When was the last time you've been to Luneta Park? I'm a self-confessed mall rat. I prefer staying in air conditioned spaces where everything is within your reach. It's been years since I've gone to Luneta. I'd often walk past Luneta park when I was still in college but never really got to relish the entire thing. Yesterday, our trip with our kids was a combination of reminiscing and discovery.
We started our trip at Luneta, located along Taft Ave. The place still looked the same. The map of the Philippines still situated in the middle, however the viewing ramp is no longer there. When I got near the map, I noticed that it has embossed mountain and volcanoes on it and on the rails, it has some markers of the provinces of the Philippines.
We then proceeded to Children's Park which was located on the right side of the Department of Tourism building. There was an entrance fee of P10/person and as we entered the place, a whole rush of memories went in my mind.
We started our trip at Luneta, located along Taft Ave. The place still looked the same. The map of the Philippines still situated in the middle, however the viewing ramp is no longer there. When I got near the map, I noticed that it has embossed mountain and volcanoes on it and on the rails, it has some markers of the provinces of the Philippines.
We then proceeded to Children's Park which was located on the right side of the Department of Tourism building. There was an entrance fee of P10/person and as we entered the place, a whole rush of memories went in my mind.
The slides ...
the giant hippo ...
and the giant fish and turtle.
They were still there!!! It was so exciting to see our kids enjoying the same place I went to 30 years ago. What surprised me the most was to see the place clean and well maintained. Although it still requires a lot of modification but it was clean enough and safe enough for children of the new generation to play with. There were even tables where people could have their picnics but with all the greens in the area,a lot of people have decided to just stay under the trees with their picnic mats.
For the people of our generation (a.k.a. born in the year of the 70's), you would probably remember the roller rink with a globe in the middle. Well, that globe was replaced by
Lapu-Lapu and a gigantic Lapu-Lapu to boast. Then we went to the Nokia Orchidarium and Butterfly Farm. The kids were getting tired already but the man-made pond and waterfall excited them and to our surprise, they were actually enjoying it. We decided not to go to the Rizal Stadium and bayside anymore since it was already lunch time. We decided to eat lunch somewhere but as we were crossing the street, we chanced upon a calesa. The kids were excited and although it was quite expensive, P200 from Luneta Park to CCP, it was actually worth it because we got a good view of Baywalk and Manila Bay. We ended our trip at Harbor Square to have lunch, al fresco.
So to all of you guys out there, why don't you start packing your picnic basket and head out to Luneta Park and start creating your new adventure with your friends and family?
