Tag: Scenic Jaunts

Picnic In the Woods

We found our spot, laid out the mats, set up the portable table and chairs,

brought out the wine and some snacks, enjoying the open sky, the lovely weather and the great view.

It was a day spent with good friends, can’t ask for a more relaxing time.

We chatted, we slept, we ate (again), and we drank –

a perfect follow through from that wonderful morning trek.

The woods on the way to the grounds.

The Kiltepan viewpoint boasts of great sunrises and most would make their way there before daybreak – a must too, actually.

But before sundown, you’ll get a perfect view of the terraces sans the clouds and the place to yourself.  A great picnic ground for those who refuses to be stressed about getting up at 4AM and prefer to unwind before dinner.   🙂

Posted on by Jenn 8

The Way to Bomod-ok

This looks like an ordinary rice plantation, zoom out a bit and it’s no longer so ordinary.

Zoom out further and you will see why I love trekking to Bomod-ok falls, sometimes called the “big falls”.

The falls can be blah at times – I say this when it’s the dry season and it does not really live up to its name.  Yet, whatever greets you at the end is beside the point… it’s the journey that I enjoy so much.  It starts at the basketball court of Banga-an village passing through several other villages.

The last village, Fedelisan, is where you will have to register and pay a fee of Php 10 to pave and maintain the trail.

I like hanging out a bit at the village, the people are friendly and the kids adorable.

The different trails along the way.

Having walked this trail so many times, I was amazed at how easy it is to navigate through the rice paddies today.

Just another playground for the village kids — running around the “unpaved” path.

I remember having to balance myself as I make my way through the wet rocks that was once the trail.   So methinks Php10 is not asking for a lot with the obvious improvements.  But I digress…

Pass the village is a spectacular view of the Fedelisan terraces – one of my favorite sites, truth to tell.

From here to the falls, you will ooh and aah from the different landscapes along the way except for an eyesore I spotted on this recent trip –

gold mining, I was told.

A couple daring kids running around on their birthday suits having loads of fun.

Once you reach the falls, what will greet you will be tons of people and kids who made the falls their playground.

The falls this time, albeit not the strongest I’ve seen, is a pretty sight.

Swimming is allowed if you dare dip into the freezing water.

Walking through the sceneries makes the 3-4 hour trek (depending on your fitness level) a breeze.

Even this is forgiving once you reach the top.

We always like ending the trek through a village called Aguid because its terraces are just so awesome.  From Fedelisan village, take the right trail to get to Aguid.

Less of the cemented walkway and more of the dramatic twists and turns of the rice paddies.  Awesome… but I said that already.

This halo-halo is different as it has macaroni in it — interesting just because it isn’t as sweet owing to the tasteless pasta.

At the end of the trail is a halo-halo stand.  Gotta have some of those to complete your whole Bomod-ok experience.

We capped our morning adventure with a delectable lunch at Yoghurt House. 

A cozy café in town that serves more than just superb yoghurt.  See why I love it so much here.

Posted on by Jenn 12

Sagada: Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins et al

When we passed this sign, my heart skipped a beat because in just another hour or so, I will be re-acquainted with my favorite town.  The town I want to retire in, I always say.

When I need to de-stress, Sagada comes to mind.  Or when I find myself without a place to go on a long weekend, Sagada comes to the rescue.  But truth be told, I don’t really need a reason to go to Sagada… for more than a decade now, I find myself there just because I miss the smell of pine, the food or the bucolic serenity (as shown here, here and here).

I lost my heart to Sagada some 17 years ago.  Although less rustic than it was then while more and more tourists are seen each year, Sagada remains to be a top choice and a go-to to recharge.

And St. Joseph Inn still is a favorite lodging place. We like the cabins but the rooms are perfectly fine too.

It has become some sort of tradition, if I may call it that, to hangout – finishing a few bottles of wine or beer at the comfort of our cabin.

St. Jo is at the center of town and just a stone’s away from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church,

a charming little church with beautiful stained glass windows built by the Anglicans.

On certain times of the day, the light coming in from these windows makes for a dramatic interior.

Because it takes only a short walk to Echo Valley from St. Jo, we like visiting it as soon as we arrive.

Passed the church is a path that leads to the cemetery

and further along is a dramatic hillside trail to Echo Valley –

attributable to the weather-beaten limestone formations scattered around the forest.

One can hear a very distinct echo at a certain point on the hill hence the name.

At one point, one can see from a distance, coffins hanging from the limestone walls.

A trail will lead to it up close. It is a good warm-up hike to prepare for a longer and more scenic one the next day.

A comforting dinner at Masferré Inn and Restaurant is always a fitting cap to a full day. Named after the owner Monette’s father-in-law, the late Eduardo Masferré – widely regarded as the Philippines’ father of photography.  Half Spanish, half Kankanay, he spent much of his life toiling the farm and photographing the Cordilleras, documenting the now vanishing culture of the ethnic groups of the Ifugao region.

Some of his works are displayed in the dining area.  The Masferré Gallery down the road from St. Theodore’s houses more of his works.

“The description is not the described; I can describe the mountain, but the description is not the mountain, and if you are caught up in the description, as most people are, then you will never see the mountain.”

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Useful Info:

St. Joseph Inn
Contact: Julia Abad
Mobile:  (63) 928-951-7156
Posted on by Jenn 16

Kiangan Side Trip

More like a scrumptious lunch break from the 7+ hours drive from Manila.

It was an eagerly anticipated side trip, a delectable meal guaranteed.

Taken from the 2nd floor:  Left photo — where Dr. Kalugdan entertains while Dra. Kalugdan happily slaves away in her territory that is the kitchen (right photo).

The Kalugdans are perfect hosts.  Their charming house, which they designed themselves, overlooks a fantastic view of the Ibulao River.

We went rafting there once and that was how we got to know them.  Lovely couple.

Kiangan of course is more than rafting and scrumptious meals.  It is also where Nagacadan Rice Terraces, one of the clusters inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, is located.  I have yet to explore this historic town and first on the list is the Philippine War Memorial Shrine – a gigantic memorial shrine commemorating the end of WWII.  It was in Mt. Napuluwan in Kiangan where Gen. Yamashita surrendered so it might be worthwhile to check out the site as well.

Historic town and rice terraces aside, the town boasts of many natural wonders as well.  Ambuwaya Lake is one.  4 km from the town center and is said to be reachable by 4W drive vehicles.  Uttu waterfalls is likewise on my list of must see.   Someday, Kiangan will not be a side trip only.

Posted on by Jenn 2

Abuan Whitewater Adventure

Credits: Papers by CC oh joy yuletide, Chrysanthemum, Crystal Wilkerson Polka dot 08, EP Life is Good;  Border by LivE WWSH Page border; Tag by Crustal Wilkerson SVC tag

We were back at Abuan River the next day and were given the option to be on a raft or a kayak.

As we navigated upstream to where lunch was waiting,

Our lunch (left) and the kitchen crew with Anton and Herbert (right)

I took note of the big rapids to assess whether to go down river alone (on a kayak) or with company (on a raft).

There were easy rapids but there were rough ones as well.  Rough enough to make us get off our banca and walk while the boatmen and guides pushed and pulled.

Few days before the run, the river was high with some strong rapids, which would make for a fun ride on a raft.  On the day of our run, the water subsided quite a bit albeit still strong enough for a fun, challenging ride on a kayak but tamer on a raft hence the choice.

In truth, I am not fond of falling into icy water on a chilly, cloudy day and falling off a kayak is a high probability especially on that one rough rapid so I opted to start the trip downriver on a raft and switched to a kayak when the rapids became tamer.

In between rapids, the water is as gentle and calming as a river can be.  Quite a scenic river, it was easy to appreciate the beauty and serenity of the river and its surroundings.

Many of the locals enjoy the river as much too.

Though it couldn’t conceal the remnants of a recent major typhoon, a result of the abuse done to its forest.

Definitely a great introduction to whitewater rafting and likewise a fun challenge for kayakers with some experience.

Useful Info:

Adventures and Expeditions Philippines, Inc. (AEPI)
Contact Person:  Anton Carag Jr.
Email: anton@whitewater.ph
Mobile: (63)917-5327480
Posted on by Jenn 5

Exploring Abuan River

I am not one to pass up a chance to an adventure so one February evening, I found myself on a bus with 2 other friends, en route to Ilagan, Isabela.  We were to test run an eco-tour package intended to preserve the Sierra Madre forest and wildlife.

Abuan River is located at the Northern Sierra Madre National Park — the widest remaining tropical rainforest in the island of Luzon owing to its rich and diverse ecosystem spanning from coral reefs to beach forests.

For decades the river has been the route of “bugadors” (timber haulers) to transport illegally cut logs from the forest to Ilagan.  To give these timber haulers and their community an alternative livelihood, World Wildlife Fund-Philippines (WWF-Philippines) together with Coca Cola Philippines and the local government of Ilagan identified the river as the next ecotourism destination with rappelling, waterfalls trek, kayaking and even seasonal whitewater rafting as potential activities.

Skillfully navigating our boat through rocks and (sometimes) strong rapids.

Skilled in the river, the “bugadors” were our boatmen, river and trekking guides while their wives were tapped to prepare the food.

Ladies in charge of lunch.

Two hours navigating through the rapids and rocks and we arrived at the start of the trail to Sulimanan Falls.  Getting there was an easy 30 minutes trek that passes through rivers, hills and grasslands.

At the end of the trail lies a 3-tiered falls.

First falls

2nd falls

Pool from the 2nd tier falling to the 1st tier

3rd falls where we had lunch

Getting to the 2nd and 3rd tier required a bit of scaling and bouldering with the help of ropes provided by AEPI, the outfitter tapped to develop the tour.  Lunch was prepared on the 3rd tier beside the falls.

Simple but mouth-watering!

That’s what I call innovation.   🙂

After lunch, the next agenda was to rappel down to the 2nd tier.

Getting into position:  Argel and Herbert — our belayers.

Not exactly my thing, I was not happy to learn of this but with a little prodding, gamely went along with the agenda.

I know that I am gradually overcoming my fear of heights when it took me perhaps only 20 minutes to muster enough courage to just go for the 60 ft. descent with only some distress and perspiration while at it.

S and I rappelling down.

Either that or I am getting better at throwing caution to the wind.

After witnessing a few of my rappelling jitters in the past, A gave me a big hug and told me he was proud of me. Heck!  I am proud of me.   🙂

Posted on by Jenn 10

Rustic Italian in Sausalito

My mom once told my dad while driving around Sausalito that it would be lovely to own a house there — overlooking the marina would even be lovelier.  Gulp!   😯   I want one too.   😛  Its neighborhood oozes with charm, the steep wooded hillside on one side and the water on the other faintly reminds me of the Mediterranean, although Positano it isn’t.

With the wide choice of restaurants from charming outdoor cafes and bistros to chic dining right on the waterfront, this endearing city of Marin County has captivated my heart since long ago.

Yes, the food and the quaintness played a big role in endearing me to this town.

We had a few days to spare before heading home to Manila and we decided that a beautiful lunch in a beautiful city is the best way to spend our last day with our chef-brother and Sausalito it was.

We got a table at Poggio, a classic Italian restaurant at the Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa overlooking the bridgeway and the Sausalito marina.  Chef Paul McNee’s menu featuring Northern Italian classics, changes daily.  Rustic and soulful, he uses local ingredients and prepares nearly everything in-house from cured salami and prosciutto to fresh pastas.

For our starter, we had this beautifully prepared Octopus with Pork Belly confit, frisée, french beans and poached egg.  What an array of texture and flavor.

I had this light potato gnocchi tossed with a rabbit ragout – comparable in taste to our Chicken Adobo and the rabbit taste so much like chicken too.

I wish I had ordered this.  Tagliatelle with crispy pig face.  A winner I tell you, I wanted to devour the whole plate, except that it wasn’t mine.  Imagine large chunks of crispy pork with the fat melting in your mouth.  And the olives and the chilies added more levels of goodness to this excellent dish.

Yes, my trip to San Francisco is indeed a trip full of feasting.  I’m happy to say though that hours of slaving away at the gym during lunch break have helped me shed most of the pounds gained on this trip by now.   😀

Useful Info:

Poggio
777 Bridgeway ,
Sausalito, CA
(415) 332-7771
www.poggiotrattoria.com
Posted on by Jenn 1

The Upside of Being Wimpy!

Credits:  Papers and elements by LivE Designs’ You are Awesome kit — AwwwSome Blue, Color Me Happy and Floral clusters; Frame by Moninda Fall Meditation Frame 4 with shadow.

To finally be on our way to Caramoan was like a project coming to fruition.  This trip was supposed to have happened a decade ago, prevented however by various reasons – the remoteness and the logistic nightmares being some of the major ones.  There were so many other trips so I placed Caramoan in the back burner until Gota Village Resort came about.  Yeah, sometimes I can be a wimp!!  An attempt last summer still didn’t fall through because they were closed for a Survivor shoot.  “Ok, maybe Caramoan really isn’t for us”, I thought.  But late last year, without a plan yet for the Christmas break, I attempted to inquire for rooms and lo and behold, I got an affirmative – but not without a side trip, as you probably know by now.

From CWC, we hired a van and headed to Sabang Port.  At the port, we took this boat so cramped with passengers to Guijalo Port.  2-3 hours later we got into a van provided by the resort and another 30-45 minutes, we finally reached our destination.  Not exactly a breeze but imagine if you took public transport all the way… which would be the case if we had gone a decade ago.  And that, my friends, was the reason this trip only happened now.

Also known as the Caramoan Peninsula, it is a group of islands isolated from the rest of Camarines Sur and like many remote islands, these included, they remain unspoiled by regular tourists.

December however is not exactly the right season to be exploring the islands, the waves prevented us to explore even the island across the resort.

I have to say, this resort is charming!  No beach in sight but as you enter, the wooden cabins and the mountains in the background is an obvious prelude to the charm.

The deck at the reception area allows a peek of the ocean on one side

The cabins from the deck at night.

and the other a bird’s eye view of the cabins.

The dining hall from the beach.

Walk further to the dining hall and you will see the ocean emerge inch by inch and before you know it, right in front of you is a breathtaking view of the ocean and its nearby islands.

It’s like being in the mountains with the beach just around the corner.

As with CWC, the Provincial government of Camarines Sur operates Gota Village Resort, which makes transfers from CWC much easier than doing your own logistics.  In fact, for large groups, one can organize for a fast craft to shuttle you directly to the resort.  It will only take an hour.

It is also said that the resort earned for the Philippines the title of “Ecotourism Destination of the Year” in the 2009 edition of Nature – one of France’s biggest travel fairs.  It was also with France that Caramoan first got its big break.  The French franchise of the reality show “Survivor” chose to shoot one season here.  Many more franchises of the “Survivor” shows followed after that… Sweden, Israel, Bulgaria and Serbia.  And while we were there, they said that they would close again soon to make repairs in preparation for the next ”Survivor” ocular.

The different bridges connecting one tribal council to another.

It is on the adjacent beach called “Gota 2” that they built the different “tribal council” sets.  Not exactly my cup of tea ( I don’t follow this show) but the reality is that they pride themselves of being the favorite of the “Survivor” series… and why not?  Sadly though, they rave more about this when there is so much more to rave about — like their beautiful islands and breathtaking cliffs, perhaps?

Given the rainy season, the crowning point of this trip for me was spending most afternoons enjoying the mountain setting with some wine and cheese (that we brought with us) on our cozy little porch chatting away till dinner called.  Precious.

Useful Info:

Gota Village Resort
Address:  2F Bldg. 11 La Fuerza Plaza Compound,
2241 Don Chino Roces Ave., Makati City
Tel. No.:  +632 817-0831 or +632 710-9086
Mobile:  +63 928-308-3969
Email:  gotavillage@gmail.com or infocamsur@gmail.com
Posted on by Jenn 3

Making Tradition

Birthdays are always a good excuse to get together.  Since we graduated from High School many moons ago, we still keep in touch but seeing each other often is fantasy today, with different lifestyles and priorities as the number one culprit.  Not to mention that 10 in a group means 10 birthdays and busy bodies that we are, it’s complication to the max. Determined to keep the bond, it became a tradition of sort for 5 of us with birthdays close together – if you consider a span of 3 months close – to treat the group to something special, each year transcending to finer and more enjoyable experiences.  It started with extravagant dinners to out-of-town lunches to dinners prepared by a chef to this.

We don’t travel well together.  It’s the difference in travel styles.  That said, the travel planner that I am dared to plan an overnight trip to Laguna and Quezon for the group last year.  They complained – about how far the trip was… that they don’t like airbeds as it is difficult to share the bed… and why were there only 2 bathrooms for 9 of us… fun, isn’t it?   😯

So we had lunch at Ugu’s and so impressed they were, they stopped grumbling about the 3-hour drive.

We then headed to Sitio de Amor, our home for a night.  Again, they oohed and ahhed… until they realized the bathroom and bed situations.  I told them to live with it (for a night).

I have eyed that tree house since I first saw it.  So I booked it.

It had a balcony with seats built all around.

The back of the pool

And beautiful views of the grounds to boot.

A close to perfect setting to gather together and catch up with each other till the wee hours of the night, the only thing is… it had only 1 bedroom which could only fit 4 of us.

Not bad at all.

The rest had to trek back and forth to their room, called Lanzones – a room with a beautiful view of the lagoon that fits 6 and yes, with only 1 bath.   😛

The motley crew before heading back home.

All is well that ends well.  They were happy despite the bathroom and bed dilemmas.  The breakfast was as usual, superb.

Posted on by Jenn 1

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 (1st 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 by Jenn 7