Oceanarium Galorium

It was my first time to see an anemone up close.  Really.

 
A few weeks after its grand launch, we had quickly lined up to see Manila Ocean Park.  Not such a good idea since there were still a lot of areas under construction.
But that wasn't about to dampen our spirits, no siree!

The Oceanarium was the most completed area.  And I shit you not when i say the entrance alone took my breath away.  It was a tunnel made out of glass that teemed with activity all around it.  This structure was the main attraction and people ate it all up (not literally, of course)!  Its mammoth surrounding spaces were filled with actual undersea life:  from exotic flora to exotic fauna.  Unfortunately though, it also filled up with people pretty fast.  Some even stayed to sit and chat.  Typical.

Bigness (and thank God, peace!) was the order of the day once you go through the end of the tunnel.  Wall-to-wall fish tanks everywhere!  The spaces in between were massive --but this maybe just because they haven't finished with the other tanks yet.

Now, what I like about each tank is the variety of layouts within.  They didn't just stop at the usual anemones and weeds as fish accompaniment.  There were makeshift sunken ships, treasure troves, discarded scuba suits.  It's really like being in an actual dive site while keeping your freshly blowdried hair dry.

It was obvious that the rays were the stars --possibly by default since they were the ones that were shipped first into this aquatic park.  Almost every tank has them.

There were sharks, too.  Much to Kenji's joy and Miro's dismay.  Lol!

If that doesn't turn you on and you want a more hands-on experience, then there are starfish you can hold and pet.

We were told that jellyfish, sea lions, mermaids, and a host of other attractions were soon to come.  Needless to say, that's good enough reason to come back.  In the meantime --after much excitement-- it was great to end the tour with a relaxing ship-watching session at the dock.

My personal take:  I see big things for Manila Ocean Park.  Big things.  And we can't wait.

An Easy Ride To Enchantment

Enchanted Kingdom.  Just the mere sound of it takes you back decades to your childhood years of magic and awe.  True, the place is indeed magical.  But if you're in for the rides, nope, not for all children.

Ok, ok, maybe older children and maybe young ones who are born daredevils.  Both of which my boys aren't. :(    Enchanted Kingdom's awesome rides are just a tad too awesome for them.  Too breathtaking, too hyper, too nerve-wracking, too adult.

Aside from the usual carousel, ferris wheel, swan lake cycle, and choo-choo train, there's really nothing here that would get my boys to ride their more adrenaline-pumping counterparts.  And those adrenaline pumpers happen to be the popular rides.
If you're planning to go with your young child, restrain yourself from getting the ride-all-you-can ticket --because riding all you can is the last thing you'll ever get to do.

For example, the Space Rocket would've been Miro's dream-come-true ride had watching the rollercoaster's series of whiplashes didn't scare him half to death.  :P

But there's still a lot going for Enchanted Kingdom.  Kenji was addicted to trekking through its mysterious architecture.

He loved crashing the motorcycle along the obstacle course.

He adored the play area.

All 3 of my boys couldn't be yanked away from the cave maze.

And the gasp-worthy, electrifying shows!

Needless to say,  they also embraced the persistent presence of carnival food.

All that, 4 calmer rides, lots of fun booth games and prizes (one of them being the stuffed hippo around Miro's neck), and a wizard's hat, too!  Despite missing out on the more talked about rides, I say my boys still felt magic that day.
Enchanted Kingdom, in my opinion, was still worth --pardon the pun-- the ride.