Time to put your detective hats on.
The National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) is launching a series of free walking tours that combine interests of both history and mystery junkies. Titled “Lakbay Baybay,” the tour is composed of two weekend legs in two different cities, Manila and Marikina. With the rich history of the two cities, you’ll definitely get to learn a lot; however, you need to solve a little mystery while at it.
It’s called an “experiential tour,” NCCA writes on Facebook. Choose which city you want to explore in and set the October weekend you prefer: Oct 21 to 22 or Oct. 27 to 28.
Each city is enveloped with a mystery. In Manila, a grandmother named Geronima went missing. Her only message before being gone was that she was looking for her treasured “box of memories.” While she hasn’t returned, it was found that Lola Geronima left clues on her whereabouts around Manila’s heritage sites. Do you think you can find her?
Meanwhile in Marikina, a certain Mr. Santos faces an investment problem. He plans on investing in the city’s known local business: shoe making. But the problem is, all the materials he needed are lost and scattered in areas around the city. This left Mr. Santos hopeless. But if the materials are found, maybe you can convince this businessman to invest in the local business again.
The tours kind of give an Amazing Race vibes, which is why you’re also encouraged to tag three to five friends along. It includes visits to historical monuments, sites, and even riverbanks. Clues await in each destination. Each puzzle is related to a historical fact, which is why you have to listen intently and observe keenly.
This project coincides with the celebration of the Museums and Galleries Month (READ: Here are all the museums in Manila you could visit any day for free) and NCCA’s Pasig River campaign “Taga-Alog,” which raises awareness on the ongoing cleanup drives of the rivers in the Metro.
Details of the schedule and initial stop will be given upon registration, which you can do here.
Header image courtesy of Inquirer.net
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