Shiny Shimmery Splendid: Christmas Lights Traffic Lights

Every time December hits Manila, every conversation would most probably include a bit about the horrible traffic that every one encounters (or a bit about their surprise that traffic wasn't that bad getting to that area haha). We all know Christmas = traffic. Times like these google maps is my best friend and I have been known to explore all possible side streets just to avoid traffic.
The tried and true tested path always leads to gridlocks for me so I need to get creative just to get to where I am going. Green line is for normal route and red line is for my route. Hahaha

Example:

From Manila (via SLEX) to Fort Mckinley Hill just so I can avoid 40 minutes of Nichols Traffic

From Macapagal Avenue to Roxas Blvd so I can avoid the crawl along Star City and CCP

Traffic aside, you have to admit, having festive lights twinkling around you eases the pain of being stuck on the road during rush hour. Here are just a few of my favorites.

I love looking at the tree in front of Aloha Hotel along Roxas Blvd. cor. Quirino Avenue in Manila. There's no escaping traffic here but I don't mind being there for 20 minutes as long as there is shimmery eye candy. Personally I love that they followed each groove of the branches and lined them up with Christmas lights. Nothing also beats the old school bulbs that they use to light up the upper part of the tree!

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My love for Manila continues with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Department of Finance Christmas Lights! I love how these two buildings always set up gigantic images using colorful lights. And this year, they went all Pinoy! :D

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Just across at the the next corner is the Cultural Center of the Philippines and their parols from Pampanga. I love love love this showcase of Filipino craftmanship, much better than just outlining the building with Christmas lights which they used to do before. What's amazing about these lanterns is that they are the same kind of parols, but the intervals of the blinking lights are different from each other so you start to think that they have different designs.

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Who can miss the lights of Ayala Avenue and the Ayala Triangle Enchanting Light Show? The bright LED lights makes you feel like you are having a white Christmas in the middle of a tropical country. The moving lights and music of the show entertains the crowds night after night. I also love the decor of the old Prudential Bank building along Ayala Ave. with the angels and the giant Christmas balls.