A Pleasant Drive to Animal Island

Cavite-Manila Expressway all to ourselves.

Sometimes, it's the journey that counts more than the destination.  This was the case a couple of weekends ago when we ventured a bit further down Roxas boulevard, and continued on to Cavite to visit Animal Island.  It was our first time to travel on the Manila-Cavite Expressway or CAVITEX.  Creatures of habit that we are, we tend to frequent only our usual stretch of Roxas, without any inclination to see what's beyond.  Sometimes, the nearer it is, the weaker the motivation to explore. I was glad  though, that on that particular Saturday we decided to try a new route. As soon as we were on CAVITEX  I was amazed at how quickly the scenery changed!  From urban pollution and congestion to wide-open space in a matter of minutes!  It felt surreal.  Ours was the only vehicle on the expressway.  It felt as though Manila Bay was unfurling its beauty for us, and us alone.   On one side of the road was the majestic horizon, where Manila bay flows into the wide open sea.  On the other side, was a stretch of water, where indigenous houses on stilts lined the coast.  The image of the fishing village triggered recollections from childhood.

Dwellings of fisher folk along CAVITEX.

Throughout the 1980's, we frequently passed through the old Coastal Road en route to Sangley Point in Cavite where my father was then the commander of the Naval Air Group.  When the Armed Forces was on Red Alert - which was often in those tumultuous times of frequent coup d'etats - my dad couldn't leave the military base, and we'd had to drive from Manila to visit him on weekends.  I remember the ride, done in still non-aircon vehicles, with the scent (or stench) of the sea serving as olfactory signposts along the way. Seeing this fishing village now, decades later, is quite comforting.  It is good to know that new developments further up the road - like the massive Mall of Asia Complex, among others, haven't completely displaced resilient pockets of older ways of life.  Beneath the massive electric lines, and billboards that dominate the skyline, these houses on bamboo stilts are visible expressions of our island Southeast Asian culture, a culture that tends to be overshadowed by the prevalence in Manila's streets of perhaps too many a fast-food franchise.   It felt good to be driving no more than 5 minutes from Manila, and not seeing a Macdonald's or Starbuck's at every turn (although the huge Jollibee billboard in the background was a a reminder that we're still just on the edge of city limits).  We were headed to Island Cove, to check out the zoo within the premises, called Animal Island.  To tour the place, visitors could either use their own vehicles, or ride the shuttle, or hire a horse-drawn carriage. Given that it was a hot day, we chose to use our own car.

At Animal Island: Guijo and Yaya Jen looking at an ostrich.

We drove by an aviary but decided not to stop.  We could have parked the car and walked around a bit if we wanted to see the birds up close, but we decided to continue driving around.  Animals like ostrich, sheep, and wild boar, were in confined in huge enclosures made of see-through wire fences.  Our kids enjoyed pointing at the animals from the comforts of our car.  At one point, Yaya Gigi, our new nanny, asked "Totoo ba yan?" (is that real?).  She was referring to a poker faced ostrich, with head held still, mouth closed, unmoving, staring straight at our car.    When we passed by the wild boar, and sheep, she didn't ask the question again. They were more obviously alive - munching away and flicking their tails.

The wild boar exhibit.

We finally rode up to Animal Island's Crocodile Farm at the far end.  We parked the car and walked up to the visitor's center, a spacious bungalow with a high ceiling and a thatched roof. It's walls are made of logs of wood - so it feels very rustic. There's a small store inside, sari-sari store like, with snacks and cold drinks for sale.  There's also a comfort room, that's on the shabby and neglected side.  To be sure, Animal Island is not pristine, and is overgrown in parts, and run-down in others.  It isn't going to land on the "Pride of the Philippines" list.  But it meets the objective of giving the public a space for observing animals.  Narra and Guijo were oblivious to the things I was looking at. They were looking only at the animals, and the fun stuff to play with.  While I was being a no-fun adult, looking at details.

The visitor's center for entering the Crocodile Farm at Animal Island.

There was a modest exhibit in the bungalow, and  there were also picture taking opportunities with a tiny croc (with it's jaw taped shut for safety), and a large snake (too big for comfort to carry near my babies).  There were a few wooden standees and a rocking horse made of wood that Narra enjoyed playing and posing with. 

Narra, my little butterfly.

Guijo, meanwhile, had no fear of touching the croc on display.  And he was likewise enthralled with the Iguana inside an aquarium.  Again, Yaya Gigi asked "Totoo ba yan?" (Is that real?).   It seemed to me to be a stuffed Iguana, the handiwork of a really god taxidermist.  Alive or dead I didn't like seeing him get too near it.  My fears intensified further when we proceeded to the crocodile pens.  I had this irrational fear that my kids may somehow fall into the water.

Guijo, the tiny Croc, and the stuffed Iguana.

It didn't help that many of the crocs were sunning themselves with their jaws wide open, with their sharp teeth displayed in full glory.  On the other side of the croc pens, is a little "island", more like a piece of land surrounded by a ring of water, called "Monkey Island".  It houses a few free-roaming monkeys.  I can't help imagine the scene in my head of monkeys being plucked by crocs jumping out of the water.  To be honest, this exposure trip to Animal Island was not boring. For me, it was unnerving. A certain mother's instinct kicked in, and I felt the sensation of protectiveness swelling from within me. I was on edge. Alert. Not relaxed, at all. I had my doubts about the safety features in the premises.  I was worried ostrich would spit, monkeys would scratch faces, horses would kick, crocs' jaws would snap, and dead iguanas would thrust their tongues out. 

When it was time to go, I felt relieved. On our way out of Animal Island, we saw this view of Manila's skyline.  We were on the opposite side of Manila Bay, and we could see our side of the city in the horizon.  It's hard to believe I live so near the bay, just a block down from the water!!  It is a daily fact I tend to forget when I'm negotiating lanes with buses and jeepneys.  We lingered a bit, on the intersection, to take in the view of our home from a whole new vantage point.  I could imagine how astronauts feel when they see the earth from space.  Haha - ok, it's no comparison. But it was a cool feeling, to see theshore from the angle of the sea, when one's used to seeing things from the angle of the shore.  So back we went to Manila via CAVITEX again.  We drove by the sea, in the wind, with the sunroof open. And had a pleasant drive. 

A view of Manila on the horizon. From the other side of Manila Bay.