Chillin’ and Food Trippin’ in Baguio City

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Blessed to have been to Baguio City, several times. As frequents thereof, it is now our normal routine to wait for the other shoe to drop then we are off to Baguio once again. Hashtag official business transaction a.k.a. working vacation 😉

But unlike the many trips we had in the past, in this instance we were impelled to spend the entire weekend seeing the city in a whole different perspective (which for us was a good thing, of course). Sauntering around the city not just once, or twice, or thrice, we know that we are past beyond the limits of being just mere tourists in a foreign land, we have already acquired some sense of familiarity with its terrain and gained insights of the people’s culture. So if there is another side of this lovable city that we are not really acquainted with, it is the life away from the hustle and bustle of the centre, the laid-back life of the countryside.

There are so many access roads that led straight to the Cordillera Region but the more convenient, practical and less expensive route for us Cebuanos is via Pampanga, cheaper fare, less passengers, win-win.

Armed with a sketchy plan and directive from the “boss”, we booked two airline tickets and flew to Clark, rode an Airport shuttle going to Dau Bus Terminal in Mabalacat, Pampanga then embarked into a 5-6 hours bus trip from Dau to Baguio City.

P-rsonal Notes

AirAsia provides cheaper fare most of the time
There is an 11 o’clock Genesis Bus that traverse Baguio City directly from Clark International Airport but if you are conscious of your time and absolutely dread waiting, better proceed to Dau Bus Terminal where buses plying the same route leave every hour
Airport shuttle costs Php100 per person
There are only two (2) bus stops during the entire trip and there are no portable toilets inside the Bus unlike the other Buses going to Laoag and Tuguegarao

If there is one thing I both love and hate in Baguio City is its cold weather. If the bus’ temperature from the inside suddenly drops without maxing out the overhead aircon’s capacity, then welcome to Baguio CIty. Unfortunately this time it was intensified by a low pressure area and an impending typhoon ravishing the country with heavy rains and a bit of thunderstorm.

The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay

With all the non-stop downpour that rendered most roads invisible, we came to a realization that we are indeed bound to spend all the nights of this trip in the Summer Capital of the Philippines. After hours of discussions and weighing the pros and cons of our options, we decided to book a room in one of the best looking hotels there is in the area, the Forest Lodge.

Though The Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay is more or less 6km. away from the centre (checked google and it’s 5.8km from Baguio City Hall), we convinced ourselves that we had to make the most out of our time and lavish ourselves with luxury. Take note: “affordable luxury”.

What I love about the Forest Lodge is that it looks expensive, appears expensive, and caters to expensive palates but their superb service and splendid rooms are offered at a very reasonable price.

One room is complete with basic amenities including cable tv, telephone, toiletries, linens, bidet, YES BIDET and it has the best bar in the area I must say and dressing room. But what truly made our stay more enjoyable are the lovely staff who we commend their friendly attitude and excellent service, especially our room boy Mark.

To boot, the kind of peace and comfort the hotel provides is like no other. It provides solace from a fast paced life and a much needed escape from reality. This whole experience for us is undeniably our unexpected holiday while on duty.

P-rsonal Notes:

Agoda provides cheaper rates all the time
The Forest Lodge rooms have bigger floor area than most of Baguio’s hotels, pension houses and transient homes
The Forest Lodge is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (P-Approved!)

Le Chef by Chef Billy King

We had to not miss the opportunity to try Chef Billy King’s creations in Le Chef located just inside the Forest Lodge. I’ve heard the name of Chef Billy King for so many times through our local tv channels and to be his customer, food critique and taste his food up close and personal is truly an honour. We tried his twist on the Filipino Pancit Canton and Chicken Yakitori. For dessert, we had Strawberry Flambé a La Mode and Belgian Chocolate Gateau. Taste, presentation, and service are absolutely amazing.

P-rsonal Notes

Le Chef is a fine dining restaurant
Slippers, shorts and other informal clothing are highly discouraged

Coffee Stains

Neatly tucked just beside the entrance of the hotel, there is a coffee shop that serves all its patrons Columbian Coffee 24/7. While they boast of the fact that their Columbian coffee beans were shipped all the way from Puerto Rico they likewise promote locally produced coffee beans which they heavily display on their countertops.

Though I honestly am not a fan of Columbian coffee’s overly bitter taste (based on my personal preference), but what I love most about this café is their cheesecake. They have the best tasting cheesecake we have ever tasted. Smooth, creamy, delighting, no-bake, perhaps, but only them knows.

Vizco’s

P-rsonal Note

• One should not leave Baguio without trying its famous Strawberry Shortcake.

And even if most of our time were spent inside the hotel, we knew all along that we could never miss a single opportunity to taste one of Baguio’s most favorite product once again.

There is a quaint little pastry shop in Session Road that offers this one-of-a-kind shortcake. Though this tasty treat became more appetizing because of that hunk of a man named Tony Labrusca and his beautiful on-screen ladylove Angel Aquino in the film “Glorious” (yup, Vizco’s Strawberry Shortcake already hit the big screen) but setting aside our prejudice courtesy of that manly physique of the lead actor, we must and we have to say that Vizco’s Strawberry Shortcake is the best strawberry shortcake in the history of Philippine Strawberry Shortcakes.

It has the right balance of everything, sweetness, acidity, creaminess and the right flavour from the fresh strawberries. It’s our nth time to devour an entire slice and our preference over that Strawberry Shortcake has not yet diminished. We 100% percent approve of it and we definitely agree that it suits any picky eaters and choosy tastebuds. In fact, a visit to Baguio is not complete without a bite of it. (Better taste Vizco’s to understand the whole point. Lol! 😅)

It was a rainy and foggy day everywhere in Baguio City during this visit. But working + (all expense paid) vacation and looots of delicious foods, we are in no position to complain. So what’s your working vacation story?

Travel Philippines Series, Part 1: 2 BASIC TIPS WE WOULD LOVE TO SHARE TO ROOKIE TRAVELLERS

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We love to travel, it’s not only a part of what we are, traveling is actually who we are. Yet before we achieve a sense of familiarity in this quest, there were stumbling blocks and bitter taste of unfortunate blunders along the way, “rookie mistakes” as others aptly term it.

But with 36 provinces under our belt out of 81 magnificent provinces of the Philippines, in just a couple of years since we began this journey, a feat hindered by the surge of this pandemic, we finally somehow grasp and understood some basic concepts and tenets of traveling within our beloved Philippines.

And these are our personal notes we would like to share to our naïve travel selves, if only there is a time machine existing. And we do hope, these bits and pieces of information can actually help your journey if one day you would want to step foot in and explore our beautiful country.

1. DO. YOUR. RESEARCH.

Like in war, one should never tread new places empty handed. But hey, we are not even referring to carrying of offensive weapons or defensive shields, heck it would be impossible to leave the airport or enter for that matter. But rather, we are more concerned on arming ourselves with an adequate knowledge of the locality, its people, practices, culture and tradition. Yes, this tip may somehow be a no-brainer yet often overlooked out of excitement and over-complacency.

For instance, our first travel together in Dapitan City, Zamboanga Del Norte was not only memorable but also full funny bloopers and nerve wracking moments. Oh how we extremely love the place and the memories we created there but unfortunately, our 3-day stay did literally burn so many holes in our wallets and pockets. We carried a minimal amount of money on the assumption that provincial life equals lesser cost. Later did we know that everything about this province is relatively pricier considering the distance of their locality to the place where they primarily source out their food and other items. On our 2nd day of stay, we had to contend ourselves with a loaf of Gardenia sliced bread we had to sneakily smuggle inside the hotel room to avoid corkage fees. While we basked in the beauty of the 5-star resort we were staying, our “upset” stomachs needed to resist the temptation, taste and the aroma of well-cooked gourmet meals. Thank God we already paid for the hotel room a month in advance, including the daily buffet breakfast, or our stomachs won’t ever forgive us for making them suffer every dinner and lunch.

Tips are almost always welcome but while in Benguet, I almost disrespected an Ifugao without deliberately doing so to which I am already deeply sorry for. It was our first time to travel in Baguio but unfortunately the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad was not yet ready to accept strawberry picking customers for lack of ripe strawberries to pick. So I asked our driver to somehow allow us to take a photo in the field to which he obliged. Coincidentally we were brought to the area where there were ripe red strawberries tended by an Ifugao farmer. Upon learning that we were from Cebu, she allowed us to pick three strawberries for picture taking purposes. Out of excitement and extreme happiness, I handed her an extra Php100 as a tip for allowing us to enjoy an activity which was unavailable to the public but she declined. (Take note that we already purchased two kilos of her fresh produce at the time.) I didn’t know that my insistence already pestered her since most of them are not accustomed to tips. They really are naturally kind people whom I have great admiration and respect for.

Look how important it is to familiarize your first or next travel destination before breaking new ground, and this leads us to Tip #2.

2. Plan ahead.

Imagine if we did not book a room and paid for the breakfast buffet in advance, it will probably take more than just a Gardenia Loaf Bread to satisfy our needs and we could have end up sleeping in the plaza at night or washing dishes for unpaid hotel bills. We merely relied on our personal assumptions about the place which WAS A HORRENDOUS ROOKIE MISTAKE and with lack of research, we failed to plan properly.

Although, we have read some tips that paying for your food upon order saves a lot of moolahs on booking costs, we still prefer to book a room with breakfast in advance. Why? Having something which is one less of a worry during the actual trip is much more precious for us than the exact amount that can be saved from the booking costs. Peace of mind is priceless my dears and you can thank us later.

See, the second step in traveling, after research, is knowing yourself and your budget. Travel can be expensive or affordable, depending on your choice and preference. How much you are willing to spend initially determines the type of accommodation you will be billeted into, the kind of activities you will want to enjoy and the number of days you will be staying worry-free.

Travel is a personal experience that guarantees personal joy and satisfaction. But to ensure maximum enjoyment minus the mishaps and the headaches, it’s best to familiarize your self and get acquainted with the locality and plan ahead.

Q’Diaries: Binignit

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ECQ in our locality has finally ended but we’re not yet out of boringville unfortunately. And of course, times like this all I can think of is food. And do you know what’s on my mind right now?

Ever heard of Binignit? In Tagalog, it’s called as “Ginataang Bilo-Bilo” while Bisayas (“Visayans”) refer to it as, well, “Binignit” . It’s a Filipino dish or food that originated from the Visayas area, and normally offered as merienda or snacks. While it can highly be considered as a hot dessert, Binignit is a sweetened soup cooked in coconut milk.

There are different versions of binignit as it also varies in color and texture. For one, the color of pearls or sago greatly affects the overall presentation of the dish while the ingredients added or omitted contribute highly to the end result.

Our version of Binignit often includes coconut milk (“tuno”), sweet potato (“kamote”), taro (“gabi”), sabá bananas, sago, and palm flour jelly balls (“landang”). On numerous occasions, we add strips of jack fruit (“nangka”), if available, while others add purple yam (“ube”), anise and milled glutinous rice (“pilit”) formed into balls which we omit from our recipe.

Cooking binignit is so easy but the process is somewhat tedious since we love to use fresh ingredients instead of readily available processed items in the grocery (except for sago which takes a longer time to make.)

We personally crack open coconuts, grate it and extract its milk, we peel off the skins of sweet potato and taro then cut them into cubes, we peel and cut the sabas in circles and remove the fleshy parts of the jackfruit and cut them into strips. Yes it takes a lot of work but the taste is sooo delicious.

When everything is combined, the mixture is then simmered on low to medium heat and occasionally stirred, to prevent the coconut milk from curdling. It is then sweetened by muscovado sugar and then voila!

Binignit is more than just a food or a dessert or a snack for us. Mind you, no Holy Week is ever complete for a Bisaya without a bowl of hot binignit. It’s already part of our culture and tradition and our way of fasting during the Lenten season.

You might wanna try. 🤗😉

ECQ Diaries: Missing our Cebu Foodventures

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It’s not easy to be in an enhanced community quarantine. It is such a bugger that we have no other option but lock ourselves up within the confines of our homes and miss on things we normally do, because the enemy is invisible. #Covid19

During these challenging times, I repeatedly browse on old pics to somehow keep my sanity intact. A realization then dawned on me that I was able to keep a number of food photos in my trusted phone, hence, this blog post.

I don’t generally take photos of my food all the time, but since I was enhancing my noob photography skills back then, they became my subject for quite a while. So please allow us to let your eyes feast on these babies.

P-Notes:

This post could be the most personal of all as I share to you some snippets of our daily life as well as our food preferences and recommendations. True enough, we highlight our inner selves through food. After all, food is a symbol of love when words are inadequate, I don’t know who said that but I definitely agree.

DIMSUM BREAK

I may be toooo biased on this since this is our favorite dating spot but Dimsum Break, for us, is one of the best fastfood chains in my hometown. Hands down to the best dimsum ever. I particularly like their Siomai with Quail’s Egg and their unparalleled and most coveted steamed rice. Value meal #4 please with Milk Tea Xie Ping.

PROVIDORE

Providore is where we usually hold client meetings when times were normal. One, it’s classy and two, we can expect quietude. My top picks on their menu are definitely Carbonara and Fruit Punch.

TGIF

TGIF is one of our ideal food spots when we crave for steaks. This place somehow resembles an American diner with huge plated servings and at the same time, bottomless drinks. Over time, their strawberry iced tea became our “usual” . Of all the restos in this list, only TGIF offers complimentary appetizer. Yum!

ALEJANDRO’S

When we speak of Crispy Pata, Alejandro’s is the place to be. It’s preferred and best-loved by the locals and I can, in all honesty, remember devouring one whole pata on my own since I refused to share it with him. 😁

SUNBURST

We have another Cebu gem, this time featuring a chicken dish. Aside from the fact that they offer generous servings at a very affordable price, their fried chicken is an absolute bliss. Especially when you dip it in a combined tomato catsup, Worcestershire and hot chili sauce. Sounds weird right? But it’s awfully delicious, a must-try.

LA VIE

For late wine nights and French inspired set up, La Vie is our best bet. They serve French pastries too and the interiors are damn good-looking. IG-worthy.

UCC

For a cup of drip coffee, UCC is our top pick. It’s addicting and highly satisfying. I can particularly recall a friend who got hooked by its taste in an instant. Glad we introduced this one to him ‘coz it’s really goood.

SIAM

Although a Thai restaurant, Siam has the best “puto with mangga” (steamed rice cakes with ripe mangoes) for me. It’s a Filipino delicacy paired with “sikwate” (hot chocolate drink) though Siam added cherry on top for a different twist. A thing Filipinos don’t do on this dish but I strangely love. Most of the time, I intentionally dined in Siam just to order this meal.

SIOMAI SA TISA and SOL’s

Our absolute favorite combo when we are on a tight budget. Siomai plus pancit canton plus Sol’s halo halo. Ahhh, mouthwatering! If my memory serves me right, we just paid more or less Php300 for 15 puso (hanging rice), 20 siomai, 3 Chili-Mansi pancit canton and 4 bottles of softdrinks. Sol’s is priced at Php70 too per tub. Sulit na sulit. Not to mention, Sol’s now holds the title as the premier halo halo in town, at least on my list.

AA’s

When we talk about pork barbecue, AA’s is unrivaled, second to none. It has this satisfying taste I can’t seem to find from the others. Embarrassing as it may seem but I did once consume 20 sticks of pork bbq and 1 cup of rice. Oopsiie.

SULBING

Our recent addiction before the implementation of ECQ, Korean cheese noodles plus Java frappe. Ugghhhh! I tried a lot of Java frappe in my life but theirs is absolutely the beeessstt. Hey, newfound love!

COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF

But, CBTL will always be our ultimate love for a daily coffee fix, one Caramel Ice Blended for me and one hot Americano for him. We are addicted. No wonder why every Christmas Season, it’s so easy for us to collect 5-6 journals and give it to our friends. Well, our day isn’t complete without it.

MACAO IMPERIAL

And we should not forget every girl’s current obsession, milk tea. My personal choice is no other than Pearl Milk Tea and Cheesecake by Macao Imperial. It is so special and it has the taste like no other. Sadly, it’s also the reason for my weight gain. Hehe.

Our remarkable journey began and will always include food. While there are still a lot of recommended food stops on our list, unfortunately, I have no pictures of them all. Cebu is a food haven too and it never sleeps, it used to be.

Although I’m looking forward to the ens of this ECQ, I’m also quite perturbed and at the same time intrigued by the advent of this “new normal”, I know we have to adjust and adapt with the changes. I just hope our new normal still include food and lots of it.

How about you, what do you distinctly miss?

Camiguin Villas

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When we speak of Bali, we always equate the name with luxury or anything postcard-worthy. How could we not be when we get to book villas in Bali and majority of the accommodations being offered boast of a perfect landscape deserving of anyone’s IG space.

Unfortunately, villas are not a thing here in my country. While there are villas in Palawan, Panglao and Boracay, more often than not, they are considered as luxuries for the elites and not intended for the budget backpackers. But while we kept ourselves in awe by looking at the other side of the fence literally, who would have thought that somewhere here at home, we’d find almost the same brand of luxury coupled with world-renowned Filipino hospitality and is somehow budget-friendly.

Camiguin wasn’t really in our radar just yet until we were given no reason to refuse a time off. Camiguin is a small island located in between Visayas and Mindanao but wholly considered as part of the latter region. While it is mostly accessible by plane from Cebu, there are other options to reach the island from different parts of the country. So before getting too caught up with the busy world after the long holidays, we flew to Camiguin, to the “island born of fire”.

There are a number of charming accommodations in Camiguin at a great bargain price, but we knew we had to try Balai sa Baibai. Their Agoda ad and pictures are so enticing that we had to book in Sagay Villa for the entire duration of the trip.

2pm was supposed to be our mandated check in time yet despite arriving 2 hours earlier from the standard, we highly appreciate the thoughtfulness extended for our early arrival. We actually thought that we will be wasting a couple of hours waiting for our villa’s availability, but to our surprise, we were ushered immediately after it was cleaned and prepped for our 2-nights occupancy. That’s a plus for customer service we must say.

But what was truly a shocker for us both was our personal hesitation to leave the villa despite our inability to stay stiIl. It was so aesthetically pleasing and customer service was top-notch that we agreed on cutting our 2-day island tour short just to spend more time in our villa, well aside from the fact that the weather was uncooperative. The tour is worth another blog entry but the point is, having a nice accommodation is truly a game-changer eh?

Then again, there was not much argument necessary on whether to stay put or roam around since we had everything vital for our entire stay. We had a lounge area and a dining table just beside our private dipping pool, there’s a mini kitchen installed complete with appliances and utensils, an open shower with provisioned toiletries, cabled tv, air-conditioning and generator sets and a queen-sized bed.

If we got too lazy to cook even a simple meal, we could simply dial the bar’s digits and food will be served and delivered.

And if all of these areeen’t that much of a steal just yet, it comes with free breakfasts and complimentary afternoon snacks.

We did stroll around the premises and spent time by the sea shore and we were taken aback by the fact that we got to enjoy these activities minus the crowd. Balai sa BaiBai does not offer day tour promos, hence, you are assured of exclusivity and safety, away from the prying eyes of the public. Amazing yet?

But what I love about Balai sa Baibai the most was our sunset dinner date by the beach. It was so intimate, romantic and exclusive. The most kilig we had in years. Char.

While Balai sa Baibai is a tad pricier than most accommodations in the island, at more or less 5k Php at night, yet it is also relatively cheaper among its contemporaries. But for someone who values privacy, a cozy atmosphere and a home away from home, we knew all along we really got our money’s worth.

Leaving Camiguin so soon was both depressing and heartbreaking. Yet, our only consolation was our unique and memorable stay which cannot be bought by any amount of money. True enough, Bali will always be on top of our bucketlist for setting the bar so high for an ideal vacation spot but we are more than happy to experience Balai sa Baibai once more. It exceeded our expectations when it comes to experiencing affordable luxury.

Any suggestions on where to next?

My Ilocandia Tri-City Dream – Part 1

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It all started with the cobblestone path of Calle Crisologo. I always had this absurd fantasy when I was younger envisioning myself in a Traje de Mestiza with a pañuelo, a tapis and an abaniko to complete the ensemble and promenade around cobbled streets with century-old houses as my backdrop.

When I learned of Vigan years back, I instantly knew that it will become my only means of realizing this life-long dream. Calle Crisologo is just the perfect spot I said to myself. Right then and there, it became one of my dream local destinations along with Batanes, Hinatuan and Baguio City.

As my knowledge about Ilocos expanded with the advent of social media, so is my deep longing to set foot in this beautiful place. Dreams do come true I dare say and so it did.

CALLE CRISOLOGO

Hotel Luna

With those Capiz shell windows, clay roofs, old Spanish houses, Calle Crisologo was then my ideal setting of making my ridiculous dream of living in the colonial past a reality.

Presented with this chance, I immediately grabbed it with no second thoughts and instantaneously booked an accommodation that is closer to my favorite place.

Located at the very heart of the Heritage Village, we chose Hotel Luna.

We love everything about Hotel Luna especially its outdoor pool. Every intricate detail exudes elegance and class, room is very spacious, it’s a perfect fusion of vintage and modern with old Spanish architecture and high tech amenities (hey they have electronic bidets).

They offer complimentary drinks for guests, check in and check out processes are smooth and fast, they have courteous staff and helpful guards, everything was perfect, amazing right?

Unfortunately we didn’t spend much time in the hotel since we are mostly out (wasn’t able to take a number of photos as well) but if given a chance, I will gladly book another room in a heartbeat for Hotel Luna truly is an excellent choice.

LAOAG

Day 1. We began our tour by leaving the hotel at exactly 4 o’clock in the morning. Yes it was way too early from our standard 12nn wake-up time but we delightedly embraced the sacrifices we had to make to fulfill a dream. Lol! Vigan is hours away from Laoag and with just two days to spare to complete the entire round trip, it was fortunate of us for Kuya Ronald to accommodate our what-seems-to-be an impossible schedule and generate an itinerary with major adjustments tailor fit to the time and budget we can offer as tourists.

Because of this early call time, we actually dozed off inside the vehicle and were just awaken by our driver, Kuya Edrian, upon reaching the arc. We appreciate his thoughtfulness honestly.

The sun has not risen up yet when we arrived at Laoag Arc but tourists already flocked the area taking turns in capturing a good photo. (The Arc is well-lighted so it’s not much of a struggle really.) We overheard that one group was from a “joiners tour” which is by the way the most economical way of dilly-dallying around Ilocos but since we are more concern of our time and convenience, we opted for an exclusive tour. Who wouldn’t when we requested for a jam-packed itinerary good for 2 days. Higher cost yet we own the time (higher rewards?).

After a few minutes, we proceeded to Paoay Church (St. Augustine Catholic Parish) and arrived just in time for sunrise. It was so majestic, beautiful and worthy to behold. But since the iconic church faces the direction where the sun routinely sets, we knew we could never expect an IG-worthy shot with my already outdated, albeit still useful, iPhone 6s (but hey all pictures attached herein are taken with the use of my ever reliable 6s buddy), so we were forced to be contented with our captures and we sincerely apologize for the images that never gave due justice to the captivating beauty of the subject.

We were supposed to visit Malacañang of the North next but as it usually opens at 9 in the morning and it was still around 7 or 8, we had to skip it and head directly to Sand Dunes. Thankfully, Kuya Edrian noticed our concern and assured us that we will return in the afternoon.

Paoay Sand Dunes was one of the best experiences we had so far. We initially planned to forego the 4×4 Adventure since it’s expensive, there were only the two of us and there is no one else to share the cost with, and our original plan was merely to have a picture taking but Kuya Edrian insisted to not let the oppurtunity pass since our Ilocos Trip will not be complete without this adventure, a what-could-have-been our missing piece of the puzzle. Heeding his advice which we are extremely thankful by the way, we had a minute of discussion turned debate when we discovered a Php2,500 worth of spare money in my pocket. Lucky us, we do not need any further arguments.

As we prepped up and positioned ourselves at the back of the jeepney, we were asked if we wanted the “extreme” route, I jokingly said yes. What was unknowingly waiting for us, in the middle of a patched desert, were differing peaks of sand waves, bumpy trails and rugged terrain. I hated how the driver intentionally move the vehicle sideways as if almost to topple and run over the steepest terrains giving us thrilling drops on that 10-20ft tall sand ridges when there was a safer, less bumpy, no heart attack route.

As we were standing at the back of the 4×4, we were holding on to that steel bar for dear life.

But Sand Dunes is more than just a heart stopping adventure for it offers the most breathtaking view of the Suba Beach. A serenity like no other.

Sand Dunes was the most fun we had, it was worth the 2,500php, actually never mind the price, we will sign for it up again.

After an hour of adrenaline rush, we decided to have our breakfast near the Wishing Tree. It was not part of the itinerary but Kuya Edrian deemed it best to include it since it was still early in the morning, and maybe there are no other carenderias open to cater to hungry stomachs at daybreak.

It is called wishing tree not because they believe that your wish will come true but instead you donate any amount of cash to make the dreams of our less fortunate brothers and sisters come true. So touching and worth emulating.

We passed by the Sinking Bell Tower and kuya Edrian told us a story that is famous among the locals. The bell tower is not actually sinking per se but there are rumors that once a person, any person for that matter, gets inside the structure, it will automatically sink. Structural integrity perhaps but better stay out of it for safety.

Malacañang of the North was the last item on our Laoag Trip Itinerary before we proceeded to Ilocos Sur. Upon our arrival we were greeted with dozens of kids on a field trip but when they left the premises, we had the place pretty much all to ourselves.

Now stands as a museum, Malacañang of the North used to serve as the official residence of the Marcoses in Ilocos Norte.

The mansion is intricately designed with a mix of Spanish and Ilocano architecture. But for me its best feature is its panoramic view, the entirety of Paoay Lake.

… to be continued …

For a personalized Ilocandia Tour, we highly recommend the services of Kuya Ronald Tayawa, he may be reached through these magic digits: 09458454363

Chocolate Laboratory

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Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, almost always, but chocolates are, every time. They’re inexpensive, they’re pocket-friendly, they’re everywhere and they satisfy one’s cravings all the time, now that’s a real deal and a lifesaver, boys do take note.

But its production are often tucked away from the public and eventually off the limelight, and on numerous occasions we only get a hold of the end result ~ those neatly wrapped expensive-looking chocolate bars cleverly arranged in a separate aisle of the grocery stores and are effectively utilized as baits and temptations.

Curious?

Thank heavens we have just the right spot for chocolate lovers in Davao. Plus, if you are more than willing to spare Php450.00 for one session, you can take an active part in the chocolate-making and take home personalized chocolates spiced up with your own desired taste.

Said fee already covers the rent of apron, two Malagos-branded boxes, use of molders, condiments, hairnet, plastic gloves and a creamer containing 250ml of pre-concocted melted chocolate, 60% dark. As a self-proclaimed chocolate addict, guess, I was a very willing victim then. Lol!

I noticed these sign boards when I entered the “laboratory”, and since there were not much tourists (thanks God it was not a weekend, a peak season or a holiday), I was immediately entertained and provided with all the necessary materials by Ms. Lyn who I highly commend for being so attentive with my needs and alert with my requests.

P-rsonal Notes

• The sign board on top says you can choose between white chocolate and dark but during my experiment I was immediately given the dark chocolate without being asked. 🤷🏻‍♀️

As much as I hate to burst your bubble but we did not brew our own chocolate formula from scratch. Well, aside from the fact that it’s time consuming, it needs years of training, skill and mastery to perfect a Malagos-worthy quality recipe. But the experience is still worth the price, I can assure you of that.

I put the apron, hairnet and gloves on before I proceeded to the molders and picked two sets of design.

Next, I grabbed the sauce dish and chose three condiments to build up the flavors I hankered for. I cannot particularly recall what ingredients were provided but I can clearly remember that I chose durian, chili flakes, rock salt, mint leaves, almonds, and dried mangoes among all the others readily available.

I placed the molders close to me and started to fill the little holes one by one until half-full, I then inserted my chosen ingredients then poured the concoction again to cover the little secret.

I did the same procedure for the 2nd molder but this time I’ve done them a little neater. Oh well, there’s no hard and fast rule on how to fill those babies up the same way as there were no rules on the ingredients needed to combine to achieve the fancied taste. I think I combined chili flakes and durian, rock salt and durian, among the many weird combinations I could probably think of. However, if you are not that kind of daring and adventurous, one flavor per molder will do, it’s always up to you.

When I was done and satisfied with my job, I then signaled Ms. Lyn who took my tray and stowed it in the chiller. We waited for 20 minutes for the wet chocolate to completely cool off and harden before it was given to me again for the final steps.

A little tip though, for easy dislodge and to prevent breakage, choose the simple shapes at the beginning. It took me several minutes to take those little pieces out of the molds because of the chocolate seeping through the little corners. Out of four, I broke three of those little horsey necks. Yikes!

I cannot even begin to describe how on earth I did not manage to properly organize them inside the box. It’s like a work of a pre-schooler, I know.

Now I understand what Forrest Gump said, “life is like a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what you’re gonna get”, ‘coz after all my efforts, I kinda forgot which among these pieces have the weirdest flavor combination except those little bears which I packed with nothing but only chili flakes. As I said before, I am a sucker for spicy foods.

I think these boxes will continue to surprise us then, good luck!

❤️❤️❤️

P.S. Shout out to the bf who I wholeheartedly thank for supporting me in this and for patiently taking several pictures during the process. ILY!

MALAGOS CHOCOLATE MUSEUM

Malagos Garden Resort, Malagos, Davao Del Sur

Time Out

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There are times days appear to be momentary, quick, swift and short-lived and once in a while they seem to be longer and lingering than they are supposed to be. Times like this, realization dawns upon me that life shouldn’t all be about boring desks, cluttered drawers and endless piles of paperworks for life is meant to be enjoyed as it has to be endured.

Ormoc City, Leyte is just one boat ride away from our hometown making it an ideal escape from domestic drudgery. Coterminously, holidays are a perfect excuse for an impromptu journey.

I always crave for a little stroll along the gravel path or a quick dip in the pool while stuck in my chair back at the office. Having the chance to make this daydream a reality, Sabin strikes as the precise man-made paradise fit for this temporary bliss.

Not a native of this beautiful land, I heard about Sabin from a dear friend who relentlessly promote it as one of their best. Relying on said assurance, we booked a Presidential Suite with no gnawing or second thoughts.

It actually came to a shock upon learning that booking a room is as easy as pie. You just have to call front desk days prior your intended date, state your desired room accommodation, name and contact number then voila ~ you’ve got a reservation.

Their Presidential Suite could be the most expensive in their list but it is the cheapest we’ve had so far at this room type, ever. Php5,500 per night. We’ve been roaming around the country for years now but this is the only Presidential Suite we’ve booked that is equipped with a visitor’s lounge and a visitor’s own comfort room separated from the main bedroom by a sliding door.

A very appealing room size that is three or four times bigger than a standard room is one, but to be furnished with a bath tub, a separate shower, a classic bidet bowl and a toilet bowl is another. Not to mention the large tv, the king-sized bed, the personal bar and the free toiletries and as added touch, the private balcony built just outside the glass doors for that picturesque overlooking view. Truly a great steal and a good value for money!

Sabin lacks nothing when it comes to comfort and convenience. Aside from its 24-hours front desk and security guards on duty who can assist you anytime of the day, it has its own restaurant serving incredible dessers and mouth watering dishes. And apart from the seashore which is just right outside the premises, it houses the finest and the biggest outdoor pool in the area . However they prohibit swimmers from getting inside their restaurant wet which is a bit of a bummer for us but still kudos to the staff for being so polite, courteous and helpful.

And lest we forget, one should not pass the opportunity of tasting their freshly squeezed pineapple juice up. After all, Ormoc City now promotes their “queen pineapple” as one of the best tasting there is in the entire country.

Harried days are made more bearable with a little time out from the worldly pressures. And Sabin’s laidback ambience and outstanding service provided us our much needed breathing space from the incessant demands of our workload, far from being perfect perhaps but exceptional. So what’s your ideal breather? Care to share?

📌📌📌

Details:

SABIN RESORT HOTEL

Ormoc City, Leyte

(053) 561-4243 / (053) 561-4499

Around Siquijor in One Day

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We had one so many attempts to visit Siquijor for months already and all the time, our efforts only proved futile. It wasn’t because of all the horror stories hunting the island itself (we are pretty much sure about that) or the rumors about sorcery and witchcraft that’s been going on and around the country for centuries, it so happens that every time we map out a weekend visit, unknown reasons unexpectedly pop out. Every. Darn. Time.

P-rsonal Notes

• It was year 1565, Miguel López de Legazpi and his Expedition arrived and landed in the Philippines.

• Legazpi gave orders to search for nearby islands. And while afloat, two of his men found a land gleaming and glowing from afar, hence they named the island, “Isla De Fuego” or Island of Fire. That’s why Siquijor is also known as “Isla De Fuego”, why it is called as an “Island of Fire”.

• Such phenomenon is caused by a number of fireflies hovering around molave trees used to proliferate in the area

But then, nothing can escape an aggressive travel duo no matter how elusive the sought for destination is in our travel list. So one day, one holiday, we booked a tour for 2, though only planned haphazardly.

Going There

There are so many available options for would-be-tourists of Siquijor coming from Cebu. For budget conscious travelers, there is that time consuming route yet the cheapest of all. But for us who value time more than money we chose the most convenient mode of transport, lesser travel time but relatively pricey.

From Cebu City Pier 1, we booked two tickets in Ocean Jet that traverse Cebu-Tagbilaran-Larena, Siquijor route. Cebu to Tagbilaran usually takes 2 hours of travel time while Tagbilaran to Larena has 1 and a half. Ticket Cost? 4k for 2 pax, one way, business class.

Tariff Rates

One Day Itinerary

Siquijor is a little island in the southern part of the country and is usually divided into two tours: (1) Island Tour and (2) Mountain Tour. Since we only had a day to spare and roam around the province, we chose the former instead of the latter or both. At least, in our minds, we can cover almost all of the tourist spots readily available and still have one more reason to return to this beautiful isla.

(As I don’t want to bore you with the minute details of this trip, I’ll just narrate the highlights of our entire tour. We can assure you that this post contains nothing about the tittle-tattle tale of the witches of Siquijor as locals even deny the truth of their existence. A minimal reference won’t hurt, I guess.)

A little side trip, the moment we disembarked from the fast craft, we only had Larena Triad Coffee Shop in mind for a sumptuous afternoon lunch. This dome shaped coffee shop/restaurant is strategically built in a high elevation with a 180 degree overlooking view of the island of Siquijor and the neighboring provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Negros Oriental, hence “Triad”.

Day 1 starts the following day and we began our tour with I Love Siquijor and Welcome Siquijor Sign, taking several photos for documentation (evidentiary, really) purposes. Hey, best evidence rules!

We then made our way up towards Kanheron Ranch which according to our tour guide got its name from the combined Visayan Words “Kanhe” ug “Karon” translated as “the past and the present”. It’s a private museum of American Artifacts collected and made available for public viewing for the generation of today.

Thereafter, we proceeded to Lilibeth’s Pan Bisaya which is famous for their freshly baked, soft and sweet-tasting varieties of native bread.

They call it “native bread” as they adopt a traditional Filipino method of using fire-ignited corn husks placed on top and below an assembled structure resembling an oven. Yes, instead of a regular convection oven run by electricity or gasoline which are commonly used in ordinary bakeries these days, Lilibeth’s bakes their goodies in their own fabricated oven using no yeast as a leavening agent but coconut wine (tuba) instead.

To complete the experience, we paired their native bread with a cup of “corn coffee” which is a famous drink in this country and could actually pass off as a Filipino native delicacy. Yum!

Our next stop was Salagdoong Beach, our absolute favorite. I cannot particularly recall what “Salag” means but “Doong” refers to a kind of birds. Salagdoong is a government managed public beach opened to the public for a minimal fee. We stayed in Salagdoong for a few minutes before proceeding to our next destination after we fell in love with its crystal clear waters of differing hues, the calming sea breeze and its magnificent views. Salagdoong offers the most beautiful view there is in the entire province of Siquijor (at least in our own perception) and it has the best ambience for relaxation.

P-rsonal Notes

• Cliff diving and the slide are only available and open during high tides.

After lunch, we went directly to Cambugahay Falls, trekked, survived and conquered 135 steps just to witness its majestic beauty (expect muscle pain thereafter lol). Cambugahay remains a three-tier falls (almost of the same appearance) since the other levels are not yet open to the public for safety reasons.

San Isidro Labrador Church and San Isidro Labrador Convent were our next items in the itinerary. These religious structures were established as early as 1880s, managed and run by the Augustinian friars.

Like kids, we had fun in Hapitanan Broomshot trying their flying broom challenge. Since we cannot divulge their secret, you’ve got to see it to experience the magic and discover the trick.

We then rewarded our selves with a foot massage-fish spa in Enchanted Balete Tree and bought some souvenirs and pasalubongs in the area. Balete trees are said to be home of kapre, diwata, and other malignos, at least according to Philippine folklores and myths but this Balete Tree is so majestic we forgot how it is a home of entities not entirely our own.

We waited for sunset in Paliton Beach, Siquijor’s Mini Boracay, to cap off one of the best days in our lives.

We we were able to pass through Smile Talingting and Olang Molave Man-Made Forest but we didn’t take a photo because we just didn’t want to. We also passed by Capilay Spring Park, a natural spring made into a public pool in the middle of a public park. Well that’s an attraction.

Planning to stay another night?

If you want to have peace and privacy at a lower cost then Replica Manor is a good choice. For just Php950.00 a night, you get yourself a good night sleep in an air-conditioned room complete with toiletries, cabled tv, wi-fi and a hot and cold shower. Plus, their doggy “King” is a good tour guide as well. He can navigate you towards the ins and outs of the nearby beach. If that’s not much of a steal, this humble inn is equipped with generator sets for power interruptions.

By the way, Siquijor got its name from a simple misunderstanding due to language barrier. When the Spaniards arrived and asked what the place is called, they were speaking in Spanish. King Kihod, thinking that they were asking for his name, he answered “Si Kihod”. Later on the Spaniards adopted SiKihod and changed the last letter “d” to “r” for easier pronunciation. Hence “Siquijor”.

P-rsonal Notes

• King Kihod was the legendary ruler of the province before the Spaniards came and discovered the Philippines.

We proclaim so much love and adoration for this not-so-hidden yet less traveled island in the Visayas. Admittedly, some are still apprehensive of Siquijor owing to its feared reputation as homes of ungodly creatures. But fearing the unknown only made them miss out what this charming little island could offer ~ animal-loving, courteous, kind and helpful people and a paradise like no other. Wherever King Kihod is right now, we know he is beaming with so much pride seeing the beauty of his mystical island and the hospitality of the people living in it.

📣📣📣

For the best Siquijor experience, we highly recommend the services of Johnry Maglangit Ina-an as your driver/tour guide/photographer. You may contact him through his facebook account or his number 09368347510.

Kuya Hermie Tan-awon is an excellent driver as well, you may contact him through his number 09169626941.

Please note: Some areas in Siquijor have no signal, so please patiently wait for their reply.

Go Healthy and Artsy with Buzzz Café (Bohol)

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Fast food for fast paced life, always convenient but never healthy and while we absolutely subscribe to this thought, we could never escape this part of our reality.

Sadly, our modern lifestyle often gives us little to no room for home made dishes or decent meals so considering nutrition packed food is almost always not an option. While we kind of abhor and at the same time delight in this kind of culture, yet, we never had that much of a choice.

So it was truly a breath of fresh air when we chanced on Buzzz Café one weekend and we must say such discovery truly is a game and a life changer.

Buzzz Café was first introduced to us Cebuanos by Robinson’s Galleria when it opened 4 years ago. It’s fresh, it was unheard of and it really piqued our curiosity. Right then and there we immediately knew we had to have a try of this new offering which has its origins in the neighboring island of Cebu ~ Bohol.

One’s creativity or artistry is immediately apparent from the very moment you step inside the premises. We believe they should thank their marketing heads or interior designers or whoever visualized their theme and concept for choosing that homey, cozy and vibrant vibe. Each branch never fails to provide a relaxing atmosphere or a memorable experience every visit.

As restaurants exist to please everyone’s sense of taste, we are aware that only “food” could either be its make or break. And we are proud to say that Buzzz Café exceeded our expectations. We are truly delighted how each food in their menu is served generously and of great quality. They are delicious, breathtaking and presentation-wise, innovative, leaving one craving for more. For instance, real flowers are used as embellishments, cassavas are recreated as ice cream cones and brown rice is served instead of white rice.

We also appreciate their concern for the environment as apparently shown from the way they use long neck glass bottles for service water, paper straws and cloth table napkins.

But my absolute favorite will always be their halo-halo and ice cream, of course desserts. These are two of the many reasons why we keep on coming back. While they give you the freedom to choose the flavor/s of the ice cream on top, each halo halo is served using fresh fruits, milk and crushed ice. Yes, we’d love to call it “halo-halo-fruit salad fusion” as it deviates from the normal standard of using processed ingredients such as nata de coco and kaong making it more healthy and tasty

Ice creams are made from fresh real fruits that every lick resembles actual bite of the natural fruit. That’s how organic and good they are.

His (Durian) and Her (Chocolate) Favorites

P-rsonal Notes

• We love the Durian-Mango ice cream combination in a Halo-Halo although my absolute ice cream flavor is Chocolate

• Halo-Halo is 190php with free 2 scoops of ice cream

• Ice creams are 70php per scoop

And the best part? Free items. They serve complimentary food that wards boredom and hunger off while waiting for your orders.

Right now they already serve combo meals which are tasty yet budget friendly.

We have every reason to consider Buzzz as our all-time favorite. Foods are nutritious, delicious, and heavenly far from the “fast foods” we are accustomed to.

So what other restaurants can you recommend?

Buzz Café Bohol Branches:

📍Bohol Bee Farm, Dauis

📍Island City Mall, Tagbilaran City

📍Lite Port Tagbilaran City

📍Galleria Luisa Home, Tagbilaran City

📍Alona Beach, Panglao

📍Alturas Mall, Tubigon

Buzz Café Cebu Branches

📍SM Seaside Cebu

📍Robinson’s Galleria Cebu

#FoodVentures: Bacolod City

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Our gateway to the island of Negros two years ago was a wedding invitation which we cannot refuse. Being new to this seemingly strange land back then, we were more geared on visiting local attractions having to set aside our desire for food so as not to go over the budget. Yes, we’ve been anywhere and everywhere (including Campuestohan, Mambukal and the Ruins) and made a lot of good memories, but we completely missed out the “Bacolod culture” on our first visit and that is #food.

Mambukal Mountain Resort
Murcia, Negros Occidental

The Ruins
Talisay City, Negros Occidental

Campuestohan Highland Resort
Talisay City, Negros Occidental

As we were given another chance to visit the beautiful City of Smiles, we wanted to take our experience on a whole new direction. A 360-degree turn from endless roaming to sumptuous meals, from extraodinary places now to heavenly feasts, giving less to no attention to our wandering feet but instead, prioritizing our hungry stomachs and picky palates. In other words, the next vacation was more of a literal sweet escape than an actual road trip. (Guess I just have myself to blame entirely for the 8lbs weight gain every visit. Lol!) 😅🤣😖

Chicken Inasal

When we speak of Bacolod Food, it almost always refers to Chicken Inasal. Admit it or not, there may be more than a hundred of chicken inasal recipes throughout the country, but the best of them all is safely tucked in the territory of the Ilonggos, in Bacolod City.

We spoke with the locals and asked for recommendations, and ~ Aida’s.

I personally have to say this, they have the best chicken inasal in the entire region. Affordable yet irresistible. Sorry competitions but Aida’s is simply unparalleled.

Tender, juicy and flavourful. It has that salty-mouthwatering taste that leaves us wanting for more. To be honest, it can stand on itself without the aid of any sauce. But as the saying goes “when in Rome be a Roman”, then in Bacolod, eat their best-selling dish like true Bacolodenos.

To prepare the dipping sauce, we individually mixed vinegar and soy sauce according to what suits us best. They readily provide vinegar and soy sauce per table and later serve on ready-to-squeeze fresh calamansi fruit and chili per request. I like my sauce a bit salty so I combined a calamansi and a bit of vinegar in one dipping bowl and added 2 parts soy sauce. For added heat, two siling labuyo were crushed in the mixture since I’m a sucker for spicy foods.

To complete the Chicken Inasal experience, one should not definitely ignore the chicken oil. It is that orange coloured liquid usually poured on top of the rice and forgetting it is a big no-no (although I repeat, Aida’s Chicken Inasal by itself can sufficiently satisfy the taste buds) chicken oil is part of the dish we should entirely respect.

Completely forgetting shame, I finished three pieces in less than ten (10) freakin’ minutes. That’s how delicious their chicken inasal is.

KBL (Kadios, Baboy and Langka)

KBL is another favourite among the locals, and is short for Kadios, Baboy and Langka or Pigeon Peas, Pork and Jackfruit slowly simmered in a pork broth. Like cansi, it has this sour taste albeit an earthy tone. As we were looking for the best KBL in the area, we were pointed towards the direction of Sandok. Truly, Sandok has the best KBL that even if I am not fond of beans or soup dishes, Sandok made me fancy over it.

Cansi

Cansi is another Ilonggo dish which is a comfort food among the locals. Cansi is everywhere in Bacolod. It is somewhat a fusion of Sinigang and Bulalo, beef shanks with bone marrow cooked in a sour broth. However the ingredients of Sinigang as well as of Bulalo differ entirely from Cansi making the latter an original Negrense dish. In fact Cansi is offered in every Bacolod Restaurant’s menu.

One of the famous Cansi houses in Bacolod is Sharyn’s. Proof of which is it being featured in several local tabloids and national news and it likewise is WSFC-recognized.

For us Sharyn’s is just a right balance of everything. Not too sour, not too salty, meat so tender, perfectly fine.

But there is another Cansi House in Bacolod that is popular among the locals and that is Eron’s.

Situated just beside Sharyn’s is Eron’s. Comparing both, the latter has more intensified taste and sourness though still delicious all the same. We have observed that while Sharyn’s is gaining more outside recognition, Eron’s has the local’s approval as it is jampacked day and night. But as between the two, we choose both, both are must-try.

Curious and adventurous we are, we tried Cansi with a different twist. While Sandok is more famous for its KBL, we got curious when we read Sizzling Cansi in their menu. While it retains its bulalo smell and the sour taste, it tastes and feels entirely different from the original Cansi dish. But I think I like this sizzling one better since I’m not a soup person for one.

Batchoy

Ilonggos are also famous for their Batchoy. While Ilo-Ilo serves the best La Paz Batchoy in the Panay Island, Bacolod City likewise is the home of the best Batchoy in Negros.

We were more than lucky to be invited by his friends for a lunch date in 21. When we were queried and handed the menu, we immediately asked for their specialty and batchoy it is.

But, 21 also has the best tasting Ravioli we ever had. A must try!

Seafoods

When it comes to seafood, locals consider Hyksos Pala Pala as one of the best. It is located just across SM City-Bacolod that serves fresh seafoods all day, everyday.

As if luck is on our side, his loving relatives brought us to Hyksos for a hearty dinner. We ordered Chili Shrimps, Sinigang, Calamares and Baked Scallops. One thing I observed, each viand has a sweet taste. Sweet but satisfying.

Calea

The best part of the menu — dessert. And guess what, Bacolodenos also has something to offer when it comes to sweet treats.

Calea is a household name in Bacolod City when it comes to sugary treats and desserts. It has a wide array of choices in their menu ranging from their standard baked goods to innovative ice cream cakes and other pastries and beverages. Each item has the right amount of sweetness which makes it delightful and extremely pleasing to our tastebuds.

But what I love most in Calea is their Chocolate Mud Pie, my ever favorite. It’s of an ice cream cake variety but heaven in every bite. I am not definitely one to refuse my self of this tempting, sinful yet guiltless indulgence.

We would like to say that Bacolod is another food haven in the country, a food hub in the Visayas Region. As a matter of fact, there are far too many restaurants and eateries proliferating in Bacolod that four days in the city are not enough to try them all.

To be faced with a wealth of options when it comes to great food, we had one too many sweets and calories for the entire weekend, I guess on our next trip we just have to pick up from right where we left off.

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Around Siquijor in One Day

Go Healthy and Artsy with Buzzz Café (Bohol)

#FoodVentures: Bacolod City