subic safari saturday

 i usually spend my Saturdays in UP Manila where i teach part-time, but because it’s already sembreak i had the time to go to Subic to visit my relatives at the Zoobic Safari. Hahaha!

zoo-gud sa zoobic. Hahaha!

My relatives missed me so much they held a welcome parade for me, as shown in photos below. But the effort wasn’t enough to compel me to get closer to them—as with my human relatives, i believe it’s healthy to keep some distance, to be familiar strangers, to be concerned only when necessary. i’m speaking from experience

Granny Goose and company

Looking for desert

mini Zorro

Evolution of Man: who came first?

rush hour

Marlboro country hahaha!

My sister dissuaded me from going to Zoobic Safari, convinced by her friends who said that the place isn’t worth it. After seeing it myself, i can say that her friends were right: the place wasn’t worth it, but the experience was.

The place is sorely lacking in proper upkeep–some animal cages are in poor condition, some animals don’t look very healthy; i actually felt some pity for my relatives. The nice thing, though, is that some animals can freely walk around, my favorite of which are the ostriches on the way to the Tiger Safari.

Run, ostrich, run

Talking about the Tiger Safari, you have to pay Php200 for the chicken used as lure for the tigers to go near the jeepney. Without the chicken, the tigers will ignore you (unless they are extremely hungry and you extend your hand out) and thus it would be a boring close encounter with the beasts.

White tiger up close

hungry beasts

ang sarap ng hilaw na Chickenjoy!

Can't get enough of hilaw na Chickenjoy

The walking tour of the Serpentarium and Rodent’s World was quite enjoyable. The close encounter with many other animals in their supposed natural habitat was also quite  an experience. But I didn’t like the Animal Muzooeum, which to me was tacky through and through; they could have done so much better with this museum.

Can sound like purgatory to some

Sino ang mas matalino: ang pagong o ang matsing?

Daddy, feeding your own child to the animals not allowed!

tisoy na tamaraw

Sorry, kids, Mickey Mouse not inside

largest rat in the Philippines

kaya pala maraming bubwit

Lacoste in flesh

And for those who checked out Zoobic Safari’s website and got excited about the Hip-Hop Bayawak adventure where you hop over monitor lizzards, forget it. The lizzards are gone; only a turtle that seems in coma is there. The hops are, however, good for your heart

hopping for hopping's sake

The Aeta Trail was also interesting, but i felt so much more could be done to the place and to the tour itself so guests will learn more and better appreciate our Aeta brothers.

not-so-distant relatives

Aeta dance

I enjoyed Zoobic Safari because it’s not everday that i get to walk around in a mini-forest or jungle with a lot of animals (real animal, not taong animal hahaha), sans the air and noise pollution of the metropolis.  And also because the last time i visited a zoo was in high school.

Before going to Zoobic Safari, i ate the hefty New York steak for lunch at MeatPlus Cafe, and so it’s a good thing I did some walking at the zoo to help burn the calories. Hehe! Before heading home, i bought some dark chocolates from the duty free shops. Well, one step forward to health, two steps back to peril!

New York steak--heavy meal even without the rice

All in all, it was a Saturday well spent because it was more than the usual.