happy that we're here

June 19, 2011

Pandin Lake, San Pablo, Laguna

Contact Person: Mang Tano 0929 9789565

Before the weekend came, I was already doing some research on places we could visit that is just near my friend’s house in Tanauan, Batangas. We were thinking of going to Hacienda Escudero or San Benito Farm over the weekend but ended up having a tour of Pandin Lake instead. It is the most budget-friendly among the three.

We were not expecting much which turned out to be good because we were awed by the simplicity of the place. Yes, simple can be awesome! It’s an idyllic setting for a picnic lunch on a bamboo raft.

I have set a tour with Mang Tano’s wife on Saturday thru text message but it was raining so we had it moved to the following day. She also suggested that we move it the following day so we can appreciate the place better.

Sunday came and the weather was perfect. It was a cloudy day…perfect for a day of having fun under the sun. It only drizzled for a short while when we were having the tour. It was indeed a perfect day for relaxing tour.

boarding the bamboo raft

The fee per head for the tour is Php 175. The optional meal is at Php 175 per head too. We availed of the tour with picnic lunch. We arrived there around 12 noon already. We were fetched by Mang Tano’s wife at the parking area. There’s a short walk going to the lake from the parking area. There were already a couple of groups that had their morning tour and they were pretty much happy as we saw them walk going to the parking area. Some were wet as they swam in the lake. Seeing them even made me excited of what’s ahead.

The lake was beautiful. It was love at first sight.

We were ushered by the female paddlers to our raft. We immediately boarded it and waited for the food.

with my 'bestest friend'

As much as we were excited to have the tour, we were also already hungry. It was a pleasant surprise that the food they prepared were all so delicious. I was not expecting much with the food too. So when I tasted them and found out how good they were, I was really happy! The food they serve are all fresh. Maybe that’s why they tasted good. The tilapia and shrimp are from the lake. You can actually see them on the surface of the water during fish feeding time.

pako salad

I have eaten pako salad in Kusina Salud but this one tasted even better. It has red egg, tomato and onion slices and cheese, if I remember it right.

ginataang hipon

The shrimps are so fresh that they tasted sweet. They are tiny so there’s no need to peel them. Just put them in your mouth and chew! This was my favorite.

pritong tilapia

The tilapia’s meat tastes good too. It doesn’t taste like some other fish from fish pens which tastes muddy.

fresh buko juice

I love it that they serve buko juice. The juice is sweet already that there’s no need to add sugar. The lady paddlers will crack the coconut into half when you’re done drinking so that you can eat the coconut meat.

spring water at the grotto

This was my poodle’s first out of town trip with me. I was so happy I could bring her with me on trips like this. I couldn’t put her down though. Her tiny legs might get caught in between the bamboo slits. I carried her pretty much all throughout the tour.

The lady paddlers follow a rope on the lake in going to the other side. Across the lake is a grotto with a pipe pouring water to the lake. The water is good for drinking and has been tested by UP Los Banos they said. It is spring water.

serenity

The lady paddlers talk quietly among themselves and didn’t bother us. They would answer our inquiries and questions about the place but that’s about it. I personally like that.

very hairy kikay

There were a couple of times that my poodle, Kikay, would want to go down. I have to hold her tightly and carefully so as to avoid any accidents from happening. We were reminded to put on the life vests and avoid going to the sides of the raft while it is moving.

lady paddler

I thought that it would be nice if the lady paddlers sing while paddling. But I figured that it might be hard.

the orange vest

I hate wearing the orange vest. That’s why I have a made-to-order vest in blue. I just don’t like it in pictures. I like wearing a life vest for protection, I just hate the color.

family bonding?

to swim or not to swim

Swimming is allowed in the lake. I was tempted but I decided not to. Maybe I will next time. I will bring my blue vest.

FYI- The lake is so deep, you can go scuba diving. Problem is it’s dark in there.

bangka

pandin's twin lake - lake yambo

After the grotto, the next stop was the pathway up to where we can see Pandin’s twin lake named Yambu Lake. The dirt was slippery because it rained the day before. I was extra careful because I carried Kikay and I couldn’t use my hands to hold on to anything if I lose my balance.

Lake Yambu is big too. I saw more fish cages/pens there than in Pandin. But it’s still not a lot. I think the people here really takes care of the lakes.

chill time under the balete tree

The third stop was under the balete tree. This is where we stayed the longest. This is also the designated place for swimming. The family on the other raft enjoyed swimming. They were in their swimming attire so they really intended to swim during the tour.

bonding time

This was our bonding time. My Kikay and I just chilled under the balete tree. It was truly relaxing.

sweet

My Kikay adores me and I adore her very much too.

muni-muni time

I don’t know if there’s a time limit for the tour but the paddlers just wait for us to tell them if we’re ready to go. We were curious if it’s hard to paddle the raft so my friend tried it. The lady paddlers said that it’s quite easy as long as the water is calm. The water is not that still on our way back because of the wind. They were paddling against the wind so it felt like we’re hardly moving at all. The thing to do is to go closer to the sides where the wind is not that strong.

way back to the parking area

There’s a small toilet that visitors can use for doing number 1 and number 2. You can also change clothes there. You have to get water from a drum for flushing the toilet.

We bought ube and leche flan for pasalubong from a lady selling these sweets in the lake. They were good. Plus, they’re very cheap. I love it that they don’t jack-up the prices and take advantage of the tourists.

We paid the paddlers after the tour. You wouldn’t mind giving them tip money for their great service.

I enjoyed this laid back weekend getaway. I know I’ll be back here again. Perhaps with family members next time.

Bataan

Patrick was the designated driver this time. Norbert took the back seat. It was a first for him since he is used to being the one in charge of driving. We were fetched by Pat and Yob in QC. We exited NLEX at San Fernando where Andy was waiting for us. We ate breakfast at Jollibee care of Andy. It was Andy’s treat for not meeting with us in Quezon City…or as how we call it-”for being late”. Haha! Andy doesn’t want to be late and does not want to smear his record for always arriving on time.

The drive to Dambana ng Kagitingan or Shrine of Valor was smooth. We just followed the signages on the road. The sight of the mountain from afar excited us. We knew that we will be going to that mountain with a cross on top.

There were people who chose to jog going up. We didn’t. My legs are just not up for it. Maybe some other time, I might try it. The winding road that leads to the Shrine is not that long. It took us about 10 minutes or less. There were already a lot of parked vehicles when we arrived. We knew that there were a lot of local tourists that weekdend since it was also Black Saturday (Holy Week).

Shrine of Valor

is that mt. samat?

better to drive than walk

ang kasuy, bow

Andy bought kasuy. It was my first time to see, touch and smell a kasuy. I didn’t taste it.

going up

love in war

ako lang

ako lang ulit

looking at a map

We went inside the museum (picture-taking is not allowed). There were mostly pictures inside the museum but they were enough to bring me to that time when Filipinos experienced such hardship and suffering during the Japanese occupancy of the Philippines. Uniforms, bullets and guns were also on display.

the very long line

There was a very long line of people waiting for their turn to go inside the giant cross. The elevator that brings people to the view hall on top is quite small. We didn’t bother to fall in line to go up.

i was here

From Pilar, Bataan we went to the town of Bagac. It was an easy drive going there since there are signages on the road leading to Las Casas.

After turning left from the main road, the roads become narrow leading to Las Casas Filipinas de Acusar.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acusar

i love old houses

The parking lot is outside the ‘heritage village’. We signed-up and paid for a tour in the reception area inside the heritage village. I initially planned to have our lunch there but we opted to get the tour with snacks at Php850 instead. We figured we can go somewhere else for lunch. We should have just availed of the tour only at Php650. The snacks they served was so not worth the extra Php200.

Since there were lots of guests that time, we also were not able to go inside some of the houses. They are being used by guests so we just looked at them from outside. It would have been much better if we were able to view all the houses from inside. The best time to visit would be during a weekday.

We waited for our tour group to be complete. We used the waiting time for taking pictures. When our guide arrived, we were given hats for use during the tour. There were about 15 pax in our tour group.

LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUSAR

DAY TOUR RATES (New)

PACKAGE 1(set lunch)

PhP 1,200 nett per person

Inclusions:

• Welcome Drinks

• 30 Minutes to 1 Hour Guided Tour of the Heritage Houses

• Entrance Fee and Use of Beach Area

• 1 Lunch, Afternoon Snack, 2 Tetra-packed Juices, 2 Bottles of Mineral Water

• Vicinity Map

• All Taxes and Service Charge

Optional:

Buffet Ihaw-ihaw / Barbeque: add Php 500 nett per person (on top of the buffet package only)

ENTRANCE FEE ONLY PhP 650 nett per person

ENTRANCE FEE WITH SNACKS

Adult: PhP 850 nett per person

Adult and Child 5 years old and up

Child: PhP 425 nett per person

Toddlers – Free of Charge

LAS CASAS FILIPINAS DE ACUZAR

Bo Pag-asa, Bagac, Bataan

Manila Sales Office: Mezzanine Floor Victoria Towers

Timog Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines

Las Casas Sales & Reservations Office:

Telephone Nos.: (+63 2) 332.5338, (+632) 355.3032

Fax No.: (+63 2) 332.5286

(TAKEN FROM THEIR WEBSITE)

reception area (the house)

finally found the one?

second floor museum

shops below and accommodations on top

bestfriends play

mirror image...literally

i like taking photos of myself in the mirror

restored in a different province

The houses are named after the province or town the houses were originally from. It amazes me how they were able to rebuild the houses as how they were originally.

the cagayan house- massage room

gazebo

halo-halo

After the tour, we were given cold towels. I liked that since it was already past noon that time.

We then proceeded to the dining area to have our snacks. We had a choice of halo-halo or chicken sandwich/tuna sandwich. That’s so not worth the Php200 in my opinion.

chicken sandwich

tahanan

bed

calesa ride

cool hats

man-made lagoon

The lagoon and bridge were designed with Filipino mythical creatures such as syokoy and tikbalang. The effect that I wanted to create is that the Syokoy and I are reaching for each other’s hand since I’m his long lost love. Taken in a different angle, they made it appear that I’m holding the Tikbalang’s privates.

time for a jump shot

old UP building in quiapo

After our ‘photoshoot’, we decided to move on to our next stop.

Pawikan Conservation Center

entrance

Pawikan Conservation Center

Purok VI-Aplaya, Nagbalayong, Morong Bataan

Bantay Pawikan Inc.  Nida +63.928.7185721/ Manolo- +63.906.6155546 bantay_pawikan@yahoo.com

Bataan Tourism +6347.2374476/+6347.2374785  tourism_bataan@yahoo.com.

tiny turtle that was hatched that morning

We were so happy to see just even two tiny baby turtles. We were not expecting to see any because they said that there were no scheduled release of turtles that day when we inquired through text message. They actually released more than a  hundred newly hatched turtles early morning that day. The release has to be very early in the morning when the sunlight is not that hot yet.

poised

panic

There were big turtles there and they allow people to hold them. Be careful when carrying them because they flap their flippers and that can hurt your fingers…as what happened to me in the above picture. They are also quite heavy so be very careful in how you hold them so as not to drop them. I guess the turtle and I both got stressed that time. They also might have had too much human touch already that day.

the reproduction cycle

tiny

We headed for Subic after. We were already hungry as we have not eaten lunch yet. It’s time for comfort food…steak! We had our very late lunch at Meat Plus.

my steak

ribs

We didn’t go around Subic anymore. Since we didn’t have dessert at Meat Plus, we had coffee and dessert at Starbucks along West Ave. in QC first before going on our separate ways.

dessert

dessert and coffee treat

I LOVE ROAD TRIPS! When and where would be the next?

original froyo with fresh strawberries, kiwi and mango slices

Banana split, move over. Frozen yogurt is here to stay.

My all time favorite dessert is banana split. I love it so much that I used to make it at home. I’d buy cherries, chocolate syrup, bananas and icecream. But I still prefer ordering it when dining out. I usually order it at Icebergs. It is available not only in icecream shops but also in restaurants such as French Bakers and Kenny Rogers. I like the combination of icecream and fruits especially vanilla icecream and banana. That’s the reason why I liked icecream crepes too. But that was before I fell in love with Red Mango.

My first taste of frozen yogurt was at Red Mango in Trinoma. I just wanted to try it that time. It’s something new plus I personally like yogurt. I used to have a stock of the nestle fruit selections in defferent flavors in our freezer. I like yogurt’s tart taste.

I tried the regular size original flavor with fresh fruit toppings. I chose mango, kiwi and strawberries. I was delighted that they have kiwi as topping because it’s my favorite fruit. The taste of the frozen yogurt was lighter than icecream. It’s not as sweet and it’s a healthier option. I liked that Red Mango retained the yogurt’s tart taste. It’s not too tart but I can still taste it’s tartness. I also like its texture.

After tasting it that day, I became a fan. I was complaining then that how come it’s only branch is in Trinoma (and I’m from the South!) but soon enough they opened branches in malls such as SM Megamall and SM MOA.

I remember wanting to go to Trinoma just to be able to eat at Red Mango. I felt excited when they finally opened a branch in MOA and was there during their first week of opening.

They have two flavors of yogurt- original and green tea. I prefer to have them combined which is called swirl. Aside from fresh fruits, they also have toppings like chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles and cereals. I still prefer the fruit toppings as they don’t mask or overpower the taste of frozen yogurt. aside from fresh fruits, I also like the cheesecake and mochi toppings.

One more thing that I love in Red Mango is their yogurt bowl and spoon. I hope they’d sell them so I can buy one.

large original froyo with blueberries, grapes and almonds

large original with peaches. strawberries and almonds

large original with kiwi, strawberries and grapes

swirl froyo with peaches, kiwi and mochi

take-out cup and dine-in bowl

with ria

I introduced Ria to Red Mango and she loved it!

with girlfriends

I also introduced my former colleagues to Red Mango. I brought them to Trinoma after having dinner at Amici in Megamall (no Red Mango yet in Megamall then). I dragged them to another mall just to taste it.

our tent

Trip date: May 14-15, 2011

We were supposed to go to Cagbalete Island in Mauban, Quezon with two more friends. I already had a room reserved for our group. But since our friend is on her first trimester of pregnancy, they had hesitations already of pushing through with the trip. We don’t want to force them and there will be some other time so we decided to postpone it. But then again, the three of us really wanted to go somewhere so we did plan B. Plan B was formed via a phone conference. I suggested Anawangin and Nagsasa since we have not been there too. As usual, I searched the web for information about Pundaquit. Thanks to bloggers again who shares their travel experiences because I was able to get all the information we need.

This was our second camping trip. Well, it was technically the third for Norbert and I since we joined a camping trip in Magalawa Island after our camping trip in Padre Burgos, Quezon. But that trip was arranged for us because we joined a tour group. Both land and boat transfers were arranged, also the food were prepared for us. The camping trip in Nagsasa was more genuine. We did all the preparations.

This time around, we were more prepared. I borrowed my brother-in-law’s camping stove and I bought butane gas for it. We can finally have a cooked camp meal.

barangay pundaquit

It is easy to drive to San Antonio, Zambales. We used both NLEX and SCTEX. After exiting Subic, we passed by the different towns of Zambales and just followed the signs on the road. By that, I meant not stopping until we see a sign that says to San Antonio.

Upon reaching San Antonio, the town market is on the right. We parked outside the church beside the market. We bought styrofoam coolers and ice to keep our food fresh. We bought a lot.

market

metal bridge

We turned left from the main road to go to Barangay Pundaquit. It’s only a few minutes away and we passed by this tiny metal bridge before reaching it. We started seeing private resorts to the right. And then there were signs on the road for parking. We chose a gated parking lot on the left side of the road. We also got our boat service there. The boats in Pundaquit have fixed rates that are posted so the tourists know how much they should pay. No more haggling needed. We paid 150 pesos for overnight parking.

We asked the boatman if there were already many people in Anawangin. It was summer so we were thinking that the beach might already be littered with tourists. We were right. So we decided to camp in Nagsasa Cove instead. The boat ride will be longer since it is farther than Anawangin. We told the boat man to bring us to Capones Island first before going to Anawangin then to Nagsasa. We paid Php 2300 for the boat arrangement. They will leave us at Nagsasa and fetch us the following day.

finally in capones

Capones does not look impressive from afar. But as we were nearing the island, I was also slowly being charmed by its beauty.

Our walk up to where the lighthouse is erected is quite long. Perhaps because we were walking slowly and taking our time. We did not bring any water with us when we went down the boat. We can only drink after going down again from the lighthouse. It was a lesson learned.

made it to the top

The view from the top of the hill was just magnificent. The ruins of an old building is picture perfect. The lighthouse looks new as it was painted white. The water surrounding the island is beautiful. We were fortunate because we were able to go up the lighthouse. I learned that it’s locked sometimes.

group pic

going up

view from lighthouse

group on top of lighthouse

blue water

the lighthouse

peace!

rock climbing

There was a big group of people going up the hill when we were going down. They were maybe around 30. I was glad that there was just one small group of people when we were on top of the hill. We had intimate moments with the lighthouse. :-) We were also lucky because we don’t have to walk around the island to get to the path to the lighthouse. Our boat was able to dock near it. The other boats were on the other side so they walked very much farther than us.

After saying goodbye to Capones, we went on our way to Nagsasa.  We went to Anawangin the following day instead.

Nagsasa Cove is quite far. Maybe an hour away from Capones. To our surprise, it was also crowded. There were tents everywhere. We pitched our tent to the left side of the camping grounds. We paid 300 pesos for overnight camping (100 pesos per head). The camping grounds is divided into about 4 or 5 sections, each with a different caretaker. Water is not a problem since there is a hose with flowing water. I think it comes from a stream. There was only one comfort room in the camp site we chose. That was a problem since we have to share it with a lot of campers.

beach campers

our nook

The table we occupied is the closest to the washing area. The water hose and drums were at the washing area. Behind us is a shallow stream.

The boys started preparing lunch after pitching our tents. This part of our camping trip is what we enjoyed most. We spent more time cooking than swimming.

These are all the food we cooked during this camping trip.

nilasing na hipon sa coke

pan fried pork with ground peppermill and dried basil leaves

We had shrimps and pork for lunch. I must say that everything really tastes great with pepper. Norbert brought his spices. We have ground peppermill, basil and rosemary.

We only have one pan so we borrowed a small pot from the caretaker to cook rice.

charcoal grilled mussels

pan fried yellowfin tuna

pork spareribs steak

dinner

Dinner was a smorgasbord. We even have wine. We were just not that prepared with the darkness. We don’t have candles this time and I would have prefered the food to be lighted. It’s not really fun eating in the dark.

We were thinking that it might rain that night since we kept on hearing thunder. Good thing it didn’t rain in Nagsasa but it rained hard in Pundaquit.

hermit crab hunting

We discovered that hermit crabs litter the place at night when it’s really dark. There were a lot of them near the stream. I had fun looking for them. It’s like playing hide n seek with them and I’m the it.

light doodling

There is really not many things to do when it’s dark. We tried making light doodles but we sucked at it.

One reason why I don’t like crowds is because I hate noise. There is one group of campers near us who talks like all of them have megaphones. I know that the other campers were just as irritated as I was. It’s not wrong to have fun but be a bit sensitive and mindful of others too. I would have appreciated it if they kept the volume a bit low.

master chef

I was the first to lie down but the last to wake-up. The boys were already preparing breakfast when I got out of the tent. I did not eat this time because I know that my tummy will react with the food early in the morning. There’s always a long line in front of the comfort room and so I didn’t took the risk.

the assistant

everything tastes better with peppermill

chicken

ensaladang mangga

breakfast

Nagsasa Cove’s beauty is in its landscape. We didn’t like the beach but the mountains, trees and shallow stream makes it magical. The scenery is a like a painting.

Here are some of my favorite photos.

stream behind our nook

grayish sand

the branch in the sand

mountains behind

the view

This might be the favorite view of men who go to the beach. And yes, I’m not refering to the sea but to the three ladies in their swimwear.

the boys

girl and boy

bridge 1

water

bridge 2

waiting for sundo

The boat fetched us at 10 am. We were ready to go by then. Andy was not sure if he’s excited or nervous. The reason is because he left his phones in the boat the previous day. He put his Blackberry and Nokia phone in a single case. He attached the phones’ case to Norbert’s vest on our way to Nagsasa from Capones. He was hoping that it is still in the boat and did not fall out of the boat when we alighted from it. We were able to relay the message to other boatmen the previous day. So we were very hopeful.

We were all smiles when we saw one of the boat men approaching us holding the celphone case wrapped in clear plastic. Big thanks to these honest boatmen.

anawangin

We went to Anawangin but did not swim nor stay there anymore. If Nagsasa was crowded, Anawangin was jampacked. The stream in Anawangin is bigger and some were even swimming there.

We went ahead to Pundaquit beach and I realized that the beach there is actually good already. The sand is just the same with Anawangin and Nagsasa. The only difference is the view. There were actually some group of people swimming there.

The boatmen helped us carry our things to the car. We couldn’t go out of the parking lot because a van was blocking our way so we waited for a couple of minutes until they found the driver of the van. We said good bye and went on our way to Subic. We had lunch there at Pancake House. We ordered our comfort foods. I had burger and rootbeer float. What a great way to end our weekend getaway.

I bet our next camping trip will even be better. We are getting better at this.

one box of assorted mochi please

It was love at first bite. I first tasted mochi as a topping of my favorite frozen yogurt. Red Mango has two mochi toppings- dezato and almond. Of the two, I prefer dezato. Mochi is made from glutinous rice. That started my quest in finding a good mochi. I first thought of going to japanese groceries. Then I came across another post of Anton about Mochi. Thank God for bloggers like Anton Diaz. I found out about Dezato Cafe through his Our Awesome Planet blog.

Dezato Cafe is along Hemady Street in New Manila, QC. It’s tucked away from the busy streets and usual hang-out places so it’s no wonder that not a lot of people know about it. They now have a booth in Mercato Centrale at Fort Bonifacio. They sell their yummy mochi there.

my latte

A perfect pair for my mochi is a cup of coffee. But I don’t like their coffee that much. It can be better.

my love

These tiny balls are heavenly. The belgian chocolate inside the mochi balls is just as delicious. There are different kinds of chocolate filling- strawberry, white chocolate, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. We had the assorted box of 12. There are two sizes and we got the bigger size of the two (called bite-size, I think).

belgian chocolate filling

The first time we went there, Norbert and I shared the 12 pieces. The second time, I had the twelve pieces for myself!

date nila

calamares pasta

longganisa pasta

cha yen

We went there for snacks the first time, before heading for Banapple in Katipunan. The second time, we were there for dinner. But I couldn’t care much about the food in their menu. All I care about is their mochi. Plus, we just came from watching Kung Fu Panda 2 and I’m still stuffed with popcorn. The pasta dishes looked okay but I wasn’t able to taste them.

I was just so looking forward to eating my mochi. The pasta dishes were served ahead of my mochi. Well, they were still making them. I think my face lighted-up when it finally arrived on my table. Each bite was delightful. I was in heaven again.

i look thin =)

i already miss you

P.S. I found out that they supply the mochi of Red Mango. No wonder!