destination: laguna

last sunday, 5th of june, my team & i plus a couple of good friends were all too excited to embark on a journey. a very simple one, actually. it does not call for big budgets & too detailed preparations. it just entails riding a bus, commuting south of Manila & enjoying relaxing backgrounds.moreover, this was also our own way to celebrate & signal the start  of our office's non-peak season which means we will now be having two days off beginning this June until the end of July.

our first stop is Laguna, a province associated with hot springs, buko pie, espasol & Mt. Makiling. but this we did not do or experience for we wanted to experience more of the unfamiliar routes in the province. after all, for me, taking roads less traveled are far more exciting than treading familiar paths.

Laguna has grown close to my heart having considered it as my second home after the Bicol Region where I was born & raised. i was 17, a college freshman at UPLB when i called Laguna home. i would spend here all the wonderful years of my life, memorable & far more different from what I've experienced in my home region.

call it nostalgia. but i always like going back to Laguna. maybe because i already have an attachment to this place. or maybe because i call myself also as 'taga-Laguna'. it is for this obvious reason that i am proud of this place which is reasonable enough why it is a default for me to always invite close friends to Laguna.

we left the office at around 8 am & we were lucky to board a bus along Edsa going to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. first thing to do in our itinerary was to drop by UPLB through IRRI(Int'l. Rice Research Institute) & have brunch before embarking on a sightseeing to other towns.

oour entry to IRRI was made more fun by being brought there by trolleys, a makeshift vehicle made to run along train rails. not my first time to ride this very only in the Philippines type of vehicle but my friends can't help but grin upon seeing this type of ride. they can't help but giggle as soon as we started riding. as for me, i relished the fresh air brushing my face, which is very absent from the roads of Manila as we headed to IRRI.IRRI, although an experimental site is a relaxing site to see with its verdant pastures & feel clean atmosphere. it does not appear as an intimidating building but instead has a very homey feel. we took time to capture the relaxing moments we had in the facility by doing our own pose in different points of the area.

UPLB was not part of the itinerary but my friends insisted that we drop by even for just a moment. anyway, since we were already there we tried walking along Pili Drive from IRRI inwards to the UP campus. Luckily, a jeepney passed by & we had a ride all the way to Freedom Park. If you are running out of time & need to drop by UPLB the best site to go to is the Freedom Park where you can see the symbolical landmark of UP, The Carillon & in this campus, the infamous fertility tree known to have impregnated a number of UPLB female students & hometown residents as well.

[caption id="attachment_15" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The huge tree mightily standing is the infamous Fertility Tree. Behind it is UPLB's version of the Carillon, a symbol of UP's resilience."][/caption]

It was scorching hot when we stopped by Pila, Laguna thus we can't resist the sweet & cooling taste of ice scramble presented to us in a kiosk. Here's a sample of what we ate while enjoying the rustic ambiance of Pila:



And here's our own version of ice scramble endorsements:



Pila is Laguna's "Little Vigan". It is an old town with Spanish-type designed houses. It is charming to note that these houses are preserved the way they have been almost a hundred years ago. Since we can't afford Vigan right now we contented ourselves by being delighted with these houses which we wish we had lived in.



There was not much to do in Pila except enjoying the sights of old houses & feeling time-warped into another era which is a great feeling, by the way. Before leaving this town we managed to play our own antics after discovering the beauty of having a tripod with you to take pictures.

The highlight of our trip was visiting Liliw, Laguna - the Footwear Capital of Laguna. Perhaps, next to Marikina, Liliw is the second most famous place known for producing footwear. If not for its location veering away from the Metro it could even grab the top spot from Marikina.

Liliw is such a promising place. I always love going back to this place. I could skip all other towns in Laguna but not Liliw. Maybe it's because of my gastronomic side that all of us had a sumptuous feast at a homey restaurant there called Arabella's. Definitely, Arabella is one of the reasons to keep on visiting Liliw. Next to buying cheap, quality & beautiful footwear. After filling your day with shopping never fail to not drop by in this place otherwise you'll regret it. Here's a sample of what we ordered:

[caption id="attachment_31" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="No, they did not order me. But this drink in front of me. A concoction of cucumber, sparkling soda, mint & lemon. So refreshing that it will quench your thirst in an instant & will leave you asking for more."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_32" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="Chicken alfredo pasta. I thought this dish was so normal but it was not until I tasted it's secret ingredient: peanut butter. I never thought pasta & peanutbutter can get along so well."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_33" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Vongole. Satisfied my craving up to the last bite. Clams & pasta.. I just can't wait to have another order of this one."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_34" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="The classic blueberry cheesecake. And who can't resist it's disarming sweetness?"][/caption]

One of the most beautiful churches I've ever been to is the Liliw Church. It's unique facade sets it apart from other old churches in the country. It is colored brick orange & once you're in front of this church you'll be in awe & makes you feel that you're in another country. Rome, perhaps?

One thing I learned from this trip is to cap off all road trips with a relaxing activity. Make it the last activity in your itinerary & on this trip we decided to go swimming in a not-so-famous resort called 'Batis Ng Liliw'. The cool water was enough to soothe our tired muscles from a day long road trip. It was all worth it bathing in this relaxing pool.



I really love Laguna. I am not yet tired discovering it's simple wonders. Everytime I pay a visit I still get surprised. For sure, another trip to this place is being planned out. In the meantime, this same group of people you'll see in another trip & this time we're off to Lipa, Batangas. I can't wait for our next adventure.