We are supposed to celebrate it with a birthday themed party...she even chose a “Garden and Nature” theme. Last July, before we got carried away with the preparation, we asked her again.
Lo and behold! She changes her mind and want to have a birthday trip…to France!!! To see the Eiffel Tower!!! You should have seen our reaction…”nganga” (our mouths wide open). As if France is just kilometers away…and as if we have a lot of extra money for such trip. We have to remind her again…that our family is not rich…that we only have enough to live comfortably. She understood…perfectly…until the next episode…hmmnnn.
By the end of September, she finally decided to spend her birthday at Enchanted Kingdom (EK) in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Jonjie check the website for Park Schedule and Ticket Rates: reservation windows opens 10:00am and gates opens 11:00am and closes 9:00pm.
We left Mabalacat, Pampanga at 6:20am…passing through North and South Luzon Expressway…a total of 131 kilometers with expected travel time of 2.07 hours. We allotted more than an hour allowance on traffic in Manila and restroom stops along the way.
We encountered no traffic, so we arrived at EK before 9:00am…with more than enough time to choose the best spot to park, to have a second breakfast, from the nearest Jollibee, inside our car and for taking pictures at the entrance.
At 10:30am, we lined up at the entrance and wait for the gates to open: first, to shelter us from the scorching heat of the sun and second, so we could be in front of the throng of people.
Then, finally the gates opened…and we entered the world where “the magic lives forever”…
ENCHANTED KINGDOM, First and Only World Class Theme Park in the Philippines
Enchanted Kingdom opened to the public on October 19, 1995. It was and still is the first and only world-class theme park in the Philippines. The theme park boasts of rides and attractions unique to the country and in size and magnitude. These are located within seven meticulously theme zones interspersed with food and merchandise outlets and kiosks as well as various game stands that add to the “enchanting experience”, away from the day-to-day realities of life.
From EK Website
Before we got caught up with the “magic and enchantment” of the place...
Daniz rode most of the attractions under the “extreme thrill” category. Please visit 11 Fun and Enjoyable Rides at Enchanted Kingdom.
Wondering what Jonjie and I did? Simple. We whiled away the time by taking pictures, walking with Daniz in between the rides and sitting whenever there is a shaded bench.
I did rode the Wheel of Fate (Ferris Wheel)…despite my fear of height (still)…which was magnified when I saw that the gondola is not fully enclosed by railing. I willed myself with a single purpose…to take pictures of the area on a bird’s eye view.
At the end of the day, we rested our tired feet and calm our senses from the happy chaos of the day. We watched the Fireworks Competition with Karylle as the guest performing artist.
Footnotes:
- If you are planning to go to EK, visit their website first for Promos. For this trip we were able to avail:
- Enchanting Birthday Blow-out - Free entrance for Daniz and 10% discount for Jonjie and I
- Student SembrEK Anibersaya - Php480 (less Php120) each for Ate Cris and Ate Bevs
- In the Philippines, it became a tradition to celebrate 1st and 7th birthday and 18th birthday for female with a special party, the origin is not clear though. For Daniz 7th birthday, we did not host a party. This is the reason why we asked her if she want a birthday themed party.
- The JADSpirits t-shirts were a last minute addition to this trip just to have a coordinated looks. But it served an important purpose…it helped us in easily finding each other even in a distance. From now on, if we are going on a trip to a busy destination…we will always wear uniform color clothes.
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