Rizal Park (Luneta Park) on a Holy Week - Top 5 Things to Do

Walang traffic.  Konti lang ang tao.  Bonding time.  These are the cheap thrills of having to stay in the city for the Holy Week.  The idea of a decongested Metro led us here... ang bagong-bagong Rizal Park or Luneta Park on a Black Saturday.

Top Five Things to Do in Rizal Park

1.  Walk.
I believe that every park is best enjoyed walking, this one is no exemption.  The trees were our blessings.  In a scorching summer day, they shielded us from the sun and made our walk more fun.  There are bits of history lessons too.  R enjoyed reading the markers as we walked around the area.

Get those feet movin'!

R:  Sabi ng paa ko, pagod na daw siya.

2.  Take Photos.
With Rizal.  Near the fountain.  With the other heroes.  Apart from it being a park, it's also a historical place.  It wouldn't hurt to "bring home" a piece of history.

Photo opportunities around the Park

3.  Check out the Chinese Garden.
5 pesos and you get to sit in a Chinese Garden.  Walk the Wisdom Path.  And do the Karate Kid pose.

Chinese Garden in the City

Strike a pose!

4.  Let the kids enjoy at the Children's Playground.
Swings. Slides.  Seesaws.  Vegetable house. Shoe house. Tree house.  Dinosaurs. 10 pesos and the kids had the time of their lives.

Swingin'

Slidin'

Seesaw ridin'

House hoppin' kids

Having the time of their lives.

5.  Visit Philippine Map.
There's now a walkway where you can go from Luzon to Mindanao and back in more or less 5 minutes.  It's the quickest and cheapest Philippine tour anyone can avail.  R had a crash course on Philippine Geography as Ramir used the map to pinpoint the places we've been to around the country.

Around the Philippines in a heartbeat

It wasn't the Rizal Park I used to know.  May ganito na pala dito? was my common thought-balloon.  We're glad we went out to visit this familiar yet not-so-familiar park.  Going early in the morning was good but we felt that late in the afternoon would be a better time. By then, the sun wouldn't be too hot and surely, the sunset at Manila Bay would be an added attraction.  But I must say it was a good morning stroll.  We'll definitely go back.