This is the calesa, a carriage drawn by horse. For a reasonable amount, this horse drawn carriage offers tourists a tour around Manila's historical places and around Intramuros, Fort Santiago and Rizal Park. The last time I rode a calesa was when I was still 7 years old. By that time, calesa is still used for transportation secondary to jeepneys and tricycles. But these days, the calesa was totally replaced with cars or jeepneys in transporting people. But inside Intramuros, these horse drawn carriages still exist as a popular attraction for tourists.
This horse drawn calesa that I photographed in front of Manila Cathedral brought my memory back to my childhood days. I was raised and grew up in a rural area where farming is the principal means of livelihood. Though many residents have gone to university and became professional, still farming remains the principal source of income for majority of the residents. Everyday except on Sundays and Saturdays, carabao drawn two-wheeled carts called “caromata” carrying farming tools and foods or “baon” for lunch were a usual sight in front of our house as early as 6 AM as farmers headed to their farms. Then at around 5 PM, I started looking at the window again expecting the same scenario as farmers heading back to their homes after a day's work at their farm fields.
I haven't seen this daily scenario for years now and I was longing to see it. When I am not on the ship, I frequently visit my parents and grandparents to the place where I grew up with my wife and kids but we always arrived there shortly before noon and have to drive back home early in the afternoon. So we don’t have the chance to see the parade of carabao drawn carts passing by. When I get home soon I should find some times to bring my family and stay a night or two either at my grandparents’ house or at my parents’ house (located just at the opposite side of the road). Despite the fact that I want my kids to see these carts, I also wanted them to have at least a slight idea about how life in rural area differs from urban living.
This is the calesa, a carriage drawn by horse. For a reasonable amount, this horse drawn carriage offers tourists a tour around Manila's historical places and around Intramuros, Fort Santiago and Rizal Park. The last time I rode a calesa was when I was still 7 years old. By that time, calesa is still used for transportation secondary to jeepneys and tricycles. But these days, the calesa was totally replaced with cars or jeepneys in transporting people. But inside Intramuros, these horse drawn carriages still exist as a popular attraction for tourists. 
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