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| Narra and Guijo upon arrival at Manila Ocean Park. |
A pleasant Saturday afternoon it was. Our family of four sought some sea breeze and made it to the bay side in a matter of minutes. We traveled down scenic Roxas boulevard with a sense of adventure - sure, we lived nearby - but this felt exciting for me because it is our first time to go out of the house without a diaper bag, baby bottle, stroller, or helpful yaya to give us a hand. Guijo's just been weaned off the bottle, and has been potty trained. Now we put his maturity (and ours) to the test.
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| Narra and Guijo in the car, enjoying the moon roof. |
In the car, both kids were remarkably behaved. Oliver pulled back the sun roof and moon roof and we were treated to some glorious sunshine. I loved seeing coconut trees framing the clear blue skies as I looked up. And outside, Manila bay looked inviting, with various boats, yachts and ships dotting the seascape. Whoever says Manila is hell should see it on a day like this.
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| Oliver and Narra watching the sea lion show. |
We bought tickets to the Oceanarium which came bundled with access to a bird show and sea lion show held outdoors in a vast amphitheater facing the sunset. Midway through the bird show, Guijo told me he had to go weewee. It was a long walk to the rest rooms and I half sprinted to get him there - and I was so proud of him for holding off until the appropriate time. We made it! Whew! Woohoo! Wow! Diaper free at last! I was one proud mama!
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| Oliver and Guijo viewing the sharks |
From the amphitheater, we proceeded to the Oceanarium. It was Narra's second visit there, and she still remembered the sharks and stingrays from her last visit. It was Guijo's first time, and he was enthralled! He loves watching fishing shows on tv with Oliver, and he doesn't get bored watching sport fishing, spear fishing, big game fishing, and documentaries - so it wasn't surprising to see him enjoy the Ocean Park's attractions.
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| Guijo dancing with some fish. |
I find it amusing how tourist spots and theme parks mean something different to me now. While in the past, I enjoyed them because of their intrinsic entertainment value, I now find myself more drawn to my children's faces than to the attractions offered by the sights we visit. I enjoyed the birds, the sea lions, and other aquatic life because of my children's appreciation of them, or because of my husband's interaction with our children as they marveled at the wonders on display.
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| Enjoying my kids as they enjoy the oceanarium. |
I'm excited to see things I've seen before, to do things I've done before, all over again - but this time, no longer out of a sense of discovery, but out of a sense of obligation (of the delicious kind) to show my kids the big, beautiful world we live in.
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| View from inside Manila Ocean Park's underwater tunnel. |
It's a great time to raise kids in Manila. These days, we don't have to go far to enjoy world-class facilities. I remember needing to travel elsewhere just to see an Oceanarium back in my youth, and now, there's one in town! And just outside Manila, one can observe marine life in the wild, in various beaches and coves along the coast of Batangas where opportunities to snorkel or dive are abundant... Sigh (of the happy kind). I can't wait until my kids are old enough to snorkel! Or hike! That'll have to wait a couple more years. For now, I'll have to be grateful they're out of diapers and we can enjoy a half day's worth of adventure nearby.
