Fried Calamares: Newest Street Food Favorite

"Calamares" is a Spanish word for squid.  In recent years, Fried Calamares has emerged as one of the most popular street food in the Philippines along with Fishballs" and "Kikiam". It is the street food version of the Mediterranean's breaded fried squid dish, Calamari. It is usually dipped in breadcrumbs but the local version uses flour and dipped fried until it is golden brown.

Spiced vinegar is the favorite sauce used for Fried Calamares, it gives the crispy squid a spicy yet sour and an after taste of garlic that sticks to the mouth and definitely a not so fresh breathe.

Rating:

6 out 10

(For me, Fried Calamares is actually the best buy among the street foods. Just check the cleanliness of the food handler and the foods that are being served before buying.)

Panaderia Antonio Bakery & Restaurant

As part of New Year celebration my wife and I decided to celebrate it somewhere cozy but I insisted that it should be a local resto in the area so we end up in Panaderia Antonio Bakery & Restaurant located in De Venecia Hi-Way in Calasiao, Pangasinan. It was established in 1998 and started as a Bakery which specializes in bread, they also claim that they are the ones who started "Plato Wraps"

The place and setting is really nice, ideal for a great picture souvenirs though there are some flies flying around which I believe the owners should really deal with. They also sell souvenirs such as shirts, Spanish sardines, Starbuck's Frappucino Cafe is also available together with other imported goodies.

We ordered their pizza called "Pizza Supremo", it is huge and the taste is great for it's price. Chicken Pesto is okay though I find it quite expensive considering it's not that special. We also had a Coleslaw for a side dish - it was nice, and it's really worth it for the price. The chocolate and strawberry shake is fairly good but what I'm really disappointed at is with is the Chocolate Mousse and Tiramisu. I thought it was a cake placed in a cup, how disappointed I am. It was just pure icing, nothing but icing.

Rating:

6 out of 10

Windmills of Pililia

Located in the outskirts of Pililia, Rizal with an average elevation of 1200 ft above sea level where strong gush of winds is present most of the time, thus making it the perfect spot for a windmill farm along the terrains of Sierra Madre. The Windmills of Pililia is operated by Alternergy Wind One Corp. which is the same company that operates Bangui Windmills in Ilocos Norte. There are a total 33 windmills and approximately each one stand at 90-100ft. but are much smaller compared to the windmills in located in Bangui. The alternative energy can provide up to 54 Megawatts of electricity.

Due to its proximity from Manila, it has attracted bikers, riders, runners and all sorts of tourists who want to take pictures of the gigantic wind turbines without the hassle of leaving the Metro. The picturesque view of the windmills are scattered and aligned through the mountain ranges of Pililia with grassland slope on rolling terrain as its backdraft makes it a sight to behold. From the windmill farm, one could even have a panoramic view of the Laguna de Bay with Talim Island perfectly set on the background.

 How to Get There:

1.) From Shaw Boulevard, ride a Jeepney bound for Tanay
2.) You can alight at Sampaloc Crossing.
3.) From there, you can hire/flagged a trike to the Windmill Farm.

*I have visited the Windmills of Pililia on 2 separate accounts. My first visit was a solo DIY travel where I did the exact itinerary as listed above. Then my second visit was a side trip after my Mt Sembrano hike where I joined an event organized by Laagan Outdoors.

Daranak Falls

Situated in the heart of Sierra Madre in Tanay, Rizal a province adjacent to Manila. Daranak Falls is flanked with beautiful rivers which add to a picturesque setting of the place. The local government manage the park, thus it is well maintained and lifeguards are present in the whole vicinity.  It has been the site of several pictorials and commercials in the past.

The falls is approximately 35-40ft. of cascade plunging to a wide catchbasin which serves as it's natural pool and approximately 30 feet deep (a rope attempts to serve as a boundary - where and not to swim, and most often it is violated), diving is strongly prohibited. Also located across Daranak Falls is a much smaller waterfalls, ideal for natural water massage. 

Rock balancing is popular in Daranak Falls, and various competitions were hosted by Daranak for this art annually.

 

 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 flag/hire a trike to get you there.

"Isdaan" the Floating Resto in Laguna

Isdaan, known as the floating resto is located in Calauan, Laguna. Owned by the same family that manage "Barrio fiesta" this restaurant has attracted throngs of visitors not only for the food they serve but also for the uniqueness they offer. The whole resto was inspired by a Thai theme which also offers other attractions that gives a unique wholesome experience suited for the whole family. They have a wide selection of different cuisine that anyone can order through their menu.

The only downside is the waiting time before your orders can be served, perhaps due to the large volume of orders which usually takes an average of 40 minutes to an hour (now I know, why they have too many attractions).

 

Rating:
7 out of 10

How to Get There:

1.) From LRT Buendia ride a bus bound for Sta, Cruz in Laguna
2.) Tell the driver to drop you off in Isdaan.

Mt. Ulap Traverse

Situated in the Cordillera mountain ranges of Benguet, the trail that leads to Mt. Ulap consists of Pine Trees and grassland ridges with stunning views of the mountain ranges, even a glimpse of burial caves, and hanging bridges. Mt Ulap is a perfect dayhike from Baguio City which is only 1 hour away from the city proper by public jeepney. The complete traverse spans around 8 kilometers through several peaks along the Ampucao-Sta. Fe Ridge  and can be completed in 4-6 hours (I managed to complete the whole trail in 4.5 hours).

Only 20 percent of the trails are covered with trees (Pine trees) and most are exposed grassland slopes- it's a good thing that the soothing cool breeze of Benguet compensates the scorching heat of the sun. The first part of the traverse will be greeted with a full assault, an ascent of 900 ft in just an hour of trek and from there on, rolling terrains of hills will lead you to the highest point which is Mt Ulap (5820 ft above sea level). 

There are a number of peaks and points of attraction that can be seen in the traverse trail from the grassland slopes of Ambunao Paoay (Camp 1) to Gungal Rock - the site for rock balancing (Camp 2), and then to the highest point, Mt. Ulap (Camp 3). The descent from Mt. Ulap to Pong-ol Burial Caves (Camp 4) is steep with almost 1400 ft descent via a pine-forested terrain of cliffs and ravines. The Burial Caves themselves are a nice attraction but the Pinoy Solo Hiker opted not to take any pictures out of respect.

Vlog Version:

How To Get There:

1.) From Baguio City, you can ride a jeepney bound to Ampucao (terminal is in Lakandula St.)

2.) Once in Ampucao, register and secure a guide.

Bunga Falls

Located in the town of Nagcarlan in Laguna and is one of the two tourists attraction in the said town (the other one is the Underground Cemetery). The trek consists of a 10 to 15 minutes walk from the jump off point which will pass through a rough trail of woodlands.

Though not as high as the other falls located in Laguna which is only 30ft. of cascade, what makes it unique are the twin waterfalls, almost identical that cascades side by side. It was named after the Betel nut (Bunga) that used to grow in the area.

There were an urban legend about a mysterious creature who snatches unsuspecting victims down to the depths of Bunga Falls's 30 feet catchbasin and has circulated among the towns folk. For some reason I have decided not to plunge into the waters of the falls. If you will observe, a figure of a face on the rock formation is also visible on the falls, making it quite creepy and mysterious.

How to Get There:

1.) Take a bus bound to Lucena (DLTB or Jac Liner), they have terminals in Cubao and LRT Buendia 

2.) Tell the conductor to drop you off in San Pablo City (since, bus were not allowed inside the city you will be drop off at Mahalarlika hiway in San Pablo, you can either ride a trike or take a San Pablo bound jeepneys.

3.) Once in San Pablo, ride a jeep bound for Liliw/Nagcarlan tell the driver to drop you off in Nagcarlan Public Market.
4.) You can the ride a trike bound for Bunga Falls.