with just one shot. Everything's become so impersonal and this is especially reflected in military uniform. Nonetheless going to Corregidor, reminded me of how many people died all for the sake of their ideals. Whether you were fighting for the Americans or for the Japanese, they all believed in something. I'm glad that in one small corner of our country we still have a proper memorial for that so that future generations will not forget.
posted by wilgefortis @ 2:42 AM
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