Trip to National Museums!
Everything has happened for a while now so I’m coming back with another blog post! This time, it’s more relevant and timely. I had a chance to go the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of Anthropology last week and here’s my take.
We arrived at the National Museum of Natural History thirty minutes before it opened, giving us time to take photos of the museum’s exterior. The ambiance is very clean and refreshing, since it’s surrounded by trees. There is a line outside the museum which indicates the guests that will come in first. After entering, you have to register; if you come in as a group, one person must leave his/her name and state how many you are in the group. There is a designated deposit and claim counter for bulky bags, since they are not allowed inside the museum. When we went there last week, the top two or three floors for NMNH are still not open, but you can still take the elevator ride to see the halls outside. All in all, the museum is organized. This is also being practiced at the National Museum of Anthropology.
As a huge fan of arts and literature, there were numerous things to appreciate about the museums. It was more than its photogenic characteristic. The museums host artifacts and provide plaques of information about their displays.
A big issue about the museums right now is not about them really, but about the visitors. During the visit, it is a happy sight to watch old people read curiously, as well as parents teaching their kids while having fun. Although we did encounter people taking photos and selfies instead of doing an actual viewing, people politely obey the museum employees when they are being reminded.
Over-all fare is budget friendly! I only spent P139.00 for a ride back and forth- a tricycle ride, a jeepney ride and a UV Express ride. The UV Express’ route is SM Fairview to Kalaw. Going to the museum, we rode the ride from the terminal and paid 50 pesos, and for the ride home, we only paid 45 pesos (we hailed the UV from the street).
Tips:
Try not to travel on a rush hour. We started commuting at 8:30 AM. At this time of the day, people are already at work or are ahead of us in traffic.
Go in a group so you can have your pictures taken and you can have pictures of your friends and with your friends.
Don’t trust Grab’s service if you’re coming from the museum. We booked Grab Premium to SM Manila from NMA, with an indicated waiting time of 12 minutes. The driver cancelled after an hour of making us wait. For the next booking, we had to walk to the National Museum of Fine Arts. The traffic is not friendly to both drivers and commuters.
NMNH had so many visitors, given that it only opened recently. NMA gives you the tranquility of personal space while viewing.
Enjoy the museum and the moment! Don’t be too occupied by your phone. The art is there, and it’s waiting.
Send me a message if you have questions! And I hope you get to see the museums soon!
Love always,
Bern