For people looking for cheap family bonding perya style, there's this "old school" carnival that may remind oldies of the defunct Fiesta Carnival in Cubao, Quezon City where you can have a day of fun trying out rides for kids and young at heart. Residents of nearby Quezon City, Pasig City, Cainta, San Mateo and Antipolo can drop by here.

Marikina Grand Carnival at Riverbanks Center:

a view of Marikina River, the Riverbanks park (a favorite of morning joggers and afternoon promenaders) and SM City Marikina. Note too the posts of the bridge of LRT 2 often seen on the news when monitoring Marikina River water levels during rainy season, typhoons and floods.

the Riverbanks Amphitheater where concerts are usually held as well as fireworks displays


the ferris wheel of Marikina Grand Carnival is not safe for very young children as it's not sealed. Try the MOA Eye at SM Mall of Asia for safer ride.



Marikina Grand Carnival Rides Rates and Ticket Prices:

Ferris Wheel PhP30.00
Octopus PhP40.00
Dragon Coaster PhP40.00
Horror Train PhP30.00
Vortex PhP40.00
Kiddie Slide PhP30.00
Caterpillar PhP30.00
Grand Safari PhP30.00
Kiddie Train PhP30.00
Super Bee PhP30.00

same rate for adults and children

Operating Hours:
Opens daily at 4pm (amusement park is opened yearly during the Christmas holiday season in Marikina)

How to Get to Marikina Riverbanks:

Driving directions from Makati, head towards EDSA then C-5 (either via BGC or via Kalayaan Avenue), you will pass by Libis but take the "ilalim" of the Katipunan flyover passing by Monasterio de Sta. Clara, turn right to Aurora Boulevard then take the flyover going to Marikina City proper to A. Bonifacio where the entrance to Riverbanks Center can be found. Lots of parking spaces available (parking fee of P45.00 flat rate)

How to commute to Marikina Riverbanks:

From Cubao, take jeepneys/FX with signboards SSS, Fortune, Parang, Calumpang or San Mateo.

Via LRT 2, get off at the Katipunan station and take the jeepney/FX SSS, Fortune, Parang, Calumpang.


Other places of interest to see in Marikina:
Marikina World of Butterflies
Marikorea
Worlds Biggest Shoe
Marikina Shoe Museum
Marikina Doll Museum

Other Family Fun places:
Circle of Fun
Sky Ranch Tagaytay

Labels: Marikina, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Theme Parks

As Tutubi saw featured on TV, when he was able to visit Marikina he went out of his way to search where Rocha's Special Puto and Kutsinta is located only to find out his friend exactly knew where it was.

Puto is a Filipino dessert (kakanin) of steamed rice cake where you can see several regional variants like puto manapla of Negros Occidental, puto Biñan of Laguna, Sayongsong of Surigao, puto polo of Valenzuela, and even the simple puto calasiao of Pangasinan

mouth watering puto marikina comes at a price of PhP110.00 for fifty pieces.


An office mate of Tutubi, a native of Marikina, claims Aling Remy's Original Special Puto Kutsinta is the first, original and the best (yes, another instance of the use Original so much like the The Original Buko Pie of Los Baños, Laguna and whose stall is just about 100 meters from Rocha's Puto along J.P. Rizal.

Tutubi was able to find Rocha's Puto along J.P. Rizal Street just between Marikina Shoe Museum and Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish Church. Down the road lies D'Original Aling Remy's Special Puto Kutsinta. (click here for a very detailed map of Marikina created by the cool folks of OpenStreetMap and other information how to get to Marikina)

Tutubi has yet to taste the Original Aling Remy's Special Puto Kutsinta to compare with Rocha's Puto so he cannot comment. What's known about the origins of Puto Marikina is actually the original makers were from Polo, Valenzuela which makes Puto Marikina progenies of the delicious puto polo.

Rocha's Delicious Puto and Kutsinta
Address: 595 E Mendoza St Sto. Niño, Marikina
Telephone Number: +63.2.914.1519

more regional puto recipe variations:
puto manapla of Negros Occidental: simple like puto calasiao
Sayongsong of Surigao: rice cakes wrapped by conical shaped banana leaves
puto calasiao of Pangasinan that you can find along White Plains Avenue in Quezon City, on Granada St. San Juan, and Gimore Avenue also in QC.

these are very different from Puto Bumbong, Puto Seko of Laguna and even Puto Tabla in Bicol

Labels: Marikina, Pasalubong

Was able to visit Marikina World of Butterflies some time ago with J, a Marikina denizen, as guide.

Butterflies, a cousin of Tutubi (dragonfly) in the insect world represent the most beautiful members of the Insect kingdom. (Dragonflies are the most handsome, hands down, this is Tutubi's blog, remember?)

Some pictures:


picture chrysalis hanging on a girdle (resting stage of moths is called cocoon, chrysalis for butterflies)
photo of a larva (caterpillar) on a host plant
the giant Mariposa (a moth, Scientific Name: Atticus Atlas)


No pictures of fluttering butterflies since they're mostly flying in the morning, not in the afternoon and evening, like moths do.

Will post butterfly pictures in an upcoming series on butterfly watching! :P

Information:

Marikina World of Butterflies
Mondays to Sundays 8am to 5pm
Champagnat corner Ordonez Sts
Brgy. Marikina Heights, Marikina City
Telephone No.: 9413747

P20 for students, senior citizens and Marikina residents
P40 for tourists and visitors

How to go to Marikina World of Butterflies:

Commute: Board a Marikina-bound FX on Aurora Blvd in Cubao, Quezon City, drop off at Meralco then hire a tricycle.



Directions to Marikina World of Butterflies

UPDATE: April 2011: this facility was hit by typhoon Ondoy where most of the butterflies died. probably not in good condition up to this time

Labels: Butterflies, Butterfly Garden, Marikina, Metro Manila, National Capital Region