'NIGHT & 'MORNIN' @ THE BOUTIQUE

This is my final post on The Boutique. Promise. Hahaha!

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We retired to the room after dinner. All of the blogs I came across during my net search claimed that the entire place is made up so that guests will really end up spending their entire stay in the room. The Boutique has no other amenities. No pool. No game rooms. Nothing but the rooms. The wonderful, wonderful rooms! =)

One of the few concessions that The Boutique makes to entertainment is its DVD library. Techies would find the place to their liking. Impressively, each room is set up with an LCD TV (yes =)), a DVD player and a cool-looking MP3 speaker. (Then again, maybe it looks cool to me only because I don't own an iPod. Haha.)

Their DVD selection is quite "extensive", but we have seen most of the good ones and do not particularly care to see the rest. (If you do end up staying, you might as well bring your own set. =)) V for Vendetta was on the list though. Neither of us has seen it, but I have heard only good things about it. Two of my friends actually wrote V-related blogs and since I generally trust their tastes, V for Vendetta--by default--became our anniversary movie of choice. Haha!

We settled into our gigantic, Papa-Bear-Alice-in-Wonderland cross of a bed and happily propped ourselves up with the pillows (them of the different shapes and sizes), exchanging and rearranging until we finally found the perfect contours for our back. Hay.....**Sigh...Dreamy, dreamy sigh...* =)

We got a call from the front desk asking us if we were ready to retire for the night and if we would like our complimentary churros con chocolate' (as in tsokolate-Eh) sent up already. As tempting as the idea may have sounded, I regretfully turned the churros down. We had overeaten BIG TIME during dinner and I didn't think another round of snacks before bedtime would be a good idea. (Imagine what our funeral would have been like. Guest: "Ano nangyari?" Family member: "Ay, namatay sa sarap!" HAHAHAHAHA!!! Hindi maganda. Ngyaahh. Hahaha. =)) Besides, with both Hubby and I propped up like contented cows on the pillows, deciding on who would get up to answer the door when room service finally arrives would have brought the world dangerously close to World War III. Haha!

We happily settled in, but fell asleep mid-way through the movie. I suppose the day's events had finally taken its toll and we were off to dreamland in no time. Haha! Zzzzzzzzzzz......patay. Haha! =)

I will spare you the gory details between Good Night and Good Morning (;D)) but waking up @ The Boutique is something else. We had previously drawn the curtains before jumping into bed, wary of the harsh morning light rudely interrupting our sleep. Looking back now, we should have left everything well enough alone.

If we had, our sleepy eyes would have slowly waken up to the soft, misty, morning-dew-filled view of the Tagaytay Ridge.

Hubby Sweet couldn't help but marvel as soon as he drew the heavy curtains back.

W.O.W. Wow. Wow. Wow.

It quite literally takes your breath away.

(Feel free to insert a moment of silence here...haha. =))

After having our fill of the sights, there was nothing else left to do before breakfast (which would be served "in-bed"). We decided to finish V where we left off, and was just at the final scene when room service finally rang. Hubby S wouldn't budge so I was forced to answer the door. Instead of the bellboy, the receptionist was at our door, handing me this gigantic bouquet of spring flowers. "Happy Anniversary, Ma'am!", she cried out, excitedly. Even as I mumbled a surprised and feeble "thank you", the confusion must have shown in my expression. I tried to think back as to whether I told them it was our anniversary when I booked the room. I was fairly sure I did not.

"Surprise yan, galing kay Sir," she giggled.

That's when realization hit me, "Oh, that's what he was talking to the receptionists about last night!" I had seen him whispering quite conspiratorially as they all giggled. I thought he was just being his usual self.

Hubby Sweet finally got up from the darn bed and hugged me, "Happy Anniversary, Tweet."

Kiss. (In front of the obviously kinikilig na receptionist. Haha! 'P)

Breakfast was ushered in after that with the waiter asking us if we'd like it set-up in bed or on the lanai. "The lanai please," we responded simultaneously. =)

Very few experiences would beat eating a special breakfast as you enjoy a front-row view of the wonders of nature. The experience is actually quite spiritual. It all of a sudden made us realize God's awesome power to be able to create such beauty. In the quiet of that particular Sunday morning, away from the hussle and bustle of city life, we found ourselves humbled and much more aware of the tremendous blessings that have been sent our way. Overwhelmed by the experience, Hubby Sweet actually got teary-eyed. I myself was reduced to silence.

We joined hands and said a prayer of thanks. Truth be told though, in the face of everything we've received, I don't think we can ever really be thankful enough. (But, dear God, from the really bottom of our hearts and the very core of our being, SUPER THANKS anyway. =))

The night before, we had ticked off our breakfast choices in the menu board that we should leave outside our door before 9:00 p.m. Although American and Continental breakfasts are available, both Hubby and I went for the Filipino breakfast. How could we not?

The magic words: RIB-EYE TAPA. Fabulous! Hahaha! Just imagining it made my glands salivate.

Since Hubby also went for the tapa, I wanted to go for something else, but the only other thing remotely interesting to me was the bulalo corned beef. I almost went for it, but having just had bulalo for dinner, I had second thoughts. I also, quite stupidly, thought that it would be like the corned beef sinigang in Sentro, and I didn't really feel like having soup in the morning. (I recently and quite belatedly found out, however, that the bulalo corned beef was actually the marrow/shank beef cut, prepared like corned beef! Waaaaaaaaaaahhhh...just imagining it makes my glands salivate TOO. Haha. Oh, well. Next time na lang! =))

Our breakfast menu roll-call:

Rib-eye tapa with garlic rice (another one of those things that would make you go "Hmmmmnnnn....." ^_^)

Eggs, sunny-side-up (how apt! =))

Freshly baked rolls and toasts (The toast is actually an interesting cross between sliced bread and a croissant--like some weird but delightful offspring that came out of an illicit affair back in the kitchen, hahaha. =)) .

The bread was served with side servings of guava jelly, orange marmalade and strawberry jam.

Dessert was mango and apple slices laced with yoghurt and sweet milk (Not too sweet, perfectly light ending to a perfect meal! =))

I had brewed coffee which is the only drink that can kick-start me in the morning (otherwise I'd be floating around the entire day. =))

Hubby Sweet had his fill of Tsokolate-eh. =)

'Twas heaven. Pure culinary heaven. =)

An officemate asked me over lunch recently whether I liked being married. Having heard that I recently celebrated my first wedding anniversary and knowing that I had a blast during my 20's and early-30's, he was asking me to compare my single years with married life. (My personal theory is that he is seriously thinking of proposing to his girlfriend of 5 years, and being "such a guy", he was trying to build a pros-&-cons case as to whether it was the right thing to do. Hahaha. Gumawa pa ako ng chismis! Susko. =))

My answer came relatively quickly and it was relatively simple. "Marriage has its pros and cons, and heaven knows it ain't perfect. And, yes, you do give up a lot. You can no longer take off on a moment's notice. You always have to consult your husband/wife before you decide on the big things. You no longer decide for yourself. You are no longer allowed to act alone. You make concessions, but heck, you know what," I explained to him as I sat back and smiled, hit by a sudden, warm realization, "YEAH! Yes, I like being married more that I liked being single!"

Now, considering I really loved my single years, that's saying a lot! Hahaha.

Yes, I suppose that's one more blessing I ought to thank dear God for. Yey! =)

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TIPS!!!

We maximized our stay until 12:00 noon, and was quite sorry to have to go. We enjoyed our stay tremendously, but given its pricey tag, we would have to reserve our future stays for special occasions. (It's actually cheaper during weekdays, but still....The operative word is cheap-ER, not cheap. Haha! =))

Contact (046) 4131885 if you're interested.

You can also drop by @ The Boutique for meals and the view (the restaurant is NOT exclusive to in-house guests). 'Wouldn't recommend it though. There are other places to eat in in Tagaytay. Reserve The Boutique for the full experience. =)

BTW, the breakfast view comes only with the 2nd floor rooms so if you do decide to stay here, book either I Dream, I Dare, I Lust or I Desire. (NOTE: The Jungle Room, the Matrix Room and the Egyptian Room are all found in a totally different hotel chain, hahaha! 'P)

I Escape, I Surrender and I Love are all on the first floor. Since they all open up to the courtyard, you wouldn't have the luxury of enjoying your private breakfast with the view. (Hanggang breakfast-in-bed ka lang--which isn't all that bad, really. Hehe. =)) Consider yourself warned though on the perils of staying in the first floor rooms because in some of the blogs that I read prior to booking, stay-in guests had to contend with "day-guests / restaurant patrons" accidentally walking in, all the while thinking the rooms were still part of the common areas. Ngyaaaaahhhh....eh buti kung hindi sila conscious! Haha! =)

DINING @ THE BOUTIQUE

My friend Marts was complaining about my anniversary blog being all about food. I asked her exactly what else about my anniversary weekend that she would have wanted me to write about. Hahaha! 'P Na-paranoid tuloy ako and read back. Di naman ah! Yun nga lang, ang napansin lang ni Marts, yung food. Hahaha! 'D

Then again, I suppose there's a grain of truth to it. I've always believed that food--good food--ought to be at the center of any special occasion. As it is often voiced out in the different FGD's that I get to attend for my day job (hehe), "Pag masarap ang pagkain, masaya ang kwentuhan. Pag di masarap, ay, ang lungkot!" True. Very. VERY. TRUE. =)

Our massage session ended pretty much in time for dinner. I had heard about The Boutique serving the same recipe as the supposedly much-raved-about "best spareribs" in Boracay. Now I don't remember having enjoyed spareribs during my Bora trips, but I suppose since this particular one seems to have acquired legendary status, we must try it. =)

We went down to the dining area and quickly rushed to a cozy nook. It would have been nice to dine under the stars, but the afternoon showers have pretty much soaked all the lawn chairs. The cafe was thankfully not yet too busy when we arrived. Another couple was quietly surveying the menu. The hotel manager was dining with a middle-aged Caucasian and his Filipina wife, their 3-year old boy running around the hotel lobby. To the side, very near the open area, several writers from GMA-7 (I think) were huddling. I can only guess from the conversation snippets that I could hear from their table that they were putting together a story--possibly for the next big tele-fantasya. I happily settled onto my seat, still giddy over the room, the shower and the massage.

Having spent all his energy on wakeboarding (and driving through sheets of fog and rain, haha), Hubby Sweet was ready for a big dinner. The cold weather brought on by the early evening mist also pretty much sealed the deal. I wanted the spareribs. He wanted the bulalo. Neither of us was willing to back down. Heaven help us. HAHAHA!!! 'P Hungry and unable to wait for the main meal, Hubby Sweet also decided he wanted the calamares. I decided to take everything with, uh, Coke Light. =) He decided on San Mig Light.

I tinkered with my cell camera as we waited for the food to arrive. Dear Hubby stood up, took the video cam with him (we brought one to document his wakeboarding experience) and started walking around. Soon, he was conversing with the ladies at the reception desk. They were all giggling as he regaled them with I-do-not-know-what-story. I did not think much of it, having grown accustomed to the fact that my husband can--and will!--talk to anybody and everybody, especially the guards, the waiters, the parking attendants, etc., etc. He says it's his contribution to making their day a bit special. "Tweet," he once explained, "these people work all day in jobs that they probably don't even particularly enjoy. If I can make them smile for a moment just by acknowledging their presence and by talking to them, why shouldn't I do it?" =)

He finally went back to the table, blurting out as soon as he sat down, "What is it with this music?!" Two words: AIR SUPPLY. Hahahahahaha!!! 'p Yup, for all the so-called sosy points of The Boutique, we hilariously enjoyed our dinner wait with "Two Less Lonely People" blaring in the background. By the time the calamares arrived, I was seriously on the brink of a horrible Last-Song-Syndrome episode: "I can't liiiiiiiiiii-iii-ive.....if living is without yooou.....I can't liiiiiiiiiive....I can't live anymore!!! Ooooooohhhhhh....I can't liiiiiiiiiiiiiive....if living is without you...woooohhh....I can't liiiiiiiiiiive....I can't live anymore...woooh-oh-ooohhh..." NGYAAAAAHHH!!! Hahaha! 'P (Now, if you actually know how that song goes....HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 'P)

Used to the calamares served with either tomato salsa, tartar sauce or vinegar (depending on the type of restaurant), the one we had that night was a delight. It was enough to make us forgive and forget the sappy soundtrack. Hahaha! The batter was seasoned and crisp without being oily. 'Twas also served peppered with bits of fried siling labuyo and garlic (I'm guessing the squid got deep-fried in the oil along with the chili and garlic). Elevating the experience beyond tartar sauce, our calamares was served with aioli lightly laced with wasabi. Yum! ^_^ Surprisingly, it wasn't all that spicy. The chili and the wasabi were subtle enough to give the dish a kick, but not enough to have one gulping down an entire can of Coke. Light. Haha. =)

When the bulalo and the spareribs arrived, I wanted to deck our waiter. Quite concerned that we had ordered too much, I had earlier asked him if we should cut down, or if we should at least go for the medium ribs instead of the large. He looked at both Hubby Sweet and I and confidently declared, "Hindi, Ma'am. Kaya niyo yun. Puro buto naman yung bulalo and spareribs eh." Ah, ganun ah! When the bowl of bulalo and the plate of ribs arrived, I wondered just how big an appetite the waiter thought we had! The entire deal was good enough for at least four people. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Hubby Sweet and I looked at each other, and with some permutation of the jedi-mind-trick, simultaneously blurted out, "Di bale. We'll just have this wrapped." Hahaha...hay...=)

The bulalo was served in a bowl with a heaping serving of blanched cabbage, pechay and string beans. No wilted, overcooked veggies here. (Weird, I don't recall seeing any potatoes.) I suppose to keep the veggies in top form and for foodstyling purposes na rin, the soup was served in a separate bowl, bits of marrow liberally swimming and slowly melting in the steaming hot broth. Cold weather = bulalo. Man! As soon as we sipped our first, we knew it was definitely one of those things that would make you go "Hmmmmmm....." ^_^

Rating: Five Stars!!! ABSOLUTE CARDIAC DELIGHT!!! Wow. =)

Now, I don't know if it's because we tried the spareribs last that I didn't really think much of it. Maybe it just really paled in comparison to the bulalo and the calamares. We had ordered the Hawaiian Ribs (supposedly the house specialty), but the only thing I could remember as soon as I took my first bite was me thinking, "Man, I should have gone for the honey-mustard ribs instead! Maybe that would have been better." Ngwek, ngwek, ngwek... =( To be fair, it wasn't bad, but I didn't think it merited all the raves and great reviews that had elevated it to near-legendary status. It ain't the type I'd go back for. Mas masarap pa ang Racks! Haha. 'P Then again, I will leave room for the possibility that the spareribs did not really fly with me because, by then, I had already stuffed myself silly with the calamares and bulalo. Oh, well. =)

Dessert was "banana wonton" which is really nothing but mini-turons served with vanilla ice cream. Haha. =)

Now, I have this particular food habit that has been going on for ages. Whenever I fall in love with a dish, I inevitably order the same dish over and over in every single restaurant that such a dish is available. Think of it as me going on a food adventure: "The Search for the Best..." I went through the buffalo wings phase (Friday's wins!), the french fries phase (nothing beats McDo, with Friday's coming in second), the ice cream phase (FIC for pistachio ice cream, although 'am currently enamored with the peanut-butter-ice-cream-cookie-dough-fudge-brownie combo at Cold Rock). Get the drift? Anyway! I digressed. Haha. =)

This current phase was brought about by a dessert I had at Cafe Juanita (in Barrio Kapitolyo in Pasig) which is absolutely divine with its lightly-crisp, golden-brown, sesame-seed-peppered, ginger-flavored-caramel-coated mini-turon served with a mini-scoop of vanilla ice cream. THAT DESSERT ROCKS!!! Since then, I have been on this mad adventure in search of the best turon dessert in town. Haha!

Anyway! The votes have been counted (all two, haha) and the results are in. For the record, the Cafe Juanita mini-turon would pulverize The Boutique's banana wontons! To borrow a line from one of my all-time favorite movies, any day of the week, twice on Sundays. Hahaha. To be fair, their banana wontons were good. It's just that I've had better. =)

Hay, sya! That's it for dinner.

Till next post! =)

BATH TIME @ THE BOUTIQUE

Getting a massage right after a long shower under a sunflower head was pure bliss. (I've always wondered how it felt like to take a bath under a "sunflower head". Now I know! =))

Oh, right. Yes. The shower.

I suppose in keeping with The Boutique's "experience love" theme, even something as mundane as taking a bath deserves to be raised to a higher level of sensuality. It's an exhibitionist's and a voyeur's dream come true. Haha! 'p

The bathroom wall is made with floor-to-ceiling glass. Yes, glass.

The kind that allows you to look out and view Taal Lake and the rolling hills as you lather up and take your bath, allowing you to feel absolute serenity as the water pours down on you from the sunflower shower head above.

Unfortunately, it's also the kind that will allow anyone with a decent binocular on Taal Lake and on the rolling hills to watch you lathering up and taking a bath--although I'm quite sure absolute serenity would NOT be the apt words to describe just how they'd be feeling. Hahaha! Ngyaaaahhhh...=)

All of a sudden turning modest, my husband had only this to say, "Ay, aber?! Ay, paano akong maliligo nito?! Makikita ng nature ang p^*%$#-*@#*& p^%&$^@ ko!!!!" HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 'P

He wouldn't hear of me taking a bath quite so exposed either. Now I know that the chance of someone being on Taal Lake with a binocular is quite nil, but the fact that the bathroom can be seen from The Boutique courtyard is something else. Free show for the dining guests?! Que horror! Gaaaaahhhhh!!! 'P

(Caveat: This photo of the courtyard was not taken by me. I don't know who took it, but I thought I'd use it to show just how many people can enjoy the free show! Haha! Thanks to the original photographer, whoever he or she may be. =))

Thankfully, after much searching with the panic literally growing, we found a brown "curtain" that can be hooked up to allow you to take your bath with.....uh....a little more privacy. Yey! (Never mind that we are now officially labelled "mga conscious". Hahaha! 'P)

Now, as part of the fee, The Boutique provides soaps, shampoos and conditioners. Fine. I know any decent hotel provides those. What makes this different is that the soaps, shampoos and conditioners were all "home-made", and you get to choose the scent you want after you check in. Peppermint. Lavander. Ginger. Etc. Etc. They then slice off the soap from big blocks and transfer the shampoo and conditioner into mini-containers which they then put it in a basket along with all the other neat stuff (laundry bag, loofah, bedroom slippers, etc.). I suppose if you really think about it, this is really no big deal. Taken into context, however, it is one of those gazillion and one details that made the experience just a bit more special. As opposed to being provided with generic hotel toiletries, we got to choose how we wanted to smell. Hahaha! Ang babaw. =)

Now, Hubby Sweet and I once talked about having souvenirs from every place we've been to. He interprets these souvenirs to be ref magnets (that will pepper our ref door); I interpret it to be toiletries that I intend to "display" in the master's bathroom as soon as we manage to build our real house. Hahaha. I know, I know. It sounds garish, but I promise it's going to be tastefully done once I get around to finally doing it. =)

So it goes that The Boutique aroma-therapy ek remained unused. We did, after all, have our trusty kikoy/kikay kit with us with all our usual stuff. In the spirit of having an ultimately unique experience--while at The Boutique--I'm quite sure Hubby Sweet and I were the only ones who ultimately chose to smell like Palmolive, Scalpex and Irish Spring. Hahaha! How plebian. Hahaha. =)

Hay, sya! All for now. More to come in the next blog.

ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND: JULY 14-15,2007

We turned one last Sunday!

I was actually surprised to receive several “Happy 1st Anniversary” messages from family and friends. Not one who’s very good at remembering birthdays, it totally blew my mind that they actually remembered that one year ago, Toyang & Tweety and her Hubby Sweet made the promise of all promises before God and the ones they hold dear:

To be one heart and one soul,
From this day forward,
For better, for worse,
For richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health,
Until death do us part.

YAHOOOOOOOOOO!!! =D

Apparently, my friends actually kept our wedding invitation in their “active” CD collection so it’s not that they actually remembered. They were just reminded when they inadvertently decided to play our wedding CD that day. Hahaha!

I suppose every girl wants to make a big deal about “firsts”. Instead of an anniversary day, therefore, I was adamant about turning it into an anniversary weekend instead—starting as soon as he picked me up from work Friday evening. =)

No biggie Friday evening though. I just told him that in honor of our first anniversary, I'd love to eat in another restaurant. Any restaurant except Zaifu (which is Hubby S’s restaurant-of-choice in Rockwell)! He probably saw the desperation in my eyes (hahaha!), and allowed me to pick the dining place that night.

‘Thought of Brazil! Brazil! and its never-ending parade of BBQd meat and fabulously delicious side-dish buffet, but the cholesterol orgy somehow didn’t feel right. Not on that night anyway.

I felt like steak. Special occasions deserve to be celebrated with steak. Real, honest-to-goodness, juicy, wonderfully-marbled steak. Hmmmnnnnn…..^_^

Hubby Sweet and I walked around and discovered Myron’s. Yey!

MYRON’S STEAKS, RIBS & SEAFOOD

Being in the middle of The Powerplant “food court”, I honestly did not expect much from the place. Having been generally happy with the dining places in Rockwell, however, I knew it wasn’t going to be half-bad. I just did not expect it to be great. Which it surprisingly was! Myron’s was good. Really, really, really good! It was real, honest-to-goodness, juicy, wonderfully marbled steak! Yum! ^_^

Now, while other restaurants would have their own special marinade to make the dish "unique", Myron’s just thankfully let the rib-eye be. I mean, I’m sure it’s marinated and all, but the marinade still allowed the natural goodness of meat to come through as opposed to layering it under slops of BBQ sauce, etc. (which, by the way, is something Toyang & Tweety considers a sacrilege).

Oh, and in case sister Pusjing is reading this post, for P495++ per person, it's actually a good deal! =)

I ordered mine with a side-dish of fries, medium-rare (yes, I like things bloody). Hubby Sweet had his with mash potatoes, medium-well. Both were perfectly done! Well done! With all pun fully intended. =)

In addition to our preferred side-dishes, our steaks were also served with braised (blanched?) veggies and olive-oil infused roasted garlic to die for! Yum, yum, yum! I spread each clove on my steak and enjoyed its rich garlic-olive oil flavor as the meat practically melted in my mouth.

If there’s anything I regret about my order in Myron’s, it is that I ordered The Paolo (5oz) instead of The Louie (10oz). Coming from a sales rally, I thought I was not too hungry and thought that a 10-oz steak with sidings would be too much. WRONG! With steak that good, size does matter. And, yes, I say this with all the regret I could muster: I should have gone for the bigger slab!

Tip: The difference between The Paolo and The Louie is thickness, with The Paolo being just a thinner version of The Louie. Since I actually like my steaks thick, I tried asking if it would be OK to have the 10-oz “halved” instead—as I normally request whenever I share my steak with anybody. It has always been OK at Melo’s, Outback or any of the other great steak places. Not so at Myron’s so that’s how I ended up with the thinner slice. =( No biggie. I have learned to just go for the bigger size next time! =)


THE TRIP BACK TO LAGO DE ORO

They say any “daddy’s girl” would inevitably marry someone who somehow reminds her of her own father. I am—beyond the shadow of any doubt—a daddy’s girl to the nth power! Haha! 'Am not too sure about the infallibility of this theory, but there is one thing common between Hubby Sweet and Father. It will take a bulldozer to wake them up, and a lot of hemming and hawing to get them on their feet during weekdays, but they’d be up before 4:00 a.m. puttering around the house as soon as Saturday rolls in!

Father wakes up before 4:00 a.m. for golf.

Hubby Sweet, I realize now, would wake up before 4:00 a.m. for anything remotely associated with wakeboarding or surfing.

And so it goes that we found ourselves on this particular rainy, foggy Saturday morning in mid-July driving to—of all places—Calatagan! For better, for worse….HAHAHA! (That’s the downside of getting married in July. We chose the date not because it had any particular significance to us, but because it’s summer in most other countries and would therefore be the one month in the year that would allow the majority of Hubby S’s relatives to come home to Manila for the wedding. Drizzle during the wedding day. Rain during the anniversary. Oh, joy! Hahaha. =P)

In any case, we did say we’d be back in Lago soon after our brief trip there with cousin Dooders and special girl MJ. We decided to make an anniversary weekend out of it. ‘Wish I could say that I was finally able to make the rounds this time, but NO. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!! I think I have to seriously work on building my upper-body strength, because no matter how “correct” my position was at every turn, the stupid cable still kept on yanking me forward, slamming me straight into the murky water! (For the record, yes, I still maintain that it's the cable that's stupid, not me! WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Hahaha! 'P)

I signed up for a half-day turn; Hubby Sweet was adamant about going for the whole-day experience. By the time 11:30 rolled in, the wind was getting stronger and the water was getting so choppy, I was literally bouncing on it. With a full hour still allowed for the a.m. sessioners, I decided to hang my life jacket up nonetheless. =) Thinking he still had the entire afternoon to wakeboard, Hubby S agreed to go for lunch.

Unlike the other wakeboarders who knew better and therefore brought their own packed lunch, Hubby Sweet and I trooped over to the Lago de Oro cafe. We had dined there before. The food's not bad, but it isn't great. When you consider that even the "budget meals" are @ P225++, their standing on the value-for-money meter sinks much lower.....(The picture shows my "budget meal" as taken from my cell camera. =( )

Still, we were both dripping wet and hungry, and darn it, it is our anniversary weekend! We would just have to make the most out of it. =)

The resort is run (and probably owned) by a foreigner. I'm guessing he's Italian because the only unquestionably great thing on the menu was the wood-fired-oven-baked thin crust pizza. We had a Supremo this time with Italian Sausages and the works. It's good, but I still liked the simpler Margherita that we ordered the last time we were there with Dooders and MJ.

Since I was hungry, I also ordered Chicken Schnitzel with a side order of fries (SBD-diet begone! Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!), while Hubby Sweet decided to go for the Bam-i. (For carbo-loading daw in preparation for the afternoon session. For the record, he orders pancit everytime he gets a chance.) The schnitzel was dry, but I suppose it's my fault that I did not anticipate it to be dry--it being made with white meat and all. The Bam-i was actually good but I still think it's a tad overpriced.

Thin-crust pizza the size of a dinner plate .............P 325.00

Goofy plate (a.k.a. chicken schnitzel with fries).............P 220.00

Bam-i (a.k.a. pancit canton with bihon)...........P 360.00

Drinks (1 coke light, plus 2 H20)..............P 153.00

GRAND TOTAL ...P 1,058.00

(SFX: Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Ka-ching!!!!!!!)

Trust me, if you ever find yourself in Lago de Oro, spend your money on the wakeboarding experience, but bring your own baon! There are better ways to spend a thousand pesos. =)

We were done way before 1:30 p.m., with Hubby Sweet rushing off to maximize the afternoon run. By this time, however, the serious wakeboarders have arrived (I suppose it makes sense to say that only the serious wakeboarders will insist on driving to Calatagan in that kind of weather, hahaha!). With Hubby Sweet still trying to muster the courage to go for it in the face of all the pros (hehe =)), I decided to take the time to wander around. Earlier that day, as I was carrying my kneeboard back to the dock, I chanced upon one of the hired hands. Taking the opportunity to rest, I engaged him in small talk.

"Manong, pinagbibili niyo yung buhok ng tupa?" I asked, noting that the lambs' fur had just been recently shaven.

"Ay, di po. Tinatapon lang namin pagkagupit namin sa kanila," he replied, his Batangueno accent thick and distinct, "Mainit kase pag mahaba buhok nila."

"Ah, ganun po ba? So alaga niyo lang sila?" I asked curiously.

"Ay, hindi po," he replied, looking at me like I've just landed from outer space, "Kinakatay po. Lamb chops para dun sa restaurant. Minsan, binebenta din sa palengke."

WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! Tanong pa kasi ako ng tanong! Hay! =(

For some strange reason, discovering their morbid fate earlier that day made me even more adamant about taking the flock's pic. Weird ba? =) Ay, ewan!

After taking a million and one shots--while holding a golf umbrella to keep the camera from getting wet--I decided to go back to the dock. The wind was getting stronger, and I decided I didn't want to suffer the humiliation of being pulled violently in all directions by an inverted umbrella, visions of a wa-poise Mary Poppins playing in my head. Hahaha! 'P

By this time, even Hubby Sweet was getting frustrated, not just with the choppy waters, but also with the long lines. After one video shot of him going around on a full knee-boarding run, we decided to call it a day. We'd just have to take another trip back. In the meantime, it was time to go to Tagaytay where we had made arrangements to stay the night.

THE BOUTIQUE BED & BREAKFAST

Overnight stays in Tagaytay are usually spent @ Tagaytay Highlands. Not this time. I had deliberately stayed away from the tried and tested, and decided to surprise Hubby Sweet with something new. After a thorough search through several internet blogs, I chanced upon The Boutique Bed & Breakfast. I originally thought of going for Discovery Country Suites, but felt that, while beautiful, the rooms were much too traditional for our taste. The Boutique was different. It piqued my interest because it had the audacity to be bold about its intentions.

Situated along the Tagaytay Ridge, it was supposedly an old house converted into a mini-hotel. If you weren't looking for it, it would be easy to miss its stark white facade--which apparently extends to its stark white, black and chrome interiors. (Hint for those not yet in the know: it's across the church! =))

The Boutique has only seven rooms. There are no room numbers in this hotel. Its rooms are all quite appropriately named after the different stages of love.

I Dream.

I Lust.

I Desire.

I Dare.

I Escape.

I Surrender.

I Love.

I had originally wanted to book I Lust (haha!), but apparently being the most popular, it had already been reserved for the weekend. So what the heck, We Dared!

The room was quite pricey @ P7,700 net per night. When I booked it, I admittedly managed to do so only by repeating a particular mantra:

It's your first anniversary....it's OK for you guys to blow P7,000 plus on a room for just one night....It's your first anniversary....it's OK for you guys to blow P7,000 plus on a room for just one night....It's your first....Hahaha! 'P

That, and a lot of inner dialogues in a supreme effort to silence the irritatingly rational voice in my head, "The charges include aroma-therapy toiletries, and breakfast-in-bed! OK????!!!! Quit analyzing!!!" Hahaha! Yeah, yeah. =P

Thankfully, The Boutique did not disappoint. If you were to ask me where I would have spent our first anniversary--knowing what I know now--I'd still say "The Boutique. The white house. The one along the ridge in Tagaytay." =)

More than the tastefully done interiors and the subtle opulence (as oxymoronic as that may sound), it's really the staff's attention to the gazillion and one details that made the entire experience more special, and ultimately, so worth the price we paid. As soon as we entered the room and saw the gigantic bed and the numerous, multi-shaped pillows, I knew we would love it there. Hubby Sweet was sooooo moved, he actually said, "Tweet, when we finally build our real house, I want our room to look like this." Haha! =)

The bed and the pillows did not just look cozy, they actually were. Hubby Sweet and I were reduced to kids moving pillows around to prop ourselves up. Ang dami-dami! Hahaha. Ang saya-saya! 'P

The following morning, Hubby Sweet's first words said it all, "Tweety! Ang galing ng bed na 'to. Kahit ilang beses ako pa-ikot-ikot sa pagtulog, di ako nahuhulog!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 'P

Tired and sore from Lago de Oro, we decided to have a massage before dinner. The Boutique does not have an in-house spa. I suppose they just have a masseuse on-call because they asked for a 30-minute leeway to allow for travel time when we tried to arrange for a couples' massage session. It did not take too long for our masseuse to arrive (seriously, may plural ba ang masseuse? =)). We found out that one used to work at Nurture Spa, while the other used to work at Highlands Spa before they decided to do freelance work. I suppose that means we were literally in good hands. =)

As the lights dimmed, I felt my tired and sore muscles melt away.

'Twas a good way to de-stress before dinner.

All for now though. 'Will leave the rest of The Boutique experience for another blog. =)

WAKE-UP!!! - LAGO DE ORO, JUNE 2,2007

Caveat: This blog was originally published in my friendster site, but I thought in the spirit of documenting new adventures, I'd repost it here. =)

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Last weekend, Hubby Sweet and I went on a road trip--an old past time we haven't done in soooooooooooooooooooo long! Felt good to be back on the road. Felt even better to be on the way to some place we haven't been to, to do something neither of us has ever tried before. A whole new adventure. Yahoo! =)

My cousin was home from the U.S. for his annual visit. He's home because he misses US. Hahaha! Yeah, right! We were supposed to take a trip to Donsol, then take a side-trip to CamSur. He couldn't get here early enough though. Work stuff prevented him from coming in early May. And so it goes that by the time he got here, all the whalesharks in Donsol have already migrated to who knows where (probably California, hahaha!). A friend of mind advised me that unless we were serious wakeboarders, we'll only be wasting our money on plane fare going to CamSur.

Might as well go to Lago de Oro, she said. It's nearer and if we find that we really like wakeboarding, we can schedule the CamSur trip once the whalesharks are back. (I know, totally unrelated, but I like getting my money's worth when I travel. Hahaha!)

And that's how we found ourselves on the road Saturday morning on our way to Lago de Oro in Calatagan. Me. Hubby Sweet. Cousin Dooders. And his special girl. =)

First high of the day. Aga Mulach was wakeboarding with his posse. HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Man, he really looked like he shed off his baby fat big time! Hehe. Don't ask if I have pictures though. I took the scaredy-cat way out and rationalized that I shouldn't ask to have my picture taken with him because he has a right to privacy. Hahahaha!!! Yeah, yeah...=)

The starstruck moment eventually wore off though and it was time for lessons. Lessons took all of 5 minutes. Hahaha! Didn't mind really. I suppose, with wakeboarding, it's really a case of either swimming or sinking.

The biggest hurdle one has to overcome is the fear of making a fool out of yourself as the cable tugs at you and have you flipping face down into the murky water--in front of a line of people waiting for their turn! Hahaha. Amateur wakeboarder after amateur wakeboarder after amateur wakeboarder....either sunk, flipped, or dove practically as soon as they hit the water, or if they're lucky just a little over 4 feet from the dock.

'Twas finally my turn. Haha! I DID NOT sink, flip nor dive into the water. I was actually soooooooooooo surprised I didn't, I almost let go of the handle to raise my hands up and cry "WOOOOOHOOOO!!!!!" I, of course, didn't. I was determined to make the full round. Hahaha! It was not meant to be that day. 'Twas a good start, but I realized that I still have A LOT to learn. Try after try after try, I couldn't even navigate the first turn. Hahaha! Try after try after try, I slammed into the water as the stupid cable (yes, it's the cable that's stupid, not me--hahaha) yanked me violently everytime I tried to navigate a turn! I will eventually learn how to manage the stupid cable slack better. (In addition to completing the run, my additional incentive is so I do not have to walk back to the shore and--if the express is not yet in sight--walk back to the dock carrying the darn wakeboard! Waaaaahhhhh!!! How humiliating....Hahaha! 'P).

My body was soooooo sore the entire day yesterday, I had to insist that all four of us go straight to Tonton's for an authentic Thai massage before turning in for the night! (More on that in another blog.)

I'm back at work today, my body still sore (but a lot better than it was yesterday). Hubby Sweet and I are hooked though, so we're literally taking the wake-up call. Hehe.

We will be back at Lago de Oro.

SOON.

WOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!! =)

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TIP!!! The water is murky. Toyang & Tweety and cousin Dooders' girl MJ actually had a grand time laughing their heads off when they saw one of the hired hands harvesting what looked like oysters. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 'P 'Would be good to wear aqua socks. Not only will it make the "walk" back to the shore a bit more pleasant (you'll know what I mean if you ever try this), the aqua socks would also come in handy should you ever need to walk back to the dock because the darn "express" is taking too long! =) Also, it's not exactly cheap-- P820.00 per person for a 3-hour session--so if you want to get your money's worth, be there by 9:30 a.m. for the morning session. Lunchbreak is at 12:30 noon. Afternoon sessions resume at 1:30 and end at 4:30. (You get a discount if you pay for a full-day session up-front. You "only" have to pay P1,260.00. Ngyaaaahhh....but, yes, sooooo worth it! Visit www.lago-de-oro.com for more details. =))

P.P.S. - Cousin Dooders also sent me a copy of the Aga pic he "stole" for girl MJ. I thought I might as well post it as proof! Haha. =)

DAY 2: HONDA BAY ISLAND HOPPING!!! =)

Throughout my teenage to adult years, the summer months would inevitably find me in one of the beaches littering the archipelago. It started out with overnight stays with the H.S. gang at Tali (or sa White Sands minsan--haha, bukas pa ba yun? 'P) to weekend stays in one of my office friends' place in Anilao to several trips to Boracay with family and friends. My miniscule mind had always associated the beach with the ocean. Beach = Ocean/Sea. It cannot be any other way.

I have heard of Honda Bay before, but had deliberately not prioritized it. One of my office buddies, Tats, had at some point decided to buy land in Puerto Princesa, and had been convincing the office gang to visit once he finishes setting up. His land overlooks Honda Bay, he said, and it has a magnificent view. Although I was happy for him, I remembember thinking "Why would I want to go swimming in a bay?!", visions of Laguna de Bay swimming in my head. Hahaha! Tanga! 'P So I went to Boracay and Puerto Galera and Bohol...etc...etc...but never really seriously planned on going to Honda Bay. Big mistake. Huge!

Toyang & Tweety, quite fortunately, found herself in Puerto Princesa a year ago, soon after her wedding to Hubby Sweet. We had initially decided to put off travelling for the honeymoon, what with our budgets running low, and had initially decided to just take a road trip somewhere. As the wedding drew near and as our nerves started to fray, however, we decided we needed to get out after all. We needed to take a trip somewhere to recover, if only for a few days. =) The only criteria we set was that neither of us should have been to that place with anybody else before--quite a feat considering my traveling nature and the budget constraints. Hahaha. Ngyaaaahhhhh.....=) With our budgets nowhere near what we would need to go to Coron, that's basically how we discovered Puerto Princesa, Dos Palmas and island-hopping in Honda Bay. =)

Used to ocean waves, the first thing that struck me about Honda Bay was the relative calmness of the water. Except for the tiny waves created by our banca as it navigated through, Honday Bay was almost still. I remember thinking it felt a lot like travelling on a flat mirror. Several islets littered the bay, with Dos Palmas being among the last and most remote. Almost an hour away from the dock of Puerto Princesa, it pretty much explains why it was easy for the notorious Abu Sayyaf to run off with their hostages. (That was in the past though. Learning from the experience, Honda Bay is now secured by regular, but very discreet, Marine patrols.)

Each of these islands have unbelievably white, almost-powder like sand. Still in their relatively pristine form, unharmed by waves upon waves of visitors, I actually now prefer the beaches of Honda Bay over the crowded beaches of Boracay. Maybe it also has a lot to do with my frame of mind. During my younger years, the theme was party (with triple !!!)--hahaha! Older and hopefully more mature, my focus is now peace and family.

On this particular visit one year hence, there were tiny ripples on the water, but still not as big as the waves I've been used to. One year ago, our Honda Bay island hopping tour brought Hubby Sweet and me to Arreceffi (where Dos Palmas is), Starfish Island and Snake Island. This time--with The Legend tour--the stop was primarily in Pandan and Snake Island, with "running tours" of the rest of the islands: Cowrie, Bat, Canon, Lu-Li (for lulubog-lilitaw =)), Senorita and Meara Marina. I asked Guide Echo why this year's island hopping tour had different stops compared to the ones we had the year before. He explained that the stops had everything to do with who owns the rights to the island. Dos Palmas owned Arreceffi and had rights to Starfish. The Legend apparently owns the right to Pandan Island. Snake Island (named so because of its curvaceous, tongue shape) is the only island on Honda Bay whose rights were not (and will never be) assigned to any private individual or corporation.

I've snorkelled in every single beach I've been to, but none compares to the snorkelling in Honda Bay. Fish literally swarm around you. Not just any beautiful, but relatively generic fish, mind you, but fish that I did not even know existed. My absolute favorite were the slim silver-blue-green fish with syringe-like snouts. They all look like swimming injections. Hahaha! =) Them, and the polka-dotted clownfish that had even Sister Pusjing absolutely delighted. Snorkelling in Honda Bay goes way beyond the feeling of diving into a very big aquarium of tropical fish. Every turn surprises you with a different coral, a different fish color, a different fish shape, a different fish size, a different fish specie. I've seen the most beautiful, most colorful fish in Honda Bay; I have also seen the ugliest, dullest looking stone-like fish in it. (Strangely, I got just as excited over the ugly one. Hahaha!)

If you hold out a piece of bread, entire schools of fish will swim around you and eat off your hands. (Niece Patita had the time of her life feeding them, it was as if she opened a cafeteria for the different schools! Hahaha. =)) Not all of them are friendly though; some can be quite territorial. Swimming through corals, I inevitably found myself being threatened by one small fish. Hahaha! He charged at me like some schoolyard bully and--if you can imagine it--stared me down. (If looks could kill!) Probably realizing that he was no match for my size, he eventually backed down and retreated quickly to his coral home, only to charge back up--this time with another fish in tow. Kumuha lang pala ng resbak! Hahaha! ATTACK OF THE PALM-SIZED FISH! HAHAHA!!! I wanted to laugh, and was quite honestly enjoying myself, but I thought I'd better get off their "backyard" before the entire reef comes charging at me. Hehe. 'P Good thinking. Soon after I moved on, a guy swimming in the vicinity that I had just left abruptly pulled off his mask and started screaming, "Aray! Aray! Aray! Leche, kinakagat ako ng mga isda!" HAHAHAHAHA!!! I had apparently incited a revolution and left someone else to deal with it. Haha! 'P

There were other groups by the time we got to Snake Island. My tip is that if you find yourself in this situation, stay away from the groups of people. Ask permission from your guide to go to the end with very few folks. Where there are less people, there are more schools of fish. =) I wish I had an underwater camera to take pictures, but I suppose it's just as well that I didn't. No picture can ever fully capture the experience. While it may be true that there are other better snorkelling spots in the world, that in Honda Bay tops my list for now.

'Twas a good day.

'Twas good to find ourselves back in Honday Bay. =)

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WORD OF CAUTION: Depending on the season (I say that because I did not experience it last time), you might fall prey to sandmites. Having said that, it would be good to wear a rash guard and lay towels on the sand (and on the hammocks and benches) before you think of lying down. The thing with sandmites is that you don't know that you've been bitten. The rashes usually appear a day after and all of a sudden, you feel like you've been stung by some insect that causes the itchiest (no joke, as in ITCHIEST!) bugbites in the world! Learn from Toyang & Tweety's experience: JUST PAT, DO NOT SCRATCH!!!! I scratched them and now I have pockmarks all over. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! My cousin recommended Nerisona Forte to get rid of the itch. 'Twas pretty effective; stopped the itch and dried the bites up in a few days. You might want to keep it in hand should you find yourself in the same situation.