Sunset, River Esplanade, Iloilo. January 2016
After Roxas City [see: Roxas City], JRC and I were based in Iloilo for a few days exploring other parts of Panay. As it turns out, our hotel was in the newer part of the city and it happened to be close to the recently-opened River Esplanade. Although daytime on the esplanade would have been quite hot, the late afternoons and early evenings were a lovely time for a stroll and the place was crowded with Iloiloans. The riverside redevelopment included parks, piers, coffee shops, and restaurants. Simply put, the local government made a nice place to stroll and it was the longest of its kind in the Philippines.
The esplanade was so popular an extension was planned AND other cities took note of it with similarly planned waterfront renewals. It reminded me of Baltimore's success with the Inner Harbor taking a once blighted area and turning into a total tourist magnet. Baltimore's model was then copied again and again across the USA. Funny how little Iloilo became a trend-setter for the whole nation.
That trip was actually my second time in Iloilo. I had visited a year or two before, but arrived dreadfully sick with a flu. I literally stayed in bed in my hotel room the entire two days I was scheduled to visit the place. I only remember vaguely pushing myself to have a short walkabout near the hotel, but I felt so terrible I recalled very little. There was a famous street, Calle Real, left over from the Spanish Colonial Era - I still have the t-shirt! I sought it out and found nothing of what it was touted to be. I was expecting some colonial buildings in a good state of preservation. What I found were some old, deteriorating buildings, covered in signage and wires. Maybe if those few blocks were renovated back to their glory days, it might actually have looked nice? I guess you could say my first impressions of Iloilo were fever-induced and negative. Honestly, I barely remember that first visit, but I don't feel robbed of the memory either. [see: Sydney]
I fell in love with the Riverside Esplanade - that was very unexpected. Good thing I came back to Iloilo with JRC so I could reassess my feelings towards it. Amazing how just one good experience can give one an entirely new attitude about a place.