When I arrived, she already roamed around the park a bit, but we still walked to the Circle of Joy, the park's play area.
Play Area. There were so many plastic playground set up inside it, making sure the kids would have enough to play at. I really liked the play area - using the hard plastic material wad something better compared to the metal used back then... this one was more child-friendly. I remember back then, when the play area would rust, it became risky for us kids to play in it because we can get hurt and get cut. With this, children can play safe.. but of course it would still hurt if they accidentally bump themselves. Hahaha.
President Quezon and his wife's final resting place. We continued with our walk, and our feet took us to the heart of the park - the Quezon Monument. At the base of the monument is the Quezon Museum, which showcases different pictures and memorabilia of the late President Quezon and his family. No fixed fees to be paid, but guests were asked some donation. It was my very first time to enter the museum, and it was nicely set up. What amazed me the most was seeing the former president's granite tomb. Next to it was the tomb of his wife.
Hibiscus. I woke up late and I wasn't able to eat breakfast, so after visiting the museum, we walked to the weekend market of Lung Center of the Philippines, located along Quezon Avenue. It was a very long walk (we had to take the underpass near the Quezon City Hall), but really worth it, because we got to eat yummy foods from Ineng's, and we were able to take pictures of the flowers. Of course, we got tired so we stayed in the area 'til we saw the people packing up their goods.
We took a jeepney ride going back to the Circle, but I made a mistake of telling the driver to drop us off Philcoa instead of the City Hall... and we were in for a much longer walk! We had to take the overpass to the other side of Commonwealth Avenue, then the underpass before we entered the Circle. Whew! Well, we treated ourselves to a refreshing glass of fruit shake (she had melon, I had watermelon), and Halie brought some snacks - a loaf of bread and her homemade cheese-pimiento spread. We talked about having a picnic, but I forgot my share (I cooked Franks and Mushrooms). We stayed in the Circle of Joy for sometime to rest, chit chat, and laugh... and when her husband arrived, we took pictures of the orchids for sale before we continued with our walk.
Alien Invasion at Circle of Fun. One of the many things that made us want to visit this place was the little theme park. It's so small compared to the Enchanted Kingdom (Laguna) and Star City (Pasay), but this place can really make the kids and adults enjoy a great time. Entering the theme park was cheap (P20), but the rides will definitely make the a hole in the wallet - if you really enjoyed it. I am not sure how much each of the rides cost, but Halie and her husband took the Roller Coaster which was P50 each. They told me they enjoyed the ride... so if they would try it again, they will already be paying P100 already. They didn't try it again, I just wanted to make a point that individual tickets would really pile up if one liked it so much. I do hope they would go for the ride all you can ticket. :)
Much of the rides and attractions in this theme park were made for the kids, but there were some which the adults can enjoy, too. It just made me sad that there was no Ferris Wheel... but I guess the admin was already working on that. After all, the park is still new.
Fountain and Monument at Night. The last time Halie and I were here was March 2009. Back then one could just see the monument lit in one shade. Now, not only do the colors of monument change every now and then, there was also the dancing fountain, which really attracted a lot of people - including us. We got to this part of the park at dusk, and we patiently waited for the skies to turn dark so we could highlight the lights. It just sucked that the flood lights interfered with the view - it was a bit difficult to take pictures!
After a few more songs, it was time for us to part ways. They exited near the City Hall, while I took the road to Philcoa. It has been a great day. It was great to satisfy many things at one time - fitness (lots of walking), hobby (photography), mind (learning new things), friendship, and fun.
From the dowdy park I once knew, it was great seeing a magnificent transformation. It was a beautiful place for fitness buffs and friends to gather and families to enjoy time together.
*** Jenn ***
