Cheapskate's guide to Tagaytay

 Since we were trying to be more economical this year, we went to Tagaytay using a lot of budet-savvy tricks.
We went to Tagaytay early in morning to avoid the traffic. But since our rooms wouldn't be ready till noon, we spent the morning at the St. Scholastica's retreat house where my mom and sister knew the nuns.

 For a nice view of Taal Volcano without paying for entrance fees, we went to Tierra de Maria chapel. It's right beside the Tagaytay Picnic Grove.

 For lunch, we went to an old favorite, Leslie's. Unfortunately, while it's always fully-packed, my family found the food overpriced and underwhelming. But I did like that we could have a family photo there without paying an entrance fee.

 For our accommodations, we decided we didn't really need one with a view of Taal Lake. We just needed a place to sleep in with airconditioning and free wifi.
Luckily, my sister knows the owner of D-Zone Backpackers' Inn. It's a few meters away from the center of Tagaytay but since we had a car, it was no problem. Parking might be a problem since it was a place for backpackers, they didn't really have a parking space except for the space in front of their building.

 The rooms are simple but clean and very affordable! This is the superior room for 2 (P2,400) which has a TV, aircon, toiletries and free breakfast. The quirky thin about this room was the abundance of cabinets near the window.

 This is the econo room for 4 people (P2,400) which has bunk beds, aircon, toiletries, free breakfast, but no TV.

Also note that the 3 bathroom and toilets are shared. But since there were hardly any other guests, we had them all to ourselves.

The breakfast is rather small and coffee and hot water is not free so you might want to bring extra food and a coffee maker.

 For a unique yet affordable meal, head on to Mushroom burger, where the burgers are partly made of various mushrooms, though you wouldn't know the difference. They also serve delicious lomi soup for when the weather gets chilly.

Of course, we also made some gaffes in our cheapskate ways. We tried to kill some time after merienda and before dinner by chilling out at Cliffhouse. 

We didn't know that they charged a parking fee of P200 but it was consumable so we shared a couple of cups of coffee and explored Cafe Breton which had a nice little gallery upstairs.

 My mom didn't want to go to an expensive restaurant for dinner so we tried out a place near Leslie's called Don Juan and while the food was good and affordable, I don't want to go back there. It kinda feels like a bar for adults and not many families go there. So when they directed us upstairs to their private room, it felt kinda dusty and dark. Plus, the stairs didn't feel safe.I fear for people who get drunk there and try to get down without assitance.

 The next day, I didn't feel like going cheap again, so we tried out another restaurant, Tootsie's.

 The salad was great!

 But their much-vaunted molo soup disappointed. My mom's version is better!

 We also enjoyed the lengua, and the pork binagoongan but the servings were not meant for sharing.

 So we had to order some fried tilapia.

 The verdict: Satisfactory but nothing I want to come back to again. Maybe next time we'll try the bulalo at Mahogany Market

 Our next stop was Little Souls' chapel. We were supposed to buy their coconut cream pie the day before but they were closed by the time we got there. I love their pie! It's got a layer of cream and toasted coconut sprinkled on top! The only problem with it is that you'll need a cooler if you want to bring some home. Otherwise, the cream will melt into milk and make your pie soggy.

 We then went to Mahogany Market to buy some fresh beef and veggies.

 We then went to Ilog Maria to buy some of their organic products. They have candles and soaps and the most affective anti-dandruff shampoo! It's also a great place for photos!

Dining in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental

One of the reasons I was excited about our summer vacation was because it meant we would be visiting 2 provinces in one trip! Siquijor did not have an airport so we had to go to Dumaguete, Negros Oriental first, before catching a ferry to Siquijor. 

March birthday celebration at Tender Bob's

Today was the only weekend most convenient to meet up with Twinkle so we decided to celebrate my birthday , Twink's and Papa's birthday, too. I was hankering for some meat so after consulting some friends on facebook, I chose Tender Bob's in Greenbelt 2 which as their sign says, specializes in steaks, ribs and burgers. My other choices were Momo cafe in Ayala Triangle and Mr. Jones in Greenbelt 5(?) but Momo's meal choices seems limited and Mr. Jones is always full, according to my siblings' friends. My only fear was that Tender Bob's might be full and we'd end up in old reliable Conti's once again.

Manila Ocean Park

Went to the Ocean park yesterday to avoid the crowds but forgot that since it was the sem break of Ma, Twinx and Jon, it would also be the vacation of the rest of the schools. We arrived along with a busload of other visitors from the province(possibly Ilocos) and some cadets from I don't know where...
The place is huge and I imagine would be more relaxing to see at a quieter time. They have lots of different freshwater and sea animals on display but one of the most interesting for me was the water sourced directly from nearby Manila Bay. It was murky but could still sustain mussels and barnacles.
The best thing about the park for non-divers is that one can get to see up close all these huge fish and corals even if you're afraid of the water. Entrance fee is P400 and while the mall with all the restos are open till 9 pm, the park is only open till 7pm on weekdays and 8pm on weekends and holidays. There are restos like Pancake House and North Park at the entrance and I advise you eat up before the tour because once you get out to eat, you can't go back in. We spent an hour and 30 minutes touring the place and reading the trivia posted near each aquarium. Would've stayed longer if we weren't hungry.

Fish meet ham. Ma goes all dramatic with Nemo playing the role of fish.

Shark eggs. Look like aliens

This was Twinx's favorite fish because of its forever pouty lips.

The glass arch we walked through had all sorts of fish swimming around us and made me feel like I was in Finding Nemo.

A shark checking out a baby being bottle fed beside the tank.

Mama was not a fan of the noisy visitors. hehehe

The exit leads to the second floor where they have the souvenir shops and food stalls like Chowking and Makansutra, their Asian themed resto. Above are the drinks we ordered: Bandung with chichow, P90; Longan drink, P90; Chcocolate dinosaur, P90(tastes like Milo) and the calamnsi and sour plum, P45. I liked the Bandung which is rose syrup with milk and gulaman.Our first meal to arrive was the Hainanese chicken and we were so hungry we all dug in! Liked the rice cooked in broth but a tip to all would-be diners, servings are small and pricey. Also, ask if rice is included in the order. Most of our ours did not have rice, which is sold at P20 each.

Chicken pandan and catfish and green mango salad.

Laksa-noodles in spicy coconut milk soup. I liked this.

Tom Yum-spicy and sour soup that tastes like sinigang

Chicken satay, P135. Comes with 2 minuscule blocks of rice.

Bagoong fried rice, P140. Satisfying if only there was more beef.

Funny story: My dad was shocked to see 2 cadets holding hands while touring. Turns out they were female cadets who had really short haircuts.

Trying to be Aquaman

Tip: they're really strict with time here. While the fish spa lasts only 20 minutes, they close by 6:30pm so Twinx was really disappointed she wasn't able to do this.

All in all, a worthwhile experience especially if you have a sense of wonder. And maybe you'll learn something, too!