TRAVEL: Lake Pandin, San Pablo, Laguna 2014

My mother celebrated her birthday last January 15, so Ed and I invited them out for Sunday lunch. She came with my sister and they actually didn't know where we're going! Hahaha. We took them to Pandin Lake, which is situated at San Pablo, Laguna. It is one of the Seven Lakes of San Pablo.

Seven Lakes of San Pablo:

• Lake Bunot
• Lake Calibato
• The twin lakes of Yambo and Pandin
• Lake Palakpakin
• Lake Muhikap
• Lake Sampaloc (the largest of the seven lakes)

We drove there by car and eventually reached the area with the help and assistance of the locals. You can park your car (pay later) and you're on for a little hike. We have this little kid in green jacket as our tour guide. 

I got really excited when we reached the lake! I mean, who wouldn't? For me, the scenery is perfect! The cool breeze touching my face is so relaxing! We didn't made any bookings or reservations and we noticed a little after we got there, some groups arrive. So I guess we were lucky that we got there early enough (around 9:30am)!

We were welcomed by the female elderly (lola in Filipino). We booked one of the raft and decided to order lunch that we can eat on board. At first I thought these lolas were just facilitating the kitchen. But no! They take turns on maneuvering the raft! Of course, with some help of their fellowman. Random thoughts came to me, like:  Is this for real? They must be strong! My respect goes to them. It's easier to get money by asking from somebody or by making utang, but they are different. They take pride of what they do. Hats off. I noticed they're wearing their uniform. So I guess Lake Pandin is being controlled/regulated, which I think is a good thing. It's not too commercial because the prices are fairly cheap and at the same time, the lake is being kept pristine.

These are us enjoying the raft!You can see by our outfit that it's so cold out there! 

Lunch! Yum-oh! Shrimp cooked in coconut cream (ginataang hipon na maliit), grilled tilapia (inihaw na tilapia, fresh buko juice, pako salad, banana, ube & leche flan (not in the photo). Their pako salad is the best I've tasted as of writing! And the buko juice? it's sooooo fresh! 

I mentioned above that Lake Pandin has its twin, right? Just a little hike (with a tour guide) and you will see Lake Yambo. We were always accompanied by a tour guide (the lolas or the ranger). And oh, you'll also notice that we were already wearing our lifevests while on the water...  Why? Lake Pandin is said to have maximum depth of 63meters. We didn't want to take chances :-)

After we got back from seeing Lake Yambo, there hanged the souvenir items for sale. They have necklaces, bracelets, and wallets. Also in the picture is my mom making a little flower/candle/prayer offering at the grotto. Belated happy birthday to you!

So that was our Lake Pandin getaway! I'm really hoping for more outings like this. I wonder where shall we go next...

TRAVEL: White Beach Puerto Galera 2013

Edward's long-time friend had his birthday last month and invited us to join them in their 2-day 1-night barkada outing at White Beach Puerto Galera, Mindoro. We were able to reach Calamba, Laguna at around 7:00 am and took the most convenient route which is from Calamba Exit via Alabang-Calamba-Sto. Tomas Expressway or ACTEX (also known as South Luzon Expressway or SLEX) straight to Batangas Exit via Southern Tagalog Arterial Road or STAR Tollway.

FEES:
ACTEX Calamba Exit = PhP25.00
STAR Tollgate to Batangas City = PhP67.00
================================
One-way pass = PhP92.00
Travel time = around 1-1/2 hours

We decided to leave our car or "Park 'n Sail" at Batangas Port. You may bring your car to Puerto Galera via Roll-on Roll-off ferry, a.k.a. ro-ro but this is not advisable because most resorts have no parking areas especially those near the beach, plus, it is more expensive.

Approaching Batangas Port. We turned left going to the parking entrance.
No, we didn't enter this arch.

The Batangas Port Terminal was jampacked that day! Well, I kinda expected a crowd because we went there on a Saturday but didn't expect so many! I guess those people (just like us) are trying to make most of the summer season.

There are different shipping lines that can transport you to White Beach. They are recognizable by their boat color: Gallerian (blue), Father & Sons (yellow), and Minolo (red). We bought tickets from Father and Son's Shipping Lines (FSL).

FSL Blue Penguin-9 Boat (Photo Credit: http://puertogaleraferry.net)

Round Trip Fare to White Beach via FSL = PhP500.00/person
Environmental Fee (one-way) = PhP10.00/person

FSL also transports to Sabang and Muelle. Here's the link to their website for the updated fares and trip schedules.


You had to confirm your roundtrip ticket back to Batangas at the Father and Son's Shipping Lines Ticketing Booth upon arrival because it gets fully-booked fast. We booked the 1:30 pm schedule so we won't catch the bigger waves in the late afternoon.

Edward's friend is a geodetic engineer who happens to have a colleague whose family owns a resort there. We stayed at Moreno's Resort. It's a 3-storey apartelle, no swimming pools, but have enough rooms to accommodate several groups, some have AC, some have electric fan only (for the budget-conscious). It's not beachfront but that's fine with us because it's just a few blocks away from the shore. We stayed at room H on the second floor; it has a toilet & bath, 1 single bed, 1 queen-size bed, and an electric fan. It only cost us PhP750.00 for a 24hr-stay (very cheap!)... Well, this is actually a discounted rate because of our friend! :-)

After checking-in, we decided to grab some food at the beachfront restos. Ed and I love seafood but found out that the restos are offering only either: prawns, squid, tilapia, or milkfish (a.k.a. bangus), if not chicken or pork. We're kinda disappointed and ended up ordering Sinigang na Hipon. The waitress happens to be a fire dancer at night and invited us to watch her perform. It was something I looked forward to.

Ed and I... (Sorry, no pictures of the food. It took a while before it was served. We were so hungry that we ate it as soon as it landed on our table! LOL)

We decided to do snorkeling in the afternoon. We rented a boat for PhP1,900.00 which took us to a drop-off point where we had to transfer to a smaller boat for PhP200.00/person. The smaller boat was the one to take us to the corals. Manong bangkero asked us to jumped into the water and hold on to a hose tied securely to his boat. We were dragged by it going to the "fish feeding area". We really enjoyed that ride because as we saw live corals in different forms and different fishes while being dragged. It was really a fun experience!

Here's the video of our ride:

Unedited video

Some photos:

Group shot going to the snorkeling area

Corals

... and some fish

Sea Urchin (Uni)

Ed and I. Oh how we love this ride :)

I bet everybody's so tired when we came back to Moreno's resort but no it didn't keep us from "gathering" that night :-)

Overall, it was a fun (although quick) weekend escapade! Looking forward to more weekend getaways with friends!

xoxo,

FOOD: Joey Pepperoni at SM Calamba

We went to SM Calamba to do some grocery shopping but decided to eat early lunch first before everybody else does. We wanted something Italian so we dined at Joey Pepperoni (our third time). We ordered Gamberi Pasta, Margherita Pizza, and Rosemary Chicken with Rice. The food preparation usually takes 20-30 minutes, maybe the reason why their placemats have games printed on it.

I love seafood and it always comes first to my order list. Gamberi Pasta is a savory mix of pomodoro sauce (tomatoes + garlic + olive oil + basil + seasonings) with shrimps and bacon, served with a bread stick. The pasta is cooked al dente and there are fairly enough pieces and bits of shrimps and bacon.

For 2-person sharing, the 8" Margherita Pizza is more than enough because we had our own full meals :-D Good thing it is low in calorie, topped only with mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes and basil leaves. I have bigger appetite than Ed so I ended up eating 3 slices of it. I had no choice :-D Hahaha

Ed had Rosemary Chicken with Rice (Pollo al Rosmarino con Riso). We already had pasta the night before at Faustina's Los Baños so he chose rice this time. Me? I didn't mind having pasta straight in a row :-D By first look at the chicken, we thought that this is not what we had before and what was posted in their website. The chicken seemed dry and overcooked, very different from what we got in our previous dines. What we had before was similar to what was shown on their website: 

So the verdict? 3 stars out of 5. Will we eat at Joey Pepperoni restaurants again? Well yes, but will definitely not order the Rosemary chicken again. I hope that all restaurants out there, especially the franchises, will be consistent in serving high quality food so the paying customers will get the value that have been paid for.

- Ed & Glai

TRAVEL: Isdaan Floating Restaurant and Theme Park - Calauan, Laguna 2011

Isdaan Floating Restaurant and Theme Park, a.k.a. Isdaan, is located at National Highway, Calauan, Laguna and is operated by the Barrio Fiesta group of companies. Isdaan is a Thai-inspired theme park serving Filipino cuisine. You can see menus from Barrio Fiesta,  Mama Chit, Bakahan at Manukan, among others.

The owners did not skimp on the architecture of the restaurant. You will see structures of mermaid buddhas, giant monkeys, life-size naked scupltures & crocodiles, and some random cartoon characters.

They have a "Tacsiyapo" wall, like the one that you will see in their other Isdaan branch in Gerona, Tarlac. You can release your anger here! You may buy a glass, plate, even TV and smash it on the wall, targeting your word of preference (i.e. "Kabit", "Ex-Wife", "Magnanakaw") while screaming the word "Tacsiyapo" which literally means "P_tang Ina" (in Tagalog) or "Son of a B_tch" (in English).

During our visit, some areas of the park are still under construction... so I guess we can still expect more of the amazing structures and attractions.

TRAVEL: Tagaytay City, Cavite 2009

All work and no play makes dull life, right? This time, our destination is Tagaytay. If you're from Luzon, it's impossible that you do not know Tagaytay as it is one of the popular destinations in the Philippines. People go here because it has beautiful scenery; you can view the Taal Lake and the iconic Taal Volcano in Batangas. This is why most people thought that Tagaytay is located in Batangas although it is actually located in Cavite.  People also go here for cool climate averaging at 22 degrees Celcius. The last time that I've been to Tagaytay was way back in College (about 4 years ago).. so it's really nice to be back and forget even for a short time the super busy work life.

First Stop: Picnic Grove
It is a large park where you and your family can have picnic, do some horseback riding, or enjoy the eco-trail boardwalk. There are new attractions now: zipline and cable cars. Ed and I both won't risk our lives on it though. Haha!

This park is packed most of the time, especially during weekends! I noticed that there is a big room for improvement in terms of cleanliness because you will see garbage & litters scattered almost everywhere. There should be more garbage bins placed around the park, especially on the picnic areas.

Park Entrance Fee: PhP50.00/person
Vehicle Parking: PhP150.00/vehicle
Huts and Cottages: PhP150.00 (You will not be charged most of the time, especially if you do not plan to stay long in the cottages)

You can buy souvenir items here: keychains, t-shirts, wallets, and so on.

Next Stop: People's Park in the Sky

This is also known as Palace in the Sky. It's a park that was converted from an incomplete mansion built during the time of Marcos. The Shrine of Our Lady, Mother of Fair Love and a doppler weather radar station maintained by PAGASA is also located in the park.

There's not much to do here, perhaps some picnic and souvenir shopping... Also, there's nothing more to see but a developing residential subdivision on the top of the mountains... a bit disappointing for me.

Park Entrance Fee: PhP10.00/person

We want to re-visit Tagaytay in the future but I think we'll go some place else... ;-)

TRAVEL: Boracay Island, Aklan 2008

It's that time of the year again! No, it ain't Christmas but company anniversary! For employees, like me, it's a date in a calendar that you look forward to because celebrations and awardings usually take place. Last year, we had an outing in Sigayan Beach Resort (see post here). This time around our generous bosses flew us out to none other than..... BORACAY! Woohoo!!! It's the first time for most of us to be riding a plane so that contributes greatly on the excitement factor of this trip. Plus, who would not want to go to Boracay, if given a chance, for free! :)))))

Although Boracay is just a small island in the Philippines, located at Aklan, just by the photos on the Internet, you will be already mesmerized by it... white sand, clear water, fresh seafood, night party... 

We flew via Seair and I'm a little anxious about the airplane because it is an open-propeller type of aircraft... Scared... What if it hits a bird... but since everyone is so excited, I pretended to be very brave :))

We stayed at Boracay Courtyard, which is a cheap hotel located in Station 2, Boracay. It is non-beachfront and a few-minutes-walk to white beach, restaurants, and shops. I don't have the rates but it is considered one of the cheapest hotel in Boracay. It is managed by the well-known La Carmela Resort, where we had our buffet meals. Super Sulit! Super Busog! 

It is my first time to experience a banana boat ride and it was a blast! We managed to get a hold of the banana boat and prevented it from flipping upside-down despite the many attempts of the driver to do so by doing those crazy sharp turns! Other activities that you can do in Bora are island hopping, helmet diving, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, jet skiing, aqua sub, bar hopping and MANY MORE!

And what better way to finish the exhausting day than to relax (oohhhh spa!)... buy souvenirs & pasalubongs... and do some reflection while enjoying the sound of the waves and the beauty of nature in Boracay...

TRAVEL: Sigayan Bay Beach Resort 2007

The company that I am working at had its first 3days/2nights anniversary outing at Sigayan Bay Beach Resort last May 24-26, 2007. The beach resort is located at Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. 

The girls stayed at Halaan 1 & 2 rooms. Halaan room is air-conditioned, has lying capacity of 8 persons, has a private toilet and bath, and water dispenser. The boys stayed at Sigay 2 room, a big room with lying capacity of 10 persons and has 5 double-deck beds, private toilet and bath, and water dispenser. Of course the bosses, have separate bigger rooms and their helpers are in charge of the cooking. 

Day 2 is activity day. We had games like Sack Race and Tag of War... I'm not a very active kind of person so you can imagine how much I struggled with Sack Race... Ugh.

We also went snorkeling... Now, I had a totally different feeling this time because I just love water! The sea, sand, and whatever's under! Too bad the corals are already dead and there are only few fish to see underwater but it's a new experience for me, well for most of us. I want to do this again next time!

That night, we also had occasional drinks, videoke (sing-along) and forum. Revelations and affirmations! I will always remember this trip! Always...

-Glai

TRAVEL: Caylabne Bay Resort, Cavite 2006

The company that I am working at celebrated its Christmas Party at Caylabne Bay Resort in Ternate, Cavite. We came from Carmona, Cavite so it wasn't a long drive at all, there's just a lot of turns on an uphill road where you will also be surprised by cows's parade :-) It is a bay resort, so after reaching the peak, a downhill drive is expected where you can see the top view of Caylabne. We just bought snacks because we availed the set lunch by El Patio Restaurant. Of course, the party isn't complete without exchange gifts and games (with prizes)! We had Pinoy Henyo and kayak race. Other water sport activities that the resort offer include swimming, aqua trike & banana boat riding, water skiing, and fishing. It was a short but fun outing with office friends.

-Glai

TRAVEL: Dampalitan, Padre Burgos, Quezon 2006

In May 4-6, 2006, I had my FIRST beachin' with a group of friends at Dampalitan, Padre Burgos, Quezon, Philippines. YEY! It was a non-commercial island, with pure white sand, without electricity, and no stable source of water (we had to buy fresh water for consumption). Everything's fun except on our way home, when the boat we were boarding sank... :-( yeah and because it's saltwater all my gadgets were dead (HP R707 camera, Apple iPod shuffle, Nokia 3650 phone)... Yeah, such a pain... Good thing my memory card's functional. whew! It's really an unforgettable first time.

-Glai