Rizal Park: Taking pictures and appreciating our best and rare parks.

It was last February twelve where I finally brought along my camera as I walked to Manila’s best locations. The Rizal Park and the Manila bay. I say that since Manila’s has not much to offer for it’s people and tourist alike but like everything it’s still worth positively to talk about.

The Metropolitan Theatre

I start with taking a shot of the Old Metropolitan Theater. I remember the first and last time we’ve entered here to watch a play about the tale: Ibong Adarna. It was back when people have all the reasons to promote local culture, when our local singers sang more songs in Tagalog and had positive messages compared to today. Seems like after the previous Mayor’s tenure it never got renovated as planned and remain a relic.

Do you have old theaters in your country that you’ve visited recently? Any memories of you able to enter it and watch something inside?

I first went to a local mall to look for a book and had a snack before I begin. Nothing noteworthy about that part. In front of the mall is a monument dedicated to our heroes and next to it is the only symbolic building that even news channel would put up in their international time section: The Manila City Hall.

I was glad to have my camera with me at this time for I’ve been dying to try a take a picture of this side of Manila that apparently feels more like going out of the country for a minute or so. Manila apparently has two sides in my opinion. The cleaner one and the not-so cleaner one. During my college years I’m at that latter side and occasionally go to the cleaner side for some dose of pride.

Invasion?

What part of your capital would you most likely be in at most for personal or “patriotic” or whatever reason?

After that I went to see Rizal Park for the third time this year. This time I got a camera with me. Hooray. XD

Rizal Park..Now with a namesake at the front. One of the many improvements of the park.

I got to say they’ve really improved the park so much that it’s actually good to spend at least thirt minutes or so just being there walking and roaming inside. Since our country lack this kind of parks so it’s quite a breather coming from boring malls to neverending condos under construction.

Adding a walkway in the mini map of the Philippines…Brilliant!

The map of the Philippines near the entrance has a bridge to which you can get to see the map up close and it even has some activity game in it where you try to find our country’s asset in the map itself..Below is some of picture guides so that in your next visit it be easier to find:

 

 

On the left side is the National Library and on the right is the National Museum. I haven’t visited the Library since my college years but the National Museum is also worth a visit. They’ve really improved that side of it where it used to be close and dirty now it…isn’t. Though for the Museum that for another blog that hopefully I can make soon enough.

Imagine this with Cherry Blossoms?

Straight on we have Lapu-lapu’s monument then to the other half of the museum where it has a huge fountain, a mini Chinese and Japanese garden to which has a fee of php10 to enter..at least the Japanese garden..and then to the park’s main feature. The Rizal Monument..Another one of the few symbolic structure that gets featured in tourist shows.

 

Since it’s a Sunday so the park is filled with people. And this one is just as full so I tried to at least take a picture of the monument and look at it.

The Lapu-lapu monument..The country’s first hero

Again..with Cherry Blossoms

The Jeepney. Still I don’t understand why people want these out of the streets when it does more for the country than them expensive imported cars that aren’t even made in our country.

A Train with wheels..one of the few rides in the park.

The Entrance to the Japanese garden..

Yes we’re still in the Philippines

 

What are the well-known landmarks in your area?

 

From there the other side is the Quirino Grandstand which isn’t much but it’s just a spacious and more open than the Rizal Park from there I thought of taking a ride towards Gil Puyat but since I got a camera with me this time I thought of walking to it so that I can come to the infamous Manila Bay…yes infamous because like I said Manila has few scenic spots or maybe this is just a local’s point of view.

The Rizal Monument..This is as close as one can get to the monument.

The visit to our local park felt good especially now that I got a camera to take pictures with and now that they allow anyone to take pictures unlike before. With these I kinda wish that we have more parks like these. It’s truly a breather from all the blind perspective of progress we see from the rising buildings and ads like crazy being put anywhere. We need parks as much as fulfilling one’s calling in life. For the country’s sake and for our children’s sake as well.

Been to your local park recently?