Sunday means FREE day so Edward and I decided to spend our afternoon at Los Banos just to relax and try out Cafe Antonio. From Los Banos crossing, we did some sort of walking exercises until we reach UP. That's a pretty long walk, and we do that back and forth :-) We really have no special agenda for the day so we just wandered around the UP campus. We incidentally met one of his college friends, and eventually did some bible sharing (btw we have different beliefs). Showing some respect, we did listen to his sharing, and he also listened to us in return. But action speaks for itself that he wouldn't really explore and accept our invitations to listen to our worship service, no biggie, it's his choice. But I hope one day he will and make time for it. I did say that we wanted to try Cafe Antonio, right? Well.. Too bad it was closed :-( So we ate at Sizzler's Restaurant instead. The price of the food is reasonable and they come in big servings. You have a nice view of the clouds and the mountains because the restaurant is on the third floor. And may I mention, they have a pretty neat restroom!

Last September 18, 2009, Ed and I went to Tagaytay for some needed relaxation. It is a third class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. It is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations because of its cool climate due to its high altitude. It provides a beautiful view of the active Taal Lake and Taal Volcano in Batangas.


Legend has it that the word Tagaytay came from "taga" meaning to cut and "itay" which means father. A father and son were said to be on a wild boar hunt when the animal they were chasing turned and attacked them. As the boar charged towards the old man, the son cried "taga itay!". The boy's repeated shout reverberated in the alleys of the ridge. Heard by the residents, hunters and wood gatherers, the cries became subject of conversation for several days in the countryside. In time, the place where the shouts came from became known as TAGAYTAY.


Tagaytay Picnic Grove

Picnic Grove features huts line along the gentle slopes of the Tagaytay Ridge. It is a prime location, providing the finest view of the volcano far below. Some of the activities that can be enjoyed here are swimming, horse-back riding, kite flying, and riding the zipline and cable car. Entrance fee is Php50.00.




People's Park In The Sky

It was built in 1979 as Palace in the Sky to be a guesthouse for American President Ronald Reagan - who never arrives. It overlooks four bodies of water – Taal Lake, Balayan Bay, Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay. The park is blending of natural and man-made attractions, poised on the highest point of Tagaytay City. Palace in the sky is now better known as People Park in the Sky. Entrance fee is 15.00.




How to Get Here:

Tagaytay is an hour and 15 minute drive from Manila via the South Luzon Expressway or using the Coastal Road Expressway and the Aguinaldo Highway. If going through the South Luzon Expressway, take the Carmona Exit and drive down through the Governor's Drive and Silang up to the entrance of Tagaytay City. Or through South Luzon Expressway, take Sta. Rosa exit going straight to Tagaytay City. There are two possible ways to get to Tagaytay via the Coastal Road: Taking the Coastal Road to the Aguinaldo Highway and continuing south, and using the Indang and Mendez Roads in the Trece Martires City and Amadeo areas. If coming from the neighboring town of Ternate, Cavite take the Naic Road and drive straight to Indang and Trece Martires City. From Batangas, the best way to reach Tagaytay is through the new circumferential road. From Laguna, you may enter Tagaytay through the Carmona exit. There are buses that ply to Tagaytay from Manila on a daily basis. Several bus companies have their terminals in EDSA, Pasay City, and at Baclaran, below LRT, Manila.

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896, Bagumbayan), was a Filipino polymath, nationalist and the pre-eminent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. Rizal's 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution. He is widely considered the greatest Filipino hero and a de facto national hero. The anniversary of Rizal's death (December 30) is commemorated as a holiday.




I am a native of Calamba, Laguna so I thought of showcasing the place here in my blog. Rizal Shrine was recently renovated and painted with Green, because according to them Rizal means "rice fields". I think changing its color was an issue with the National Historic Institute (NHI), but I don't know its status at the moment. Many of the Rizal family properties are no longer in this house. Maybe they are already placed in the other museums. But I still encourage the students to come visit Rizal Shrine, there are still many things that can be learned about our history. There are memorabilias of Jose Rizal's childhood, his written works, and some pictures. The entrance is free and photography for personal use is welcome.








The name of Calamba, came from the word "kalan" that means clay stove and "banga" that means water jar. Here's the story behind the name:

"During the Spanish period, two guardia civil (soldiers) were lost. As they walked around the place, they met a young lady who was carrying a jar of water and a wooden stove. In order to conceal the fact that they were lost, the soldiers asked her the name of the place using the Spanish language . The maiden, who do not understand Spanish, thought she was being asked on what she was carrying. She answered kalan-banga. It was believed that because the Spaniards could not pronounce kalan-banga properly, the town was then called Calamba."

Few meters from Rizal Shrine is a giant claypot built in 1939 where the names of the different barangays that comprises Calamba are inscribed.