I Am... JM Francia

The City That Never Sleeps

My name is John Mark Francia. I am, a Filipino. I find it hard to name things I hate (because i barely hate anything). I'm 18 and I don't mind being shy.I try my best at everything and never fear failure because I believe that there is a reason for everything

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posted : Saturday, May 4, 2013

title : AMANA Waterpark: Bulacan

The very first thing I did is to look out of the window, I feel a bit unhappy because I can see some black clouds forming in the sky. “Cheerless”- an exact word to describe the weather, early morning of April 5, 2013. I decided to pack my things and charge my phone, and then I took a bath hoping that the clouds would be gone in a while, and presto, it rained.

It was already 8 in the morning when I was able to reach Robinsons- Novaliches, rode a jeepney going to Tungko in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan. It took me 40 minutes to travel because of the heavy traffic in Lagro brought about by road reblocking. I, with my friend Keyzl, her brother Kernel and her boyfriend DJ took a ride to Muzon, and then to Sta. Maria, Bulacan where our other friend Kristel had to meet us. We were able to tour around the dense market of Sta. Maria because we are frustrated to find cheap but delicious viand for lunch, but we ended up to a famous lechon manok. If I’m not mistaken, it was already 10am when we were able to catch a ride going to the adjacent town of Pandi. We were drop off by the driver just in front of our destination, Amana Waterpark in Baranggay Bagong Barrio, Pandi, Bulacan. It was then that I realized, my summer expedition has started.

(AMANA Waterpark Welcome Sign beside its magnificent gate)

The welcome arc of the resort is fantastic; it defines enormity, adventure and fun. Next stop is the Ticketing Booth, it is well-organized and staffs are welcoming. Because we are already late, almost all cottages are already occupied and the only available option is the umbrella worth 500 Pesos. Their cottages were named after famous tourist spots in the Philippines like Boracay and Tagaytay. They also have air conditioned rooms/cottages for overnight swimming such as Vigan, Cebu, among others.

After purchasing our ticket which is worth 250 PHP, we had to walk a hundred meters to reach the main gate designed after the famous 90’s movie, Anaconda. You can also spot Spiderman and its villain, Sandman beside the souvenir shop.

(Anaconda- Welcome Arc)

We passed by a mini-bridge and a waterless lagoon, before Mr.Bean and Indiana Jones welcomed us. We spotted our cottage right away, and settled there to eat lunch because we feel really exhausted and hungry that time. We had a good view of the Justice League, and beside it is the largest wave pool in the country, which displays the name of the resort and features a tall Kingkong.

(L to R: Lagoon signage, Mr. Bean, Indiana Jones, Justice League, and the largest Wave Pool in the Philippines)

We decided to roam around and play with the DSLR before plunging in the pool. Since our cottage was very open and very unsecure, we decided to put our cell phones, money and camera in one bag and had it keep by the sales lady in a store nearby. There were total of 9 pools inside the resort, and my favorite is the Avatar Pool. I am not a fan of the movie; I like it because it is very relaxing. At the back of it is the Wave Pool, a huge pool that produces different kinds of wave that really made us shout because we feel like we were in the ocean, and the waves are actual works of God. The third one is the Kiddie Pool circled by different characters of Dragon Ball-Z, perfect for kids and young at heart. The fourth pool is the Cave Pool; I find it artistic and unique because the pool is shaded, covered and features man-made stalactites with waters dripping on it, perfect for nature lover. :) We were not able to dip on it because it was really crowded; I guess many really don’t want to get darker so they stay on that pool. The fifth and sixth pools are called Kung Fu Panda, because of the huge Kung Fu Panda characters on it and it is the only pool with slides. The seventh pool is the Madagascar Pool just beside the Sinulog Cottages, and the eight is the Jacuzzi beside it. The ninth pool is located beside the famous Shrek house, made for children. It was the only pool separated from the main pools so we were not able to swim on it.

(The AVATAR Pool)

There were lot of life-sized sculptures all over the place and it was visually entertaining. There were Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America or collectively known as Avengers. Ben Grimm of Fantastic 4, Lion King and Puss in Boots are also in the area.

During our visit, there was a presentation of a certain group of Showtime finalists and a grand parade of renowned festivities on the country such as Maskara , Sinulog, Panagbenga and Ati-Atihan Festivals.

It was 5pm when we took our shower, I must say that their shower room is really clean and it contains lot of cubicles, perfect for the resorts population. We left at exactly 5:30pm. I was able to reach home at 9pm, and I my summer outing feels so fulfilled. :)