Laguna road trip

 Paul, Wendy, and I started the year 2008 with a road trip. We were invited to a good friend’s wedding in Lucena, and we took this chance to take that road trip that Paul and I had been wanting to take for a long time. Wedding date was January 5, so we took off January 2 to visit the different towns in Laguna until at least January 4. Now, Paul and I studied in UP Los Banos and stayed there for more or less 5 years. It is very embarrassing to admit that I haven’t even gone farther than Los Banos. Anyway, this was my chance.

At around 9:20 a.m. on January 2, armed with our EZ map and some info from the Internet, we left Manila. Our first stop was Pagsanjan.. Upon entering the town, you will be greeted by houses designed like those in the Spanish era. There were also signs here and there of warnings to tourists not to deal with “unaccredited” boatmen who charge much for a trip to Pagsanjan Falls, which was a standard PhP660 per person. We stopped by Pagsanjan Church.

 The next town was Lumban, known for its “world-class barong and gowns”. There were barong cloths being dried after cleaning on bamboo sticks hung beside old, nice houses. We also saw a barong maker (a man!!!) sewing the pattern of the barong (other barongs are hand-sewn). Ang bilis nya magtahi! Ang galing! Di ko mahabol ang ginagawa nya. I even wondered if there was a pattern embedded on the cloth or if it (i.e., the pattern) was just in his head! We also passed by Lumban church.

It was around 3:30 when we exited Lumban and headed for Paete. However, we wanted to look for a place to stay first before we went around. We reached Pakil, another town. Here, we found 3 inns: Balasi Ville, clean and bright looking and which looked like a new place; Riverside Drive Inn, which we did not enter (it did not look inviting); and Carlos Resort, which was a spacious resort and had nice-looking rooms. However, we found their rates to be high: PhP750 and PhP900 for Carlos and Balasi, respectively, for a 12-hour stay (it seemed that all rates in this area are in 12-hour increments). In addition, the rooms were too small. As in all that they fit in was one double-sized bed, and no leg room! In the end, we decided to go back the whole 5 km to RS Resort in Kalayaan and inquire. Not only was the room rate PhP750 for a 12-hour stay (I was able to ask for a 1-hour extension), also the room was spacious and there were two double beds! Thank God we went back! We then went to Paete town proper and was able to buy masks (150 each) and candle holders (110 each) at Hiyas Handicrafts, which sold mostly masks.

At 5:30, we ate very early dinner at Exotik Restaurant, just at the outskirts of Kalayaan. The restaurant looked like a giant tree house and was beautifully made. Paul commented that the way the restaurant was made/built was an art and craft by itself. The materials, mostly wood and bamboo, were used artistically. The restaurant does offer exotic food like sawa, palaka, eel, and kambing. Sawa and palaka were not available…so we stuck with pork sisig, broccoli with beef, and tuna belly. Nothing special really. But the great place made our dinner something to remember.

We started the next day, Thursday, by discussing whether we should go to Pagsanjan Falls. We had two considerations, the cost and if Wendy was up to it. In the end, we decided to skip it. Also, the locals told us that when the winds were blowing hard, we would not be able to reach Pagsanjan Falls. (To reach Pagsanjan Falls, one needs to ride a banca, going upstream to the falls and downstream back.) The strong winds that day would make it hard for the banca to “battle” the current. Sayang lang if we would not be able to reach to falls.

We then drove around to look for a wood carver in action. We found Mr. Baylon…who had his shop set up by the side of the road. He was working on wood when we stopped by. Baylon’s products were “raw”. Kung baga hubad pa. Paul liked his works and bought a carved “oso” (PhP150) and a different kind of wine holder (PhP100), which kinds of balances the wine bottle. Baylon showed us how wood carvers worked. I noticed that he had a diploma and some certificates in carving displayed, which shows that he really took the time to learn the art. 

 Around 9:00, we decided to move on, down south. As we have already decided that we would no go to Pagsanjan, we took the Caliraya route. We stopped by  the Japanese Garden, which is a good nature place and picnic spot. Entrance fee was PhP10 for adults and PhP5 for children. We then drove through Cavinti and reached Luisiana (approx. 20 km), known as the “Little Baguio of the South,” at 11:30. It lived up to its name… the place was cool and smelled of nature. We stopped by a store that sold Dunkin Donuts (odd in a small town like this) and bought some snacks. We talked to the store owner and found out that he also went to UPLB…what a small world! He directed us to Kagahin, which was “the restaurant of the town” for our lunch. We ate pancit Lucban and lomi. Only PhP40 per order…and the serving was big! Di nga namin naubos yung food. Our total bill: PhP160 for two orders of pancit and one order each of lomi and tokwa’t baboy, plus coke. What a treat! We walked around afterward to burn all the calories we just put inside our bodies!!!

After touring the small Luisiana town, we then drove off again to the town I was most excited to see because it was known to sell cheap footwear: Liliw! Liliw was a good 1 hour away from Luisina, faster maybe if you can go faster than we did because it was raining.

We parked at the plaza, by the side of the street. This was when I felt the adrenaline rush! There were stores and stores of shoes and sandals! Heaven! A local told us that this “fiesta” atmosphere goes on everyday! Whoopee…shopping time! Mura talaga dito! Almost everything was a bargain! There were sandals here and there. Malilito ka kung ano uunahin mo at saan ka pupunta. But the stores were positioned in one street, one whole stretch, so it was easy to have a strategy and direction for shopping. The mood was festive; there were even some foreigners shopping.I was able to buy five sandals and one slippers that totaled just PhP730. I was happy with my purchases! Masama lang loob ko because I wasn’t able to buy more because we ran out of cash and there were NO ATMs to be seen. They also do not take credit cards! Aaarrrghhh talaga!

 Liliw Church was at the end of the street of shoe stores. We then left the town proper of Liliw to go to Nagcarlan. Just outside Liliw, on the way to Nagcarlan, we found Batis ng Liliw Resort. We inquired and found the place to be nice. The owners, Carmelino and Mila Arrieta, were also very nice and accommodating. What’s more, the rates were low: PhP900 for a 24-hour stay (but the rates are around PhP2500 during the peak season). The room was spacious and had one double bed and one single bed. I had a room reserved at once.

We then headed to the Underground Cemetery in Nagcarlan, only 5 minutes away from Liliw. It was easy to find the cemetery. It was along the main road, just in front of a Shell gas station. Anyway, by this time, we have also realized that the people of Laguna are so friendly, and asking for directions is a breeze. It was a good thing we left Liliw for a while because when we arrived at the Underground Cemetery, they were about to close. Good thing the caretakers allowed us to enter and look around.

For dinner, we ate at Arabella, a small, basement-type restauant that serves primarily Italian food: pizza, pasta, and the like. I really liked the way the restaurant was decorated…so cozy and Christmasy. There were only around 7 small tables, which were all taken up shortly after we arrived. For a small town, this restaurant seems to be thriving. We wasted no time ordering food…we were all hungry. Carbonara for me, grilled pork chop for Wendy, and baby back ribs for Paul. The prices were Ok. Our orders totaled around PhP500. Reasonable na. Paul was just disappointed with his food because the menu said “half-slab”, and he got what seemed a pinch. But it was delicious. Wendy was okay, although she scolded me for not saying that it was inihaw…she wanted fried daw. As for me, I wasn’t able to finish my food…nasuya ako. We also tried the stuffed pizza (which costs PhP29 each), which was just like the mantou of Zagu.

I found Liliw to be a small town that is alive and has so much energy. Its footwear industry is making it thrive, and I like the liveliness of the town.

Friday morning, I greeted Paul first. It was his 28th birthday! What a great way to spend your birthday—on the road, having fun! J Anyway, this was a very special day that all three of us shared together…across how many towns and how many regions!

After having a short chat with the Lola Mila (the owner of Batis ng Liliw Resort) and her giving us a small souvenir (an ashtray), we left Liliw at around 9:30 a.m.We then set off for Lucena via the Majayjay route. On the way, we looked out for Imelda Falls but could have missed it. The map showed that it is still in Laguna area, before Lucena, Quezon, but we reached Lucena and no sign of the falls. Oh, well…

Anyway, we reached Lucena after 30 to 40 minutes and decided to stop for a while. Having no map to guide us, we parked at the church and went from there. We started our “trek” at Lucban Church, which looked very old from the outside, with its “washed stone look.” Plants were even growing on its walls. In contrast, when you go inside, the church looks newly built! The walls and ceiling look freshly painted, and the chandeliers very modern looking.

We had brunch at Buddy’s (with branches in Lucena, Market Market, Ortigas, etc., as I learned later on), which was just a short walk from the Church, near the plaza. We ordered Pancit Lucban and chicken sandwich for me, caldereta and rice for Paul, and tocino and rice for Wendy. Prices were reasonable. I liked their sago’t gulaman. Our total bill was a little over PhP300. And the food was delicious.

Guess what we found across the street from the plaza? An ATM! Thank God for that because we were running out of cash. Paul ran to the ATM to withdraw some money (maybe now we can go back to Liliw! J) We then strolled further down the street and went on to buy pasalubong…longganisang Lucban and pancit miki. The guard at the church recommended Abcede’s. So that’s where we headed, which was just down the street from the plaza. We bought eight bundles of small longganisa, a dozen pieces for each bundle (PhP60 for a dozen, PhP120 a dozen for the big ones), and five packs of pancit miki (PhP37 per pack).

 Our next stop was the Kamay ni Hesus Healing Center, which was just 5 minutes outside of the town proper of Lucban. People come here for the healing masses. The place was big and full of statues of different religious personalities…Jesus, Mama Mary, and different saints.

From the healing center, we went straight to Lucena, which was 45 minutes away. We arrived before 2:00 a.m. We passed by our hotel (wrong turn) and went straight to SM Lucena. I called Rusyan (who was also celebrating her birthday that day) to tell her we were in town and told her we would check-in at the hotel after we drop by SM.

At around 4:00, we went  to Queen Margarette Hotel to check-in. Paul found the price of the hotel to be “sulit”, but I did not. The double room cost PhP1200, but it did not have hot/cold shower (even a mat for the bathroom) and the room was too small. I could manage, though, because we were on tight budget (we spent two nights here). The rest of the hotel was nice. It was still decorated for the holidays. The convention halls were big and decorated nicely for the event. The staff were friendly and very helpful.

Because it was also her birthday, Rusyan treated us to dinner at Giuseppe, a new Italian-style restaurant in Lucena. Her mom told her to try it since it was new. Dave was unimpressed because most of what we ordered, they did not have on stock. Also, the sizzling tuna that Paul ordered was served as tuna steak! Anyway, the food was delicious. I especially liked their pork barbeque and chicken teriyaki. A plate good for 2 to 3 persons cost PhP250-300, whereas ulam good for one costs PhP100-180. Not bad. Paul later told me that this was the food that he liked most. (Buti na lang pala nagkamali ng bigay sa kanya na order!) Paul had a good time talking with Rusyan’s father, who promised to give him some of his Texas chicken…mga panabong. Paul was ecstatic. What a birthday gift for him!

Saturday morning, since the wedding was still in the afternoon, we went around Lucena City in the midmorning to lunch. First, we went to Dalahican fish port. This is a famous fish port, where fish vessels dock to unload their catch. Only Paul went out of the car to look (Wends and I were not dressed for the occasion). I asked him to inquire about the seafood so we can buy the next morning. The shrimp cost PhP350 per kilo; tahong, PhP30 per kilo; oyster, PhP30 per kilo; and the tilapia, PhP80 per kilo. We thought that only the tilapia was cheaper here, everything else was just about the same.

We attended the wedding in the evening…which was so much fun. Reception was at the Queen Margarette Hotel, which can cater to up to 150 guests. The tables were decorated simply but elegantly. Food was buffet style, with our table, the entourage table, being served with food. Food was okay, and we were all full after. Rusyan prepared a PowerPoint presentation…it was nice to see our old college pics (with Abi pa)…and papayat pa namin!

The program was kept short to accommodate people who sill had to go home to Manila or Los Banos, with its highlight being the hula dance of Rochelle, the bridesmaid. She studied two semesters of hula dance and chant during her 9-month stay in Hawaii. She prepared two numbers, one fast and one traditional. She even danced to her own singing (or chanting)! Short as the reception was, it was definitely fun. We we not starved, and we did not feel tired at all when it was finished. I hope all wedding recpetions were like this! The next day, Sunday, our plans to buy seafood at the Dalahican fishport did not push through….late na kami bumangon. After eating buffet breakfast at the hotel, we said goodbye to Rusyan and Dave and left Lucena at around 10:00 am.

Headed home, this time, we took the San Pablo-Alaminos-Sto. Tomas route. This is a shorter way compared to the one passing Lucena and Sta. Cruz. Besides, we had one last stopover…the house of Ugu Bigyan, a world-class potter, in Tia-ong, Quezon. It was easy to find his house because he is well known in the area.

 The first thing I noticed is the different but beautiful look of his house. Right at once, you would feel that this was the house of an artist. Going around the house to look at Ugu Bigyan’s work was free…although you had to make reservations if you want to eat because Ugu personally cooks the food served. Fee is PhP 400 per person. Having no reservation, we just roamed around the house. Magaganda talaga ang mga gawa nya. He makes pots, furniture, and other stuff like tea sets and décor for verandas. Galing! Yun nga lang, expensive. Anyway, we enjoyed looking at his work. I especially liked his vases with embossed leaves and his furniture. The whole house was a work of art. Every piece of pot, décor, and furniture was created with great artistic talent…wish I had some of that talent!

When we were about to leave, we got lucky to have caught Ugu himself. It was nice to be introduced to a gifted artist. He was very accommodating and gamely answered some of our questions. Very nice indeed!

As we were nearing the end of our road trip, we had lunch at 1:00 p.m. at Kusina ni Salud in San Pablo City. We were again subjected to buffet because it turns out that Sunday was buffet day.  Paul hesitated because he was still full from his buffet breakfast…but he gave in. Buffet was PhP399 per person, excluding drinks. I felt that the buffet was not sulit for me…the food was not that great. (I do not eat that much, but I still feel that a buffet is sulit when the food is super sarap.) Even Paul thought so. He even said that one of the crew was mataray toward him. Anyway, we noticed some other travelers eating…this was definitely a must-go-to place. But again, it was a great place…there was a collection of rare birds outside, and we had fun looking at them. Thus, despite the so-so food, because of the “nature” aspect of the restaurant, I felt that this was a great ending to our trip.

And with that, we headed back to Manila…

Laguna is such a wonderful place…and the road trip was so, so much fun!

For those who would want to go to Laguna, here are some helpful Web sites:

http://www.geocities.com/lagunaresortelg/main.html

http://www.pinoytravelblog.com/category/travel-destinations/laguna

http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/Laguna/Pagsanjan/Magdapo-Falls/blog-36368.html

http://www.philtravelcenter.com/philippines/laguna.html

http://www.cavinti.com/

http://www.paete.gov.ph/

http://www.pagsanjan.org/index.html

Or, you may also e-mail me if I could be of any assistance!