MY IDEA of Corregidor as a fallen World War II battleground was reconfigured by the island's quiet tree-lined avenues and serene white fences that border it from the South China Sea. A most battered war zone, how it now lends an hour away of respite from Manila's anarchic urbanity is quite ironic. To get us into the island, Rach made reservations for an 8am Sun Cruises trip (air-conditioned, seats assigned) from CCP's Harbor Square. After about an hour of sea-faring, we were herded into waiting Tranvia-style buses for a guided tour of the island. Stella, our rather pesky tourist guide, explained that Corregidor translates to "Corrector." Such an apt name since the island served as a custom's checkpoint for ships getting into Manila during the colonial times. From its bloodied past, today's Corregidor has been preserved as a national park, a historical museum of sorts. It also has zero private vehicles or residents save for those of its tourist offices.



A birthday trip from Rach, Corregidor goes way up in my list of most favorite places. I was pleasantly surprised by the pervading mood of solitude that envelops the island. From one historic point (most times tragic) to another, our bus dropped us off to explore heroes' monuments, expired canons and artillery, ruins of military structures, Zen gardens. The rule was to get back into the bus as soon as the driver sounded off the bells. The guided tour broke up after our last stop at the lighthouse. Around sunset, most of those staying overnight joined a "ghost hunting" tour of the Malinta Tunnel.

Rach and I decided instead to have an early dinner at Corregidor Inn's Spanish-inspired restaurant. While a cool breeze blew, triggered in part by the stories shared to us on the tour, we had a long, good talk about (geek alert!) historiography, Marxist theory, knowledge management, and everything else in between. It's sexy and comforting, perfect to wrap up a rather hectic day. Back in our room, Rach had a Sadako moment that I won't elaborate - let's just say it made us turn the lampshade on for the rest of night. We explored the island some more the next day. A pleasant discovery was Corregidor's quaint little white church – perfect for our wedding some day.

There’s something about this trip that I really love and can't put my finger why – maybe it’s the trace of history weighed down on Corregidor’s empty streets and cliff sides that have since been renewed by wild flowers.