Lego Exhibit: It's More Fun in the Philippines

Pinoy Lego

     Lego again had another exhibit at The Block in SM North Edsa. Last time it was a Star Wars feature, now it's some of Philippines' famous landmarks. Good thing we had a day to check out the 2 week long exhibit! :)

The Block

Lego Land

     The exhibit featured a huge map of the Philippines, showcasing famous landmarks in the different provinces and cities. On the other area are the Lego toys for sale as a well a corner for kids where they can make their own Lego creation. 

     We'll guide you through the landmarks throughout the 3 main islands of the Philippines. 


Note: this is a picture heavy post. :)   

LUZON

     First up: Luzon the largest island in the country. Some of the landmarks include the Bangui Windmills in Ilocos Norte, old houses in Vigan, Banaue Rice Terraces, Mayon Volcano in Albay, Crocodile Farm, the Underground River and the limestone cliffs in Palawan, Fort Santiago and Luneta Park in Manila among others.

Bangui Windmills (Ilocos Norte)

Paoay Church (Ilocos Norte)

Vigan (Ilocos Sur)

The Mind Museum

Where Science Comes Alive! :D

     Science has been our favorite subject in school and what better way to  experience science than to explore The Mind Museum that we have been  wanting to visit since their opening day. We knew that the admission price is quite steep but this is for the benefit of public school students and teachers. Plus, you can't put a price on learning, right?! :p

Come closer

What to expect :)

     The Mind Museum, an interactive world-class science museum, opened last December 2011 at Bonifacio Global City. The 250 fun exhibits is housed in a 5000sq.meter area. The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday, 9am-6pm and on weekends from 9am-9pm. 


     Tickets cost 700php for adults, 450php for private school students, 150php for public school students and teachers. An all-day pass costs 750php. Some rules to follow: no eating and drinking, no bringing of pets, no running. You can take pictures but make sure not to take too much time on an exhibit. ;)

Aedi

     We then waited for our designated time for our museum tour. When it was our turn, the robot, Aedi (idea spelled backwards) greeted us and welcomed us into the museum.  Aedi told the visitors the do's and don'ts as well as some tips for an awesome museum experience! We were given three hours to explore the various exhibits.

    The Mind Museum is divided into 5 parts namely: Atom, Life, Universe, Earth, Technology. We'll take you through each one :)

ATOM: The Strange World of the Very Small

Story of the Atom

     This area contains contains the most number of interactive exhibits which feature elemental forces like gravity, electromagnetism and basis for our gadgets like cellphones, computers and medical technology.

More Fun in Boracay: Day 3

Shot! ^_^

     We woke up early and ate breakfast at our hotel, La Isla Bonita Resort. Then, we contacted Ride the Zorb again for the ATV. We were informed to meet up at Budget Mart in Station 1. Since we were in a hurry and it was far, we opted to ride a tricycle for 60php.

Happy Land

     The shuttle then brought us to Happy Dreamland Theme Park where our ATV awaits. We paid 450php each for the ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) and additional fees for the Everland Aviary, Ocean Tower View Deck and Trick Art Museum. One of the staff  members explained us the route and the allotted time for each destination. We were given 15 minutes each at the three locations. The whole trip took about an hour.

ATVs

     We then walked our way to where the ATVs are parked. Our tour guide/instructor demonstrated how to operate the ATV, the do's and dont's while riding, some safety tips as well as road etiquette.

     Riding an all-terrain vehicle is one of the must-do activities in Boracay. We rode up Ocean Tower View Deck, the highest point in the island,  passing by the Aviary first. 

All set and ready to go!

Cruisin' through greenery

     The ride was fun but short! We could go all day if not only for the scorching heat.. Hehe! (add to that the fact that our flight is in a few hours)

More Fun in Boracay: Day 2

Boracay sunset

     After our tummy-filling activities on our first day in Boracay, it's time to burn some calories and put our adventure-seeking instincts to the test! As promised, our day 2 will be spent on watersports and other cool activities offered in the island. On our list: parasailing, helmet diving and ATV. We plan to watch and enjoy Boracay sunset, too! :)

Big Meal

     Before heading out, we grabbed our first breakfast in Boracay. We had quite a big meal - hotdog, scrambled eggs, strips of bacon, toasted white bread with butter and jam, a cup of rice,  steaming hot coffee and banana for dessert. It was a perfect meal for a fun-filled day ahead! :p

     From Station 3 where our resort was located, we walked to Station 1 until Budget Mart where the staff members of Ride the Zorb are waiting for us. We rode the shuttle to where we'll Ride the Zorb is!

Ride the Zorb

     We purchased vouchers from Ensogo for Parasailing + Zorb ball ride for 1999php. Original cost was about 3000php so that was big savings! :p

     Zorbing is a fun sport of rolling down a hill inside a plastic orb. The first zorbing site was in New Zealand. You can choose between harness and non-harnessed (water-filled). What we tried was the non-harnessed.

Downhill!

     We then headed up the hill where we'll mount the giant orb. The guys pushed the big orb up the hill, poured water in it and inflated it some more. We then went it face first. Haha! It was hilarious how we clumsily got into the orb! :D

More Fun in Boracay: Day 1

Summer is Boracay! ^_^

     Boracay has been known to be one of the best beaches, tourist spots in the Philippines. And because of that, we've been wanting to spend one summer in this famous summer getaway. 
     
     Our friend, Tonie, has graduated from Medicine and we needed to celebrate! (with barely a month to prepare and book for a decent vacation) Good thing AirAsia offered a promo going to Kalibo for only 1200php roundtrip. We didn't pass up the chance to grab this promo especially since we won't get to buy cheap tickets in such a short period of time, considering that it's peak season.

     We had to research how to get to Clark since AirAsia only flies to and from Kalibo International Airport. From Cubao, we took the Dagupan Bus to Dau. It took us about 2 hours to get there, from 3am to 5am. We ate at Jollibee first  before taking the shuttle to Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA). Fare costs 100php.

Red and White

     We finally arrived at DMIA at around 6 in the morning. We checked-in, paid the terminal fee of 400php and waited for our boarding time. We stayed at the second floor which reminded us of NAIA Terminal 3 with the tall glass windows, bare white walls and stainless steel seating.

Beach Bound

     Our flight lasted about 50 minutes, 20 minutes earlier than the estimated time of arrival at Kalibo. Kuddos to AirAsia team for our on-time departure and arrival. The flight was fast and smooth! :)

Welcome to Kalibo!

     We arrived at Kalibo International Airport (KIA) at around 8am. After getting our checked-in bags, we were greeted at the exit by one of the staff of Island Star Express. Our friend, Raye, contacted  Island Star Express to arrange all our land and sea transfers from KIA to our hotel in Boracay. Stickers were handed to us for easy identification. We're thankful to them for a hassle-free trip from the airport to our resort.

      From KIA, we boarded a van that will take us to the port in Caticlan. The trip lasted for one and a half hour but we didnt felt it since we were asleep. Haha! :D

Manila Ocean Park

Exciting. Enticing. Enriching.

     We went on our own field trip! :p This is our second time at Manila Ocean Park (MOP). This time though, we got to try everything they had to offer! There have been a lot of additions since we went here like the Jellyfish Exhibit, as well as the Penguin Exhibit.

Attractions offered in MOP

     Did you know that the Oceanarium which is 8000 square meters is larger than the Sentosa Underwater World oceanarium in Singapore? The Manila Ocean Park had its soft opening last March 2008 and since then it has developed and expanded to what it is now. The park now has a marine-themed mall, hotel, restaurant and outdoor pools. 


     We explored five of the attractions that MOP has to offer: the Oceanarium, Sea Lion Show, Jellies Exhibit, Glass bottom boat ride and the Fish spa. 

SEA LION SHOW (150php)

     We first went to the attractions outside the Oceanarium. It was a good thing we were just in time for the 11am show. The next show is at 2pm - under the scorching heat of the sun!

On stage

     The show featured Icis and Ira, the adorable sea lions of Ocean Park. The show was both entertaining and educational. Not only did we see the cool stuff they could do but also learned about these smart animals! We saw them swim fast, jump, slide, clap, wave, even act sad! The lively trainers also made the show a hit especially for the kids and the kids-at-heart. :)

Balancing Act

Cha-cha-cha! ^_^

     Though we've seen a lot of sea lion shows already, we still had fun! These cute and smart animals never fail to put a smile on our faces. :) The crowd was active which also made for a good show.

Lego Exhibit: Star Wars

LEGO Star Wars

     We've grown up playing with Lego and watching the Star Wars films and we were excited to see the exhibit at SM North Edsa - The Block. Seeing the toys at the exhibit brought out the child in us. The Star Wars Lego Exhibit started last February 25 and will last until March 11, 2012. :)

Galaxy far, far away

     Did you know that "LEGO" is the abbreviation of "leg godt", two Danish words that mean "play well"? It has been an established brand, started out in 1932. All of us have enjoyed playing and creating with these LEGO blocks! 

     Star Wars has been a pop culture phenomenon since it was first released in 1977. From this, video games, books, television series and toys were created. It's fitting that LEGO made a series out of this popular hit! :)

Battle at Endor

     On the right side before the entrance is a battle scene at the forest moon of Endor, between the Ewoks and scout troopers. The scene is made more alive with the bright green Lego trees, troopers and Ewoks with their weapons.

Ewoks versus imperial AT-AT

Ewok battling an Imperial scout trooper

Moon Garden

Moon Garden, Tagaytay

     We've read about this unique garden in blogs and wanted to experience this one of a kind place! We searched and asked around how to get there -- not an easy task. Haha! But it was worth it once we got there. Read on and find out why! :)

Happy Moon ^_^

     Moon Garden is a moon-themed garden restaurant, also a perfect wedding venue with a spacious reception area that can seat up to 200 people, and casitas available for accommodation.

Pathway

Lush greens

     We thought the place was really nice and peaceful. There were not too many guests so the garden was so quiet, serene. We loved the whole natural, fresh vibe! :)

THE PLACE

Rich gardens

     The place was abound with a variety of trees, bushes, vines, flowers, along with the hanging happy moons, colorful paintings and nice garden settings. It feels so relaxing and cool thanks to the lush greens and fresh air!  

Casa Santa

House of Santa

     Do you believe in Santa? Father Christmas? Saint Nicholas? You'd be delighted with the many figurines, dolls, objects inspired by Santa found in this house! To get there, we rode an FX from Cubao to Antipolo then took a tricycle to Casa Santa. 

     Santa Claus' story begins with Nicholas who became a bishop and then a saint. He was known for his generosity to the needy and for being the patron and protector of children, sailors and voyagers.

Gingerbread house :p

     Casa Santa is inside Jardin de Miramar, a garden-like venue for parties and different celebrations. The Jardin has different themed areas, gazebos, and function/ reception halls. 

The Owner of Casa Santa

     Casa Santa houses over 3,000 Santas in every form and size collected by the owners of Jardin de Miramar. The Casa was formerly a rest house, and was just converted into a museum in 1995. Unlike other museums, visitors can look at the items closely, even play with them! There are Santas dressed like athletes, in national costumes, as bishops and more! 


    There are home decors inspired by Santa like plates, glasses, utensils, some stuffed Santas, as well as small Santa figurines and display items. The entrance fee is 150php per person.

     In front of the house, you'll be greeted by a Santa who's seated and seems like to be inviting you to sit on his lap! There's also one by the door going up a ladder. :) There were a lot to see so we toured the house in parts! :)

Singapore Day 6: Merlion Park & Departure

We love SG! ^_^

     This day concludes our Singapore - Kuala Lumpur trip, but we promised ourselves that we would have photos at the Merlion Park during daytime so even if we were still tired and sleepy from jam-packed day 5, we went to go see the Merlion.

     From Bugis station, we went down City Hall interchange to the red line, alighted at Dhoby Ghaut station and transferred to the yellow line to Esplanade. From there, we walked to the Merlion Park.

City by day

Clear skies

     The morning was so calm and peaceful. The place was very clean and everywhere you looked was a testament to Singapore's beauty. We passed by a lot of skyscrapers and eye catching architecture like the Esplanade, the well-known Marina Bay Sands and the towering Singapore Flyer.

Singapore Flyer & Helix Bridge

The Esplanade

Marina Bay Sands

    After about 20 minutes of walking around the Marina Bay, we finally reached our destination and goal for that day -- photos with the Merlion at daytime. :p

Singapore Day 5: Little India, Sentosa & Singapore Flyer

Little India

     While others are still tired and asleep from our Malaysia trip, we got up early and went to Little India to see some famous temples. From Bugis station, we alighted at Outram Park interchange to the purple line and went down at Little India station.

    We went to see Mustafa Center first, a shopping center known for its affordable goods. We then walked to Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple which shows the different incarnations of Lord Vishnu. 

Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple

     The temple, adorned with images of Hindu dieties, was built as such so that it can be seen from afar and so that Hindus can pray from a distance. All entering the temple should remove their shoes.

Shrine

Hindu priest

     Inside the temple are smaller shrines for different Hindu dieties. Some had priests out front giving their blessings. The altars were colorful, filled with flower offering for their gods.