The National Museum of The Philippines

The National Museum of the Philippines  is offering free entrance for the whole month of October, we, of course, decided to take advantage of it and took the kids to a mini field trip yesterday. 

It was also J's first time to visit the National Museum and he got all the teasing from me because I couldn't believe that they did not even have a field trip there when he was still studying.  Anyway, I personally think that all students of the country should experience visiting this museum. 

we love stairs and huge windows

Chean and Jaja



Some of the exhibits were pretty 'ordinary' for someone like me who spent half of my life in the province but I think it was pretty educational especially for the batoots since they all grew up here in the city.

One unforgettable piece was that heirloom rosary made of ivory and gold... I mean, man, how regal can you get?! Ivory and gold! My favorite section however was that of the huge jars and Chinese plates. It was fun imagining how the people before us used them for their daily lives... they were very intricate.

It was a kakaibang weekend for the fambam...needless to say, we all had fun. :)

Subic: The Cliff Royale

We came across The Cliff Royale through the net while we were looking for a place to go to for a family event. I can't honestly remember what that occassion was and this was a few months back (yes, this post is long overdue).

So anyway, as mentioned we were looking through the net for a resort for the family and The Cliff Royale seems to be a good option because it's just in Subic, J & myself are frequent Subic visitors - but that's a different story. The family did not end up going there but J & I decided to still visit the resort for future reference.

We decided to go there via public transport, aka, Victory Liner to save on gas and so J can also relax and have a day off driving. We went there on a weekend with a reservation for an overnight stay which I arranged a few days ahead through SMS.

To get there:

• Victory Liner - from Pasay to Olongapo
• Jeepney - just near the Victory Liner Terminal in Olongapo, make sure you get the one with a roof painted in blue. Jeeps are color-coded in Olongapo, the yellow ones go around the city proper while the blue ones ply the neighboring towns outside the city proper. Ask to get off at Baloy Beach (this is pretty known in the area)
• The Cliff Royale is just at the corner of the street going to the resort strip along Baloy beach, they have a giant wooden gate with The Cliff on it. (just right beside Palladium Resort)

lovely lady, I mean, lovely windows ;)

We got the cheapest room because we're only staying overnight and honestly, their cheapest didn't seem cheap for me at all.

• PHP2000/night
• Two wooden double beds
• AC
• TV
• Hot & cold shower
• Personal refrigerator
• Nice stained glass on the windows and the bathroom door

What I didn't like about the room:

• It smells old - like wet wood or old blankets stored and forgotten in the closet, it's not mabango
• Poor ventilation
• Creaking beds
• Bathroom has poor drainage
• No towels - for the price, most resorts would provide fresh towels and toiletries
• It wasn't as clean as I expected

Naturally the room was our first stop and I was already disappointed with what we're getting for the price that we are paying for but I still kept my hopes high and looked forward to enjoying the resort, especially the pool.

the pool

see the color?

Much to my disappointment, yet again, it was nowhere near the clean blue color of a swimming pool, it was green... if I hadn't known better, if there weren't people in it and if I hadn't browsed on their website, I would have thought that it was just a giant pond! A freakin' pond with water lilies and koi -- I am exaggerating, no lilies and no fishes, but it was really moss green, warm and had a lot of sand and floating leaves in it. I confess, we took a dip in that dirty pool. At that point I was thinking that maybe, just maybe, they were gunning for a shabby chic look for the pool and intentinally colored the pool tiles green, I realised it I was wrong when we went in.
After that unfortunate dip in the pool, we just bid our time taking pictures around the resort.

the resort's up there, you have to go through a
cemented spiral staircase to go down the beach

one gazebo had a swing!

The Coffee Shop's famous tacos, yum!

The Coffee Shop is also just walking distance from the resort so I insisted that we have dinner there since it's going to be J's first time to see the giant tacos that Karen & I were boasting about.

After dinner, while walking back to the resort, we saw various bars and night clubs already open for business. I realized this must be one of the famous night strips back in the days when the US base was still here, there were still a lot of foreigners mingling around that night. It would have been an experience to go in on one of the bars to satiate the curiousity but I wanted a quiet night (read: I didn't want J oogling at those girls clad in itsy-bitsy tiny bikinis) so we just dropped by 711 grabbed a few bottles of...was it beer or vodka, I can't remember because I think I passed out just after finishing off half a bottle of whatever it was.

The next morning was a lot better... we went down to the beach, had our quiet time at the shore taking pictures and chatting with some fishermen.

the sun!

great view

effort!

The Cliff Royale seems to be a nice resort but one who has seen it's glory days. Maybe we just caught it in a bad time but they really could do better. Capitalize on their prime location, the beautiful beach, the great view from the cliff and improve on their services. I am nowhere near an expert on managing a resort but I am saying using the eyes of a frequent traveler and a guest.

• Centralize their reservation process - I confirmed our reservation several times, but when we got there it seems like the lady did not have any idea about it. I didn't know if there was really a room reserved for us or we just got lucky there was one available.
• Clean-up - they may be short of manpower or whatever but guests pay special attention on how clean the place is, they should prioritize this...from the rooms to the pool and even to the plants around the resort. If the kids were with us it would have been a disaster not having a clean swimming pool!
• Customer service - we could very well ran-away with the keys to our room because when it was time for check-out, their office was close and we couldn't find anybody except for the gardener. We handed the keys to him.
• Rates - I once stayed in a small resort along Baloy Beach (which was just a few minutes way by feet) - cleaner room, fresh beddings, and friendly staff.

I am not picky traveller. I can do with rustic, I actually love rustic, but at least give me clean. Looking back, the resort would have been okay... but the room and the pool did it. Maybe they just magnified the things that I would usually overlook.

I didn't want to show J my disappointment, afterall, we planned this weekend getaway to unwind and enjoy by ourselves. I still did my best to enjoy and we did enjoy our weekend although I don't think I'll be recommending this resort to any of my friends and definitely not to the family.

Moon Garden Tagaytay: Sanctuary

As I am writing this entry, I am in paradise.   I am not sure if I want to actually post this in my blog because of selfish reasons…  I don’t want to share this little space to other people.

It’s 6PM and the Tagaytay breeze is at it’s naughtiest.  I can hear the crickets and the frogs croaking from the pond around my gazebo.  

If you’re looking for a place where you can just retreat into silence and reflect on things, Moon Garden Tagaytay is the perfect place for you.  

Getting There:  I’ve read several blogs mentioning that they had a hard time looking for Moon Garden, if you/re not familiar with the Tagaytay area, it's a good idea to study their location map beforehand.  Personally though, I didn’t think it was that difficult to find. 

• Take SLEX and take the Sta. Rosa exit…  just follow the road to Tagaytay.    
• Turn right at the end of the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road, you will then be on the Tagaytay-Calamba Road.
• Watch out for the SVD Road, it’s a narrow road to your right, there are no road signs except for a small blue billboard that says “Purok 162”, just before Estancia.
• Less than 2 minutes into SVD Road, you will see Moon Garden’s sign on your left, take that narrow graveled road, don’t be intimidated, it’s really narrow. 

After stopping at the gas station to fuel up and to check the tires, we left Manila at 1030AM and arrived in Moon Garden at around 12NN.  That was on a Sunday and on a leisurely pace.

I’ve noticed that there were only 2 other vehicles parked when we got there, which I think is a good sign, that means, the place is not full.  There were no signs on where the reception area is so we took the nearest concrete stairs we can find, we mistakenly turned left after the stairs and followed the path leading to one of the casitas.  So after backtracking, we found the main hall, there were no front desk, it was just a common hall where guests usually dine. We were greeted by Bong, whom I’ve communicated with days ago for our reservations. Before leading us to our casitas, he had us choose our breakfast for the following day. 

Food:  We initially planned to have bulalo for lunch at the Mahogany Market but upon seeing the menu, I suggested to stay in Moon Garden and try their food.  That decision actually turned out well.

Lunch: Fish & Chips (P240) and Paksiw na Conchinillo  (P260) both were served with a siding of pickled vegetables.  That was the best fish and chips I've had!

• Breakfast (Day 2): Homemade Corned Beef and Crispy Adobo Flakes both came as free for the overnight rate that we’ve paid for.  Breakfast was served with a kettle of kapeng barako, their own fruit shake, pickled vegetables and fresh fruits. I love the chunkiness of the homemade corned beef! I don't usually go for fried rice because I'm not a fan of garlic, but the fried rice they served was also really good, I actually finished mine (I usually just eat half a serving).

Accomodation:  This is what actually sold me out to trying Moon Garden.  Their rooms, which are called casitas, are comfortable and spacious.  Casitas are individually scattered in the area which gives guests some privacy.  You have to be intimate to share a casita since the bathroom do not have doors.

• Queen sized bed, 4 huge soft pillows, soft and comfortable mattress, warm comforter.
• Ceiling fan. No AC, but with the Tagaytay climate, who needs AC?
• Cable TV 
• Cabinets and rustic armoire plus a long table
• Hot shower
• Abundant fresh towels
• Basic soap, shampoo and toilet paper  
• Their own version of a bay window

Mosquitoes are nasty at night since well... it’s a garden.  If you plan to hang out in one of the gazebos, slather on some repellant and bring a blanket if you can, who know’s you might even fall asleep to the croaking of the frogs and the sweet sound of the crickets.  

Budget:  Now this little vacation cost more than the usual  "weekender" however, it is a worthy splurge. 

• Gas - PHP1000
• Toll (Sta. Rosa Exit) - PHP175
• Casita (overnight w/ free breakfast for two) - PHP3000
• Lunch - PHP500
• Coffee (Bag of Beans) - PHP390
• Dinner - PHP150
• Toll (Coastal) - PHP24

If you're wondering what we had for dinner...  we went to 711 and bought siopao and a can of pork & beans.

Tips:

• Make your reservations ahead of time especially if you are going on a weekend, you can email them at moongardentag@gmail.com or send an SMS to Bong at 0939 913 9097.
• If you prefer to be “alone” I highly recommend going there on weekdays or maybe do a Sunday-Monday like we did.
• MGT is awesome at night. Despite how tempting it is to stay in bed, I strongly encourage you to explore the garden at night.
• Get to know the plants and flowers around... including the bugs and the insects.
• Look for that pretty cat we saw, who stared at me and allowed me to take a picture. 
• Enjoy the whimsical figurines, statues, and what-nots scattered all over the garden.

If you are looking for activities, there’s none… and that added to the charm.  No pools nor ziplines.  I went there to reflect on what’s happening with my life, read a book, have good conversations… Moon Garden gave me that.  Although I did not go far with the pages of my book because I almost always fall asleep after a few sentences read, the experience brought me to a world where I can say that life is indeed beautiful. 

Yeah, I am posting this entry… to pay it forward. Afterall, they say, happiness comes easily when you give it away.

....
Just before we left we had a chat with Peter, who owns the place, apparently Ayala Land is developing the adjacent lot... which is a shame because it will definitely ruin the view, the silence and the rustic charm of the place.  :(

Sagada Love!

For an overdue "away-from-city-life" escape, I went to Sagada with some friends a few weeks ago.  It's not my first time in this shangri-la but in a lot of moment, I'm still left in awe.

Getting There:

• Cable Tour Bus (MLA-Bontoc) - 12 hours, P650/pax, you can find them along E. Rodriguez Ave, QC.  It's quite tricky finding their terminal, it's inside a compound between St. Luke's Hospital and Trinity College.  Ask around, if I didn't I would be able to find it AT ALL.  I love it that the bus is air-conditioned yet I can open the windows so I can take pictures. Buses leave at 830PM daily. Contact them: 09185216790 / 09282305330.

• Jeep (Bontoc - Sagada) - 45mins, P50/pax, ask around where you can find these jeeps as they don't really have a terminal. We wanted to ride topload but the jeep loaded sacks of cement & rice so we decided to stay put in our seats.

Stay:

• George Guesthouse - P200/pax per night - private toilet/shower, hot water, free wifi, tv. Cheap! :) We made reservations prior to our arrival which I highly recommend that you especially if you are going in a big group or during peak season. Contact #: Teodora +639185480405 or Irenius +639206070994. 

Eat: 

• Bana's Cafe - all breakfasts were taken here.  Food is great and we adored their homemade bacon! Average cost per meal - P80-P150.

• The Yoghurt House - I love this restaurant when I first visisted Sagada back in 2004. I wasn't that impressed this time - service was really slow and food was just so-so.  I still love their yoghurt though.  I had the one with banana & muesli, K had strawberries... we mixed them together. I'm a big yoghurt fan, so I'm happy.

• Vincent's Cafe - first thing you'll notice here are the paintings on the door and a mural on the wall.  Those were done by Russel who we were able to share a couple of beers with. Had a very relaxed, fun, and cozy feel.  We met new friends here since the place is very conducive for conversations. We were the only Pinoys when we went there. Very global, we made friends with Russel (Canadian), a British guy and two Aussie girls. Order the fish & chips!

• Lemon Pie House -  hands-down, my favorite! It's very homey, coffee (P30/cup) is good and pies (P25)are cheap yet very yummy.  Free wi-fi and stories from Ate Loida. This place is really love.

  Coming Back:

• Lizardo Bus Line (Sagada-Baguio)  - P220/pax, approx 6-7 hours, last trip leaves Sagada at 1PM.  This part is a blur to me (and to my friends) - reckless driver, highest highway in the Philippines (Halsema Highway), and super thick fog. Such a shame because the view in Halsema was really great but we weren't able to enjoy it since we were busy holding on to our seats. Driver drives really fast, takes the counterflow lane even on blind curves, and ignored our not-so-silent gasps. Hmp. Will not recommend this bus line - at all!  Just take the Sagada-Bontoc-Banaue-MLA route.
• Victory Liner (Baguio-MLA) - P460, 7 hours. Leg room, comfortable seats, deep sleep. 'Nuff sleep. :)

These are just the basics.  Will blog about our activities next time. Sagada is really LOVE. :)

***click on pictures to enlarge

Anawangin Cove, San Antonio, Zambales

Karen and I went on an-all-girls get-away last January.  Actually, it was just the two of us and we braved to go camping in Anawangin, Zambales. It was a low-cost yet super fun trip.

 

We didn't get to pitch our own tent since aside from having no confidence in doing so, our boatman, Kuya Arnold and his buddies volunteered to do it for us (yeah, what could two tiny girls do).  Kuya Arnold was also protective enough, knowing that it's only gonna be Karen & me, to get us a spot near the sari-sari store so the Manang can keep an eye on us in case the other campers get too 'rowdy'.

After settling out stuff in the tent and arranging a pick-up time with Kuya Arnold the following day, Karen & I went roaming around the forest at the back of the camp site. I was honestly disappointed that the river was dry when we were there. It would have been nice to wade through the cool river water. Before the mosquitoes could get to us, we took pictures with our twin Kiss X3.  Toyed with exposures, apertures and shutter speeds and pretended that we know much about photography. :)

What's for dinner? A loaf of bread, cheese spread, pork & beans and my left over chow fan. We didn't get stuff that needed cooking since we were... no excuse, we didn't want to bother with cooking at all.  We planned to sleep early so we can roam around the cove early the following morning and take more pictures.  

We eventually got invited to join a group of campers - we saw them doing some fire dance so we went to check them out so we can take pictures. They were too kind to invite us over when they knew that it was only Karen & I.  They taught us some photography tricks and had us join their bartending 101. Thanks to Chef Janjie, Nano and the girls. :)

Anyway, this is how the logistics of the trip looks like: 

What	Details	Cost	Duration	Remarks
Pasay-Olongapo	Victory Liner	P220/each (P440/roundtrip)	4 Hours	You can opt to take a bus bound for Iba and get off at San Antonio;   You can go to Victory Liner station in Cuba/Caloocan.
Olongapo-San Antonio	Victory Liner (non aircon)	P41/each (P82/roundtrip)	1 Hour	Skip this if you are taking a direct trip to Iba.
San Antonio-Brgy Pundaquit	Tricycle	P30/each (P60/roundtrip)	15mins	Feel free to haggle with the tricycle driver.
Pundaquit-Anawangin (and vice-versa)	Boat	P1000/boat (roundtrip)	30mins	Good for 2-3 pax; Highly recommended - Kuya Arnold (09208289226 - tell him you got his # from Jimi); Be prepared to get wet since waves can get wild - waterproof all valuables and gadgets;  if you are staying overnight, make sure to arrange time of pick-up with your boatman. No network signal in Anawangin.
Overnight Fee	Caretaker	P100/pax		This is to cover for keeping the cove clean but doesn't mean that you can leave your trash around.
Tent	c/o Boatman	P300/tent		Good for 2-4 pax; You can opt to bring your own tent.
Gasera	c/o Caretaker	P50/lamp		You can opt to bring your own rechargeable lamp - safer and  caretaker only have a limited # of lamps to rent out.

The following day, although we didn't get to wake up as early as planned, we were still able to climb the nearby rocky hill to the view deck where we got to see how wonderful the cove was.  We almost got lost because the cogon grass and the baby bamboo plants along the trail are almost as tall as us. We still had so much fun though - gasgas and all. :)  When we got back to the campsite, Check Janjie had some breakfast for us. Spoiled! :)

Staying in Anawangin by ourselves did not prove to be scary since there were a lot of other campers and I think most people were there with a mind set to be in a harmonious union with nature.  I think, even going there alone is not a bad idea at all.   

Some random tips: 

• If you are going in a group, you can split up the cost for the rentals of the boat, tricycle and tent. 
• Send an SMS to Kuya Arnold ahead of time to make sure that he is available (especially on peak months) 
• Wear life vest at all times during the boat ride; the ride can get very rough (not exaggerated at all, ask Karen) 
• Always waterproof gadgets/valuables 
• Don’t bring too much food.  Bring only what you can consume since this will add up the weight of your baggage; There’s a grocery store right inside the Victory Liner terminal in Olongapo, you can get your supplies there. 
• There’s a small sari-sari store in Anawangin, but prices are steep 
• It can get really chilly at night, bring thick night clothes or better yet, bring a human blanket.
• There are two water pumps, but water is not potable; Bring your own drinking water. 
• There are three comfort rooms and 2 dressing rooms; if you are going to do your thing, wake up early to avoid the long queues. 
• You can arrange a side trip to Capones  Island (see the Spanish-era lighthouse) or to Camara Island (will incur additional charge and depending on how big the waves are). 
• When you are in Anawangin aside from enjoying the swim, you can also explore the river at the back of the campsite or climb the view deck at the far left side of the cove. 
• Make friends and meet new people. :)