Artsy Weekend at Rizal

I was supposed to go at a friend’s house in Cainta, Rizal for our usual get-together when the owner of the house decided we go out since she’s been staying in her house for almost a month (after her operation).

She took us in an open-air restaurant which serves isaw (chicken or pig intestines), pansit (noodles), and other grilled or sizzling food. The prices are reasonable, the isaw (Php15 each) cooked to my liking (well done!), the bagoong rice is a meal itself but the waitresses are slow in catering to your needs – they do not seem to be enthusiastic in being of service to you. The food took a really long time before it was served. But I really love the isaw. We ordered for another round of isaw but it was taking too long we decided to cancel it.

Art Galleries

After lunch, we went to Balaw-Balaw Restaurant which is also an art gallery.

Our next stop, just a few steps away from Balaw-Balaw Restaurant and Art Gallery, is the Nemiranda Restaurant and Art house. He is known for his works in EDSA.

We tried their halohalo since the weather was scorchingly hot and humid.

Of course I will not let their Restroom signage pass by without taking a picture. They labeled the restrooms according to the male and female sex organs.

It was a wonderful experience exploring the art places in Rizal. There are still several art places in Rizal to be explored and some I’ve been to when I was still young.

The art galleries have entrance fees but probably because it was a weekend, we were not charged for anything. 🙂

Avilon Zoo

It was my second time to go to Avilon Zoo yet I was still excited to see all those animals again. I like to go there even if it’s quite a long travel (1 to 1 1/2 hours if you’re coming from Cubao). The animals that you will see up close will definitely amaze you. The entrance fee of Php300 is well worth it. The place is really big. You may opt to have a tour guide for an additional fee. I never asked for a tour guide primarily because it’s an additional cost and secondly, I’m quite shy around strangers. The good thing about having a guide is you’ll get a systematic tour of the zoo (without getting lost) plus guides give information about each and every animal you’ll see.

I love the arapaimas. They’re one of the reasons why I’m excited to go back. The arapaimas are like giant fish which you can feed with chicken heads. It made me scream a bit loud when they made a loud splashing noise as they all wanted to take a bite off the chicken head. You can feed them for Php100/bucket(near the entrance) or Php20/cup(near the lion’s cage).

    

Some of the must-see’s include the Big Cats, Joey the Orangutan, the eagle, and the owl. You could have your picture taken with the owl or eagle for Php50.

    

There are enough places to eat and buy food as you will surely need to quench your thirst and fill your tummies after walking for hours. It’s worth all your sweat especially when you see this peacock displaying his feathers.

How to go to Avilon Zoo from Cubao, Quezon City:

1. There’s an FX terminal under the Cubao MRT Station. Just tell the barker or driver to drop you off at Avilon Zoo. (Php45/person)

2. They’ll drop you at a gas station where you would ride a tricycle going to the zoo entrance. (Php20/person)

There are tricycles waiting outside the entrance of the zoo. Ride them on your way back home. They’ll drop you off where you could ride an FX going back to Cubao.

If you want to know more about Avilon Zoo, please visit their website here.