Taal Heritage Town: A Historical Tour

Last weekend, we went to Taal town for a change. We still plan to go to the crater soon, but this time, we thought of visiting the heritage village in Taal, Batangas. 

We left the house at around 9am and got there just in time for lunch. We ate at Feliza Taverna y Cafe. It was a fusion of Spanish & Filipino dishes. The owners, Beth & Ginney are also the owners of Adarna Food & Culture Restaurant (but I'm afraid Adarna is already closed)

While waiting for the food, we walked along the street and saw St. Martin de Tours Church (We were told that this is the largest Christian Church in Asia)

After taking a few photos, we went back to the restaurant. Time to eat!  I had the Zarzuela, it's mixed seafood cooked in fresh tomatoes and herbs. Yummy! Carlo tried the Tapa ng Taal which was also so delicious. 

Since the owners are my dad's friends, they toured us around the house while telling us all about the history of Aguinaldo and things they found in the house that they bought. 

Emilio Aguinaldo's (Yes, Aguinaldo as in El Presidente), secretary Feliza Diokno owned that house. When they bought it they found a lot of furniture and documents from the time of Aguinaldo.

Beth told us stories written in history records about the time of Aguinaldo & Antonio Luna, it was a different perspective from how Aguinaldo was portrayed in the Heneral Luna film. It was nice to hear a different side of the story. She also told us more stories - real stories that she read from various books on the Philippine history during the time of our first president. Very insightful afternoon. Thanks Beth & Ginney! 

We'll definitely come back to visit these other places in Taal Heritage Town: 

Balisong - You can see the collection and buy some for souvenir 

Taal Municipal Hall - Casa Real - municipal government building built in 1845. Notice that it's the only building in town with a roof made of tiles. 

The Escuela Pia - the cultural center for the town.

The Whitehouse - Don Gregorio Agoncillo Mansion 

Dona Marcela Agoncillo Museum - This was where Marcella Agoncillo sewed by hand, the first Philippine flag.

Don Leon Apacible Museum 

The Wedding Gift House - Eulalio gave this house as a wedding gift to Gliceria. Here you'll see photos and other memorabilia of the owners. 

Baler for Non-Surfers

We and our friends loooove traveling. As much as we'd like to buy plane tickets and fly to somewhere, our hectic work schedules do not always permit us to do so. Soooo... we make it a point to free up some of our weekends for out of town trips - driving distance from Manila. 

In our barkada, about half are surfers and half aren't (They're still cool though! hehe) By the way, I'm part of the non-surfer group. Anyway, for one weekend, we decided to go to Baler, Aurora. You guessed it right! It was a suggestion made by our surfer friends. But really, we were still excited to go! Plus it was our good friend, Bia's birthday celebration. 

We stayed overnight at a budget hotel in Sabang - AMCO Beach Resort. It wasn't a beach front accommodation, but it was walking distance from the beach. It was pretty decent for a budget hotel. The rooms were nice and the bathrooms were clean. We got 2 rooms for the group. You may reach them via mobile phone: 091761288759 or email: amco.beachresort@gmail.com. You may also check out their Facebook Page

In Baler, there are more things to do aside from surfing.

Food Trip
You'll find a lot of bars, restaurants & carinderias. There are also a number of good restos along the shoreline.  

Trek to Ditumabao Falls or Mother Falls
The trek is around 30-40 mins depending on your pace. We didn't really feel exhausted because it rained. It was scary since the path we walked through was slippery, but we were careful. While walking you'll pass through rocky trails, cross rivers and see old trees. As we reached the waterfalls, we felt the walk was worth it. It was wonderful! 

See the Old Balete Tree
It was majestic! So big, you'd need around 50 people to wrap their arms around the tree! We decided to go in and see what's inside. YES YES! GO IN.. you read that right! We went in as a group, if you're afraid of tight spaces, you might want to give it a try. It's a small space, but you can still see light coming in. Its not that bad. 

Inside the Balete Tree

 Or you can also try going up the tree. Be careful though, the branches are slippery.

Climbed up the Balete Tree

Go to Ermita Hill
This is the place where the people stayed during the Tsunami that hit Baler, many years ago. The view is so nice, it's perfect for photos! You can also climb up the stairs where a cross stands on top of the hill. 

Learn to Surf
You can rent a surfboard and hire an instructor for surfing lessons. Only 350 per hour. :) 

Diguisit and Lukso-Lukso Islets
We really wanted to go to the islets, if only we had more time. :( 

Fun trip! We didn't spend much. We spent about 2,500 per person inclusive of
share for gas, accommodation, meals and drinks.  

Dumaguete - Oslob - Siquijor Day 3-5

We planned to relax and stay in Siquijor from day 3 to day 4. We wanted to rest and feel carefree without thinking of where to go next.

Being the fickle minded girl that I usually am, When I woke up, I decided to eat breakfast and go around Siquijor. So we contacted Kuya Romeo, He's a tricycle driver we met when we arrived the port in Siquijor.


We went to see these sights

Balete Tree
For a 5 pesos entrance and a small donation, you can take pics around the Balete tree and try the Fish Spa

Saladgdoong Beach
I really wanted to go swimming here in Salagdoong beach. This was actually one of the pictures I saw that made me want to go to Siquijor, but since it was a holiday, Waaaah!!! the place was so crowded. But I managed to take a beautiful picture of the beach.

Cambugahay Falls
We also went to the Cambugahay falls where we went swimming and did the Tarzan swing. After that, we went back to Cocogrove. We swam at the beach and the pool. It was so relaxing, I wasn't even thinking about anything else.

We had dinner after that then slept.

Saturday came, the 4th day, I was beginning to feel sad since we had 2 days left to stay there. We made the most out of this day by swimming at the beach again and pampered ourselves with a full body massage. Had so much fun!

Day 5

We asked the resort to buy Ocean Jet tickets for us so we won't have to line up when we get to the port. It was scheduled to leave at 1:50PM. We left the resort via Cocogrove shuttle at 12:30PM. Got to the port, road the Ocean Jet and arrived Dumaguete. From the port we went straight to the airport and decided to buy pasalubongs there.

And.... We're back in Manila.

It was a much needed vacation.

Dumaguete - Oslob - Siquijor Day 2

5:30 AM - Alarm beeping

Yes yes... we woke up early! We're going to swim with the Whalesharks and visit Tumalog falls today.

Oslob New Village Lodge offers a car to bring you to the whalesharks and Tumalog falls at 500 per person. Not bad for us since we want to relax and forget about all the stress.

We met a fun couple staying in Oslob New Village Lodge - Mark & Mimi. They're such a fun couple! Adventurous & friendly. We clicked right then and there, and we went on a tour together that day.

Got to the whaleshark briefing area in about 20 mins. We had to listen to the short orientation where they mentioned the rules & regulations while you're swimming with the whalesharks.

Rules:
Don't go to near the whalesharks, no touching.
No flash photography
No jumping from the  boat
Don't apply sunblock - yes that's why we wore rash guards

Here's Mark & Mimi!

 All groups are given 30mins to swim and take pictures of the whalesharks. It was a really an enjoyable experience.

After the whalesharks, we drove to Tumalog falls. The car can only get you to the top and then you'll have to walk down the path - It's a cemented path so don't worry, trekking level: easy.

We took pictures and swam in the super cold water, but it was manageable, good thing the sun was up.

After an hour, we went back to our place. We had to since we're suppose to catch the boat going back to Dumaguete since we'll still go to Siquijor. We decided not to stay another night in Oslob since there was nothing else to do after visiting the Heritage park, Tumalog Falls and Whalesharks.

We packed our stuff and waited for a bus along the main road. Arrived at Liloan Port, bought a ticket and headed back to Dumaguete.

When we arrived, Kuya Hanz & Ate Jen were waiting for us. (Ate Jen and I were together in the Ateneo Children's Theater 16 years ago. Yup! That's how long we haven't seen each other!) They treated us to lunch before our boat ride to Siquijor. Food in Sansrival Bistro is yummy!

I ordered Lengua. So yummy!

Carlo liked the Bbq Ribs he ordered. 

There are several boat rides to Siquijor but most people prefer the Ocean Jet since it's air conditioned and only takes 40mins. Others take an hour and 20, others - 2hrs. We missed the once a day Ocean Jet trip (12:50PM) so we took the GL Express (1hr 20m) It wasn't air- conditioned, but it wasn't that bad.

Finally we arrive Siquijor. I was so shocked to see a long stretch of white sand. "Is this really a port??"

Here, we booked a room in Cocogrove Beach Resort Siquijor. It's not a budget resort, but I tell you it's really worth it!

We decided to relax today since we'll be staying here for 3 days more anyway.

We just ate dinner and slept the whole night.


Expenses (for 2):
Van c/o Oslob New Village Lodge - 500
Whaleshark watching - 1000 (500 each for locals)
Tumalog Falls entrance - 40
Bus to Liloan Port - 64
Boat to Sibulan Port, Dumaguete - 124
Trike to Dumaguete Port - 150
Boat to Siquijor (GL Express) - 260
TOTAL - P2,138

Dumaguete - Oslob - Siquijor Day 1

Our 2nd anniversary. That's what we were celebrating.

We were able to get a super cheap plane ticket (P2,332 for the both of us) since Cebu Pacific had a promo.

Here's how it went:

Arrived Dumaguete at around 1:30 PM. So hungry we asked the tricycle driver to bring us to Rizal Blvd where most of the restaurants are. There are no taxis in Dumaguete so tricycle trips are the most common mode of transportation. They have regular and "pakyaw" trips at P150. Regular is the shared ride. They usually offer "pakyaw" to tourists so they have the trike all to themselves.

Our trike driver Kuya Ben, offered to drive for us the whole time and said it's up to us how much we'll pay him. People usually don;t agree to this, but since I was in favor of the convenience, I obliged. (Plus, kuya Ben looked really nice and decent anyway)

We ate lunch at Kamalig Restaurant. Carinderia Type. They have a wide variety of viands, just like any carinderia in our country. Carlo ordered Sisig, I ordered Tanigue. After lunch, we passed by Silliman University (This is a 'must visit' to others), we decided not to go down since we were catching a boat to Oslob at Sibulan Port.

There are several boat trips to Oslob every hour, fast craft or pump boat . We took the fast craft that will depart at 3:00 PM. It was a hot day and we felt sweaty and uncomfortable since the boat wasn't air conditioned. then finally after around 45 mins, we arrive Liloan Port, Cebu. Ceres Liner buses are waiting there ready to go northbound to Cebu City. We rode a bus and arrived Oslob in 30 mins.

We stayed at Oslob New Village Lodge since we're friends with the owner, Kuya Hanz Villanueva. It was a nice place. Very peaceful and quiet at night. it's also near the main road so you won't have any problem looking for a pharmacy, a convenience store or a restaurant.

After settling in, we went to Oslob Heritage Park where we saw the old church, towers, gates and headquarters built during the Spanish era. It was a beautiful sight and we really felt we traveled back in time.

It was dawn and felt a little tired already so we went back to the main road and looked for restaurants. Them we saw these tables all lined up in one side of the street. They were all selling bbq and fried chicken. Tables and chairs are set up so you can eat there too. Unfortunately, unlike other street food, this was NOT good. It was okay, but hindi ganon ka-sarap.

We bought a few beers on the way back to our place so we can drink a bit and sleep soundly.

Expenses:
Lunch at Kamalig - 400
Tricycle Ride - 350
Fast Craft to Liloan Port - 124
Bus from Liloan to Oslob - 64
Dinner - 235
DAY 1 TOTAL: P1,173

Tattoos by Whang Od, The Last Mambabatok

My bestfriend, Kriska and I have been talking about going to Kalinga to meet Whang Od, she's the last original mambabatek. 

We planned the trip just a day before since we were busy with work and since we've both read a few blogs over and over and over like:

When in Manila's The Buscalan, Kalinga Experience: In Search of Whang-Od
Pinay Traveller
Wanderful Together's Things to know before going to Buscalan to meet Fang Od

We were able to plan it in a span of just an hour. 

Thank you so much by the way! it helped a lot!

I booked bus tickets to Tabuk in Victory Liner, Kamias. Regular tickets cost 614 per ticket. You can also choose the deluxe bus which is more expensive, around 800. We got the last trip which was at 8:45 PM. There are earlier trips - 7:30, 7:45 but we had to get he last since our friends were coming from work. Bought for tickets for Kriska, RV, Carlo and me.

Off to Tabuk!

The trip had 3 stops - it was okay since we all had to use the bathroom or eat snacks. 

We arrived Tabuk at 9:30 am. We ate brunch at a nearby restaurant. Waited for the van/jeep that would bring us to Tinglayan, where we'll meet Kuya Francis Pa-in. He's a recommended tourist guide. 

The jeep finally arrived, and we got to Tinglayan at 1:30pm. It took us another hour or so to get to Buscalan riding the same jeep. The whole trip was 150 per person. 

Time for the hike! 

While reading some blogs, we didn't actually realize how tiring the hike would be. But Travel lessons from Tripadora were super useful. Especially this: When the road seems long and your body is weary, never give up. Go on. Continue what you've started. There's no turning back. 

Kriska and me

It took us about 1 and a half hours to reach Buscalan and when we saw the elementary school, whew! it was a relief we were just steps aways from the village. As we walked a few steps more, there she was, Whang-Od sitting outside her house with a kid. Kriska and I were super starstruck!! 

Since it was almost sunset, the tattooing will push through early morning the next day. They want perfect lighting when tattooing. We went to our rooms which was fairly new. It was Grace's (Whang Od's grand niece) room. 

We brought canned goods as baon and we had the hosts cook the food for sharing. We had dinner and chatted with the locals, we also made friends with the other tourists. :) Apparently some of them were affiliated with Barefoot Travels. 

Sleeping time!

It was still early but since we were tired, we slept just before 10pm. Woke up really early the next day so we can get our tattoos done already.

Tattooing started at around 6:30 am. :)

I got the tattoo meaning The Traveler

Kriska getting her tattoo

RV getting her tattoo

Carlo got Ilat, meaning lighting like

As soon as all of us were finished, we packed our stuff, prepared ourselves for the hike back. We started the hike at 9:30am and we got to the end of the trail 40 mins after. There we rode the van to Tabuk. Arrived there at around 3pm. Bought bus tickets in Victory Liner, Tabuk. Tickets were at P605 each. Trips back to Manila start at 4 PM, last trip is at 5 PM.

The four of us were really tired with tattoos aching. So when we were able to board the bus. We just relaxed and slept. We ate along the way during one of the stopovers, but we really couldn't wait to go home to sleep on our beds.

We arrived Manila at 5:30 AM. It was really a memorable trip. We had so much fun and the leg and back aches were all worth it. :)