Pottery Wall Pocket

26 Oct, 2005 in art pottery by admin

Pottery Wall Pocket

Manila is One of the Most Charming Spots in South-East Asia

The largest as well as the official capital city of the Republic of Philippines, Covering an area of about 39 square kilometers and with a population of about two million people, Manila is the world's most densely populated city.

Located at the mouth of the Pasig River on the Manila Bay's eastern shores, in southwestern Luzon - the largest island in the country, Manila is actually a part of the Metropolitan Manila or Metro Manila, also referred to as the National Capital Region (NCR.) Once a stronghold of the Spanish Empire during the colonial times and a point of trade between Europe and Asia, Manila has now become one of the most prominent cosmopolitan cities in the world. Lying on a narrow strip of land between Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay, the Metropolitan Manila is made up of 17 cities and municipalities. Further, Metro Manila is regarded as one of the world's mega metropolises, and serves as the economic, educational, industrial, and cultural center of the country.

From historic buildings, monuments, and interesting museums to entertainment facilities and parks and gardens, attractions in Manila are truly endless. Perhaps the greatest of all attractions in Manila is Intramuros, which is a medieval fortified city designed in European style. Once served as the focal point of the Spanish colonial rule, the city was the seat of administration for a period spanning from 1571 to 1898.

In 1945, many of the city's portions were destroyed by the Americans, which were later restored. A visit to this walled complex is a great way to experience the rich heritage of the region. Few among many of the highlights of this complex are Fort Santiago - a beautiful fort that was erected on the ashes of a Muslim ruler during the 16th century; Manila Cathedral and San Agustin Church, which is the oldest of its kind in the city; and Casa Manila, a 19th century mansion noted for its beautiful furniture.

A museum, exhibiting some rare collections of oil paintings, can also be found within the San Agustin Church's old monastery. Apart from these, attractions also include the Rizal Park, an excellent area for enjoying recreational activities. Named after the national hero, Jose Rizal, the park is credited to be the largest of its kind in Asia.

Another worth visiting attraction in the city is the magnificent Malacanang Palace, which now serves as the official residence of the Philippines president. Located along the northern banks of the Pasig River, this palatial complex is noted for its unique architecture, and consists of sections such as Malacanan Palace; the Bonifacio Hall, which was formerly the office of Ferdinand Marcos successor Corazon Aquino; Kalayaan Hall, built under the American administration.

Mabini Hall - the administration hall; and above all a guest house. Also, a significant attraction in Manila is Bahay Tsinoy, which is an interesting museum that has on display collections related to Chinese-Filipino culture. Housed within the Kaisa Heritage Center, the museum's collections include pictures depicting life of Chinese immigrants, and Chinese artifacts such as coins, pottery, and kitchen utensils.

Further, popular attractions in Manila cover Paco Park, which is probably the one of its kind in the whole of the world. Considered a historical shrine, the park was once a cemetery. With a unique design, the park consists of two circular structures with different levels of recesses. In short, the way the park is designed is truly stupendous.

Other not to miss attractions in Manila are Manila Zoological Garden, which is home to some rare collection of Philippine as well as African wildlife; Carfel Seashell Museum, which has on display some rare seashells; Kanlungan ng Sining, where you can find a unique variety of sculptures, paintings and photographs; Ayala Bridge, which connects San Miguel to Arroceros; Meban Garden, the city's first botanical garden; and Liwasang Bonficacio, a park that has been built to commemorate a Philippine hero, Andres Bonifacio.

Hence, no wonder why tourists flock to Manila all-year round. Manila has accommodation options to cater every taste and pocket. From budget villas and hotels to high-end resorts and apartment, Manila's accommodation choices are superb. There are also some hotels that provide services in the form of packages, covering accommodation, dining, and facilities to explore the attractions of the place.

About the Author

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and manages 54 hotels under Shangri-La and Traders brands with a rooms inventory of over 27,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services.

Could you suggest some iPad apps?

I have
Alarm clock free
All in one weather
Amazing wallpapers HD
appstream
Calculator HD
Cover Orange HD
engadget free
friendly for facebook
groovemaker free
Harbor Master
Hole in a wall
labyrinth 2 HD
lets create pottery
Paper Toss HD
Pocket Pond
shazam for ipad
stick golf HD
sunday times
T3
Tap Tap Radiation
100.000+ Wallpapers HD Free for iPad

any reccomendations?

Pages ($9.99)
Apple’s Pages is a well-crafted word processing app that is loaded with features that will help you be more productive on your new iPad. It features pre-designed templates, powerful tools and charts, and the ability to open and export files in a variety of formats. Files can also be shared via email or iWork.com, or simply transferred to your computer. Being more productive is what the iPad is all about, and Pages should help you do that.

Keynote ($9.99)
Another Apple designed app for the iPad. Keynote is designed to help you make stunning presentations with its built-in themes, charts, animations, transitions, and tables, while also offering intuitive touch controls. Just like Pages, the app is able to open and export presentations in multiple formats as well as transfer files to your computer or iWork.com.

Netflix (FREE)
Netflix is one of those apps that will make you purchase the service if you haven’t already, it’s just that awesome of an idea. Who wouldn’t want to be able to watch their favorite movies and television shows instantly on their iPad? You would be crazy not to. The app also features the ability to browse the vast Netflix catalogue and manage your queue. Did we mention that it is free?

ABC Player (FREE)
Another free television show streaming app, because you can never have enough while on-the-go. The app features a smooth interface that allows you to find, schedule, and watch your favorite ABC shows right on your iPad over Wi-Fi. All shows are full-length, and if you leave and come back it will pick up right where you left off.

AIM for iPad (FREE)
Sporting a stunning simple yet efficient interface, AIM for iPad will not only allow you to keep in touch with your AIM buddies, but also allow you to manage all of your social network services such as Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and more all from the same app. The fact that the app is free is great, but what makes it outstanding is that it doesn’t even feature ads.

Pandora Radio (FREE)
Another extremely popular app entirely reworked for the iPad, Pandora Radio gives you personalized radio while on-the-go via a user friendly iTunes-like interface. If you are an existing Pandora user, things couldn’t be easier. Just log-in and go. The app is universal, so if you already have it in your iTunes library just make sure to update it to get the iPad-optimized interface.

We Rule for iPad (FREE)
What’s an iPad without a little fun, or in We Rule’s case, a lot of fun? We Rule is another one of ngmoco’s freemium games that allows you to play at your own pace and design your own kingdom. You can farm, build houses and shops, and hire your friends to gain even more supplies. Mojo, the stuff used to make things happen quicker, can be purchased from within the game, but it isn’t necessary.

Twitterrific for iPad (FREE)
The Iconfactory is known for putting elegance and functionality into their apps and Twitterrific for iPad is more of the same. The app features an easy to understand interface that places all of your replies, retweets, mentions, and direct messages in a single list, while also allowing you to filter through them via buttons on the left-hand side. The free version features ads in the timeline, while the paid version removes the ads. It’s your call.

Yahoo Entertainment (FREE)
Your ultimate entertainment guide wrapped inside of a stunning interface. Yahoo entertainment features an interactive program guide that allows you to see the schedule for television shows, movies, or other programming in your area. It also sports tons of video feeds to watch sports clips, local weather, news, and entertainment. You can even catch up on local and worldwide news along with photos. It’s a one stop shop.

iBooks (FREE)
Last but not least is iBooks, of course! iBooks allows you to download and read everything from best-sellers to classics right on your iPad. Since the iPad features a backlit display, unlike those ebook readers, you will be able to read your books any time, day or night. The app features all kinds of nice touches for reading books, such as the ability to quickly change font size, bookmark your pages, look up words in the dictionary, and even search for specific passages. This is what you got your iPad for, right?

Wildlife Santa says: Little things mean a lot