A few nights before Christmas, tired and weary from the long hours and usual going-ons at the office; I decided to revisit my alma mater before the season ends and they pack the bright lights off.

I left home around mid-afternoon hoping to catch the golden light spill across the majestic Main Building, but alas, the sky seemed foreboding of rain.  The sun is hiding, gray all around.

Simbang Gabi is a Christmas tradition that has been with the Filipinos since we were colonized by the Spaniards.  It is held at dawn and is celebrated starting the ninth day before Christmas.

In olden times, it was called Misa de Gallo, which translated means Mass of the Rooster.  The rooster serving as a signal for the people to wake up and go to mass.
You might be asking, what prompted the people to get up so early during the cold December dawn just to get to mass?

The tradition started out in 1669 when a Spanish priest held a mass for farmers wanting to attend the Christmas advent, however, we’re unable to since they need to tend to their fields early in the morning.
Today, the tradition still holds strong is still very much alive.  It is is usually one of the things Filipinos anticipate during the Holidays.  A few even hold on the the belief that if you complete the nine days of Simbang Gabi, a wish will be granted. 

We’ve still got a few more days left before Christmas; so get up early, wear your thickest jacket, attend a Simbang Gabi, and have your treat of hot Putobumbong’s, and steaming Bibingka’s afterwards.

Hungry for something fresh on a sunny Sunday morning?  Check out a little parcel of parking space cum marketplace tucked in one of Ayala’s side streets and discover a breakfastful of delights. 

The Legaspi Sunday Market started out as a selling area for residents of Barangay San Lorenzo back in 2005 and has been attracting crowds every weekend since.  It opens at seven in the morning and closes down at two in the afternoon.  Perfect for early-birds and not-so-early risers.

To get there, just take any bus passing Ayala Avenue and board down at the bus stop near Rufino Towers.  Then, walk along Hererra street (the right side if you are facing towards Glorietta) until you reach a parking lot with lots of tents.  You won’t miss it for sure. 

Whatever you want for breakfast, they have right here.

I recently treated my family to an out of town adventure in Tagaytay City for my birthday. We rented out a van, filled it to capacity, and rode our way to one of the most common destination for the people of Metro Manila when they decide that they have enough of the smoke-ridden city. 

We initially planned to have our breakfast at Bag of Beans, however, my family is notoriously super slow when it comes to prepping up. In addition to that; our van, when not stuck in traffic, was literally crawling uphill with our weight and all; lightweights, we are not (ahehe).

After a few hours, we eventually arrived in Tagaytay. It was already lunchtime so we headed straight to Leslie's Restaurant.

Leslie's started out in 1999 as a pasalubong shop by a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Paelmo, which eventually grew into a restaurant. The interiors of the resto reflects the woodcarving history of the owner's family. A blend of Filipino and Spanish style; they used wood and stone as the main motif to create a warm and cozy feel for the place.

This is the restaurant to be in if you want your steamy bulalo while in Tagaytay City. Serving size is quite large and the soup is refillable. A bowl will set you back Php500.00, however, it can serve at least four persons. The meat is very tender and the soup perfectly compliments the city’s chilly weather quite well. Their sisig and adobong manok is also commendable.

After the exhaustive trip from Mambukal Resort, we had a late lunch at Café Bob's along Lacson street. 

The café was recommended to us by a local flickr contact, Anne Acaso, and she described it as a much more affordable Starbucks.  I definitely concur and would go as far as to say that it is far better than Starbucks.  Their pasta was really tasty; their fraps, delightful; and their burger, well, simply one of the best I've ever had.  To top everything off, their prices were really affordable.

We were still undecided if we would still head out to the BREDCO
Port [See Map] to shoot the sunset as the sun was already dipping down the horizon when we finished our very late lunch.  After browsing some of the photos taken at the port in flickr, we eventually decided to go.

We started out the second day by trying out Bacolod's specialty, the Chicken Inasal.  It is basically a chicken roasted on skewers, served with garlic rice and chicken oil sauce.

We headed out to the Manokan Country and found our way to Aida’s, which was favored heavily online by vacationers who stayed at Bacolod.  I was initially a bit disappointed by the place as it looks a bit like a beerhouse rather than a resto.  Serving time was also quite lengthy, however, this may be due to us being too early.  We were the only ones eating along the whole strip as far as I can tell.  When the food arrived, and we were not disappointed though.  Really tasty Chicken Inasal!  The wait was well worth it.

What could a traveler expect from Bacolod if the Masskara Festival already had its run?  We found out by booking a flight to the City Of Smiles a week after all the festivities we're over.

After embarking from a one hour plane ride from Manila, we were immediately greeted by throngs of shuttle drivers at the Bacolod airport.  Apparently, there’s only two mode of transportation out of the airport; it's either we take the shuttle which costs a hundred pesos per person or take a cab which is quite expensive at five hundred bucks.  Us being non-gazillionaires, naturally took the cheaper alternative.  

The trip to the city took about thirty minutes and the van dropped us straight to the Business Inn at downtown Lacson.  Lucky us, we were able to get a plush room for only P1,200.  If you are on a budget, you can also get also get one for as low as P800, we however, missed seeing their promo before booking in.

We strolled around a bit afterwards, looking for a place to have breakfast.  Since it was still quite early, the only places open were the usual fast-food fares.  With our stomachs already protesting, we decided to just get some good ol' Mcdo al fresco style in front of the provincial capitol. And you’d think we’d be hurriedly sampling a genuine Chicken Inasal dish.

After a few hours rest (we skipped lunch), we were on our way to one of the famous spot in Bacolod; The Ruins.  We were told that the best time to visit the place was during the late afternoon.  The skeletal ruin is at just the right spot as the sun lowers down at the opposite end of the horizon.  The edifice literally glows orange as the sun retires down for the day.

To get there from Lacson, we took a jeep going to Bata.  We boarded down at the old Pepsi plant; took a tricycle, which cost us 50 bucks, straight to The Ruins.  You might also want to get the tricycle driver’s celphone number so you can just text him to fetch you upon departing as the terminal is quite a walk away from the place.  Unless you’re brave enough to walk down a deserted road with nothing but corn plantations on both sides and no streetlamps in sight, get Manong’s number.

The Ruins, according to the history posted along its walls, was built around the early 1900’s.  It was owned by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson who managed the sugarcane fields surrounding the villa. 

During World War II, it was burned down by the USAFFE to prevent the Japanese forces from using it as a base of operations.  The house was initially poured with three barrels of gasoline, and when it did not suffice to graze the house, additional fuel was added to bring the roof down and burn the two-inch thick floorings.  The house reportedly burned for three days.

If you are a history fan, an architectural geek, or just a plain romantic, you would definitely love this place.  The structure's concrete is still silky smooth and the architectural decors perfectly preserved in all it's Neo Romanesque glory.  The whole area is not that large, but you definitely would not run out of subjects to photograph. 

And if ever you tire out of shooting the Ruins, you can just relax, dine and enjoy the warm glow inside the house.  They serve Mediterranean food although we did not get to try out their menu.  Pricing looks just about right, and if you add in the ambience, well it's a bargain then.

  The Ruins
  Talisay City, Bacolod
  Ring them up at (0917) 832-6003
  Email them at lacson_mansion@yahoo.com.ph

It was years ago since I first heard about a quaint little resort at the heart of San Pablo, Laguna.  I have pretty much forgotten about it until just about recently when having ran out of places to go to near the metro; I rediscovered the place called Casa San Pablo.

With our vacation leaves approved, cameras loaded, and bags packed, we headed out to Laguna first thing in the morning right after work.

Locating the place was a breeze as there was detailed instruction in the resort's website on to how to get there. We boarded a Lucena bound bus in Cubao and asked the driver to drop us off at San Pablo Medical. The ride took about three hours, which could have been cut down to two if not for some heavy works being done at the South Luzon Expressway. After boarding down, a five minute tricycle drive took us straight to the gates of the Casa.