Again, me and Noel decided to spend a weekend together and this time, its windy Tagaytay City. That was the plan, but there was no itinerary (wala ako sa mood mag-isip, pagod na ang brain ko over work).
We started our Saturday morning around 10:30am, traversing C5 to hit SLEX. Traffic was good. We reached our exit (Sta. Rosa) and of course had to pay the toll. P175.00, that was bad. It probably had been awhile or I never really noticed the toll rates ! (Or maybe I am becoming kuripot ? ... )
First stop, the inevitable, Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Good. Hmmm... was it a stopover to eat? Partly. Of course, I needed to check the outlets!!!!! DUH!!!! (with eyes rolling) There was Nike, Adidas, Speedo, and other shops. I had been very frugal and had not bought any apparel for the whole month of January. I hopped from one store to another, but didn't find anything I really like. Bad.
What I got was the Millenium Trilogy of Stieg Larsson from National Book Store, which I could also buy in other bookstores in Manila. Noel bought something from a sports store, kinda like a glove to use for lifting weights (so feeling naman niya lalaki ang katawan niya dahil dun? hmp! tapos aalaskahin niya ako na mataba ako! hmp!)
Time to eat lunch, Noel and I tried Big 30. Because I am into the less-to-no-red meat diet, trying-to-be-healthy kinda phase, we settled for Veggie Meatball Pasta and Hungarian Sausage Pizza. Good.
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| halfway through the pizza |
After the hearty and healthy lunch, we set off for Tagaytay. Aside from the respite, the more important reason for going to Tagaytay was buying freshly grind coffee (that's Noel's objective, not mine, but he doesn't know where the place was, so he needed me). So, the first thing we did in Tagaytay was to go to Mahogany Market. We looked and looked and asked and we found the stall selling coffee beans na may libre giling according to the signage. Si Ate ba ang gigiling??? They were selling Hazelnut, Robusta, Barako and I forgot the other variant. We ordered, pero bakit di gumiling si Ate? Can I assert my consumer right against the faulty advertising? Hahaha.  |
| at Statbucks with Kat |
Next agenda, Starbucks Coffee. There are several branches already, we went to the first branch along the highway beside Pancake House, Teriyaki Boy, etc. - that Starbucks, ok. Lotsa people on the open-air second floor area, the place was crowded. Bad. I chanced upon a recently vacated table at the ground level, at the back and took it. While waiting for Noel who queued for the restroom, I heard a familiar voice and was surprised to see Kat Ancheta. Good. She was with Namron and other friends. We shared our table with them, remember the place was exremely crowded?
No place to stay yet for me and Noel so we had to leave Starbucks and scout a room for the night and left Kat and gang at Starbucks. We didn't plan this out so nothing was pre-booked. Pricey hotel, not on our list for the weekend. We knocked on several lodges/inns and we ended up at John Peter Bed and Breakfast. It was almost just along the highway, fairly new place. Regular room rate at P2,000/night with breakfast for 2 (kaya nga bed and breakfast, di ba?). Clean room and toilet, with cable TV, aircon is working, clean sheets. Good. Wi-fi only at the lobby. Bad.
(Note: I checked this out in the web when I got home johnpeterbandb.blogspot.com and noticed that the online rate is a lot more expensive. Regular room rate was at P2,800, compared to our walk-in rate of P2,000. I suggest not to be giddy with online bookings and do your pre-work and call first to check rates.)
We settled and rested and showered (no indecency involved) before heading out for dinner.
Then the disaster. RSM Lutong Bahay. BAD, BAD, BAD. You may just read the earlier blog http://charmaineromero.blogspot.com/2012/01/eeww-at-rsm-lutong-bahay-tagaytay.html. I no longer want to re-tell that story...eeeewwww....
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| drinks for the night |
Noel didn't finish the house beer. Bad. It didn't appeal to his taste buds. This bar does not have its own washroom, so one has to go to the adjacent Knuckle's Bar to relieve oneself. Bad. I did not like the restroom, but just had to go.
So we just chatted and chatted. I no longer recall what our topics were. We were not drunk or anything, its just that when you grow older, your memory fails you or you are no longer interested in what one has to say. Hahaha.
Maybe we were just people watching?
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| at the bar |
What-e-ver.
After the 1 drink each at the bar (we had 1 drink each too at RSM), we decided to go back to the B&B place.
It was just past 10pm, Noel requested for Massage Service, not from me, but room service. There was an Ate available. Good. So while Noel was having his massage, I was just at the other side of the bed, reading a book (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo). We are a strange couple (couple in another sense of the word). My eyes got tired reading the book and decided to sleep, while Ate was massaging Noel just beside me. I thought Ate was weirded out... (Hinalay kaya ni Ate si Noel? or ni Noel si Ate? I wouldn't know...) The room service massage cost Noel P400, but the massage ain't good, it was so-so...or because there was no happy ending? Nyahahaha.
Morning, inevitably came. We waited for our breakfast of Daingsilog / Coffee and Tapsilog / hot cocoa. It lacked taste, rather, it lacked salt. Maybe the cook knew that I was into dieting and trying to live and eat healthy. Noel has always been eating healthy anyway.
After breakfast, we started getting ready (Noel complained that I took a bath too long. Eh ang sarap kayang maligo!) and packed our things to leave. Our next agenda, Bag of Beans.
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| drinks for the day |
We just had eaten at the hotel so we were not craving for brunch. Caramel Macchiato for me and the regular roasted coffee for Noel. Well, plus the apple pie which Noel was fond of, he even bought some pies for take-out.
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| in matching blue shirts |
Though Bag of Beans offers a menu from breakfast to lunch, we were not really hungry even if we stayed there until lunch time just chatting and people watching again.
There were a lot of customers, families, group of friends, couples, name it. (This is also another staple location, more of an institution already, that one goes to when in Tagaytay.) I also noticed foreigners being toured by Pinoy friends.
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| Bag of Beans' menu |
There were these children from Children's Joy Foundation who performed for the customers. They sang Price Tag, Super Bass and a thank you song. Very Cute. The foundation aims to help children orphaned by their parents (Bad) and were soliciting donations. I hope our little donation goes a long way for these children.
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| Children's Joy Foundation |
I would always come back to this place, it has that IT factor that makes one's Tagaytay visit complete. Good.
I know Noel frequents this place too, but this was the first time we went together. Noel and I are NOT always together. We do not have to be together. (I shall validate this thought one of these days)
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| me and my caramel macchiato |
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| Noel (in his becky blue shirt) |
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| Chacha (na wala ng bewang) |
After and hour and more, we decided to leave and head to Sonya's Garden and Spa.
It was around 1pm already and maybe time for lunch? We got to Sonya's alright and first thing, we checked out was the Country Store as Noel had the objective of getting the linen spray. (May kalandian lang talaga itong si Noelski...) There were all these soap variants from whitening to rejuvenating to whitening to refreshing to whitening... are Pinoys into getting their skin white, really? We also went to the Panaderia bakery to get some bread and other pasalubong. I got the choco muffin, piaya, Noel got the freshly baked pandesal. Pricey, yes. Tastes good, yes.
We were still so full and opted against the buffet and just decided to leave Tagaytay and maybe grab a bite on the way back to Manila. While inside the vicinity, I was scratching and sniffing ... darn, the hives! I did not know what I am allergic to this time. Noel insisted that I take my anti-histamine already as we were not familiar of the hospitals here should I need to be rushed to ER ! So I drugged myself. Bad.
(Side note: I always travel with anti-histamine drugs too.)
Heading back to Manila via the Sta. Rosa exit, we caught the Lou Mar's signage. We were intrigued at the Buko Pie box we saw some people were carrying at Starbucks the day before and were wondering where to get it. We got tired of the Colette's Buko Pie already and wanted to try something else. So when we saw the sign, we stopped and bought 1 box each to try it out. (Got to taste this and what can I say? It is as sweet, sugary as Colette's too, but creamier in consistency) It was at P160/box of buko pie or buko tart, freshly baked (and was still warm until we got home).
We also stopped to buy nilagang sweet corn along the road. 6 pieces for P100. (Just to compare, the sweet corn being sold along Katipunan is way sweeter and softer at P50/bag which has about 4 pieces)
Sunday traffic at Silang towards Sta. Rosa was light. Good.
We just had to stop at Solenad. Well, we haven't had lunch yet, remember? We checked out the restos (Yellow Cab, Recipes, to name a few) and decided to eat at Chubby's Rib Shack.
I got the Chili cheese dogs, Noel got the Chili wings. Nothing spectacular. I liked the cheesecake flavor ice cream though. If there is anything else I remember, our server's name was Jona. She is 21 y/o and was just fresh out of college. The servers here are mostly pretty, young girls wearing denim shorts. I believed that Noel enjoyed the visual treat more than his food.
Time to go shopping !!!! Woohoo!!!! There was Aldo, Nine West, Payless, Stoked, and many more !!! Good. So we went around, from one shop to another checking out the wares. To my dismay, I wasn't able to get anything (again). There was just one pair of shoes I fancied at Nine West and they did not have my size. Bad. At least I was able to hold off myself from buying a skimboard at Stoked.
Speaking of Stoked, Noel tried the long board and almost bought one too. The long board is like a skateboard, but longer, so there is different way to make it move. If Noel is into skateboards, longboards, I was into skimboards, surfboards. Notice the difference? Concrete vs. Water.
Noel did try on a few pairs of shoes too, but we were not successful and bought nothing. So it was about 4:45pm already and we called it a day. So back to Manila we go.
At SLEX, the drowsy effect of the anti-histamine was kicking in and I just dozed off. According to Noel, the traffic was really light. Good.
I was at my doorstep by 6pm. Noel paid the courtesy hi and hello to my folks and set-off.
It was a good and bad weekend, but we should do it again.
You can tag along wiht us the next time. :)
