I'm reliving one of my memorable trips of 2012 hehe. One of them happened to be a daytrip to the newly renovated National Museum! I'm fond of going to museums abroad and, surprisingly, this was the first time to visit our very own in Manila =) The trip was worth it because I'm all grown up and I can appreciate history more and the things before me now hahaha. What made the trip even memorable was that I drove all the way there and it was a rainy day hehe. I also looked for the seafood restaurant (for lunch) that my dad used to take me to when I was young near Manila bay and found my way to Intramuros (for dinner) because I had a craving for adobong balut in Illustrado then we went to the newest hip Lucky Chinatown Mall in Downtown Manila! Here's a fun itinerary for a daytrip in Manila =)
Lunch - Okay, I was a little too late for this one. The old restaurant (called Seafood Wharf) where my dad took me to for some yummy bamboo razor clams in tausi sauce was already closed. We went to the one beside it Harbor View Restaurant - food was so-so (they didn't have the razor clams) but the ambiance and experience was as wonderful as I expected. They have this extension out into the water.
And on the left view of this picture - voila! the fallen Seafood Wharf. These restaurants are beside Manila Ocean Park left side if you go in through Roxas Blvd.
the Sizzling Squid Chili (P245 + SC),
and this yummy (which was the best of the three) Mixed Seafood (P350 + SC).
They offer desserts in a cart.
I would suggest that you eat out here on open air instead of inside the restaurant. There's pay parking by the way. I wonder what the view will be at night..
Main Event - The main building of the National Museum (the National Art Gallery, NAG) was just near the restaurant. I parked inside the gates of NAG.
I will head over to the Museum of the Filipino People (MFP) in a while. Here are the entrance rates below. Ehem - FREE ON SUNDAYS! Hehe.
They don't allow bags in by the way. But small cameras are okay. You can find Juan Luna's huge Spoliarium here.
The carnage depicted will haunt you and the sheer size of the painting will leave you dumbfounded for a while. But the people can get a little distracting.
There are little galleries with various works of art (from our National Artists) in display.
I liked the paintings of Vicente Manansala,
particularly this one below =)
Carlos (Botong) Francisco's The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines is also kept here and takes up an entire showroom! These large-scale works of art were originally made for the inaguration of the Philippine General Hospital. Now, these massive originals have found a new home here at the National Art Gallery.
The National Museum closes at 5 p.m. and I didn't have time to look for the entrance of these pocket gardens haha. It is still kind of freaky to go down the dark corridors where there were no people (yes, I kind of chickened out and I wasn't sure if it was allowed haha).
We crossed the street to the other building at the back to the Museum of the Filipino People. I was more at home here, where things are for the curious and were not as abstract haha.
Like this Ifugao house =)
Go up and you'll find this.
We went up the elevator to go from top to bottom.
We were a bit lost and saw a room or two full of jars and stuffed animals from a hole / door crack. OMG. I was having a Madagascar moment hahaha.
What will you do if you saw crates upon (animal?) crates of Fragile and This Side Up containers?! hahaha. Unbelievable! Hahaha. Wow! *Note: I'm sorry we just got lost, don't attempt and deliberately find these. Authorized personnel only. I hope one day they would invite me in to be amazed more.
We finally found our way to an exhibit of fossil shells and other marine life specimens!
This pretty one was found in Catanduanes, Philippines!
The collection gave us an idea of what the Philippines was like before according to expert studies.
I also got excited when I saw this - the Philippine National Herbarium! We have that? hahaha. Maybe this was what the restricted room was all about!
"The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture." - Thomas Jefferson
Here are samples of jars,
how you would know if a mushroom is poisonous
and the medicinal plants found in different parts of the Philippines like Baler in Aurora!
I would love to show you more things to find at the National Museum of the Philippines. This post is super long so I have to cut it! Feel free to read the next post - The Museum of the Filipino People, A Day Trip in Manila!
In the meantime, you can tell me below: Have you been to the National Museum of the Philippines? Which one would you go to: the National Art Gallery or the Museum of the Filipino People and why? What kind of museums do you go to anyway? Any good ones worth visiting (where)? If you have a recommendation, please suggest seafood restaurants in Manila! I would love to hear from you! =)
Details:
Manila Bay, Rizal Park
514-6339 / 359-0570
National Museum of the Philippines - National Art Gallery & The Museum of the Filipino People
Open Tuesdays to Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
