Having too much fun with the ball

Similar to our previous visit, Jose Rizal’s Monument was the highlight and starting point of most visitors. Along with the handful of Filipino families having their pictures taken with this famous landmark are the busloads of Korean and Japanese tourists. After a quick photo session, we walked away from where the tour groups are headed. The Artist’s Haven, which I was most looking forward to was still closed, so we went to check out the Chinese Garden instead.

Chinese Garden at the Rizal Park

I know I should’nt compare, but it’s hard not to. The only Chinese Garden I’ve been to was the one in Sydney. I loved it tremendously; it was very tranquil inside. The Chinese Garden in Manila tried very hard to have all the elements of a Chinese Garden. However, probably due to our climate, some of the flora wouldn’t thrive in Manila. Also, its location prety much kills the mood. The Manila Chinese Garden in Luneta was almost next to the busy roads so you can hear the traffic. It was also situated right next to the Open Air Auditorium. Just as we were about to leave, the crew next door (for there was going to be a function of some sort) decided to test out their sound system, and Shaggy’s raggae beat filled the air. Then again, for only Php 5.00, I really shouldn’t complain and compare. It turns out that the Chinese Garden wasn’t so bad; the Japanese Garden was worse. Now, I haven’t been to Japan or to any Japanese garden, but I’m pretty sure they don’t include a yellow pond/lagoon. Like the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden was right next to the street, so good luck finding Zen there.

Lapu-Lapu at the Agrifina Circle

It was getting pretty late and we were both getting hungry. We decided to check out Agrifina Circle, where the Orchidarium, Lapu-Lapu’s statue and the Department of Tourism was. Agrifina Circle has a special place in my memories. When I was still working for the travel magazine, I would always go to the DOT office to attend Press Conferences and other DOT events. Agrifina Circle and Orchidarium was also featured in one of my unforgettable trips for work.

Unfortunately, the Orchidarium was closed, for an indefinite period of time (a shame, really). Lapu-Lapu was there, as usual. But I tell you, there was this one time that he wasn’t! And that was just a couple of months after I took a photo of him standing in that very spot.

Dong Bei’s Handiwork Noodles

Eric and I made our way to Taft Avenue to catch a jeep going to Divisoria. Alighting in front of the Binondo Church, we made a beeline for Dong Bei Restaurant on Nueva Street (Yuchengco was the name in the street sign). Sharing a plate of fresh dumplings and a bowl of “handiwork” noodles, it was a perfect end to a great afternoon spent in Manila.

Of course, that didn’t end there. We continued walking along Ongpin street to Sta. Cruz, then walked on to Quiapo where we went our seperate ways — Eric to the LRT station, and me to ride the jeep bound for Proj. 8.

Luneta

 
Manila without traffic is heaven. It’s so great to drive around — my friends picked me up at 3:00 pm, and we were at Quiapo by 3:20. That’s where we encountered the traffic, Quiapo Church. There were too many jeepneys and all of them waiting for passengers. Once we got past the traffic, the roads were virtually empty again.

Nazuna and Jose

 
The destination was Luneta, but we decided to check if Fort Santiago was open. We entered Intramuros and we were able to have a running tour of the walled city as the road between San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral was closed to vehicular traffic. To our disappointment, Fort Santiago was closed. We drove on to Rizal Park.

Err, hero’s walk? This pathway was lined by busts notable people in the Philippine’s history.

 
We parked at the Quirino Grandstand, right in front of the entrance to the Manila Ocean Park. We would’ve gone inside (and escaped the sun and the heat), but we decided to put off the visit until the entire complex is finished. The field across the grandstand was filled with people flying kites. The kites made me remember the times we went to the cemetery during All Saint’s Day. We made our way to Kilometer 0, the starting point for all kilometer markers around the Philippines.

Avril at the entrance to the Chinese Garden

 
I was instantly reminded of the first time I encountered this marker. It was the starting and end point of this race I unwittingly signed up for almost four years ago. That was also the last time I remembered being, rather, passing through Rizal Park.

Bananacue!

 
I’ve always thought that Luneta was just that strip of land between Roxas Boulevard and Mabini. It turns out that Rizal Park starts from Taft Avenue (where that bas relief map of the Philippines is) up to the Quirino Grandstand. Not only that, there’s also several gardens within the complex: the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Manila Orchidarium, and the Artist’s Haven. Unfortunately, they were all closed, so we just walked around Luneta, enjoying our bananacue, green mangoes with bagoong and C2 iced tea.

The Rizal Monument

 
When we got tired, we made our way back to the car and decided to check if the Paco Park was open. It wasn’t, so we decided to go to the CCP complex instead. If it was a regular day, we woulnd’t even thought to go to Paco park or even go near Taft Avenue. Because there weren’t many cars on the road, it was joy to drive around Manila. We also realized that in between us three, we can manage to navigate around this city.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines

 
Tired from our walk around Luneta and not wanting to brave the heat again, we just drove around the CCP complex, then headed home. This trip made me realize that though I can find my way around Manila, I never really stopped to see what this city has to offer. I have been to most malls in Metro Manila, but I haven’t really gone beyond that. Well, that’s going to change. I promised myself that I will explore Manila more this year, and I’m making sure I would. Now, where should I go next week?

Want to go around Manila but don’t have a car? Or do you want to live on the edge and brave Manila’s transport system? I found a nifty guide on getting around Manila by public transport. This guide lists various tourist attractions around Manila and would definitely would be useful even to locals like me.