On October 16, 2024, I experienced getting on a field trip for the first time. As a kid, I was sad that I didn't have the opportunity to travel with my former classmates. Field trips only happen once a year, and I never had a chance to get one before. One of the reasons why I can't experience it is due to strict parents and lack of financial support. Why would I not participate with them now that I could earn money due to my side hustles? I joined mainly for incentives and made a remarkable journey before we parted ways. Without further ado, let's start.

Waiting For The Bus

I woke up from 2 hours of sleep at midnight and packed my things. My mother dropped me off from the waiting area and helped me prepare my food. After I arrived, I noticed a flock of students standing by in the gasoline station. That was our meeting place. After waiting a few minutes, the bus arrived, and it was pretty weird that my mom was more excited than I was.

PHINMA-Araullo University

Since we were going on the tour with other students from other campuses, the bus driver parked it in front of the campus. It was also the moment when they introduced our tour guide, nurse, and other frontliners. I am amazed at the bus since they have people like them who are willing to assist us if there's a problem. My cousin and I also entered the campus since we wanted to take that time to use the restroom. After waiting an hour, the bus driver finally turned on his engine.

Breakfast Time

Before the moment of truth, we arrived at the bus stop in Bulacan after two hours of the ride. We all went to the comfort room, and my cousin and I immediately boarded our buses to eat breakfast. Others bought from fast food chains while I ate tocino and adobo with rice.

Marikina City Hub

It was our first stop for this whole-day educational tour. Based on the travel itinerary, we will have six stops in Marikina. The tour's goal is to showcase the different operations of manufacturing companies in the Philippines. We will visit the Shoe Museum, Goldwin Soap Factory, Chess Museum, Lucban Hats, C-Point Shoe Factory, and Vestrada Bag Factory. Due to heavy traffic, we only managed to get into three places. I even had a chance to have a quick nap when we arrived in Marikina due to the heat and boredom.

C-Point Shoe Factory

After more than two hours of being stuck on Marikina, we finally arrived and visited our first stop. C-Point Shoe Factory is one of the popular shoe manufacturers in Marikina, where they craft various unique and sturdy footwear. According to Google, it is one of the busiest shoe manufacturers in the Philippines due to its huge demand. We are grateful since the footwear business owner allows us to witness how their Filipino-made shoes are created from scratch.

Vestrada Bag Factory

After 15 minutes of exploring the shoe factory, we are now going to our second stop in Marikina City Hub. Vestrada Bag Factory is a manufacturing company in the Philippines well-known for its sturdy and handmade bags. Compared to the previous factory that we visited, they don't have a large workforce or machines. I wanted to buy bags from them as a souvenir. However, I immediately said no when I saw the hefty price tag worth ₱500.00 for a small bag.

Shoe Museum

It was our last stop before we visited our next leg in Laguna. If you plan to visit this museum, expect to see various shoes by different personalities. You can see the pair of shoes Henry Sy wore or how big Manny Pacquiao’s foot is. You will be amazed at how unconventional it looks when you arrive at the spot. Sadly, taking pictures in this historic location is only limited.

On its good side, the museum is not only exclusive to shoes. It also showcases different landmark figures. For instance, we saw the specific dress that the first lady of Marcos Sr. wore on his SONA. I asked the tour guide if that’s precisely the saya (a long, ankle-length skirt), and she said yes. Moreover, I also saw cool styles of shoes that our talented shoemakers crafted. I don’t even know how you can wear it due to its size.

Among all the three places on Marikina, this is my favorite since my eyes are full of different sceneries. It is a must-visit when you are going to Marikina.

Gardenia Factory

After staying in Marikina, Metro Manila, we are heading to Laguna. This place is probably the usual place when they go on a field trip. In this tourist attraction, you will see the automatic production of loaves of bread. It is the only place where I spend most of my pocket money since they sell their products at the factory price. Plus, they have exciting games to offer, and you can get goods for free once you purchase them. Overall, it was a good experience.

Enchanted Kingdom

Last but not least is the Enchanted Kingdom. In this blog, we are going to explore the rides that we tried and rate them out of 10:

Roller Coaster - 7/10

I like this ride since it is meant for beginners who want to try roller coasters. Yet, they don't dare to try extreme rides like the Space Shuttle. I characterize this ride like you are on a jeep running on a fast-paced without a roof but have a seatbelt. I am terrified of this ride since I don't have someone where I can trust to keep my bag. I asked their facilitator if I could keep the bag somewhere, and she politely said, “No.” I don’t have a choice but to keep my bulky bag between my calves during the ride.

Anchor's Away - 5/10

The experience is spectacular, but I feel so scammed. When you look at the carnival during carnivals, their Vikings are only simple and tolerable. It looks like you are just rocking on the swing. But when we tried it, I regretted my decision to join and belittled it too much. I am more terrified since I need to keep my bag while the boat swings at us.

Until now, I will never forget how I saw my fur standing during the ride due to fear. I can't even widen my eyes as they sway longer and longer. The first sway of their boat is tolerable. But as long as the boat sways longer, it gets more terrifying and feels like the screws will be removed. I get used to it as I sway longer because my system assures me the ride is safe and will keep you protected.

Bump Car - 3/10

When I rode this with my classmate, I didn't know how to manipulate it. My cousin cracked the code, but I didn't get the chance to get it. I just had a good time while bumping my car with my classmates.

Carousel - 7/10

At first, I thought that this ride was only meant for kids. Since we were running out of ideas about where to ride, one of our classmates invited us to try it. We are making a vlog for this tour as part of our project. That’s why I initiated holding their camera and went to the carriage to take care of their bags.

Rio Grande - 10/10

It is 10 out of 10 for me since it is the attraction I (we) enjoyed. We planned to make it last since you will get much. Our first experience didn’t get us wet, and we thought we would not get too wet. Since we wanted to enjoy it more, we recruited my classmates and left my bag with my other classmates. But on our second attempt, we all got wet, and it was a good thing I brought my extra clothes. My classmates blamed us since they had no replacement clothes, and we were already home. Luckily, I got some, and I just regret that I didn't visit another water attraction.

Overall, I liked the whole experience and hope it will happen again soon. The only thing that I don’t like about the Enchanted Kingdom is its premium pricing on foods and other commodities. We enjoyed the unlimited rides, but it won’t be noteworthy if this is the only place you will visit. I didn’t try the other rides like EKstreme, Space Shuttle, Twin Spin, and Ferris Wheel. I have a fear of heights.