When I received the email and itinerary of a tour operator titled "Around Fabled Mt. Makiling," I immediately knew I wanted to join it. I therefore circulated the itinerary to my friends hoping I would have company. None seemed able to join, as they said they have appointments on that day. Some probably just didn’t feel like going out on trips anymore; after all, didn’t we have our tours from way back when? Or was it a case of "retired and tired" for some? Well, I couldn’t shake the tour off my mind so I thought what the heck, even without company, I would join it and enjoy myself. Besides, I could meet new friends there anyway.
On the morning of the tour, a coaster was waiting near RCBC Plaza in Makati from 8 am. When I opened the door to climb up, an elderly lady greeted and welcomed me with a big smile as if she knew me before. I thought she might be the coordinator or tour guide but I wasn’t sure. I learned later that she was one of the regular participants. We immediately hit it off. She was 69 but seemed younger; I believe it was because of her outlook. She said she didn’t want to be just staying at home (she lives alone) and unlike other people her age, she wanted to be proactive in her retirement. She got my number so she can call me when she joins other tours, and I thought that I was getting lucky.
One by one the others arrived, and most were senior citizens with a few junior citizens in tow. I never thought I would be among people who share the same interest and outlook as mine.
By 8:30 am we started our trip on the road. Half an hour later, our first stop was in Ayala-Alabang in a millionaires’ (or billionaires?) subdivision. The houses themselves were already a sight to see. Our destination was Lhuillier’s museum. Lhuillier as you know is a byword for pawnshops here. Well, I haven’t heard of this museum before and it isn’t all about gems. It was in a well-appointed place and we were welcomed by the curator, assistants and guards. The museum mostly housed a private collection of old religious paintings, sculptures, icons and other objets d’art. One who isn’t into religious stuff may not appreciate them, but the fact that these were as far back as the 16th century was something to behold. There were also many representations of Jesus on the cross. Picture-taking inside the museum was prohibited. To preserve the paintings, the place was airconditioned round the clock. The museum tour was a learning experience.
An hour later, we proceeded driving to Calamba, Laguna. We stopped by the Original Buko Pie Bakeshop (buko is coconut). I wondered if their pie is similar to Colette’s which has many branches especially in Tagaytay. Personally, I find Colette’s buko pie a bit sweet for my taste, the crust crumbly and the pie thin. Other buko pies I’ve eaten had extenders in the filling. I bought and tasted Original’s pie and I found it perfect! Not too sweet, the crust was firm and the buko slivers were not “bitin” (few pieces which leave something to be desired).
After buko pie shopping, we drove down to Makiling Greenheights Subdivision at the origami house of Tweetums Gonzales, a writer. Origami as we all know is the Japanese art of folding paper. The house was in a rural subdivision, out of the way maybe, but definitely a nice place to come home to if one wants to get out of city life. Well, the house was aptly called because of the shapes on the front of the house. The house (also called Lily Pad) was charming; there was a pond surrounding the lounging, dining and kitchen area. There were lilies floating and fish of different sizes in the pond; some were goldfish. The property’s area was about 1,400 sq. meters. The vegetation around the house was lush; the place exuded a country, homey and restful ambiance.
On the morning of the tour, a coaster was waiting near RCBC Plaza in Makati from 8 am. When I opened the door to climb up, an elderly lady greeted and welcomed me with a big smile as if she knew me before. I thought she might be the coordinator or tour guide but I wasn’t sure. I learned later that she was one of the regular participants. We immediately hit it off. She was 69 but seemed younger; I believe it was because of her outlook. She said she didn’t want to be just staying at home (she lives alone) and unlike other people her age, she wanted to be proactive in her retirement. She got my number so she can call me when she joins other tours, and I thought that I was getting lucky.
One by one the others arrived, and most were senior citizens with a few junior citizens in tow. I never thought I would be among people who share the same interest and outlook as mine.
By 8:30 am we started our trip on the road. Half an hour later, our first stop was in Ayala-Alabang in a millionaires’ (or billionaires?) subdivision. The houses themselves were already a sight to see. Our destination was Lhuillier’s museum. Lhuillier as you know is a byword for pawnshops here. Well, I haven’t heard of this museum before and it isn’t all about gems. It was in a well-appointed place and we were welcomed by the curator, assistants and guards. The museum mostly housed a private collection of old religious paintings, sculptures, icons and other objets d’art. One who isn’t into religious stuff may not appreciate them, but the fact that these were as far back as the 16th century was something to behold. There were also many representations of Jesus on the cross. Picture-taking inside the museum was prohibited. To preserve the paintings, the place was airconditioned round the clock. The museum tour was a learning experience.
An hour later, we proceeded driving to Calamba, Laguna. We stopped by the Original Buko Pie Bakeshop (buko is coconut). I wondered if their pie is similar to Colette’s which has many branches especially in Tagaytay. Personally, I find Colette’s buko pie a bit sweet for my taste, the crust crumbly and the pie thin. Other buko pies I’ve eaten had extenders in the filling. I bought and tasted Original’s pie and I found it perfect! Not too sweet, the crust was firm and the buko slivers were not “bitin” (few pieces which leave something to be desired).
After buko pie shopping, we drove down to Makiling Greenheights Subdivision at the origami house of Tweetums Gonzales, a writer. Origami as we all know is the Japanese art of folding paper. The house was in a rural subdivision, out of the way maybe, but definitely a nice place to come home to if one wants to get out of city life. Well, the house was aptly called because of the shapes on the front of the house. The house (also called Lily Pad) was charming; there was a pond surrounding the lounging, dining and kitchen area. There were lilies floating and fish of different sizes in the pond; some were goldfish. The property’s area was about 1,400 sq. meters. The vegetation around the house was lush; the place exuded a country, homey and restful ambiance.
We were welcomed by the owner and her friend who is a herbal advocate and who looks into the food part of the tour. We were welcomed with a very refreshing, cold dalandan juice (dalandan is a local lime fruit, like the orange fruit but green), and an appetizer of crispy dried beef tapa (strips of dried beef similar to bacon but without the fat) and fried lumpia (a roll or wrap with veggies and meat inside). I am a vegetarian and shun meat, but when I tasted the beef tapa, I set aside my preference--the beef tapa was crispy and melted in the mouth. The lumpia was thick and equally good, a second helping was inevitable. The buffet lunch consisting of beef mechado, grilled fish, chicken caldereta, mushroom pasta and arugula salad was oh so plentiful and delicious--couldn’t ask for more! Dessert was pecan bars and leche flan (egg custard).
After lunch, we went up the house for a look-see. The owner seems to be a minimalist, but the simple and sparse furnitures were of old hardwood, most likely antique. The master’s bed had a canopy where a white cloth flows down similar to that of the Spanish era. It was inviting to sleep after the hearty lunch. In the spacious bathroom, the sunken tub which gives a good view of the pond exuded a nice feeling of a spa.
From Lily Pad, we left for Los Banos, proceeding to the campus of the University of the Philippines (UP). UP Los Banos or UPLB is about 5,000 hectares. Just like the main university in Diliman which is about 300+ hectares, UPLB is a self-contained community and it looked more like a town by itself. Jeeps ply the routes around the place. We stopped by the animal husbandry area where the Dairy Training and Research Institute is located and bought fresh milk--they have cow’s, carabao’s and goat’s milk. They also sell kesong puti (white cheese). I am not an avid fan of white cheese but this one tasted really good, not salty like the others. The other tour participants bought fresh fruits and vegetables from the couple of vendors under a tree. Cheap and newly harvested, a good deal indeed to us city dwellers.
We then proceeded to the National Arts Center at the foot of Mt. Makiling and home to the Philippine High School for the Arts. It was a nice drive uphill. The trees and greeneries all around can transform one’s mind to a higher plane and thus, the place is really suitable to nurture would-be world class artists (pianist Cecile Licad for one). As we all know, this place was built by former first lady Imelda Marcos. Going up the winding road we stopped by St. Marc’s chapel which is not built like a chapel in the traditional way, but just a simple bare edifice of a big cross. We drove some more to the Clubhouse where we were served chicken sandwiches and spaghetti (not that we need it after the big lunch in the origami house). The Clubhouse is overlooking Laguna de Bay, the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines, and one can see the Crocodile Island which as the name implies, looked like a crocodile from afar. The mountain ranges can also be seen and it was said the mountains looked like a woman lying--with the contours of her hair, face and breasts. Thus, the fabled name, Maria Makiling.
From UPLB we further hit the roads of Los Banos towards Tanauan, Batangas. We saw the International Rice and Research Institute (IRRI) along the road as well as the long geothermal pipes that stretch by the roadside which was quite amusing as they traverse the road upwards and downwards that looked like an arch. It was a long drive but very pleasant, very rural. The roads which were noticeably unlittered were lined with trees branching out towards the top of the road like a canopy. It was a nice green sight to the left and right of us. Obviously life seems slow in this place. What pleasure for the city dwellers!
Our final destination was in a small town called Natatas in Tanauan. There we entered a big gate towards Tarawoods. It is a private 18-hectare property planted to calamansi (a local lime fruit as big as grapes), mangoes, papayas, etc. The couple who owns the property built a house there to go home to, but has expanded into accommodations, swimming pool (for adults and kids) and other amenities for visitors. The house looks Mexican to me with a country ambiance. We were welcomed (again!) with cold calamansi juice and biko (a local delicacy made from sticky rice cooked in coconut extract). After we were shown around the place, we settled on the lounging chairs by the pool and took pictures. By 5:30 pm, we went to the dining area where merienda cena was served. Do not mistake merienda (snack), it was actually early dinner for us. The lady owner served us rice, baked fish, lengua (ox tongue), roast pork and chop suey. Dessert was dirty mango ice cream--dirty because it was handmade. It tasted good but definitely not dirty. By the way, the calamansi juice was great!
After the merienda cena, the owners took pictures of us in the garden. An assistant caught us unaware when he fired a gun which blew out colorful confettis above our heads. We were thrilled and enjoyed it all! After warm goodbyes, we boarded our coaster and the couple waved to us as we were leaving the place to go back to Manila.
All in all, it was an excellent tour. From the start of our trip, the tour guide with her microphone was telling us background stories related to the places we were touring up until our final destination. The food was good and the places we went to were quaint and not often offered by other tour agencies. This proves that sometimes, the road less traveled offers the best experience and adventure. Did I get my money’s worth? More than 100% yes. I couldn’t believe I got to see and experience a lot in a day for the amount I paid. Plus I gained friends who were kindred spirits. They were nice and friendly to say the least, and hoping I will join again. Next time, I will. Hopefully, soon.
After lunch, we went up the house for a look-see. The owner seems to be a minimalist, but the simple and sparse furnitures were of old hardwood, most likely antique. The master’s bed had a canopy where a white cloth flows down similar to that of the Spanish era. It was inviting to sleep after the hearty lunch. In the spacious bathroom, the sunken tub which gives a good view of the pond exuded a nice feeling of a spa.
From Lily Pad, we left for Los Banos, proceeding to the campus of the University of the Philippines (UP). UP Los Banos or UPLB is about 5,000 hectares. Just like the main university in Diliman which is about 300+ hectares, UPLB is a self-contained community and it looked more like a town by itself. Jeeps ply the routes around the place. We stopped by the animal husbandry area where the Dairy Training and Research Institute is located and bought fresh milk--they have cow’s, carabao’s and goat’s milk. They also sell kesong puti (white cheese). I am not an avid fan of white cheese but this one tasted really good, not salty like the others. The other tour participants bought fresh fruits and vegetables from the couple of vendors under a tree. Cheap and newly harvested, a good deal indeed to us city dwellers.
We then proceeded to the National Arts Center at the foot of Mt. Makiling and home to the Philippine High School for the Arts. It was a nice drive uphill. The trees and greeneries all around can transform one’s mind to a higher plane and thus, the place is really suitable to nurture would-be world class artists (pianist Cecile Licad for one). As we all know, this place was built by former first lady Imelda Marcos. Going up the winding road we stopped by St. Marc’s chapel which is not built like a chapel in the traditional way, but just a simple bare edifice of a big cross. We drove some more to the Clubhouse where we were served chicken sandwiches and spaghetti (not that we need it after the big lunch in the origami house). The Clubhouse is overlooking Laguna de Bay, the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines, and one can see the Crocodile Island which as the name implies, looked like a crocodile from afar. The mountain ranges can also be seen and it was said the mountains looked like a woman lying--with the contours of her hair, face and breasts. Thus, the fabled name, Maria Makiling.
From UPLB we further hit the roads of Los Banos towards Tanauan, Batangas. We saw the International Rice and Research Institute (IRRI) along the road as well as the long geothermal pipes that stretch by the roadside which was quite amusing as they traverse the road upwards and downwards that looked like an arch. It was a long drive but very pleasant, very rural. The roads which were noticeably unlittered were lined with trees branching out towards the top of the road like a canopy. It was a nice green sight to the left and right of us. Obviously life seems slow in this place. What pleasure for the city dwellers!
Our final destination was in a small town called Natatas in Tanauan. There we entered a big gate towards Tarawoods. It is a private 18-hectare property planted to calamansi (a local lime fruit as big as grapes), mangoes, papayas, etc. The couple who owns the property built a house there to go home to, but has expanded into accommodations, swimming pool (for adults and kids) and other amenities for visitors. The house looks Mexican to me with a country ambiance. We were welcomed (again!) with cold calamansi juice and biko (a local delicacy made from sticky rice cooked in coconut extract). After we were shown around the place, we settled on the lounging chairs by the pool and took pictures. By 5:30 pm, we went to the dining area where merienda cena was served. Do not mistake merienda (snack), it was actually early dinner for us. The lady owner served us rice, baked fish, lengua (ox tongue), roast pork and chop suey. Dessert was dirty mango ice cream--dirty because it was handmade. It tasted good but definitely not dirty. By the way, the calamansi juice was great!
After the merienda cena, the owners took pictures of us in the garden. An assistant caught us unaware when he fired a gun which blew out colorful confettis above our heads. We were thrilled and enjoyed it all! After warm goodbyes, we boarded our coaster and the couple waved to us as we were leaving the place to go back to Manila.
All in all, it was an excellent tour. From the start of our trip, the tour guide with her microphone was telling us background stories related to the places we were touring up until our final destination. The food was good and the places we went to were quaint and not often offered by other tour agencies. This proves that sometimes, the road less traveled offers the best experience and adventure. Did I get my money’s worth? More than 100% yes. I couldn’t believe I got to see and experience a lot in a day for the amount I paid. Plus I gained friends who were kindred spirits. They were nice and friendly to say the least, and hoping I will join again. Next time, I will. Hopefully, soon.
Quote for today:
"If not now, when?"
- Zen koan (koan is a meaningful question in Zen)
