When did the President ever declared Independence Day on a summer?! You might be wondering why this blog entry is entitled Independence Day when it's still a couple of months away...Hehehe...Well, its not the Philippine Independence that I'm referring to but my very own short-lived yet fun-filled learning experience . I've never been away from home this long without my parents or any relative for that matter. This is the time that I learned to be on my own...(Oh ok, and well some of my friends...hihihi)
Last year, we saw promo tickets for Manila via Tiger Airways and so we decided to go there during summer. This trip with my girlfriends has long been thought of and so there was no feeling of doubt on pushing through with it.
And so on March 2014, our long week trip around Luzon started.
Oh! did I say "Tiger"Airways?! My bad...hahaha...XD
During the first night we stayed at the most affordable hotel we could get around Metro Manila and that is, Kabayan in Pasay. I know there's some place that's more cheaper yet we don't want to compromise our safety.
Beware of Ninjas!!!XD
DAY 1
On our first day, we went straight to one of the 21 Amazing Hotels you need to visit before you die according to thebucketlistlife.com which is the only one mentioned in the Philippines,Villa Escudero. It's a two-hour ride from Manila. Our original plan was to ride a bus on the way to San Pablo,Laguna but then I realized that it's still far from the town and so me and my friends decided to rent-a-car for one day which is also tied up with Villa Escudero. If your planning to go as well, I also suggest that you bring a car especially if u have lots of baggage. ( I can imagine how tired we might have been if we just took a bus.)
As we arrived Villa Escudero, which is a plantation resort, we were welcomed by the smiles of their very pleasant attendants. Welcome drinks were offered as well which quenched our thirst with that two-hour ride. We , then, proceed with their day-tour which included a buffet lunch near their famous hydroelectric power plant.
Uh, No that's not the attendant but she could pass as one,right?! ;)
Oh! Sorry I was not in uniform. My baro't saya was still wet. LOL
Well, I just had to post this. Hahaha #FeelingFresh :D
Are you excited to see what we ate for lunch? Mmmm...before that, let me take you to our first stop which is their museum filled with huge statues and figurines of different saints made of ivory. There were also old clothes of past presidents like Marcos,Estrada,and many others. Old Philippine coins,jars, costumes and other historic collectibles could also be found inside.Too bad cameras were not allowed inside so I could not show you a picture. But below is a picture of the facade of the museum.
Closer view of ME! :P
Closer view of the Museum :)))
Ratatatatatatatat.... (This could be found on the other side of the museum)
Since it was almost lunch when we finished exploring the museum, we went straight ahead to the hydroelectric plant for our lunch. We have 2 options for our mode of transport to the area. Either through a Calesa with their white horse which they named after the popular stand up comedian,Vice Ganda, or through a cart pulled by Sexy, a carabao, which you saw earlier. We opted for Vice since Sexy needed more passengers before he could travel.
Meet Vice...:)
Don Escudero's Coconut Plantation
Are u a fan of Maya and Sir Chief?
This is said to be where their wedding reception was taped.
I bet your excited to see the hydroelectric power plant. So here you go...
The Source
Pose before " Habhab " XD
Boardless Surfing?!
Kainan Na!!! :9
There are a lot of activities you can do inside the plantation. Included in the day tour are free use of the swimming pool, biking, kayaking,etc.
Too bad the slides are out of order :c
But I enjoyed Kayaking " The Native" way...:)
DAY 2
We went straight to Tagaytay after our Villa Escudero trip and stayed at Tagaytay Haven Hotel. During our stay in Tagaytay, wze visited the well-known Mushroomburger House, Robinsons Summit Ridge, and the recently built Sky ranch. We rode the said to be tallest ferris wheel in the Philippines which is the Sky Eye as well as the Sky Cruiser . These rides would allow you to enjoy the view of the beautiful Taal Volcano. I recommend that you ride during sunset because you know how it can make you feel fuzzy inside. :)
Sky Eye @ Night
Ready ur Gastrocnemius mm. for this ride.
It was a fun place to be in this summer though the place still needs more improvement. More exciting rides for the not so young must be added since most of the available rides are kid stuff (hahaha...for what purpose are amusement parks built anyway?! Ok2, but nobody's too old for fun,right?! XD) But some of the attendants said they're still lots of rides to be added in the near future.
Sky Eye
Sky Cruiser
The Fuzzy Sunset
Another favorite to try in Tagaytay is....BULALO!!! So after going to Sky ranch we went to the "Bulaloan" area. One tip: if your riding a jeepney, don't confuse the driver by saying, "Manong, sa may bulalo lang po." for there are many places in Tagaytay where you can find it. LOL :)
Eating @ Bulalo Point :9
DAY 3
The next day we went back to Laguna but this time in Sta. Rosa to visit Enchanted Kingdom for the nth time (Hehehe...:) But before doing so, I brought my friends to Nuvali to feed thousands of golden Kois in their pond. We also went boat riding in the area. I'm acquainted with the place since my parents brought me here before and told me that this was my late Tito Bong's favorite hangout. I would not wonder why since seeing the tons of Kois in the pond brings a feeling of both amazement and relaxation.
Feeding 'em Golden Kois
My very useful red sneaks
Short boat ride
After Nuvali we rode a tricycle on the way to the hotel. We decided to stay at El Cielito which is the partner of Enchanted Kingdom.(If you really want to know the story about this part of our trip better ask us personally because it's a long and silly one. LOL XD)
Smiling Like Pros! Not minding the passers by. 8D
An Out-Of -Body Experience 8o (Try it to beleive it..hahaha)
DAY 4
The following morning we traveled back to Manila via bus. We stayed at Taguig at my friend's friend (confusing?) . We went around SM Aura just to see the place. Unfortunately, the taxi driver didn't know the way to the mall's entrance so he just dropped us off the highway ,take note, with all our luggage. So we just walked our way to the mall carrying along our bags. My stroller (actually, my mom's) didn't survive with the stony pathway. (Sad but funny story.Hahaha..)
On the way back to MNL
At SM Aura Sky Park
After strolling at SM Aura, we tried our best to catch up with our schedule and proceeded to Manila Ocean Park to try their new attraction which was the Snow Village and Trails to Antarctica. The last time I went there, they only had the Oceanarium so I was dying to go back. (Feeding penguins is a rare experience I would not miss.) Since we were running short of time, we rode the MRT from Ayala went down at Gateway Mall,Cubao to ride a LRT to Recto and from there we rode a taxi. And as what others had warned us about: "Maraming manloloko sa Maynila." So sad that the taxi driver overcharged by letting us pay P200 for such a short distance. Even though we were aware that we have been scammed, we just went with it since we were running out of time and it was the first available taxi we could get. In spite of the crowded MRT ride and taxi driver/scammer, we still enjoyed our experience. (Oh, did I mention that we got lost and rode the wrong train?! And that's after I had my picture taken pretending I was lost...hahaha...See below)
Waiting for the Train
My Ticket
Ano na-s? San ka na umabot? Lost but happy?! XD
This is the picture I was referring to.
Be careful with what u wish for... XD
Now, Here's Our Manila Ocean Park Adventure...
Wanna know more about Penguins?
Slide O'Fun Giving Olaf a warm hug in Snow Village :)
Feeding the Happy Feet Family!
DAY 5
We first went to BGC to attend a church service and roam around the area as well.
My OOTD shot @ BGC :p
We continued exploring Manila and went to Market! Market! to play Lazer Tag with some of my friend's cousins. I saw this game featured years ago on Myx's show, "Where U At?", and I'm glad I finally got to try it for myself. I had so much fun playing pretending to be a secret agent under the code name, "Krieger".
The Team
Guess who's the #1 agent?!...(Drum Roll Pls.).....
Agent "Krieger"
Killed them all in a dress...XD
During the night, we went to Trinoma to pick-up some pasalubong and ate at in an eat-all-u-can restaurant, Cabalen, which serves Pampanga's best cuisine. The food was good but I think Dads Kamayan offers more variety of dishes.
Dinner @ Cabalen
Trinoma's "Spitting" Fountain X)
By the time we went home, free nail art sessions were waiting for us courtesy of my friend's cousin who I must say, is very artistic and talented. (Thanks again Ate Tric! :))) Look at her work...
Mine's the blue one with the pretty lil goldfish..:3
DAY 6
We had a little meet and greet with Ate Tric's parents before going home. We ate at El Pollo Loco in SM Mega Mall which is just a walking distance from their condo.
Thank you for your generosity, Tan Family..:)
This trip was indeed a learning experience for me. I learned to make decisions for myself. I have practiced my independence and initiative.I became an instant street-smart just like that. I learned to deal with different kinds of people. My patience and my whole personality was tested. The leader in me awakened as I led my friends to a very enjoyable yet safe vacation. This is definitely a trip to remember.
Last weekend, we spent the All Saint's and All Soul's day visiting my maternal grandfather's (Papa Paeng) roots, in Surigao City. Truth is,I had second thoughts of going for I had loads of reading assignment but I chose to go for (who knows?!
) it could be my only chance to visit the place.
Now, you might think that this is the Enchanted River-Tinuy-an Falls route. But no, this is the simple "Family Get Together-Catching Up" route right in the heart of Surigao City.
On the first night, we went straight ahead to the house of my Mom's Cousin, Mano Bill,where a very sumptous dinner was prepared for us."Catch-up" stories were shared and memories were reminisced that night. (Forgive them if they're not looking straight at my camera. Everyone wanted to capture this rare moment.:))
The following day, we had breakfast at Babielyn's Kitchenette which is located at Surigao Public Market where fresh catch seafood can be found. (This part would not be missed for you know how my dad loves 'em,right?!)
(Look at the size of this Crab!)
(We call it "Lato". In English it's a grape seaweed...hehehe...)
That same day, it was also Kuya Andin's birthday (My dad's personal assistant) so we bought him a surprise birthday cake. (Can you tell how happy his birthday was?!)
Right after breakfast. my mom's cousin-in-law, Auntie Nida, took us to Mt. Bagarabon Beach Resort which was right at the foot of a big mountain. Out of the ordinary white sand that I was imagining,this was instead filled with pebbles (Well,big ones actually.LOL.XD) But what amazed me the most is the rock formation which you can see below. (Now, isn't that beautiful?!...The one in red shirt?! Ok, I mean the rock...LOL XD)
(Here comes Spidey! XD)
(Watcha lookin at?!)
(The view from above)
On our last day, as a way of thanking the Lord for this trip, we dropped by the sister church of United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Surigao City. (If you have been into most of the UCCP Churches all over the country,you will get to notice a similarity in structure of the ceiling which I believe is its trade mark.Go observe and tell me what it is :)
Surigao is definitely one of the must-go places in Mindanao.So if you have the chance,go ahead and visit. It's worth the time. :D
(Here is the picturesque Lake Mainit which you will have the chance to see as you travel on the way to Surigao City.Lovely! :)
