BONIFACIO HIGH STREET, THE FORT

Found myself quite unexpectedly in The Fort in Makati City and at the famed Bonifacio High Street at that on The Fort's 5th Avenue. It's a promenade of mind-boggling proportions. High-end boutiques and unique retail stores abound. It's open air and has several pieces of art spread all over the grounds punctuated at times with unusual water fountains. Almost a kilometer long, there are also several restaurants to tempt the most discriminating and adventurous of taste buds and we only have Ayala Land to thank for this newest development in the heart of Metro Manila. It's quite comparable to Clarke Quay sans the fiberglass roofing and the adjoining river, but it can be quite windy at times.

Design detail. A structure that acts both as an art piece and as a street lamp. Behind it is Bookwork Cafe.

Water fountains like this one (see also photos 11 & 12) break the monotony of lines and light.

Ah, the famous Cupcakes by Sonja. Too bad I'm not a cupcake fan.

Mezzaluna, methinks, is one of the most beautiful restaurants in these parts.

Good to see Portico come alive again. Have dined in its former place in Malate (on Adriatico) several times. The food's not particularly amazing, but the interiors make up for that.

Heaven on earth! Fully Booked stands high and proud at 5 floors. Was here to attend a book launching by Fox Publishing. I didn't have time to go around and I am proud to have resisted doing that or else...

Design detail. Buildings are marked by signs like this one.

Nothing in particular except that I like the chandelier. It's made of spoons, forks, and soup ladles.

Design detail. Street lamps.

I attempted to get a better shot of this at 1600 ISO, but my attempts were futile. I really need to learn how to use an SLR properly. My companion's Nikon, however, got a spectacular shot. I almost died of envy.

So this is how it feels like to be a prick.