Part 11

I know. Ilang parts ba etong Tokyo series ko?!

I will answer you.

Madami!

Hahahaha!

On our second day in Tokyo, Wowa and I went to the Mejie Shrine in Harajuku.

This was my first outfit of the day:

Top: H&M; Skorts: COTTON ON; Sneakers: SKECHERS

I changed clothes because hindi ko feel yung outfit ko.

I chose to wear my Willow Clothing red top instead.

We had breakfast at the R&B Hotel in front of the Ootsuka train station.

This was what I ordered and N.A.P.A.K.A.S.A.R.A.P niya!

Even their normal French Toast tasted so creamy and delicious.

After breakfast we rode the train again to Harajuku station.

Almost everybody on the train were on their phones. So funny.

The Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park is located just beside the Harajuku Station.

From Japan Guide:

Meiji Shrine is a shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meijiand his consort, Empress Shoken. Located just beside the JR Yamanote Line’s busy HarajukuStation, Meiji Shrine and the adjacent Yoyogi Park make up a large forested area within the densely built-up city. The spacious shrine grounds offer walking paths that are great for a relaxing stroll.

The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress Shoken in 1920, eight years after the passing of the emperor and six years after the passing of the empress. The shrine was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt shortly thereafter.

Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan. He was born in 1852 and ascended to the throne in 1867 at the peak of the Meiji Restoration when Japan’s feudal era came to an end and the emperor was restored to power. During the Meiji Period, Japan modernized and westernized herself to join the world’s major powers by the time Emperor Meiji passed away in 1912.

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I wasn’t able to take photos of the entrance to the Yoyogi Park but this is how it looks like inside. The forest has 365 different species of trees.

Good thing when we were there, it wasn’t that sunny. Masarap magstroll. There were trees and plants everywhere.

We passed these barrels of wine on our way to the shrine.

The park’s area is 70 hectares. It really is big. It will take you around 10 minutes to walk from the park’s entrance to the Meiji shrine.

Here’s my #WithMommyFleur photo for that place:

There are certain rituals that tourists can do in the Meiji shrine. This is a Shinto ritual. Non Buddhist and Non Shinto people kasi sometimes mix up the rituals of these two. You can see Wowa here washing her hands and mouth with the water.

The Meiji Shrine also holds Shinto weddings. Shinto weddings are traditional Japanese weddings. I was really, really wishing to see one.

It was my lucky day because there were two weddings going on when we were there.

It was beautiful to see a bride wear a traditional Japanese wedding kimono. Ganito pala sila there.

They were walking towards the inner part of the shrine. Hinabol ko sila ng hinabol so I could see.

I was disappointed because hindi ko sila inabot so I had my photo taken na lang in front of the shrine.

It was so hot there.

And then since I was lucky nga that day, a bridal party came out of the inner portion of the shrine.

Nagtatakbo na naman ako ulit to catch them and to take photos.

It was so nice. The women in the wedding party were wearing traditional kimonos.

If mapapansin niyo, the older women’s kimonos are in solid colors then the kimonos worn by the younger women are printed and are in lighter color.

Nagpictorial din sila dun sa garden.

They all look so cute!

After that, we began again our walk back to the entrance of the Yoyogi park to go shopping =)

Part 12

Takeshita Dori or Takeshita Street is a walking distance from Meiji Temple. They are both in Harajuku.

From Wikipedia:

Takeshita Street (Takeshita-dōri) is a pedestrian-only street lined with fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants in Harajuku inTokyo, Japan. Stores on Takeshita Street include major chains such as The Body Shop, McDonald’s and 7-Eleven, but most of the businesses are small independent shops that carry an array of styles. The shops on this street are often a bellwether for broader fads, and some are known as “antenna shops,” which manufacturers seed with prototypes for test-marketing.

Takeshita Street was a reliable place to go and purchase fake Japanese and American street brand goods from the early 1990s to 2004. Since 2004, a stronger metropolitan government stance on counterfeit merchandise has led to a decrease of such items being available to the public.

Located directly across from the exit of JR East’s Harajuku Station, Takeshita Street is very popular with young teenagers, particularly those visiting Tokyo on school trips, or local young people shopping for small “cute” goods at weekends.

This is the entrance at Takeshita Street. We were there on a Saturday and it was packed!

True to it’s description, you can find a lot of stores in this street. Mahaba-haba ang kalyeng ito and there are stores left and right.

There are also different kinds of clothes mostly para sa mga bagets. Pati ang mga sizes pang bagets. Lol.

You can also find Japan’s longest running crepe shop, Marion Crepes at Takeshita Dori. I wish we were able to try their crepes however the queue was so long!

There are many food and candy stalls there.

When Anika’s older, I’m sure she will love it here.

They also have a lot of various foot wear and they sell it bangketa style too.

The layout of some of the stores at Takeshita Dori reminds me a lot of Greenhills and the tiangge-an at the basement of Glorietta 2 before they renovated.

It was a little difficult to shop because very bagets nga ang fashion dun.

Here’s my #WithMommyFleur photo for that place.

When we got to the end of the street, I got hungry so I tried out the crepe stall. This was a stolen shot taken by Wowa.

The crepes all looked so good but I have already decided what to get.

When in Tokyo, try a lot of Matcha flavored food!

My crepe was delicious except when I finished the Matcha ice cream and brownies. Punong puno ng creme the whole crepe cone inside! Calories galore. Kakilabot!

Would I recommend you going to Takeshita Dori street? Well, yes for experience. You can see the Japanese youth in their cute and unique outfits and get ups. But if you do not like being in a place where madami ang tao, siksikan and mainit, don’t go anymore. Good luck also if you will be able to buy clothes for yourself. Mahirap eh. They seldom have sizes and they assume lahat ng tao ay extra small. Hehehe. Pero Daiso’s there so your trip won’t be sayang naman if ever you pass by.

If you will try to shop here, take note where the clothes are from ha? They sell a lot of clothes from Korea. Wag niyo na bilhin yun. Eh di sana sa Korea na lang kayo nagpunta. Try to buy clothes made in Japan. They’re a little more expensive but you can see that they have better quality =)

Part 13

As promised here are the things I bought in Tokyo.

There was this store called INGNI in Takeshita Dori where I was able to find clothes for myself. Dun lang ako nakabili ng damit.

This pinstriped blouse (that looks like a pajama top at first) is nice paired with tight jeans or shorts. I bought it for 2,900 yen or Php 1,057.

The fit of the black and white striped shirt is very forgiving to the figure. I got it for also 2,900 yen or Php 1,057.

Even though summer’s already over, I still bought this shirt that ties in front. I have to go to the gym more and diet para bumagay na ulit ito sa akin. Lol. I got it for 2,500 yen or Php 911.

I bought this gray shirt at one of the stores that sells clothes made in Japan at Shibuya 109. You have to feel the shirt to be able to appreciate how nice it it. Ang soft and flowy ng tela, promise. If it weren’t expensive (for me ha, T-shirt lang kasi siya), I would have bought it in black and white too. When I got home in Manila and wore it, nagsisi ako because ang ganda talaga ng fit niya. The price that I paid for it was worth it. Well, kelan naman naging nasa una ang pagsisisi, di ba? I got it for 5,200 yen or Php 1,900.

I also discovered the Earth Music and Ecology brand in Tokyo. I was super lucky because they were on sale when we were there. Earth Music and Ecology sells relaxed clothing for women made with natural and organic fabrics.

I wasn’t able to get the prices for these clothes because the cashier cut the tags when I bought it. Sayang. But all of them were in the range of Php 500 to Php 1,200 lang. Sale price na yun.

I love this striped T-shirt. Akala mo simple lang…

…. may lace detail pala at the back =)

I gave this dress to Faye.

You saw me already wear this top. I also bought this in white for LT.

Because I love T-shirt dresses, I got this striped dress there too. If I’m not mistaken, mga Php 500 lang ito.

When Wowa and I were in Shibuya, I went to Zara to check out the clothes that they were selling. Ang gaganda!!! Lucky day ko also because Zara was on sale that time.

Naghunus-dili lang ako ng bili because we have Zara here naman. I only got three items there.

The first one is this tie-dyed flowy top that I got for 1,990 yen or Php 725.

I also got this striped shirt at 1,590 yen or Php 579. Ganda also the fabric of this shirt.

The scarf I bought because it was on sale at around Php 300 lang.

I wanted to go around more but I left Wowa in a coffee shop. She was resting kasi. I told her I will just go around and be back in a while. Ayaw nga ako payagan at first. Baka ma-Taken daw ako or baka mawala ako. My mom forgets that I’m 35 years old already and have traveled to farther places alone. Well, nanay eh. I understand. I cannot imagine myself letting Anika wander in a foreign place along.

Di ba mga muthers?

Hehehe.

Moving on, here are the things that I got Anika at UNIQLO.

This floral dress costs 1,500 yen or Php 546.

This skirt I got for only 990 yen or Php 328.

This dress I got for 1,500 yen or Php 546

And this Elsa shirt I got for 790 yen or Php 288.

Looking at it now, ang mura talaga pala sa UNIQLO in Tokyo. Di bale, next time I know. I will no longer buy tons and tons of Kitkat. Puros damit na lang! Lol!

Here are the small knick knacks that I got.

Fabric glass coasters from Daiso.

Matcha Rice Tea na sobrang sarap! I got this in one of the grocery stores.

Cute cloth towels from Daiso

Wooden Japanes doll that I got at one of the souvenir shops in Mt. Fuji.

Japanese tea cups I got in Nakamise Market. I’ll tell you all about that market soon.

Another Japanese cup from a souvenir shop in Mt. Fuji.

Of course, K-Palette Tattoo eyebrow and eyeliners. Php 500 lang yan dun.

Cheap sunglasses from Takeshita Dori (Php 500)

… and in the mall at the Ootsuka station (Php 1,500)

Chopsticks.

Book marks from Nakamise Dori. That pin has my name on it (Nana) =) cute huh?

Wowa and I bought 1 TB external hard drives in one of the malls. Around Php 3,000 ang isa, if I remember correctly. I also bought these there.

At the Loft, I got this cute plastic pouch.

Stationery =)

The Cure facial wash is one of the most famous facial washes in Japan. Libo libo ang bottles nito being sold per day around the world. This is being sold na din here. It’s cheaper nga lang talaga in Tokyo.

I couldn’t forget the mustard at Yabu so I bought one in Tokyo.

Last but not the least, the black Biore nose strip. Eto talaga mga bakla, super powerful and I love it! It gets almost all the black heads and white heads! Maluluha luha ka nga lang when you peel it off. Do we have this here in Manila?

That’s it pancit. I didn’t show na the chocolates and nuts that I bought. Napakadami! I learned my lesson now. No more buying food in Tokyo. Dapat clothes, make up and useful souvenirs na lang! =)

I went up to Baguio last Thursday to Saturday for our mid-year planning.

Wala akong tulog.

Anika was coughing so bad the past few days. The night before I left for Baguio, nilagnat naman. I stayed up to monitor her fever. I couldn’t sleep also because she wanted to be carried the whole time. Naglalambing talaga yun pag hindi maganda yung pakiramdam. Anyway, I told myself that if her fever was consistently mataas, hindi na ako sasama sa planning. Good thing after making her drink Paracetamol, her fever went down. Alvin told me to go to Baguio.

Wala akong tulog because our call time at our meeting place was 530am. We were pegging to be in Baguio by 11am.

This was what I wore:

Top: ZARA; Pants: UNIQLO; Sandals: BIRKENSTOCK; Sunglasses: I GOT IT FROM TOKYO =)

Our midyear planning has been postponed thrice already. Good thing when we pushed through with it, maganda ang weather. We took Kennon Road because it saves time talaga. Yun lang, super duper traffic because of the landslides. Take note, there was not just one but I saw at least three spots kung saan may landslide. I hope nobody got hurt nung gumuho yung lupa.

Scary.

After 10 thousand years, we arrived in Baguio City proper. I suggest if you’re going to Baguio, best to take the Marcos Highway na muna until they fix the aberya the landslides made.

Apart from our yearly midyear planning, we went to one of our projects there, the Outlook Ridge Residences.

It was my first time to go there na nakatayo na yung building. They’re on the finishing stage so mapapadalas ang akyat ko sa Baguio. Dun na lang kaya tayo magMommy Fleur Day?! Charot.

I entered one of the units and I was amazed by the beautiful view.

I’m standing inside one of our tandem units facing the balcony doors.

This is how it looks like when you are in the balcony.

Imagine waking up in the morning tapos ito agad ang nakikita mo. Ang sarap lang talaga magkape sa balcony na ito. Don’t you agree?

And then we went to the Sky Park /Roof Deck at the topmost floor. Pwede kayo dito maghang-out or just stare at the over looking view of the mountains of Baguio. Emote mode.

Ang sarap and ang fresh ng hangin grabe. They will be putting outdoor chairs and tables here so the residents can lounge around. Ang swerte din talaga ng mga nakabili in our Outlook Residences project. Almost sold out na siya. Ang ganda eh. Aside from the Sky Park, there are also Fire Pits, Landscaped Atriums with Fireplaces and Scenic elevators and an al fresco Coffee Shop area.

I should have told Wowa to get a unit here. Magandang vacation house =)

During our stay in Baguio, I also made sure to eat my favorite Nacho Dessert at Canto. Na-stress lang kami ng slight because one of my officemates saw an insect in his food. Sabi nung owner since outdoors daw yung restaurant, may possibility daw talaga magka-insect sa food. I do not agree. Ayoko na ng bad vibes kay hindi na ako nakipaglaban. They might get an impression pa na gusto namin magpalibre. Mahirap na. Hindi ko na lang inubos yung meat ko. Eto na lang ang inubos ko. Hehe.

On our last day, I jogged around Burnham park…

… and joined the Taebo exercises. Ang dami nila dun! I think more than 50 sila.

It felt so good to have exercised again. Hopefully, magtuloy tuloy na ako again =)

I’ll be going back and forth to Baguio more so I’ll make sure to try different restaurants. I’ll tell you guys all about it lagi =)

Hi guys.

We just got back this afternoon from our weekend getaway trip to Batangas with Alvin’s side of the family.

Na-stress ako mga bakla when we got back.

After unloading all our things from the car, our househelp “Malinaw” told us that while she was cleaning our window from inside, there was a scary man na naka-bike na pabalik-balik sa bahay namin at around 8 to 9am this morning. He would ride past while looking at our house. There was also a couple of times that he actually stopped in front of the house in the middle of the street. Nakatingin lang dito sa bahay.

Nakakatakot amp.

Our neighbor also saw him and even took a photo to him. Side view nga lang ang nakuha. He was really creepy. He had long hair and balbas sarado siya.

Pakshet.

Nagwalkthrough tuloy kami agad agad ni Alvin sa bahay. We will be re-enforcing the security of our house: CCTV cameras, additional locks and more dogs. I also reported it to the village’s security dun sa gate.

Sa totoo lang, I’m sanay na manakawan. No joke. Sa dalas naming manakawan before when we were living in Vito Cruz in Manila, keribelles ko na ang makunan ng gamit. What I am terrified right now is that baka pasukin yung house na wala kami and nasa bahay si Anika.

I palpitate by the mere thought of it.

Okay lang limasin na buong bahay namin, wag lang may saktan sa amin.

Di ba?

We cannot do anything but to pray and be extra tight sa security sa bahay.

I have briefed our kasambahays on what to do. I think I covered all the pwede na scenarios. I just hope hindi sila mataranta.

Hay.

Anyway, I don’t want to end this blog entry in a scary note.

Eto I’ll show you some of the photos from our trip. Some lang muna ha? I’ll tell you guys all about it, completely, in a separate blog post.

Rain or shine, we still pushed through with the trip.

Hindi talaga umaraw the whole time we were there.

Ang sad ko because I couldn’t take outfit of the day photos sa beach. Lol. Dun na lang tuloy sa may restaurant nila. Nice pa naman ng top ko. I bought it in a kiosk at the Petron Gas Station at SLEX. One hundred fifty pesos lang yang top ko na yan.

The next day, we woke up super early kasi makulimlim pero hindi umuulan. We rushed to the beach.

ME: Babe, paki picturan ako.

CLICK.

ME: Paki ulit. Ang taba ko eh.

CLICK!

ME: Babe naman!!! Ang taba pa din eh! Ayusin mo naman!

ALVIN: Ano magagawa ko?! Dun ka tumayo sa cliff. Tiyak payat ka dun

ME: Lech. Wag na nga!

Hahahahaha!

Have a great week guys!

We went to an out of town trip last weekend because it was a long weekend and it was my Father-in-Law’s birthday.

My SIL suggested Canyon Cove. I googled it and saw that they had a nice beach. Mahaba ang shoreline. Papatok ito sa mga bata, I said to myself.

We booked immediately and paid.

I have to note that this was an extra special trip because this is the first out of town trip (together with Alvin’s immediate family) that my FIL will come with us. Big deal talaga because Ka Pito (my FIL) doesn’t like traveling. Nababato. Gusto lang nun lagi sa bahay. Since Alvin and I got married in 2009, I never went to an overnight out of town trip with my FIL. Ngayon lang.

We were all excited.

And then, as expected, it was raining hard because of a storm. The storm didn’t hit Metro Manila directly pero because of it, malakas ang ulan.

Nothing new though. It always rains whenever we plan to go somewhere. Kaloka ang ulan that weekend. I was praying and praying that it would stop. Fully paid na namin yung Canyon Cove. My SIL is a doctor and she seldom has a vacation break like now. Like I said, my FIL is coming with us too. Kamote if hindi kami natuloy.

Come Saturday morning, it was still raining when we woke up. Ang dark ng clouds.

ALVIN: Tutuloy ba tayo?

Walang ka-abog-abog, sumagot ako ng “yes.”.

ME: Sabi sa internet, 40% lang ang precipitation sa Batangas today.

It was still raining when we arrived in Canyon Cove at around 2pm.

ALVIN: May precipitation-precipitation ka pang nalalaman diyan ha?

ME: Meron nga promise!

ALVIN: Galgal ka lang talaga!

ME: Hindi! Nanghihinayang ako dun sa 9k na binayaran natin.

Here’s our room. Good for 3 people daw pero actually I think, 5 adults can fit in this room because of that bed near the window.

The bathroom’s spacious.

The balcony’s big also and it overlooks the sea.

This is the view when you stand on our balcony.

Nung ambon ambon na lang, we rushed to the beach agad.

The bagets were really happy! I wish we can take them to the beach at least once a month. The fresh air is good for them both given that they both have asthma.

My FIL brought with him his fishing rod because he wanted to go fishing. He wasn’t able to because the waves were really crazy because of the weather.

She was really so happy!

Come night time, we had dinner at the Canyon Cove restaurant.

Walang ibang food being served at their restaurant except for the food you can order from Max’s Restaurant.

Napurga kami sa Max’s.

Max’s sa merienda. Max’s sa pulutan. Max’s sa dinner. And Max’s for breakfast.

Nakaka-uta.

While waiting for our dinner, this girl insisted on having her ootd taken by her Tatay. Walang turo yang pose niya na yan.

Top: H&M Kids; Shorts: SM KIDS; Flipflops: GINGERSNAPS

The next day, we woke up super early to check if it was still raining. Luckily, Mr. Sun was out ng slight.

Takbo kami agad sa beach!

And then the skies darkened again =c Sabi ko sana ganyan lang muna even for a while so Anika can swim sa beach. However, the waves were getting stronger na so Anika and I made sand castles na lang instead.

Para hindi masayang ang swimsuits, nagtampisaw-tampisaw na din kami magmudra.

And then nagmuni muna na ang Anika Summer.

We all had breakfast after that.

I wanna say I liked the food but no =c Hindi talaga masarap. The only dish that we liked was the champorado that we ordered for the kids.

We went back to the beach after that. Umaambon abon pa din but hindi na nagpapigil ang dalawa. We let them because it was our last day there.

The rain stopped long enough to have our family photo taken.

It rained after that again so we went to have a dip in the pool.

It was soooo cold!

Nice lang because Canyon Cove had warm beach towels that you can borrow.

We checked out around 11am.

My verdict for Canyon Cove?

1. The beachfront is long and kids can really enjoy playing and running around.
2. They have nice rooms.
3. They have many pools that are adult and kid friendly.
4. Nakasimangot ang mga staff sa front desk nila and they weren’t very nice, friendly nor accommodating. They were indifferent and bordering on rude. It was a turn-off.
5. I am choosy with food so I didn’t like the food at Canyon Cove. Nakaka-uta din ang Max’s. I wish there were choices.

Nevertheless, we still had fun =)

Part 15

One of my favorite places that we went to when we were in Tokyo was Asakusa. You will find here the Sensoji Buddhist temple. To reach the temple, one must walk the 250 meter long street called Nakamise Dori.

When you go to Tokyo, I highly suggest for you to visit this place. Ang sarap maglakad along Nakamise Dori and look at different kinds of Japanese things: some you need and some are things that you only want but do not need. They sell here souvenirs that you do not usually see in the other places.

 I bought Anika a pair of Japanese slippers.

Cute keychains

I asked Alvin what pasalubong he wanted.

ALVIN: Wala Babe. Maka-uwi ka lang ng maayos, okay na ako.

Hanep.

ME: Hindi nga Babe. Dali na.

ALVIN: Sige. Gusto ko ng samurai sword.

ME: Anak ng teteng! Ano ba Babe! Umayos ka. Dali na. Ano gusto mo?

ALVIN: Tatanungin mo ako ano gusto ko tapos magagalit ka?!

Fine. Samurai swords pala ha.

I got him one of these:

Pretty lanterns

Karate Kid headbands. I got one for Anika. Wala lang.

Bookmarks. I’m a sucker for bookmarks. I wanted to buy all these Bamboo bookmarks. Instead, I bought one plus the gold plated Geisha bookmark at the right.

Authentic Japanese kimonos. I wish I got one for Anika.

Weird food that I was afraid to try. I wonder how they will cook those cucumbers?

Chopsticks, the reusable kind. I got a couple for the house.

Here are the authentic samurai swords that Alvin wanted. They’re expensive pala ano? Look at that 198,000 Yen sword. That’s around Php 70,000.

Sake sets. I wanted to buy a set kaso hindi naman ako umiinom ng sake.

More food that I wish I paid attention to.

At the end of Nakamise Dori is the Sensoji Temple. That’s up next in my blog =)

Part 16

Like what I said earlier, at the end of Nakamise Dori in Asakusa, you will find the Sensoji Temple.

From Japan-Guide:

Sensoji (浅草寺, Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located inAsakusa. It is one of Tokyo’s most colorful and popular temples.

The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo’s oldest temple.

When approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the outer gate of Sensoji Temple and the symbol of Asakusa and the entire city of Tokyo.

A shopping street of over 200 meters, called Nakamise, leads from the outer gate to the temple’s second gate, the Hozomon. Alongside typical Japanese souvenirs such as yukata and folding fans, various traditional local snacks from the Asakusa area are sold along the Nakamise. The shopping street has a history of several centuries.

Wowa’s here by the Hozomon gate.

Upon entering the Hozomon gate, you will see a five storey pagoda. It’s beautiful.

There were a lot of places here where I saw Buddhist prayed.

A saw a lot of people doing the clap clap thingy ritual that other people were doing at the Meiji Shrine.

Completely wrong.

The Sensoji Temple is for Buddhists while Meiji Shrine is for a different religion.

Here’s the #WithMommyFleur photo for the Sensoji Temple.

There were a lot of people that were there.

I wanted to try what this Japanese girl was doing. It seemed that she was getting a stick from that silver canister then reading what number or code that was written there and then she would open the corresponding drawer and get a piece of paper. Her fortune was written in the paper.

Like in the Meiji Shrine, they also have here a place where to wash their hands and mouth.

It was a good experience, really. Should you be in Tokyo, punta din kayo dito. It’s a beautiful place, rich with Japanese culture.

Since it was so hot, I bought this Kamote ice cream on our way out of the compound.

It was so good!!! =)

I love Japan talaga =)

Eto na powhz!

Hehehe.

Alvin and I celebrated our 6th Wedding Anniversary last September 19.

Six years.

I will not say na blissful ang 6 years na yun. It wasn’t. It wasn’t at all stress-free, cotton candy patweetums. Our honeymoon stage lasted for only 6 months. After nun kasi Anika was born na. The first few years were spent adjusting to each other’s quirks while being parents to Anika. It wasn’t easy. The next few years were spent fighting and making up, fighting and then making up again. It was tiring. I enjoyed all the make up sex though. Thank God for that. Silver lining sa dark clouds. Charot.

Kidding aside, we were tried and tested. Sa awa ng Diyos, wala pa naman sa amin ang bumibitaw. There were times na konting konti na lang, wala na. May mga walk out eksena na nangyari (mostly ako lagi) but I always come back. May mga times na sa sobrang gigil ko, I tell myself that I’ll never speak to him again. Pagtumawag naman, I never had the heart not to answer the call and talk to him.

Don’t get me wrong. In between those trying times, nandiyan naman yung tawanan, lambingan (pat on my head on Alvin’s part) and tawanan pa more. With just one hug and kiss, everything becomes okay.

Nauuto pa din talaga ako ng asawa ko.

Lol.

Six years = so many learnings. It’s only now I learned to work this hard to stay in a relationship. Hindi kami bumitaw. Alvin and I are still both up and running. Pwera usog, fights are lesser now. Actually, since I had that selos episode way back, we haven’t fought since. Either naka-adjust na kami or naubos na talaga ang mga away. I will not say that we’ll never fight anymore. Impossible yan sa tigas ng ulo ko and sa papansin kong ito. But I’m looking forward to all of those things. Those are all part of my adventures with Alvin.

 Papunta na kami to what they call the seven year itch.

What does that mean nga ba?

I don’t want to know.

What I know is that we will go through it. Like how we always have done in the past.

And so we celebrated our 6th year with a beach trip. I told Alvin before that I want our anniversary trips to be na kami lang. For five years ganyan naman ang nangyari. For this year, I decided to bring Anika with us. Hindi naman kasi kami makakalayo masyado (read: trip requiring an airplane ride) given our budget so sinama na namin.

Let’s photo blog, shall we?

I surprised Alvin with a Chevrolet Trailblazer super early in the morning of our weekend getaway.

Tuwang tuwa na sana siya until I told him na pahiram lang yung car for our weekend trip. Pakshet daw. Hahahaha!

You can check out my review of the Chevrolet Trailblazer here.

We decided to go to Virgin Beach Resort again. Alvin liked how peaceful it was there when we went before for a day trip.

We were praying for a good weather. On our way, umaraw. Tuwang tuwa kami.

ME: Babe, I told you hindi totoo na laging umuulan sa mga lakad natin.

And then it rained when we arrived in Batangas.

Lekat na yan.

Humupa naman ang ulan when we arrived at the Virigin Beach Resort.

This time, we got one of the air conditioned Casitas. Bale since it was off peak season, we were offered the Casitas at Php 8,000.

This was our Casitas.

Inside, there were two queen sized beds, a closet, a table with coffee and tea and a spacious toilet and bath.

I really love how peaceful it always is at this resort.

Here’s my mag-ama going to the pavilion where the buffet meals were. Oh, for the overnight guests, it’s mandatory to pay for the Php 1,600 per head fee for the buffet meals. This includes lunch, dinner and breakfast the next day. Okay lang because the food at the resort is good.

The next day, Anika and I woke up very early to go to the beach.

I made myself a cup of coffee from the complimentary coffee and tea set inside our room. Ang sarap magkape sa beach.

The beach was even more beautiful that morning.

We had a relaxing time =) You can watch our video of our weekend getaway here.

Borlogs na yung bagets on our way home =)

That’s it folks! =) Virgin Beach Resort is located in Laiya, Batangas.

Virgin Beach Resort
Laiya, Batangas
Tel. Numbers: (+632)815-2584; 815-2587 ; 759-2020
Mobile Numbers: +63917 813-1301
Email: reservations@virginbeachresort.com

Part 14

I’m not done yet with my Tokyo series!!!!!!

One of my favorite places in Tokyo is the Shibuya intersection.

I love how busy it is!

Ang mga pedestrian lanes nagki-criss cross! I wonder where everyone is going? Super always puno ng tao ang intersection na yan.

Wowa and I had fun taking photos. I would run in the middle of the road and she would take different shots. Wowa was standing under a tree sa gilid ng streets.

Can you spot me? =)

Andaming tao di ba?!

We also found Hatchiko’s statue. He’s the famous Japanese dog who waited for his master in this station everyday for 10 years after his master died.

After taking photos, Wowa and I went to Shibuya 109. I was told this was the supreme shopping mall for ladies in Shibuya.

Shibuya 109 is indeed a large mall with various clothes, shoes, bags and accessories for sale. Mauumay ka promise. I noticed that most of the clothes being sold came from Korea. Pinili ko na lang ang mga shinopping ko. I bought clothes that are Japan made. They fit nicer and they had nicer fabrics. But if you’re going to ask me if madami kang mabibili dun, madami talaga especially if you’re thin. Pambagets and pampayat ang mga clothes there. The prices also vary. There are expensive clothes and murang clothes. Mura meaning around Php 500 each. Ganun yung mura dun.For the shoes, madaming madami too! The average price that Wowa and I saw is around Php 1,200 for a pair. Kabog siguro dun pagSale season.

After shopping, I went to the Starbucks on the second floor of this mall (sorry I forgot the name) overlooking the Shibuya intersection. Before our Tokyo trip, I read somewhere that Starbucks prohibited taking photos of the Shibuya intersection in that area. Siguro kasi dinudumog ng tourists. Naaabala ang mga Starbucks customers. But when we were there, ang daming nagpipicture so I took advantage =)

We went to Tokyu Mall to eat at this Japanese restaurant in their basement. I read that masarap daw dun and mura lang. I’ve been Googling the name for 30 minutes now pero hindi ko talaga makita yung name ng restaurant.

This restaurant is located at the basement of Tokyu Mall. Maliit na resto lang ito. It is in the same floor where the grocery is.

Masarap nga and mura.

I realized just now that I ate a lot of sushi and sashimi when I was in Tokyo. Harharhar! Napakasarap eh!

After eating, we walked a little from the Shibuya intersection to check out Tokyu Hands.

Tokyu hands is a wasteland. Everything that you need is there.

Ang masasabi ko lang is buti na lang pagoda cold wave lotion na ako that time. If not, wasak na wasak siguro ang wallet ko.

Madaming madaming floors for different kinds of abubuts for you.

Sa totoo lang, nakakaumay din sa Tokyo if you want to shop. There are so many cute and unique things. I think you should go to Tokyo twice. First time to go sight seeing, do all the tourist thingy and eat Japanese food. You will need at least 6 days for this. Second time, magshopping ka na ng bonggang bongga then eat Japanese food.

Lol but true!

To end our day, we ate dinner at the R&B Hotel Restaurant again. Here’s what I wore:

Dress: FLORENCE FLING; Sandals: BIRKENSTOCK

I’m so missing Tokyo now.

 Part 15

Before the years ends, please allow me to finally finish my Tokyo trip series.

Hahahahahaha!

Sayang naman kasi because I want to show you where we bought inexpensive snacks and food for pasalubong.

For first timers in Tokyo, you can get your pasalubongs at the AMEYOKO street.

It’s near the Tokyo Sky Tree.

The man carried wheel barrow like vehicle was a sight to see.

Meron pa ngang babae na naghihila. Grabe.

This is the AMEYOKO street. It’s filled with vendors selling all kinds of Japanese products.

They have different kinds of Kitkat at around Php 90 each pack. Ang mura di ba? That’s being sold in Manila for like Php 250 a pack.

There were also Kracie Popin’ Cookin sets for only around Php 66 a box.

More chocolates and Japanese snacks.

Different kinds of condiments

Instant drinks

Natural I hoarded. Lol.

At last my Tokyo series has ended.

Where to next in 2016? =)

Since the past weekend was a long weekend, I booked us a room for an overnight stay at One Tagaytay Place in Tagaytay City.

It wasn’t expensive. There was an ongoing promo. I availed of their Upbeat Treat. For Php 3,700 nett, the package already includes an overnight stay at their Deluxe Twin Room, breakfast for two,  10% discount at their Azalea restaurant and a 45 minute massage for 2.

This is how our room looked like.

This is the banyo.

And this was the pool. There were nobody swimming because it was sooooo cold and windy!

I was a bit disappointed with our stay at One Tagaytay Place.

1. The room was really tiny. As in ang liit liit lang talaga.

2. The beds were small. As in pang single lang talaga. Ako lang ba or hindi lang ako sanay that the beds for twin rooms are like that.

3. A 45 minute massage for two was included in the promo however, walang available to massage us. I had our massage scheduled tentatively for 8pm however, we were only able to go to mass at 7pm eh yun na lang daw yung available schedule for us. Sayang because we weren’t avail to avail it.

4. Alvin and I weren’t able to sleep because kumakalampag ng bongga yung sliding door all night because of the strong winds outside. There was something wrong with the sliding door. Maluwag. They seriously need to fix that. Hindi dapat kumalampag yun ng ganun. Kaloka.

5. There was supposed to have a free wifi. Hindi lang kami maka-connect like all night. Alvin was able to make chamba pero super duper slow naman daw.

Konswelo for me was the staff were very nice and accommodating. Wala kang masasabi sa kanila.

Konswelo for Alvin was madaming Filipino channel in their cable. He was able to watch a lot of old Tagalog movies. Lol.

Moving on, traffic was really bad in Tagaytay yesterday. We weren’t able to go na to the other side. One Tagaytay Place kasi was at the People’s Park side. Hindi na kami nakaalis dun.

Oh wait, outfit of the day muna ng bagets. Feel na feel ni Anika the puffy jacket that I got her two years ago.

Jacket: COTTON ON; Pants: H&M; Boots: SM Kids

Anyway, at lunch, we discovered Siglo Restaurant.

Food was pretty good. The Bulalo was malasa and the beef was tender. The serving was I think good for 2-3. The soup was refillable =)

Bulalo at Php 350

The Tawilis was crunchy and masarap.

Fried Tawilis at Php 140

The Lechon Kawali was nicely presented. They also had salad and achara. The serving was also big. I think pwede for 2-3 persons

Lechon Kawali at Php 180

The restaurant’s interior was colorful. Yun lang medyo natataranta ang mga waiters. They were mababait but I can sense that they were loaded.

Anika and Alvin did a short photoshoot after lunch.

We heard mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help church. This church was again at our side in Tagaytay. We attempted to go to the other side to have dinner after mass kaso traffic was still terrible.

We ended up eating at Morielli’s Restaurant. Morielli’s is located at Tagaytay Calamba Rd. cor St. Francis Drive,Tagaytay City.

I was pleasantly surprised because it is one of the Top Restaurants in Tagaytay pala.

After they sat us down, they gave Anika coloring materials. It was very thoughtful of them given that Anika was whining na kasi gustom na gutom na siya. These art eklaver made her busy that she forgot na gutom na siya.

I ordered Creamy Carbonara for Anika and I. It was good. It tasted like the Carbonara that I ate when we were in Paris.

Creamy Carbonara at Php 185

I also ordered the Tijuana Mexican Tacos that I shared with Alvin

Tijuana Mexican Tacos at Php 228

Alvin ordered naman their Adobo. I tasted it and it was very malasa. Masarap!

Chicken Adobo at Php 248

After dinner, the waiter got our names. I was wondering what it was for. After a while, the waiter came back with these.

Galeng… Nice touch ha! We recommend Morielli’s Restaurant if you will be in the Tagaytay area. You should also try their Iced Tea. They put something special in it to make it taste a little more delicious than the normal iced tea being served in restaurants.

On our way back to the hotel, we decided to stop at Java Jazz Coffee because Alvin wanted to buy a shirt.

I remember in 2007, Alvin brought me here one weekend to have coffee.

Java Jazz Coffee is a very laid back coffee shop. Anika immediately made friends with the other kids so hinayaan na lang namin muna siya. Feeling namin this coffee shop is owned by an artist because of the different paintings on the wall. They’re selling the painting din pala. We asked how much a painting and the waiter told us it’s around Php 4,000.

Alvin ordered the Cafe de Tagaytay at Php 95…

… while I ordered the Tsok-O-Nut with marshmallow chocolate drink at Php 95.

Anika had naman the Sansrival cake =)

After a few minutes, napansin namin that it was already 10pm. We went back to our hotel na afterwards.

It was a great day despite the fact that we weren’t able to go around Tagaytay because of the traffic. Bad trip nga lang because we weren’t able to sleep well because of the banging sliding balcony door. Nevertheless, at least, the three of us were able to spend time together. We were able to experience the fresh cold air of Tagaytay. Solve na kaming tatlo dun =)

How about you guys? How was your long weekend?

We drove for 7 hours yesterday from Paranaque to Bataan.

Sinungaling si Waze. He told me 3 hours lang daw ang drive. Lekat na NLEX yan. Due to the volume of the vehicles, traffic was hell. As in hell talaga. Lahat yata ng tao norte ang bakasyon this Holy Week.

Alvin was so irate already. This is the reason why he doesn’t want to travel north. I said sorry. Last na talaga ito kako.

I posted how traffic it was online. Many people said that worth it naman daw ang biyahe dahil super ganda sa Las Casas.

They were right.

It’s so beautiful here. I wish I brought a lot of clothes for my OOTD photos. Lahat yata ng kanto pwede ka magpapicture.

I’ll post more soon ha?

Relax relax muna kami here sa beach.

=)

There are plenty of various rooms you can avail at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan. You can even rent out one whole house with different rooms.

For this trip, I got the La Puesta del Sol Superior De Luxe room good for 2 adults and one child. The rate for two nights is Php 15,000. This includes buffet breakfast, use of pool, a Heritage Walking Tour, welcome drinks and cold towel after the tour.

Ang lakas maka-throwback ng room namin.

I love the high ceiling but I was so scared of the ambiance. Parang anytime may lalabas na mumu sa wardrobe closet.

Our seven hour trip was so sulit for me when I saw the huge bathroom also with high ceiling.

While I was taking photos in the bedroom, Anika kept on shouting from the bathroom.

“Nanay, which one is the toilet?!”

“I wanna pee na!!! Which one is the toilet?!”

I went inside. Eto pala ang kinaka-confuse niya =/

Lol. Her face looked so funny when I explained that that contraption on the right side was for washing the pwet.

ANIKA: Hello! Don’t they know a bidet?

Apparently anak, hindi pa naiimbento ang bidet nung unang panahon.

The bathtub’s also huge.

Nagquality time dito si Alvin. Aawatin ko na sana because we have not had lunch yet. However, I heard a lot of splashing inside the bathroom. Mukhang nageenjoy so hinayaan ko na lang. It turned out muntikan na pala siya malunod! Hahaha! I do not know how in the world that could happen, pero pwede pala. Pagnagkita kayo ni Alvin, ipakwento niyo. Hehe.

Anyway, the room has a TV, DVD player and a mini ref. There is also a complimentary two bottles of water every day. There’s also a kettle, coffee, sugar and mini cups for you.

Our room also opens up to a balcony which looks like this.

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar has a batis inspired swimming pool. It’s very child friendly.

There is also a place where you can play Filipino games like sipa, darts, billards, ping pong table, hoola hoops, pool and sungka.

The Heritage Tour where you will be guided around the village and get to go inside the old houses happen every thirty minutes.

The place was so photogenic that Alvin forgot for a while his annoyance of driving for 7 hours.

Ganito kami dun the whole time. Lelz. Pwera plastic, I really love it that Alvin got into photography again because ang dami naming beautiful photos mag-ina.

Stand by for the photo blog of our Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar trip.

Every 6pm, the guests can watch a cultural show by the bay.

At the end, guests were asked if they want to try the tinikling.

Tuwang tuwa ang mag-ama ko.

Alvin practiced his night shots.

At 7:30 pm, they had a re-enactment program called Hanapin Si Kristo. It looked so realistic! The guards were really shouting at people, “Nasan si Kristo?!”. There were torches and men on horses. Sigaw sila ng sigaw while roaming the whole place.

ME: Anika, let’s follow them so we can watch!

ANIKA (crying): I don’t like to follow them! I don’t want to find Jesus!

ME: Why?

ANIKA: They will find Jesus then put Him on the cross!

ME: Alika na. Let’s watch!

ANIKA (crying louder): I said I don’t want to follow them! I don’t want to find Jesus! I don’t want to be like those bad people!

Fine. Fine.

We checked out na lang the houses that had tags “Open for Viewing”.

More in a while!

We woke up so early in the morning to go to the beach.

We went around the place after breakfast while waiting for the tour to start.

Top: BENCH; Shorts: DIVISORIA; Slippers: OLD NAVY; Sunglasses: PRADA

The walking tour was for one hour. Nagdala ako ng giant umbrella because I am very much afraid of the sun.

This is our tour guide.

The first house that we entered was the family house of Jose Rizal from her maternal family’s side

The stair banister is originally from the house.

From what I remembered, eto lang ang part of the house na orignal. The other parts were copied na lang. Pinatigil kasi daw yung pagbaklas nung orginal house when the owner of Las Casas was buying it. The people felt that this historical house should remain in Laguna where it was originally located.

So sad lang daw because wala naman nagmaintain ng original house so super sira sira na siya now.

Anyway, the tour guide told us that the original lady of the house was caught by her husband having an affair with the general of the guardiya sibil.

TOUR GUIDE: Alam niyo ba ano ang ginawa ng asawa dun sa asawa niyang babae nung nahuli niyang may ka-affair?!

Silence.

ALVIN: Inanakan niya na lang ng inanakan?

Lol!!! Everybody laughed. Kaloka talaga pumunch line ng jowa ko.

Anyway, the husband daw locked the wife for four years in the bedroom. Yan ang sagot. Hehehe.

They are the owners of the house.

Anika kept on taking photos of the houses in the tour.

This is the old UP Fine Arts building. This was where Juan Luna studied.

This painting was painted using the swelas of a rubber slipper.

You can see the rubber slipper marks when you look at it up close.

This was were Juan Luna practiced painting. This window sill was also where the ladies with big gowns rest when going up and down the stairs. Hindi pa kasi uso dati ang petticoat so they were wearing layers upon layers of skirts to make their gowns puffy.

Anika’s really clingy to the tour guide. She wanted to be in front with the tour guide all the time.

This is the Lubao house. Ang presko ng mga old houses before. And look at all the intricate designs everywhere you look.

There still more!!!

Ngitata na ako while on the tour but gorabelles pa din.

It was so interesting to know about the history of the different houses.

Kung alam ko lang madaming photogenic doors dito, nagdala pa sana ako ng more outfits =D

Top: MANGO; Shorts: FOREVER 21; Sandals: BIRKENSTOCK

Ang tawag dito sa shot na ito is the ume -effort shot.

For the last house that we entered, we went inside a house with a pasilyo. Dati kasi there were two kinds of servants: the sagigilid na alipin and the namamahay na alipin. Yung mga sagigilid na alipin, sila yung mga walang properties na mga servants. They are also the ones who are being traded. The sagigilid servants can only stay in the pasilyo. They cannot enter the house. The namamahay servants are those servants who have properties. They can go inside the house and directly serve the masters.

Our tour guide also showed us how they iron their clothes before. You will go on top of this contraption then kekembot kembot ka para maplantsa yung clothes underneath.

Ang hirap pala maging plantsadora nung unang panahon.

This is the typical toilet naman dati.

Bakit kako dalawang butas?

People poopoo together daw dati. Bonding moment nila ito. They make kwentuhan while pooping. They also sometimes play sungka habang jumejebs.

Galing.

Meron pa!!! Wait lang more!

We spent our last day in Las Casas Filipinas in the pool and by taking photos of the sunset.

Alvin insisted on leaving for Laguna by 6am the next day. We needed to be in a private pool in Laguna by after lunch because Gabo and Anika was having a joint birthday pool party.

Hada lang ang peg.

Top: COTTON ON; Shorts: BENCH

The sunset was 10x prettier in actual. Anika and I watched it set while Alvin took photos.

Before we went to dinner, we had konting drinks with Mami A’s family in this veranda overlooking the beach.

Around 8pm, we walked back to our room to get ready for dinner.

After dinner, nagpicture picture lang muna si Alvin ng konti pa more.

If ever Alvin will change his mind going to the North, I will surely would want to go back to this place. Magdadala ako ng more clothes. I will bring indian mango and salt and I will eat it while watching Anika swim. I will bring ice cold drinks. I will bring extra snacks because the food there is expensive. And I will take tons and tons of more photos! =)

Dalhin niyo ang parents niyo dito mga ‘teh. They will like it. I heard my MIL talking to her sisters kanina. They’re planning na already a trip to Las Casas Filipinas =)

I booked Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar sometime in February. I booked it without asking Alvin first. I knew he would say no because he hates travelling to the North. Ayaw niyang baybayin ang EDSA plus super traffic daw papunta.

ME: Wag ka ngang nega Babe! Sabi ni Waze 3 hours lang daw from our house. And besides, we have been staying home during Holy Week for years na. Magtravel tayo para maiba naman.

ALVIN: Sige bahala ka.

Last Holy Thursday, we left our house in Paranaque before 7am.

Alvin suggested to eat breakfast at Sentris. Pumayag na ako.

Our travel ordeal started when we arrived at the NLEX friendship road eklaver in Mindanao Ave. ‘Nyeta yan. Dun nagsimula ang traffic. Tropapips na kami ng NLEX twitter. I was asking them why it was so traffic. Volume of vehicles lang daw.

Shetpaks.

I asked again until where ang traffic.

NLEX twitter said until San Fernando, Pampanga.

Emergerd.

I cannot count how many “I told you so” Alvin said to me the whole trip.

Grabe. Grabe talaga.

After five freaking hours, we exited San Fernando and passed na lang the JA Santos Avenue. This is the old road to Subic before they built the SCTEX. Maluwag na from there. It took us 2 hours from the exit to Bagac.

We had lunch at Max’s Restaurant which was just after the exit of San Fernando.

We arrived in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar at past 2pm. There we so many people checking in.

The place is huge so you will ride these jeepneys if you want to go to one side to another. Malayo masyado to walk if super init.

This is the view outside when you stand on our balcony. Grabe the details in every house in the place.

Dress: F&F; Slippers: OLD NAVY

Dress:UNIQLO; Sandals: BIRKENSTOCK; Sunglasses: PRADA

Alvin said he wanted to take a nap muna. Since he was the one who drove the whole time, hindi ko na kinotra. Hindi mo kami ni Anika mapapa-rest during trips like these. Atat kami to explore and swim. And so I told Alvin to meet us na lang at the pool

Cover Up: F&H; Shorts: HER BENCH; Tote bag: OLD NAVY

It was still so hot to walk so Anika and I decided to wait for a jeepney for a ride to the pool.

Eh ang kaso, nakakailang jeep na yung dumadaan, puros puno!

ME: Hay naku Anika. Let’s walk na kaya? Pagtayo inabutan ng Tatay mo dito, pagtatawanan tayo nun.

And so we walked.

Hindi naman nakakapagod masyado because of the beautiful buildings and houses that you will see.

This is the building where the buffet breakfast is served everyday.

Finally we arrived in the pool.

I wish I brought food. Sabi kasi bawal eh pero there were a lot of people who brought chips, drinks and fruits.

Ginto pa naman pagkain dun sa Las Casas.

The softdrinks in can costs Php 95 each!

Kaya naman, ninamnam ko dalaga ang ice cold Royal Tru Orange ko.

After swimming, we had our merienda.

Tusok tusok the fishball anyone?

The fishball and squidballs cost Php 40 per order. Around 12 pcs per order.

The place looked more beautiful as the sun was setting. The lighting was perfect.

More to come! Wait lang =)

Like what I told you in my earlier post, it is hard getting all my family members together for an out of town trip. It is difficult because apart from the different busy schedules that need to match, reklamador ang lahat sa amin. Hahaha! It’s not easy to find a nice place where everyone can enjoy. Pero naman, whenever we go on trips, memorable talaga siya for us because ang dalang namin gawin. Since Anika was born in 2010, the family trips that we went to were only in Kota Kinabalu, Sorsogon and Baguio. Yung lang talaga. I told you it’s very madalang.

I have been planning to take them on an out of town trip this summer. Hindi ko lang alam kung saan. So when Balay Indang and Wilson’s Place invited me with my family for an overnight trip, I said yes right away! Hay salamat solved na ang venue! We set a date and coincidentally, except for Faye and Fonz who are in Europe now, everybody was free on the Mother’s Day weekend. This is a good sign. Tuloy na tuloy!

On the day, we were to have lunch at Balay Indang first. We were taking two cars. Alvin, Anika and I in one car then Wowa, Toots and LT in Wowa’s car. I told them to be in Balay Indang by lunch time.

Here’s what I wore:

Linen Top: UNIQLO; Shorts: UNIQLO; Sandals: BIRKENSTOCK; Sunglasses: RayBan

Balay Indang is located in Indang, Cavite. Sa Tagaytay ang daan namin from Manila. It wasn’t hard to find the place because you can see it in Waze.

Alvin, Anika and I went around while waiting for the rest to arrive.

Balay Indang is a retreat place where one can enjoy peace and quiet and be one with nature. Ang daming halaman there! Even though it was scorching hot, the plants gave ample shade and presko vibe wherever you go. Did you watch the proposal video of Rochelle Pangilinan (the dancer)? Dito yun sa Balay Indang.

This is the main house of Balay Indang. Ang ganda. Rustic and shabby chic ang peg. Para siyang bahay ni lola sa probinsya. It was as if almost all the decors have stories of their own.

Everything was mis-matched but they were put together in a way na mukha siyang maganda. I really do wish I have this talent. I asked who their interior designer was. Wala daw. Only the Balay Indang manager’s the one decorating the place. Nakakatuwa.

It is also here where the dining rooms are located. The guests eat their lunch, snacks, dinner and breakfast (for the next day) in this place.

Balay Indang does not have television sets in the rooms. Retreat nga kasi ang peg. Wala ka daw gagawin dito kundi magrest and to eat. And you will definitely enjoy eating because the food there is soooo delicious. So delicious that I decided to make sa separate blog entry just for that! Lol!

They have a swimming pool, different cottage-styled houses where you can sleep, gardens, playground and a huge pavilion.

This is their Elizabeth Hall. It can house up to 200 guests. When we were there last weekend, fully booked sila because may magwe-wedding daw. Alvin didn’t take photos lang of the garden wedding set-up sa labas pero ang ganda and sweet if you get married there. The reception will be here inside this air conditioned hall.

When you go outside of this hall sa side, you will find an al fresco place where you can hangout too. Check out the ceiling mural. Isang tao lang ang gumawa niyan. It’s so amazing.

If you are looking for a relaxing place to stay, I suggest you try Balay Indang. We weren’t able to check out how the rooms and toilets look like because they were fully booked that day. But I browsed online to see the photos of their room and magaganda nga. I especially like what they did to their cottage/room toilets. Para ka lang nagshashower outdoors with nature.

Pwede kayo dito mag-emote by yourself with matching hashtag #findingmyself or you can also come together with your loved ones for total relaxation. I can picture myself hanging out in one of the comfy chairs in the pavilion while watching Anika play in the playground.

So nice. We shall be back.

Next up, I will tell you about the lunch we had here in Balay Indang. My mouth is watering now while thinking of it =)

Balay Indang

88 Mahabang Kahoy Cerca, Indang, Cavite City
0917-8374261 / 0917-8665825
bookings@balayindang.com

Rates:

Couple Rate is 3,400 / head ( inclusive of 3 meals and 2 snacks plus 5% service charge )

Multiple Sharing is 2,800 / head ( inclusive of 3 meals and 2 snacks plus 5% service charge )

Lunch or dinner is 700 / head plus 5% svc