halfwhiteboy

Tempting, isn't it? It was my first time trying the famous Aleng Taleng's Halo-Halo in the town of Pagsanjan, Laguna but apparently I had no idea just how popular it is. To say that the place was packed when we arrived at half past three in the afternoon is probably an understatement. It was chaotic! Normally I would have bailed out when faced with a long wait at a restaurant but we thought, since we were already there and it's not everyday that we get to drive to Pagsanjan, we might as well brave the storm.

Countryside feels with Ted's Kitchen in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. So we spent two nights at Ted's Bed and Breakfast in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, which we called our base as we ventured out into nearby towns like Pagsanjan for food and Luisiana for its waterfalls . The B&B, however, is just an expanded venture as Ted's is, first and foremost, a restaurant. Design and ambiance Ted's Kitchen evokes some countryside feels with its design--from its signage, to the wall shingles, and down to the distressed door and furniture. Inside, the shabby chic aesthetic is also carried out in its walls, which are lovingly decorated with all sorts of random paraphernalia.

Bonfire pit, cottages in the background. When we called Sta. Cruz our base for a not-so-recent getaway to Laguna, we were met with questions like: "why Sta. Cruz?" "what's in Sta. Cruz?" or "what are you gonna do in Sta. Cruz?" Admittedly the town has little to offer--at least that I know of--but we just needed a place to stay from where we could drive to other places of interest like the Hulugan Falls in Luisiana, Laguna . Suffice it to say that we found in Sta. Cruz a bed and breakfast that looks just like our kind of place: small, nice, and quiet. Here's a rundown of our experience at Ted's Bed and Breakfast in Sta. Cruz, Laguna .

Read:  [Part 1: Talay Falls and Hidden Falls] This is the last of two parts. A closeup of the upper part of Hulugan Falls. After sweating it out to get to Talay Falls and Hidden Falls , we were ready to see the pride of San Salvador, Luisiana--the more than 200-foot high Hulugan Falls . The trek We traced our way back to about a quarter of the trail to the first two waterfalls and came back to a clearing before diverting to a different route. The clearing is said to be a camping ground for those who wish to stay overnight. According to the barangay captain, they purposely designated a campsite that was far enough from the falls to prevent littering as well as for safety reasons. The trail took us through gigantic pandan  (screwpine) plants that are several feet tall. Or should I call them trees already because of their height? The pandan I know are much smaller, so seeing this variety was a pleasant surprise. Pandan, by the way, is one of Luisiana's agricultura...

The beauteous Hidden Falls in San Salvador, Luisiana, Laguna. I've been to at least two waterfalls in South Cebu this summer: the crowded but really beautiful Kawasan Falls in Badian and the super fun, multi-tier Aguinid Falls in Samboan . Those two trips were really calculated for fear that I might end up with another "episode" as a result of too much physical activity and dehydration. But after making it through with no fever at all, we geared up for yet another waterfall trip, this time in nearby Laguna. The more than 200-feet high  Hulugan Falls was our prime target, which was, based on what we've read, accessible via a relatively short (around 30 minutes) but very steep and difficult downhill trek. And then you have to go back up. But there was another option, a longer but supposedly much easier trail that will take you through two more waterfalls-- Talay Falls and Hidden Falls --before getting to the big one. Banking on "easier," we chose t...

The red-bricked St John the Baptist Church in Liliw, Laguna. It was five in the afternoon already when we got out of the heavily vandalized but still impressive Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery and proceeded to the town of Liliw , also in Laguna province. No thanks to our laziness we found ourselves rushing once we found a parking spot, as darkness was just minutes away. Liliw is a fourth class municipality that is probably best known for its slippers and shoe industry, a place relegated to but a quick stop to many an excursionist's itinerary. I may have intentionally sought out Liliw from the comforts of our little retreat at Sitio de Amor in San Pablo but it's a shame I only had about an hour to see the town before it got dark -- and everything closed. Nonetheless, here's what I managed to check out in that very limited time. Saint John the Baptist Church With a striking red brick facade, the St John the Baptist Church of Liliw is a beautiful piece of baroque...

Outdoor seating at Faustina's in Los Baños. I nearly forgot about this already until I browsed through some photos. A lot of you may have already known about Faustina's in Los Baños, Laguna but allow me to share our restaurant experience nonetheless. Design and ambiance At first I thought Faustina's was another one of those restaurants serving Filipino dishes, that it's this big, popular place with a traditional Pinoy ambiance. After driving through side street after side street per Google Maps's instructions, we finally made it in front of a white, contemporary low-rise building. And there was none of that typical native styling I cluelessly expected.

Remnants of a once glorious past. Forgive me for the rather depressing title but that's exactly how I would sum up my impression of the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery in Nagcarlan, Laguna. It was my first time to visit. (I know, shame on me considering it's not really that much of a drive from Metro Manila.) But at least I finally made that trip. We were comfortably holed up at  Sitio de Amor in San Pablo at the time but managed to force our butts out of bed and drove to Nagcarlan and later, Liliw. Nagcarlan is a 45-minute or so leisurely drive from San Pablo and you'll reach the cemetery before hitting the town proper. It's on the left side of the road right across a Shell gas station. Declared a National Historical Landmark in the 1970s, the cemetery dates back to Spanish colonial times and is regarded as the only underground cemetery in the country. Following the declaration, no more burials were allowed in the cemetery; the last one was in the early 80s. ...

A new house rises from Sitio de Amor's sprawling grounds. In a recent post I described how the owners of Sitio de Amor Farm Resort in San Pablo City, Laguna seemed to have recently developed a knack for buying old houses. Much like the case with Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan but in a far smaller scale, these houses are meticulously dismantled, transported, and then painstakingly reassembled on a new location. After what they called the "Parañaque House" (which is still in progress), Sitio's owners have taken to building a much bigger house this time. Let's just call it the "Quezon House" because they got it from somewhere in Quezon province from former PCSO chair Manoling Morato (if I'm not mistaken) of the prominent Quezon clan.

Water gushing from a man-made lily pond at Sitio de Amor. It's been more than a month already since we first stayed at Sitio de Amor Farm Resort in San Pablo City, Laguna. We did a little Viaje del Sol then and our stay came to be only because Sulyap Gallery Cafe , a bed and breakfast and restaurant with really good food and where we intended to stay for 2 nights, could only accommodate us for one. It all turned out to be a good thing for us in the end because Sitio proved to be a perfect fit for us. This post is long overdue and fact is we've been back there already as of this writing. I guess it's about time I tell you about this B&B.

Now that's what you wear next to a giant pineapple. Go for an Aztec-patterned tank top, slouchy-crotched joggers, and a pair of sneakers. Haha! Whatever. After 3 times of passing by the town of Calauan, Laguna and each time contemplating on stepping out of the car to take some photos of that kitschy pineapple statue in the town plaza but always giving in to that "maybe next time" thought, we finally did it. Woohoo!

Lovely lawn, interesting attraction, and a great backdrop. Taken at the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery . It was a good thing we overcame total laziness last Saturday while on a short vacay in San Pablo City, Laguna and left the comforts of Sitio de Amor for a quick trip to nearby towns Nagcarlan and Liliw because we did enjoy. For this trip I wore an old pair of shorts with a pixelated print. In deciding on something to pair it with, your safest -- and easiest -- bet is a plain-colored top. It could be a white shirt, a colored tank top, or in this case, a black tee. Prints are also welcome but in case of doubt, stick to plains.

Contemplating about where the hell is my food. Weekend's almost here again (Woot! Woot!). It was great the last time since it was a long weekend and we went on a little trip down south once more. Outfit-wise, my first day was about shorts and a polo in an ensemble that's loosely ethnic-inspired. I say loosely because it isn't exactly ethnic; just a faint resemblance of sorts. Maybe it's the front print of the polo, the beads, I don't know. Nevertheless, with this outfit I fit right in at the traditional Filipino-themed  Patis Tito Garden Cafe where we had snacks before checking in at our B&B.

Patis Tito Garden Cafe is a place rich in design. Sometime last month (or was it last May?) I read through a feature on Patis Tesoro from BusinessWorld's High Life magazine. Known for her creative takes on classic Filipiniana fashion and her predilection for indigenous materials like abaca and piña, Patis is regarded as the "Grand Dame of Philippine Fashion." Several days later we found ourselves planning a Viaje del Sol and Patis Tito Garden Cafe entered our consciousness. With such a name attached to this restaurant, we sure made it part of our itinerary. After checking out at Sulyap Gallery Cafe , we dropped by for lunch before checking in at our next B&B, Sitio de Amor . Now here's a rundown of our experience.

Anyone into sewing? I recently posted about Sulyap Gallery Cafe where I mentioned that apart from being a cafe and bed and breakfast, it also has a museum of sorts. The museum, which occupies about half of the three-storey concrete building's ground floor, houses the owners's staggering collection of everything from old mills, lamps, and religious figures, to aparadors  (clothes closet) and other old furniture. Sulyap's owners (Roy Empalmado and Arthur Reyes) are collectors, hoarders if you may, and I mean it in a good way. Here we have two people who, on their own volition, have decided to gather bits and pieces of Filipino life from periods past. I don't even know where they get all these things but I'm glad they have decided to exhibit it somehow for others to appreciate. And let's not forget that the three casas that house the bed and breakfast and restaurant are also part of their collection, ancestral houses from elsewhere in the country that have...

The colors come alive as the afternoon sun hits the second floor of the cafe. Finally had the time to write this. Three weeks ago over the Independence Day long weekend Kwittiegirl and I drove down south to San Pablo City in Laguna. We originally intended to do an ambitious Viaje del Sol (Way of the Sun), a design-your-own-tour around several establishments in the provinces of Laguna, Quezon, and Batangas engaged in leisure products and services that promote Filipino hospitality, cuisine, crafts, the arts, and other facets of Philippine culture and traditions. We thought of visiting several towns in Laguna but ended up just holed up in San Pablo, spending the weekend relaxing and food-tripping at a very leisurely pace. People we've asked for recommendations often gave Casa San Pablo but I'm glad we played deaf and spent our first night at the lovely Sulyap Gallery Cafe .

Mr Bear seems to be enjoying the pool. Oh yes, that's me donning that bear head we made for Halloween last year. Last month our team decided to have a little get-together before summer ended -- and the bears tagged along. Because Laiya in Batangas seemed too far, we settled for Pansol in Laguna. We decided it was the next best thing considering the Friday rush hour traffic and all. Pansol is that area in nearby Laguna where private pools for rent are just everywhere, many of which are adjacent to each other. These gated properties can be booked for anywhere from 8 to 24 hours. The facilities vary but there always seems to be a kitchen and a videoke machine. None of these places are designed for relaxation as noise is expected and tolerated no matter how horrendous the voice blaring from the videoke machine nearby.