The Mestizo River Cruise

The Mestizo River Cruise is operated by the City Geovernment of Vigan to reinforce the Heritage Conservation Program using the historical Mestizo River to trace the historical timeline of the said city. Through the 45 minute river tour, a voice over is played narrating the City's origin, historical background and other life sized tableaus. Classical and Ilocano folk music will be heard throughout the cruise, and the tour guide also explains more about the stories of the Mestizo River. The graphic representations serves as stopovers to depict the major historical events that shaped Vigan to what it has become today as a UNESCO World Heritage City in the Philippines.

The  recorded narration also  tells why Vigan was able to preserve it's vibrant past. During World War II, Fujihima Takayashi successfully convinced his fellow Japanese soldiers to spare this town from the ravages of war.

How to Get There:

1. Once in Vigan, tell the Trike driver that you are interested in Vigan Heritage River Cruise.

2. A fee of 100 pesos for per person will be charged for anyone who wants to experience the cruise, boat leaves even with a single passenger.

Caliraya Lake

Situated in the southernmost part of Sierra Madre mountain range, Caliraya Lake lies between the town of Cavinti, Lumban and Kalayaan in Laguna. It is a 2-3 hours drive from Manila with an elevation of 1200 feet above sea level. Caliraya Lake is a man made lake built by the Americans on 1937 for the purpose of generating hydro electric power.

Several resorts were built beside the lake with recreational activities that includes: largemouth bass fishing, wind surfing, kite boarding, wake boarding, jet skiing, water skiing, boating, golf, camping and other outdoor sporting activities.

How to Get There:
1.) Take a bus bound to Sta Cruz, Laguna (DLTB or Greenstar), their terminal is in LRT Buendia.
2.) Alight in Pagsawitan then ride a jeepney that passes Caliraya Lake (Lumot bound jeeps).

Venice - Home of the Authentic Italian Food in LB

My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary and we were looking for a place that is cozy, yet somewhere that I haven't been into. So we've tried  "Venice", which claims to be the home of the authentic Italian food in Los Banos, true enough the owner/chef is an Italian national so the authenticity is unquestionable.

The place is cozy, which features several Italian inspired paintings. The background music is something that you don't usually hear in your FM radio - Italian songs and tune. The ambiance is great, well ventilated and properly lit.

I like Italian foods and it is actually on the top of my bucket list such as: Spaghetti, Lasagna, Pizza and Fettucini to name a few. But out of curiosity I ordered something that I haven't tried before, like the "Penne 4 Cheese". That was my first time to taste the menu, and im a little disappointed. Aside from the 4 cheese used, it has no other ingredients except for the white creamy saucy and the cheese was quite salty maybe that's how it's supposed to be. We also tried their "Pizza Venice Style", it is a 12 inch pizza with the right mixture of cheese and I can tell that they use tuna or salmon but the addition of oregano leaves is something that I don't really like. We also had Banana and Mango Shake which is good with it's milky delicious taste.

Rating:

6 out 10

La Mesa Eco Park

The La Mesa Ecopark is a well-developed sanctuary around the La Mesa Watershed which is located in Quezon City through the joint partnership between MWSS, ABS-CBN and the said city. 

The public park spans 33 hectares that aim to preserve and protect the La Mesa Watershed which is teaming up with flora and fauna, ideal for picnics, and outing. There are many special places of interest in the park which includes: Lopez Picnic Grounds, Salt Water Swimming Pool, Superferry Boating Lagoon, Fishing Lagoon, Petron Fitness and Mountain Bike Trai, Shell Flower Terraces, Ecomuseum, Butterfly Trail and Hatchery, Pavilions for rent for different private and public functions, Paintball field, Wall climbing, rappelling, and zipline

How to Get There:

1.) Take a bus bound to Fairview

2.) Tell the conductor to drop you off in Winston St
3.) From there on, you can ride a trike bound to La Mesa Eco Park

Spice Jar "Tex-Mex" Food Hub

The Spice Jar, as the name implies serves mostly Texan and Mexican spicy food. The menu are affordable and fit for student's budget. The resto is located along Lopez Ave. in Los Banos. The place is a little bit small and hardly noticeable if not for a small signage that says "Spice Jar Food Hub".

I ordered some of their best sellers but to my dismay, most were not available at the time. So, I ended up with other favorites that includes Chicken Quesidilla, Tuna Mushroom Pasta, Chicken Enchiladas, Cheesy Bacon Wedges, Garlic Pasta, Choco Vanilla and Mango Shake.

The price is reasonable, at first I didn't expect that much considering that their target market are students. But to my surprise, they are comparable to other restos that offer the same Mexican foods yet much affordable. What I really enjoyed are the shakes: Choco Vanilla and Mango Shake - they've included a scoop of ice cream that really made the difference. 

Rating:
7 out of 10

The Thrilling Star City

Star City is an amusement park located  beside the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It is the off shoot of  the annual Christmas Trade Fair held by Philippine Center for International Trade and Exhibit (PhilCite). In the 90s, the fair evolved into an amusement park which was named Star City. The amusement park was the first to introduce various types of rides and attractions in the Philippines. The first floor is consists of small stores selling the usual items usually sold "tiangges". 

It may not be comparable to Walt Disney or Universal Studios but Star City is one of the best amusement park in Philippines. They are famous for adventure and thrilling rides; among which are the double-deck carousel, 360-degree-loop roller coaster (the Zyklon Loop), water log ride (the Jungle Splash). Another famous ride is the “Surf dance”, the first and only of its kind in the Philippines - a gondola ride that is about the height of a five-storey building. The 44-seat ride swings upwards, downwards, and sideways. It is also home to the Giant Star Ferris wheel which has 32 air-conditioned gondolas, each capable to seat up to six people and the 3rd tallest in the country which stands at 60 meters (197 ft) tall. From the top view, one can see a 360 degree view of the Manila Bay and Pasay City. Last but not the least is the Snow World which is the largest ice entertainment area in the country that  features ice carvings, snow play area and the longest ice slide (camera and video recording equipment is prohibited inside the Snow World).

It is advisable to buy a "Ride All You Can" ticket  which is truly a value for money, wherein you have the chance to try every ride. However, if you want to visit Snow World different terms may apply (pictures were taken 2 years ago during our Valentines date).

How to Get There:

1. From Buendia LRT you can ride a jeep bound to MOA, tell the driver to drop you off in Star City which is walking distance from Buendia Hi-Way. 

(Because this blog is not a paid advertisement for Star City, the author decided not to display an image displaying their company name)

The Walled City of Intramuros

Located on the northwest of Intramuros, also known as the walled city. Fort Santiago overlooks the Manila Bay and is situated beside the mouth of Pasig River, it was built to protect the Spanish settlement from invaders coming from the sea.

It was originally the site of Rajah Sulayman’s settlement prior to Spanish occupation and rule. He was the last ruler, of the now Metro Manila area, before the Spanish regime.

Fort Santiago was used by the Spanish as their base of power. It housed the Military and Spanish officials and also served as a formidable prison with infamous dungeons. Over the centuries many Filipinos were imprisoned, tortured and left to drown in the Fort's notorious dungeons, which were beneath the high tide level.

It was also in Fort Santiago where Jose Rizal penned his final poem "Mi Ultimo Adios, My Ultimate Goodbye" when he was imprisoned months before his execution in 1896. Rizal's final footsteps were embedded in the ground to represent his final walk from his prison cell to the location of his actual execution.

Majority of  Fort Santiago was destroyed during World War 2 and restoration process was administered by Philippine National Parks Development Committee.

 

 

 

 

How to Get There:

1.) From LRT Buendia ride a jeepney bound to Quiapo (w/ Luneta) on the signboard

2.) Tell the driver to drop you off in Intramuros, you can then just walk towards Fort Santiago or you can ride a pedicab.

The Enchanting Batlag Falls

Situated in a dense forest where Daranak Falls is located, a further ascend of 10 minutes trek through a cemented pavement leads to the enchanting and perhaps one of the most beautiful waterfalls that the I have visited (as of this writing). A separate entrance fee of 100 pesos is collected in the entrance of a makeshift gate that says “Batlag Falls”, offers a paradise-like setting, truly a serene sight to behold.

Batlag Falls is composed of two waterfalls: the smaller on the left looks like a bridal veil and the larger one with unusual cascade, each has a catchbasin. The site has been a favorite shooting place for “Enteng Kabisote”.

 How to Get There:

1.) From Shaw Boulevard, ride a Jeepney bound for Tanay

2.) You can alight at Tanay Public Market, or tell the driver to drop you off in Plaza Aldea.

3.) Either way, you will need to flagged/hire a trike to get you there.