Summer truly is one of the most awaited season of the year. It's definitely a perfect time to have spontaneous vacays with your family, friends and for some, an opportunity to do some soul searching and me time. From beach getaways to out of the country trips, name it, summer is our escape from our busy daily lives.
April 28 was declared a non working holiday by the government since we hosted the first 2 gatherings of the 30th ASEAN Summit, personally, I think it's pretty awesome that we will be hosting such a prestigious event, nakakaproud lang :)
It's a friday so, many people rejoiced because it means it's gonna be a very long weekend (I still feel the happiness right now). Me and my family decided to spend it by visiting my mom's province, Naic, Cavite. I was very excited because the last time I was there was more or less 10 years ago, I miss the trees, the bukid view, the feel of fresh air in my lungs and last but not the least, our very jolly and hardworking relatives there.
Our relatives advised us to go to one of Maragondon, Cavite's hidden tourist spots called Pantihan Falls (also known as Balayungan Falls)
I know it kinda sounds awkward (yes we had the same reaction) but Pantihan actually means a gill net for catching fishes and shrimps. You can see photos of the beautiful falls below, credits to the owners (lexicalcrown.blogspot.com) I was not able to take a photo of it because a very unfortunate thing happened.
Rewind on how we got here, I'll describe it as a mini trekking experience, we are all unprepared for this but that's the beauty of adventures, sometimes you will not be prepared but it's always a great experience. Yes, that's my dad being the subject of my artsy/scenic photo just before we reached the river.
I was so excited I took a snap while we are crossing the river, because why not, look at that awesome view. Unfortunately, this was the last photo I was able to capture because just as we reached the cottage and I checked my bag, my phone's gone. Luckily, my dad found it, submerged in the river huhu, maybe I was not able to put it in my bag properly.
Lesson learned: always bring Ziploc bags.
To brush of the negative vibes, I just focused on the bright side and still enjoyed the rest of the day. The place really did not disappoint, the falls was just on the other side, yes that's a family of native pigs roaming around the place and a glimpse of the cottages, what a refreshing sight.
With this very scenic place there's nothing left to do but to take more pictures. In the scorching heat of the sun, me and my sister managed to do a quick photo shoot using our family cam. Again, why not lol.
I so love this scarf, it was a gift from a very good friend of mine who happens to know my taste so well. It felt like I was in an FPJ movie here,
really, the place looks very similar to where the movies were shot.
For this trip I decided to go for the semi classic look and played with bright colored and detailed ensemble. Thanks to my super talented photographer for achieving the shots I had in mind, luckily she's my sister, you may follow her and see some of her incredible works on her Instagram account @thenineteenthavenue.inc
Pardon the flood of pictures, I was supposed to put this on a separate fashion blog but I decided not to for consistency purposes. Also, I want to emphasize how good my sister is at portrait/solo shots, yes that's how big of a fan girl I am. If you're interested in getting your portrait shots as well, just contact me, I'm her manager (just kidding)
Oh, and did I mention how pretty she is :)
Obviously, we really enjoyed this photo sesh, but sadly, we had to leave early so we can meet our other relatives. Bye bye beautiful view, we'll definitely come back.
It's really great to catch up with your relatives, the energy of these people did not wane, just as I remembered them, nakaka good vibes!
We were able to take home some freshly prepared "Biko" by our Lola Auring, it's so delicious that we didn't mind using our bare hands and just dug in, ganire sa probinsya!
Unfortunately, the rice fields were golden yellow this time of the year, nevertheless we enjoyed ourselves with the view and inhaled the super fresh air.
It's really great to be back, I've always admired the province life, it's so simple but I know it takes a lot of hard work to be able to survive.
Being here really made me miss my Lolo Maning, one of the kindest people I know. He would always tell us about his childhood experiences and stories about agimat, engkanto and other mysterious happenings in the province. I hope we'll come back soon.
After some catching up, we decided to head on to chilly Tagaytay to ease the hot summer feeling we felt the whole day. We stopped by this very lit place called Pamana Restaurant for dinner, I was the one who suggested we eat here bec. I really loved the ambiance and details of the place plus of course their famous Bulalo :)
The place was jam packed so we got a table on the rooftop which was a good thing because rooftop = less noise + fresh air :)
While we're waiting for the food my sister and I decided to roam the place and did some quick photo sesh. I'm really a fan of the interiors.
Forgive me but we were not able to take pictures of the food, because by the time it arrived the camera's dead already (I promise to do better next time with the food blog lol) but I really recommend this place if you're planning/looking for a spot to dine and hangout in Tagaytay, by the way, in front of the restaurant is the Ayala Mall Serin,
Overall, it has been an incredible trip, another holiday well spent. Like I always say, spend time with your loved ones as much as you can.
It's not always about the place, it may also be just at home, but don't hesitate to plan for activities that you and your loved ones will enjoy.
