Father's Day at Crisostomo

For Father's Day, we decided to have lunch at Resorts World Manila since Karly will be coming from the airport.  Daddy is not a fan of international cuisine so we looked for a Filipino restaurant to celebrate his special day.  Crisostomo seemed like the best choice since it specializes in modern Filipino cuisine - perfect for mom and dad who love Filipino food and for us kids who are adventurous eaters.

Blue Team vs Red Team

After being seated, we were handed out MENUS.  Yes, that should be in caps because their menus are massive!  At first glance, these could pass for family photo albums!

25th at Club Balai Isabel

Growing up, I've always celebrated my birthday with my family.  Since it always falls on a holiday, we make it a point to go on out-of-town trips during my special day or the weekend closest to it - kind of like a last hurrah before school work starts.

Welcome to Club Balai Isabel!

This year, we decided to celebrate my birthday at Club Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas.  It's one of those beautiful resorts (and popular wedding destinations) strategically located around the Taal Lake.  This means you get a breathtaking view of the Taal Volcano for free during your entire stay.  It's a perfect weekend getaway for those who just want to relax and feel closer to nature.  The ambiance is so relaxing, it's tempting to sleep in all day or better yet, cool off in one of their three swimming pools.

Sagad sa Sagada: I survived!

Breakfast at Salt and Pepper

On the way back from Echo Valley, we couldn't decide if we should have breakfast at Masferre or stick to our itinerary and eat at Salt and Pepper.  After asking Kuya Gareth's (Kuya G from here on out just because it's easier to type) opinion, we opted for Salt and Pepper since it was near the SaGGAs office and we could settle our dues while waiting for our food.

Erin and I shared our food once again and this time, we had Mushroom and Cheese Omelet with an additional side order of Toast and Honey.  Plus, Hot Chocolate for me (not Mountain this time).  Our other friends ordered Tapsilog and Longsilog.  While waiting for our food, we played with the restaurant's puppy, Lucky.  He's so friendly, he reminded me of Kero-chan.  He kept on licking my hands and made me rub his belly.  Too cute!  But I had to stop petting him before my Hygienix runs out.

Kuya G dropped by with Kuya Kirky and told us that they have something for us.  We were all excited and joked that it was sweet of them to give us Kuya Kirky. HAHA   The real surprise?  Certificates for everyone!  We joked about receiving certificates during our spelunking adventure but I never thought they'd take it seriously.  All the activities we accomplished we're checked and it was even signed by all our tour guides.  Aww how sweet!  We had a little graduation/awarding ceremony and that kind of made it official.  We survived Sagada!

First row: At Salt and Pepper where our awarding ceremony was held.  Chos!  Second row: The proud graduates and Lucky, the fluffy and friendly dog.  Third row: Mayee and her new found love, Kuya Kevin.  Vanie and Mabel with their certificates.

Back to Salt and Pepper.  The food was delish!  The price range is between Php 100-150.  Unlike other restaurants in Sagada though, their servings are good for one.  Their honey was exceptionally good so we decided to order another batch of Toast and Honey.  And when that was still not enough, we bought bottles of their honey for us to take home.  Only for Php 150!

Sagad sa Sagada: The Climb

Sagada Challenge #2: Pongas Waterfalls

It might seem impossible to wake up at 6:30 AM after yesterday's spelunking adventure but surprisingly, all of us were able to get out of bed in time to grab some power breakfast at Yoghurt House.  Actually, I was up by 4 AM thanks to our neighbor whom I overheard talking loudly about how late it already was and how it was almost 7 AM. =.=  That woke me up pretty well.  Siya na ang late at 4 AM!

Power breakfast at Yoghurt House.  Sinong naka-racerback & board shorts at 7AM?  Blame it on the Hot Mountain Chocolate!

Due to the huge servings in Sagada, Erin and I decided to share our food.  We ordered one of their bestsellers, Hiker's Delight, which consists of a banana-filled crepe, toast, eggs and yoghurt with strawberries.  Some of them tried the Mountain Tea while I tried the Hot Mountain Chocolate.  Hiker's Delight was indeed delightful and really filling!  The Hot Mountain Chocolate drink, however, was bit of a downer.  At least for me.  I took a couple of sips and that was it.  That was enough to make me take my cardigan off!  They weren't kidding when they said it was extra hot.  Gumuguhit e, parang may alcohol!

Surprisingly, my favorite among our orders was Mabel's Tuna and Cheese Omelet.  It was soooooo good!  I wanted to finish the whole plate if I wasn't already full and if Mabel wasn't looking at me so threateningly.  Tip #14: Load up on carbs before doing any activity in Sagada.  You'll need it.

Sagad sa Sagada: All about facing your fears

Afraid of the dark?  Yep.  Terrified of heights?  Oh, yeah.  Claustrophobic?  You have no idea.  OC?  Definitely.  Control freak?  Absolutely.  So why in the world did I even sign up for cave connection?  Well, I'd like to believe my love for traveling and thirst for adventure are greater than my fears.  Or I don't know, maybe I'm just crazy and a certified kaladkarin.  Go lang ng go!

Caving vs Spelunking.  According to Kuya Gareth (Kuya G from now on just because it's easier to type) aka our resident Kuya Kim, both terms refer to exploring caves but the difference is: caving is done by professionals while spelunking is more like a hobby which is done by amateurs.  Like us.

Sagada Challenge #1: Cave Connection (Lumiang and Sumaging Caves)

May the odds be ever in our favor!  Fun fact: Several coffins have lizards engraved on them which symbolize long life and good fortune.

For cave connection, the starting point would be at Lumiang Cave and the exit point will be at Sumaging Cave.  The whole activity usually takes 4-6 hours depending on how many times you stop for photo ops.  Chos!  Seriously though, photo ops did take a lot of our time.  The usual ratio of guides to spelunkers is 1:4.  Since there are 12 of us in the group, I expected us to have 3-4 guides.  We were all surprised when we had 6 guides with us so that's 1:2.

Missing Thailand, one dish at a time

Today, I got my first taste of authentic Mango and Sticky Rice (Kanin Club) - as in the native delicacy and not the Blizzard version.  Pathetic, I know.  But in my defense, I rarely eat kakanin so no need to be judgmental.

Kanin Club's Mango and Sticky Rice

Kanin Club's version has macapuno and chocnut bits sprinkled on top of it.  Ahh heavenly~!  Perfect for me and my sweet tooth.  It made me miss Thailand though where my love for this wonderful pair started.

Sagad sa Sagada: Let the (mis)adventures begin!

En route to Sagada

A lot can happen during lunch and merienda breaks.  Our Sagada adventure started out as nothing but wishful thinking during one lunch time chismisan.  In less than two months, we made it happen just in time for our batch's 4th anniversary.

The breathtaking view you get to enjoy if you take the Benguet route.  Unfortunately, I was asleep most of the time.

Travel buddies: Erin (organizer), Mabel, Vanie, Mayee, Faye, Tuns, Jeng (oganizer), Arvin, Rach, Eric and Meg

ETD from Cubao (via Victory Liner): 9:00 PM (tickets cost Php 450)
ETA in Baguio: 3:00 AM
ETD from Baguio (via Lizardo Bus): 6:00 AM (tickets cost Php 220)
ETA in Sagada: 11:00 AM

One might think that 12 hours on the road is crazy but I'm up for it - I've had worse.  The latest being the 8-hour ride turned 12+ hours from Cambodia to Thailand on a hot summer day.  At least our destination this time has cooler temperature so sleeping won't be a problem for me as I usually sleep my way through long trips be it by land, sea or air.  All I need are my trusty travel pillow, sleep mask, earphones and an iPod, and I'm good to go.

Since all of us are first-timers in Sagada, we decided to take the Benguet route instead of Bontoc.  The view is said to be breathtaking plus there will be a stop over in Baguio so we'll have time to take a breather before heading to Sagada.