December 21, 2010

Sanctuary in the heart of a city.

Today, in this fast paced World where time is ultimately precious and being late in a meeting could cost you a fortune, people are forgetting the simplest ways to relax. They either go out eat in fancy restaurants, go shopping or just watch with their wide screen LCD TVs. Yes I do agree material things do make you happy, but once your gadget's outdated; You're not contented and satisfied once again! Agree? I know you do.

Stressed out, too many school works and a ton of personal issues can really drag yourself to the ground. Working all day and it's just not worth it? Yes I do feel the same way too sometimes but hey, I know what makes me happy. I know how to rejuvenated my body and unwind myself by only spending a few hours in a sanctuary without even going away from the city, because the sanctuary is in the heart of the city!

Last December 11, I was in a middle of two travel choices. One was Tagaytay which was a 2-3 hour drive from Manila and the other one was the Parks and Wildlife center in Quezon City which was like 30 minutes away if I ride the train. Tagaytay would be an awesome trip but I was lacking budget for the expenses going there and I also went there a couple of times when I was younger so I wasn't really considering it, so I said yes to the center in Quezon City.

In the morning of the 11th of December, there I was, inside a Taxi with 3 others going to the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife center. I kept on saying "this better be good" because I don't really like waking up early in the morning to see crap. We got in and since it was a Government owned park, payment was less than $1 (PHP8.00) . 

Once you entered the gates, it takes you to a different world which I called that time as a "Shire" referring to the village of the Hobbits. A sea of greenery swallows you and gives a feeling of being in a concrete forest. Balete trees welcome you, it's a bunch of creepy trees but what gives beauty to it are the rays of the sun that hits the holes of the tree.

A pen for a kind of Deer.
Around the park are pens of some animals that they are taking care of. Based on my research prior to going here, I thought that the place was a rescue center and so I thought why would they keep animals captive? When the animal heals they should return it to the wildlife but I was wrong, the place was a park.

What was abundant were the species of birds and I guess this is the main attraction aside from the exotic and weird looking species of fishes they had. I wasn't able to take photos of the Birds because first of all, the cage was huge and all of them were so high the lens of my camera just couldn't reach them.

Happy family taking a walk around the park, follow the leader!
I love nature, what more can I say? I love how trees grow, how flowers bloom, how animals live in abundance with Earth's resources. It takes away the stress when I see nature at its best, when it thrives and nourishes others depending on it.

My friend Joshua, taking a picture of the "Lagoon" which I prefer calling as a "Swamp"
In the Heart of the park lies a swamp called as a "Lagoon". There was also a sign of "No Fishing" which I really didn't think of going Fishing on a body of water that doesn't move. The place is really quiet and you wouldn't notice that you were still in a city.

This is my favorite spot, I call it "Kanlungan"
I like this place where a big tree is beside the lagoon and there's a small lover's table where one couple can really have a private spot for talking or just admiring each other. Reminds me of the song "Kanlungan" by Noel Cabangon.

Shhh. Be Quiet, they're in the middle of a love discussion
Many couples really flock this place, that really amazed me because I didn't know that the park could be a romantic venue for some.


Overall, I find the park really relaxing except for the itching I suffered but it was a cool place. If you plan a safe urban picnic or a photo walk or a photo-shoot, it's one of the best places to set up and practice shots.













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