At El Toro Zoo!

At the fourth day of our La Castellana trip, we watched the report of TV Patrol Negros featuring the zoo in town. We never really knew before that there's this spot in La Castellana if not for that report. 

So the following day, we went to visit it.

From the town market, we rode a pedicab going to the zoo. What faced us was a very tall gate made of plain sheets that hid the inside from the outside onlookers. The entrance fee costs one hundred pesos for adults and eighty pesos for a pair of student and parent during school tours.

The zoo was a bit busy since two classes from different schools in Negros scheduled a tour there. Nevertheless, it was still a feast for our eyes. Personally, this is only the third zoo I've been to. The first two was still when I was in elementary and I'm 25 now! For Kristoff, it's his first!

Our zoo tour guide is Clyde and I really thank him for showing and naming all the animals there for us. Whatta memory he has! Let me now tell you our experience through the pictures!

Kristoff was still asleep here.

This is an entrance to the part of the zoo that houses nocturnal animals. Unfortunately, Mark's phone ran out of memory space and all the pics we took with these animals weren't saved and we didn't realize!

Hi Mr./Ms. Owl!

Arapaima. A fish from the Amazon.

Oscar fish from South America.

Male double wattled cassowary from NE Australia.

Crocodiles from the Philippines.

Monitor lizard from the Philippines.

Green Iguana from South America.

Fahaka Puffer Fish from Nile River.

Golden Tilapia.

I can't help smiling. My son looks like his grandpa in this photo. :)

With the albino giant gourami from China.

Puffer Fish or Butete.

A kiss with the giant gourami.

Female single wattled cassowary.

Eagle! They do have different kinds of this.

They have a wide variety of birds, fishes and turtles! I just can't name all of them, got a poor memory and so not prepared! I should have bought my small notebook and pen with me plus a great space of storage card for all the pics! Lesson learned for the next trip!

I was lucky to get to talk to the owner of the zoo, Mr. Felix "Elic" Divino, a former farmer and teacher of West Negros University. He started this zoo back in 2009 and opened it first exclusively
 for his family and friends.

I got curious of the zoo's name, El Toro and asked him about it. It's from the first syllables of his and his friends' names pala. El for Elic, To for Tomas and Ro for Roland. :)

We're glad we came to El Toro Zoo. It's a whole new experience for Kristoff and for
my small family of three!

El Toro Zoo is located in Gomez St., La Castellana, Negros Occidental. For inquiries or tour reservations you may call 485-0121 or 485 -8130.

First Trip to La Isla Bonita with Daddy Mark

I mentioned in Choosing La Isla Bonita that Daddy Mark was captured by the beauty of the said resort that even though he was still on-board, he promised me that we would go there again when he comes home. And so, we did!

But it was a sort of planned and unplanned thing. Yes, we planned of going there long before that day and yet we never really expected that that day would be the day. We were totally unprepared! Get what I mean?

Here's the story. Our little town, Hinoba-an doesn't have a working ATM machine, so we have to visit the neighboring city, Sipalay to withdraw. The three of us went to Sipalay ( 30 minutes by bus) and after withdrawing some money, we realized it was too early to go home and then...the idea of going to La Isla popped up!

It was around 11AM, we wanted to catch up with lunch, thus we hurried to go the market and bought raw bangus, pork, spices and seasonings, cooked rice, water and charcoal for grilling.

When we had already settled in the resort. Daddy started grilling while MK and me took some time to ourselves.

This is really family! How I missed this! Who wouldn't? Mark was away for nine months and this is one of the moments both of us are dying to have.