The Mix-up That Went Right

Credits: Template from Crystal; Paper from LivE URAwesome kit.

A miscommunication that had us staying in Pili, Camarines Sur for 2 nights was not such a bad thing after all. The plan was to stay at Gota Village in Caramoan all the way but when I inquired for rooms on the Gota Village Resort link at the Caramoan website, I assumed that it was for the resort and wasn’t very specific, but apparently the inquiry went to the Provincial government (which operates both CWC and Gota Village Resort) and we ended up with a 4-nights reservation at the wakeboarding domain, a more popular destination I suppose. Not exactly our idea of a Christmas break and owing to low season, Gota (thankfully) wasn’t full and we managed to change our bookings right there and then. We just had to stay the night because the ferry to Caramoan had already left for the day. No problem, we’ll take what we have and make the most of it. A blessing in disguise, I would like to think as we also found out from the CWC staff that we will not make our flight if we don’t spend our last night at CWC, so we ended up staying 2 nights each in two places. Being flexible is less stressful, don’t you think?

CWC stands for Camsur Watersports Complex, the watersports park that made wakeboarding the new thing among the youth and a new haven for adventure sports enthusiasts. The park was designed for wakeboarding, water skating and waterskiing with a 6-point cable ski system towing the wake boarders all day and all night.

The pool and the massage huts with Mt. Isarog in the background.

The government-operated park has hosted many competitions placing the Philippines on the water sport enthusiasts’ map. Once considered a disaster-stricken province due to typhoons that struck them through the years, Camarines Sur or now more popularly known as CamSur has steadily risen to be among the top ranking tourists destination, even hauling the most tourists’ arrival in the Bicol region, outperforming Albay, where one can find Mayon Volcano.

We were given 2 wood cabins on a cul-de-sac at the Villa Del Rey – all pre-fabricated from China, I heard. The wood cabins gave a cozy feel of the mountains and is so conducive to curling up in one corner and read.

After all, we were there to take a much-needed break from the crazy Christmas season and weather didn’t help much as well. But the adventurers that we are, we still found some time to explore a bit of the nearby places.

More of Camsur coming soon.

Posted on April 17, 2011April 18, 2011 by Jenn 3

Simple & Low-Key

Credits: DID Lesson 2 papers — camp stripe, orange stripe, plain jane, splendid fiins notebookdots 03, thursday b, 08, 02; Elements — Crystal Wilken’s SVC stitch, flea market brads, heat yellow strips, ikari’s urawesome gray stitches, LivE S$S Twill 2 Delight, ricrac orange

Sometimes the best places are obscured in simple low-key settings… like this Italian-style pizzeria in a Total Gas Station along the National Highway at Barangay San Rafael. Who would have known that one could find great pizza in Laguna and in a gas station to boot?

Came highly recommended by Boots Alcantara of Casa San Pablo, we set out to search for this supposedly good find. Orders are taken at the convenience store and one can choose to dine inside the store (a small corner is set up like a bar facing the station) or al fresco just behind the store.

The crust, for me, is what makes or breaks a pizza and this definitely made their pizzas – thin and crusty baked in a wood-fire oven. The toppings, with special mention to their Pesto, Pepperoni and Margherita, have just the right amount of ingredients, the cheese and the sauce not drenching the crispy texture of the crust.

They’re pasta, likewise cooked al dente with me favoring their Bolognese.

Gone before we knew it!

La Pizzeria made such an impression when we had a slice each of they’re Pesto pizza some years ago, I made sure to have a meal there when I found myself back in San Pablo last year. It still did not disappoint and my meticulous friends continued to be wowed.

Right after lunch and before heading home, we stopped by to bring home some local treats.

El Mare’s buko (coconut) and chicken pies are popular food to take home with you to remember San Pablo by.

Both pies had fillings filled to the brim, the crust – flaky definitely deserving the thumbs up.

Posted on April 12, 2011April 25, 2011 by Jenn 3

The Potter, His Home, His Food

Augusto Bigyan, a once upon a time accountant turned potter extraordinaire, landscape artist and a wonderful cook is someone I used to visit a lot when I needed some inspiration. Just to be in his wonderful place is enough to replenish my juices. I’ve known him since the late ‘90s, and this post is close to my heart because although I haven’t been as frequent to visit lately, he has remained my favorite potter and his place still a preferred respite after all these years. The workshop and residence of Ugu, as he is fondly called, is still the best (but not so) kept secret (anymore) of Quezon.

He’s works are mostly functional pieces — dinnerware, decorative tiles, accent pieces such as these vases, bowls and plates.

Last November during a joint birthday celebration with some friends, I suggested that we take the Viaje del Sol route and have lunch at his place. I wanted to take them somewhere I consider special and wow them. As most have never been there. It worked. They were more than wowed. They shopped till they dropped too.

Ugu, the prolific humble artist that he is, slowly started transforming his home into this wonderful haven of art in the ‘90s. The first time I stepped foot here, his garden was mostly talahib (tall weeds or grass) still, with just a few Balinese inspired cabanas and simple but tasteful wooden furniture to speak of. Today, clusters of cabana with the same tastefully laid-out furniture occupying a bigger lush landscaped garden with his masterpieces thoughtfully dispersed all over.

They started serving meals since way back because after a 3-hour drive, you’re hungry and there aren’t any place to have decent meals anywhere near. And his is more than just decent. I remember going there craving for his dishes as much as wanting to get a piece or two of his latest works.

Ugu’s other passion is cooking and he is equally talented in that area, serving up creative dishes with simple, appetizing flavors of a home cooked meal. Lunch is a fix set depending on what’s in the market the day before.

So go out of your way to visit this wonderful haven at the outskirts of Tiaong. I guarantee that you will leave the place so full of inspiration, if not a whole bayong (bag) of pottery goodness and a happy tummy. 😉

Getting there:

The first few time would be a little tricky and hopefully they don’t tear down my one and only landmark… here goes:

From SLEX, go all the way to the end going towards Lucena. You’ll see a junction when you reach Sto. Tomas, take the left road still going towards Lucena. Driving along the National Rd., take the right road (which is the National Rd. as the left road will take you to the town of San Pablo) when you hit the junction at San Pablo. When you hit Tiaong, just follow the road till you see a Rural Bank on your left, passing the market and the municipio. Turn left at the small street just before the faded pink building (my landmark), which is the Rural Bank, a few meters after you hit Km98. You will pass a railroad track, continue driving till you see “Alvarez Village” and “Alavarez High School” signs, make another left on that road. You will hit a Mexican looking terracotta house. That’s Ugu’s.

Address: Alvarez Village, Brgy. Lusacan, Tiaong, Quezon

Other useful info:

1. They usually go on sale 3 times a year:

During Pahiyas Festival (May 15)
On his birthday (August 14) – the discount always matches his age.
Year-end sale (1^st week of Oct)

2. Call in advance or you won’t be served any lunch, they only market enough for a day’s worth.

Telephone: +6342-545-9144

Posted on April 5, 2011April 25, 2011 by Jenn 7

Vivere Azure: An Oasis of Calm

Every now and then this good friend of mine and I would spend a weekend together… just the two us. So one weekend in September, having just emerged from a harrowing few weeks, my friend S wanted to veg-out somewhere away from the metro. Being a good friend and someone who hardly pass up a chance to any kind of adventure (kaladkarinin in filipino hee hee! :-D), I agreed to keep her company. At the recommendation of a mutual friend, we booked ourselves a room at Vivere Azure.

A refuge, I call it, just 2-1/2 hours away from Manila, this premier deluxe resort is found in the sloping hills of Anilao, an excellent dive location thriving with divers and tourists alike.

Reception Area

The unassuming entryway from the road, as with many of the resorts in Anilao, does not do justice to the place but once inside the gate, we were transported to an oasis of calm. It seemed like we had the whole place to ourselves. Warmly welcomed by very gracious staff complete with a welcome drink, we were ushered to our room.

Clockwise: Inside, the balcony, the beach just a few steps away from our room, the view

The Cobalt Room albeit a bit snug was well appointed and very comfortable. We oohed and we aahed over our room and the splendid view it afforded us.

The Presidential Suite

The bar

Then we oohed and ahhed some more as we walked through the entire resort. I liked it that the resort even had a sandy beach to speak of (a rarity in Anilao) and that our room was just a few steps away from it.

The rate per head (P6,500) is inclusive of 5 meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner plus 2 snacks.

The cozy dining area overlooking the sea was where they serve lunch and dinner. The breakfast area was a different area closer to our rooms and the beach.

Our lunch was pretty impressive and satisfying – a good sign that we will be enjoying our meals here (and we were not disappointed). After lunch we decided to enjoy the pool, which was not quite “infinity” but close enough.

A great way to enjoy the view and the sunset

The pool and the loungers were extremely de-stressing; I was in slumber land as soon as my head hit the lounge.

The following morning, I decided to go snorkeling. They supposedly have a beautiful house reef. For Anilao standards, it could be better. I think Dive ‘n Trek has a better house reef. But overall, I was pretty impressed and for a non-diver, I think the reef was acceptable. The thing that totally won me over though was the pampering – impeccable service, I tell ya! It’s like having a very discreet butler at your beck and call.

I frequent Anilao but hardly splurge on a resort as my main goal always was to go diving. Not this time. Our goal was to do nothing. Besides, S is not a diver and Azure, although can arrange dive trips through their affiliate dive centers, is technically not a dive resort.

Our farewell snack — turon à la mode (fried banana roll)

That September weekend, I got acquainted to a whole new Anilao. So was it worth the splurge? I say yes but don’t take me word for it, go book yourself a room. 😀

Getting There:

Other Useful Info:

Km. 108 Barangay Aguada, San Teodoro, Anilao, Mabini, Batangas

Contact Nos.: (632)771-777 or +63917-843-0912

Email: info@viveresuites.com

Posted on December 16, 2010September 3, 2012 by Jenn 4

Chilling in Sta. Ana

Yeah. It’s a long ways just to chill I know. But A and our good friends convinced me to go all the way to Cagayan Valley so that I can spend some down time with them away from the hustle and bustle of my town that is Manila.

But what really convinced me was the surprise birthday party planned for our dear friend J. And so I obliged and found myself on a bus one August evening en route to Tuguegarao. A 10-hour bus ride had me arriving at 7am the following morning. After breakfast and a bit of a rest, I was soon off again with the gang on 3-hour drive to Sta. Ana.

Not knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised when we reached the unpretentious entrance that lead to a simple structure,

that is the resort’s reception lobby. Located at the northeastern tip of Luzon, in a 7-hectare waterfront of Cagayan Valley facing the South China Sea,

Cagayan Holiday & Leisure Resort provides

112 spacious villas,

a seashore swimming pool,

a Spa and Holistic center and a fine dining Chinese Restaurant.

Our ocean front villa came with a private pool where we of course spent most of our time chilling.

Each of the 17 ocean front villas has 5 bedrooms with its own bath and albeit not to my taste is fully furnished and in fairness, tastefully designed. The kitchenette does not really allow for real cooking but we had a feast just the same.

We bought most of our food from the local market and for a fee, asked a restaurant — JnJ Seafood Restaurant along the highway — to cook for us. We had a feast. A seaside town, Sta Ana is known for sweet, inexpensive crabs and lobsters, which suffice to say, was the highlight of our stay.

News of disgruntled residents somewhat taints this Chinese owned resort in the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZF) area — they are accused of employing many Chinese citizens offering less opportunities to the locals. There were undeniably Chinese-speaking employees working alongside Filipino employees during our visit, perhaps to cater to the mostly Chinese tourists billeted at the resort. This town was once only known for game fishing without much facility, it is today attracting tourists from Hong Kong and China, mostly gamblers. The resort complex is really known for its casino but if gambling is not your thing, there is the spa and some watersports facilities such as jetskis and kayaks that can be rented.

The beach however does not boast of the same esteemed white sand of many Philippine beaches.

The sunset though managed to get my seal of approval. 🙂

If you are in the area and only if you are, I’d recommend that you check them out.

Posted on December 5, 2010December 7, 2010 by Jenn 11

Sulyap

Credits: Template by Jen Caputo’s ckapr08; Papers by LivE Designs Sing 4 Spring paper kit (PP4, PP6 and SP6)

A weekend road-trip just before it ended was capped by a wonderful lunch at a café oozing with charm. Highly recommended by Jorge and Amor Bondad (of Sitio de Amor), we headed to Sulyap Café and Art Gallery before heading home.

The café is a 2 story Spanish colonial house transported from Quezon and restored piece by piece at the Cocoland compound.

Gorgeous ceiling detail

Lovely window details, a trademark of the old Spanish houses — overlooking the gallery.

Did I say charming inside and out?

Clockwise: Enseladang Pako (Fiddelhead fern salad), Sinigang na Liempo, Banana crepe, Kulawong Puso ng Saging (an original recipe of San Pablo city).

And the food… quite good and could merit a return in the future.

Across the café is the art gallery, which had pieces in various sizes, from furniture to plates and other collectibles. This building used to be the Cocoland Hotel before proprietor Rommel Empalmado bought the compound. He also recounted that prior to it being a hotel, it was a South Luzon College, which explained the school-like structure.

He also disclosed that when he was restoring the old house, being a lover of anything old, he’d use to take a peek (sinusulyap – sulyap in Filipino) and admire the unfinish house from a window of the gallery across, hence the name Sulyap. Quite an endearing story, me thinks.

Rommel is currently building a bigger house in the other part of the compound, this time a bed and breakfast that he hopes to open by December – so watch out for this new lodging alternative in the Viaje del Sol circuit.

Definitely a gratifying end to our weekend getaway.

Getting There:

On the Maharlika Highway coming from Manila on the way to San Pablo, you’ll hit a fork, take the left road (that’s Colago Ave.), which would take you off the highway and lead you to San Pablo proper. You’ll come to an intersection with a stop light (Puregold Supermarket should be on the right corner), turn left on Cosico Ave. Turn left 2 or 3 streets after (there should be a sign of Sulyap on the right that points to the street where you should turn). The road will lead to the gate of the Cocoland compound.

Sulyap Cafe and Gallery

Brg. Del Remedio, Cocoland Compound,

San Pablo, Laguna

Tel no: (049)562-9740 / 582-9735

Posted on November 29, 2010November 30, 2010 by Jenn 5

Of Preservation and Livelihood

We were running late, directions given were not very clear and so we took a wrong turn and ended up in Sampaloc Lake.

Sampaloc Lake taken from the balcony of Tahanan ni Aling Meding on a previous visit.

When we finally arrived at Sto. Angel, we saw our friends waiting by the roadside. We turned into a parking lot and hurriedly parked, exchanged pleasantries and off we went, following Mang Tano, on a short trek as lunch was waiting for us.

It was an easy trail and about 15 minutes later, the trail revealed a blue-green lake that is quite captivating.

There were rafts positioned at the banks, one of which was reserved for us. One can book with Aling Sion, Mang Tano’s wife a tour of the lake for P180 and if you add another P180, you get to enjoy a delectable lunch of

Clockwise: Ginataang hipon, buko juice (coconut juice), pako (fiddlehead fern) salad, grilled tilapia.

pako salad, grilled tilapia and ginataang hipon (shrimps in coconut milk), all caught from the river and cooked fresh.

All meals are prepared by the fishermen’s wives which make up the Samahang Mangingisda sa Lawa ng Pandin (loosely translates to “Association of the Fishermen of Lake Pandin”). The association was established as part of a preservation effort and at the same time help the residents earn a little bit of income on the side with the wives attending to the tourists.

With the help of Mandy Mariño, the fishermen’s wives organized the “Tour of the Pandin Lake” personally paddling the rafts.

Today, it is the most pristine of the 7 lakes of San Pablo. Although there is nothing much of the tour, it just takes you around the lake, stopping at a short uphill trail that leads to clearing where one can take a peek at its twin, Lake Yambo.

Yambo’s name was derived from its famous lengend of 2 lovers, Yambo and Pandin.

Both lakes are teeming with tilapia, carp, catfish, milkfish, shrimps and snails.

They are also suitable for swimming but just to avoid the hassle of changing afterwards, we skipped it and just enjoyed the lake, the company and the delightful lunch.

Note: This tour is likewise part of the Viaje del Sol route.

Getting There:

Along the National Highway going towards Lucena, you’ll reach a fork somewhere along San Pablo, take the left. This will lead you to the town proper. Go all the way till you reach the city hall, go pass the rotunda until you reach Sto. Angel. Watch out for a sign. Ask around if you don’t see the Lake Pandin sign that would lead you to a parking lot. The residents are very helpful and will point you to the right direction.

Contact detail:

Aling Sion

0929 9789565

Posted on November 27, 2010November 28, 2010 by Jenn 3

Fresh from the Tree

Credits: Papers by LivE Designs – UNR Grassy Sky and Lily Lines from the UNR_Naturally Free kit and PP2 from the Sing4Spring Paper Kit; Elements – Birdoodle, Brad set of 4 and Frame 1 from the Sing4Spring Elements kit.

I am not particularly fond of rambutan, at least not in the same level of fondness I have for lychee and longan – rambutan’s close cousins. But one glorious day I was given some that was fresh from the tree and it has gained a few notches on my gustatory scale.

This tropical fruit indegenous to Malaysia is a hairy bright red oval fruit about the size of a small hen’s egg. Inside is a translucent grapelike flesh that is sweet and tastes a lot similar to but slightly acidic than that of the lychee. The pit is what sometimes turns me off. It annoys me much if the outer layer of the seed sticks to the flesh. However after tasting the freshly picked fruit, I found out that a fresh produce does no such thing, and I learned to be less judgmental of the fruit.

July – October is harvest time for these sweet juicy fruit and last August, we were in San Pablo, Laguna for the Rambutan Festival where a kilo can go as low as P20 (US$ 0.50).

On our recent road trip, we checked in at Sitio de Amor, a great place to have fresh rambutans, either by personally picking them from their trees that is sprawled all over their garden or simply have it served right after picking during mealtime.

Our breakfast fare which include scrambled eggs, longganisa (local sausage) and a dried fried fish called Nora Aunor (no kidding!)

Glutinous rice cake topped with cane sugar (panocha) — the best in my opinion.

Sitio de Amor is a sprawling 4.5 hectare landscaped orchard situated near the Maharlika Highway. Nestled between Mt. San Cristobal and Mt. Banahaw,

traversed by the Balanga River feeding into a lagoon where people can choose to take a dip.

Another option is the infinity pool built by the owners of the resort, Jorge and Amor Bondad. A weekend home turned resort, the Bondads are very hands-on in expanding and sprucing up this oasis of theirs. In fact, when in their property, you will chance on Amor working in her garden, claiming the chore to be her stress buster.

Looks like more rooms coming up in the future.

Note: Sitio de Amor is part of the many destinations of Viaje del Sol.

Getting There:

Once you see Jardin de San Vicente along the Maharlika Highway, watch out for a sign that will lead you to the resort.

Sitio de Amor

Km 88.8 Maharlika Highway

Barangay San Antonio

San Pablo, Laguna

For reservations, call: 522-7340 ; 0918-9274346

Email: sitiodeamor@yahoo.com

Posted on November 23, 2010December 7, 2010 by Jenn 6

my adventure odyssey

travel tales, gustatory delights and beyond

my adventure odyssey

Tag: Luzon

The Mix-up That Went Right

Credits: Template from Crystal; Paper from LivE URAwesome kit.

Simple & Low-Key

Credits: DID Lesson 2 papers — camp stripe, orange stripe, plain jane, splendid fiins notebookdots 03, thursday b, 08, 02; Elements — Crystal Wilken’s SVC stitch, flea market brads, heat yellow strips, ikari’s urawesome gray stitches, LivE S$S Twill 2 Delight, ricrac orange

The Potter, His Home, His Food

He’s works are mostly functional pieces — dinnerware, decorative tiles, accent pieces such as these vases, bowls and plates.

Getting there:

Other useful info:

Vivere Azure: An Oasis of Calm

Getting There:

Other Useful Info:

Chilling in Sta. Ana

Sulyap

Getting There:

Of Preservation and Livelihood

Getting There:

Fresh from the Tree

Getting There: