Those Lovely Old Houses

I am an old soul.  I love anything that gives a hint of a past when buildings were as magnanimous as their built.  I am at awe when an old house lurks at every old town’s corner.  My eyes are wide as they can be when ruins of the past stand tall before me.

A visit to Taal Heritage Town proved to be one worthy moment.  Everywhere I looked was a feast for my eyes.  Old church here, an old house there, historical markers everywhere!

This rustic little town down south is a gem for history lovers like me.  One of the best walking tours I have had sprung from this experience.  I could easily imagine the elite of the Filipino past wearing their best on Sundays.  Men of stature greet each other. It is magnificent that after all these centuries, almost all of the houses are still intact and well-preserved.  

I am not from a family whose generations proudly owns such a house. But I  harbor an enormous Pinoy pride whenever I pass by our past by looking into these kind of buildings.

A walking tour can be sweaty and tiring.  But one of the best things in doing this is you get to meet different kinds of people.  People you never knew would willingly open their homes for you.  They would often appear curious and amused at the same time as to what you are doing walking in a very hot and humid afternoon.  Your exchange of commentaries and untold stories will become priceless.  Sometime in the future you will find yourself walking the same streets again, perhaps the people you will meet will no longer be there.  But the same invigorating excitement you felt will surely come back, by just one look at the place you have been to.

I am definitely proud to be a Pinoy who can boast of a varied, colorful past.  A walking tour in Taal Heritage Town is both enjoyable and easy on the pocket.  All you must have is a pair of sturdy shoes, a water bottle filled to the brim, and that never-ending love for your country.