Fort Santiago Tour

 We went to Fort Santiago Saturday (Jan 13th) to do an interactive history tour.  It was designed for kids and our older 2 did great paying attention and learned some things-it was focused on Jose Rizal but also talked some about the history of the Philippines.

 Riding a calesa or carriage-Ashley's class talked about these in their unit on transportation so she was very excited about getting to really ride in one.  Her teacher told them that it was like the carriage Cinderella rode in.  We have refrigerator magnets with calesas on them.

 This is the entrance to the actual fort.  The whole area is called Intramuros-a walled city

 Another colorful calesa

 Scott and Ryan-being boys!

 They had beautiful gardens

 Some more calesas

 The kids saw a playground and of course wanted to play-they went running over and as I walked up behind them the kids already playing said "oh look American kids!"  It is still funny to always be the oddity!

 Walking with Daddy

 Our tour guide was Jay, in the white shirt and backpack

 This is the Pasig River-used to be prettier before dumping from industry polluted it

 Ashley found flowers that she wanted to wear in her hair

 We were supposed to ride in a jeepney to this nearby museum but the jeepney was late so we crowded in the back of a truck-it was enclosed.

 The museum was neat-a guide talked about and pictures were lit up as she talked about the Philippines

 a model of Intramuros

 The view outside the museum as the sun was starting to set

 We did get to ride a jeepney-our first one (except for Ryan's field trip one that he got to ride)-back to the fort.  It was cool but I am sure glad that I don't have to try to do that with all 3 kids all the time and groceries too.

This was the outside of the jeepney that we rode

Afterwards we went to the Mall of Asia for dinner-I thought these bushes were funny.  They are trimmed to say "I heart MOA"