Our Quick Trip To Antartica

To quote my penguin boy, Miro, "This is a dream come true!"

And indeed it was.  Manila Ocean Park's latest attraction, Trails to Antartica, does not disappoint AT ALL.  Specially if you've had a thing for penguins for the most part of your childhood (like Miro), and a thing for value-for-money family entertainment for the most part of your adulthood (like me).  

For Php300, you get to experience 4 parts of the tour.

There's the Antartic Facts section where you learn tidbits about the frozen land.
The very loopy and long Ice Slide --which I'm pretty sure would've been loads of fun if we didn't chicken out.  *sigh*   Note to self:  Next time, bring will power and a box of badass.

The actual Penguin Exhibit that featured the cutest flightless birds in adorable waddling and synchronized swimming.

We paid an extra Php250 for the Penguin Feeding experience.  Believe me, it was so worth it!  The package comes complete with a CD of your hi-res pictures the organizers take during the feeding activity.  So personalized!

There was Penguin Touching, too!  It was absolutely free because it was absolutely disallowed.  This makes Miro the only kid in that tour who managed to sneak a pat on a penguin's head!  Oh, boy, you rock!  :P

Then there was the Snow Village, the grand finale.  It was a room that simulated freeze-your-buns-off winter climate!  This is a big thing for us tropic settlers whose seasons only play between wet and dry and dry and wet.  We even had a snowball fight --one that would've lasted more than 5 minutes if our fingers didn't threaten to fall off.  Note to self:  Next time, bring common sense and mittens!

Don't let this season end without dropping by Manila Ocean Park's Trails to Antartica.  It's not everyday you get to see snow and penguins in our little part of the world.  But thanks to this, it just made a boy's childhood dream a reality.  To quote Miro, "Mimi, my next dream is to live in Antartica!"

Oh, boy.