Travel

Laguna for Lunch

April 1, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Welcome to part two of my family roadtrip post! It was one of those days where we all thought it would just be nice to get away for the day, since we were all gonna be home on holiday. So on this day in November, we decided to drive all the way to Calauan, Laguna for lunch. The food was great, we got to go fishing, caught nothing, threw some plates and cups against a wall, and got stuck in the rain. It was a great afternoon. I’m glad my family enjoys doing things like this.

Boiling and barbecuing huge batches of chicken, pork and beef. Yum!

And were entertained by three of the funniest singers we’ve ever listened to.

It was too hot to get out of the hut after we placed our orders, so we just took some photos of each other while waiting for our food to arrive.

The little kid who wanted to go out and run around.

We had steamed rice, snails in coconut milk, lechon manok, grilled liempo, fried calamari, red egg and tomatoes, and shrimp sinigang. Because we were so hungry, we were only able to take photos of the first few dishes that arrived. We were too busy eating already to pull out our cameras once the rest of the food came. Everything was really good. And I mean EVERYTHING!

Shrimp sinigang (sour tamarind broth), my super favorite!

One of the things I like most about Isdaan is there are a hundred and one spots to take a photo op. Silly as it sounds, our family loves taking pictures with statues, monuments and figurines. At Isdaan, they have huge mermaid statues, statues of celebrities and politicians, and a lot of random stuff all over the property.

We finally got to try the Tacsiyapo Wall where you throw plates, cups, bowls, even old clocks and TV sets against a wall to release your anger. My friends and I keep trying to plan a trip up north to try this in the Tarlac branch, but we’ve never pushed through. It was fun, but a little expensive because you have to pay for the stuff that you break.

While the kiddo was fishing with his grandparents, it started to rain. Mr C and I got stuck waiting it out at the pasalubong area. There were a lot of native goodies for sale like garlic chips, peanuts, yema, polvoron, candies, tarts and a lot more. Prices were reasonable. I got to take home two pairs of platform wedges for only 700 Pesos! Apparently, shoe shopping is more fun in Laguna.

I love peanuts with toasted garlic chips!

When the rain finally stopped, we were all extremely stuffed and quite tired from our morning adventure. The drive home was just as pleasant as our drive to Laguna. That trip definitely gave us some much needed, and well-deserved family bonding time. The best part is kids who come to Isdaan get a free balloon and bag of goodies.

Yup, I felt like a little kid right there

Our family summer outing is coming up real soon, and I can’t wait! That’s gonna be a fun vacation for sure.

Roadtripping with the FamBam!

March 21, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Last November, we finally had a holiday where everyone got the day off from work/school, dad decided we should go on a road trip. He led the way in his car with half of the family, and we followed in ours with our own set of passengers. It was a really fun an memorable day, as these photos will tell you. First stop, Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna

My dad, sister, Mr C and the Kiddo actually climbed to the top

Too lazy to climb (Photo by Mr C)

My brother and my mommy

Rocky

My sister

Boyong

After visiting Rizal, daddy led us to Los Banos, and we took a short nature trip around Pook Ni Maria Makiling. I’m pretty open about not being an outdoorsy person, and you can just imagine how anxious I was during this stop. I kept expecting some creature to jump out at me from the jungle.

Mom and Kiddo about to get out of the car

Not my idea of a perfect morning getaway, but what could I do?

At the parking lot, we were greeted by a duck. Notice mom’s face.

Quack quack

Mr C

My sister, with the tree boys in the background

Lolo, Daddy, Baby

Brother in douche-y pose

Rocky

More Rocky

The Kid and I

Husband

Husband again

Climbing up the steep slope

They found these giant kamias-looking things while walking around

Mom and Boyong being goofballs

Tired from all the walking

Donya in the Jungle

For some reason, Rocky thought it would be nice to take a photo in this spot

Copycat


Happy to be heading back to the car!!!

After the Maria Makiling adventure, we were all hungry and excited for lunch. We’ve all been wanting to try out the tacsiyapo wall in Isdaan Restaurant in Gerona, Tarlac. On a recent visit there, dad discovered that they had put up a branch in Calauan, Laguna. Since he couldn’t get over how good the lechon manok in Tarlac was, he thought we should all drive down to Calauan for lunch. More about our Isdaan lunch experience in my next post!

Southbound! vol.2 – A Visit To The Zoo

November 28, 2011 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

The second stop on our Southbound family day trip last November 1 was Residence Inn, Tagaytay. This wasn’t the kiddo’s first time to come here, but the last time we were at this zoo, he was only around 3 years old. He probably has no recollection of his first visit, so this particular trip felt like a fun and exciting first time for the little one. I, on the other hand, get all nervy and squeamish at zoos because I’m not really fond of wildlife, or the great outdoors. I’d even go as far as to say that I’m perfectly content seeing them all on National Geographic. But of course, in the interest of giving my 5-year old an memorable experience, I’m proud to say that I managed to get through most of the afternoon with a smile.

Just finished their photo op with a giant snake

Apart from some pretty birds, the rest of the animals at the zoo actually looked frail and skinny. I really felt bad for them, and I wonder if they are being given enough food and water. A few months back, I had the chance to visit the Ark Avilon Zoo, and the animals there were much livelier than the ones at Residence Inn. I was particularly bothered by the monkeys, tigers and lions, as they looked rather grim.

This bird has better eye makeup than I do!

In my honest opinion, the entrance fees At Residence Inn are ridiculously high. If I remember correctly, we were charged around 250 Pesos per person. Considering the amount of money one needs to shell out to enter, you would think that the animals would look a little more healthy and filled with life.

Anyway, here are a few more photos from our afternoon visit:

We finished looking around just in time for the Animal Encounter and Cultural Show. The Encounter was a lot of fun for the kids who got to experience holding some of the zoo animals. When it was time to call mommy volunteers, one of the ladies tried convincing me to go onstage. I’m glad that I forcefully declined because the mommies were made to carry a giant snake! I would have completely freaked out. Meanwhile, the little guy willingly joined the animal handlers in front when he was called to volunteer. I’m glad that he enjoys learning about animals, and he’s not afraid to get close to them and touch them.

The Kiddo being interviewed during the Animal Experience show

The program culminated with a cultural dance presentation, and you could try to dance the tinikling at the very end. As always, I chose to sit that one out. Yes, I can be boring like that.

These dances originated from the northern part of the Philippines

Residence Inn has other activities too, like zip lining, a restaurant and souvenir shop. So, when was the last time you visited the zoo?

Residence Inn Tagaytay
Km. 65 Barrio Neogan, Tagaytay City
(02) 899- 9828
http://zoomanity.com.ph/2011/03/residence-inn/

Southbound: Cliffhouse Tagaytay

November 12, 2011 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

One day, Mr C, Ate B, the Kiddo and I took off on a roadtrip to Tagaytay. We wanted to make the most out of the long weekend, and so we decided to head somewhere we could just relax and spend quality time together. One thing I really appreciate about living in Alabang is that we are just a few hours away from great vacation spots. Even a simple day trip up to Tagaytay, Batangas or Laguna is enough to wash away day to day stress, and some much needed R&R is exactly what we got on this trip.

We were really lucky that we didn’t hit any traffic on our way, although I was really anticipating clear roads since most vacationers had already left for their respective destinations a few days earlier.

Passing thru Nuvali en route to Tagaytay!

First stop was Cliffhouse for brunch. I had been to Cliffhouse before on an impromptu Tagaytay dinner roadtrip with my family. Of course, in the evening, you don’t get to appreciate the view, so I was really loving the ambiance that morning, even though the skies were gloomy and grey.

Of course, the first thing we did when we got there was take pictures so we’d have a lot of them to share with our relatives abroad. Warning: Photo dump coming up!

We eventually got hungry, as expected. Since Ate Baban hadn’t tried the food at Firelake yet, we decided to eat there.

Braised Australian lamb shank served with saffron-herb risotto, whole roasted garlic and lamb stock reduction (PHP740)

Asparagus and mushroom risotto with home-made sweet fennel sausages (PHP310)

Grilled Norwegian salmon fillet with butter-glazed vegetables, warm couscous salad and Dalandan butter sauce (PHP470)

We were all stuffed after that super yummy meal, but of course, there’s always room for dessert! While the others got scoops of ice cream from FIC, I decided to try Mochiko for the first time. I chose the green tea flavored ball, and while I really enjoyed the ice cream inside, i wasn’t too fond of the sticky rice coating, and I found it pretty difficult to eat.

They look so cute when they’re next to each other like this

Brunch was only the beginning of our Southbound Day Trip. Read part 2 here!

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Firelake Grill Tagaytay
Unit 3 Cliffhouse Tagaytay, Aguinaldo Highway
Lungsod ng Tagaytay 4120
(046) 483 2069 / (0927) 914 4604
http://www.firelakegrill.com

Mochiko
Unit 3 Cliffhouse Tagaytay
Tent 2 Mercato Centrale at Bonifacio Global City
(0999) 884 0624
#/mochikomochi