Manila Zoo and Intramuros

Thursday 4^th August, 2011

We met Sis Irene C. She escorted us to the zoo and to Intramuros.

The zoo is an interesting place, it costs only P40 (approx $1) for an adult (P20 for a child) to enter the zoo, but to get into the children’s section costs an extra 100 pesos. Once in the children’s section you can have your photo taken with a giant python, a bunch of colourful birds. You can hold the monkey, sit on a pony, sit on a tortoise, hold an alligator.

  

 

  

  

  

After having a healthy lunch at McDonald's, our hired van took us to Intramuros.

Intramuros (within the walls), was the old “city of Manila” built in the fifteen hundreds. The old fortifications and bunkers are amazing – as is the moisture and moss that is all over the stone work. Jose Rizal was falsely accused of treason by the Spaniards and put to death at 35. He is now regarded by all Filipinos as a great hero who was a great visionary and leader of the country.

All the family enjoyed themselves (and we learnt some Filipino history). Matt also enjoyed taking some photos. Lots of old dungeons, buildings, horses and carts, cannons, anchors. The dungeons fascinated Silas, and there was also a secret passage that went out under the Pasig River, no longer in use of course.

 

 

 

  

  

 

I think that it is good to have a week on Manila for all the family to settle in and start to get used to the weather and culture, it is convenient to have Robinson's so close by. But I am looking forward to getting out of the city and up to Bugallon!

 

Silas wanted to know why there were beggars walking down the street!

Sarah had a migraine so she stayed back at the Shalom Center, while the rest of us had tea at The Old Spaghetti House again. Bought some things at the supermarket, and then had to get them back to the Shalom Center in the dark with three tired children, two adults, three bags of shopping, two 6 litre bottles of water - fun!