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!

Cheapskate's guide to Tagaytay

Sieg's: the return

 We got locked out of Max's again because they closed at 8PM on Maundy Thursday. I suggested Sinangag Express along Better Living but was met with stony silence. Fortunately, Sieg's was open!
Bless their hearts for staying open for hungry pilgrims on the road! :)
Ma ordered the clam chowder which was served quickly.

 In keeping with the Holy Week, they were showing "The Ten commandments" on their projector

 Dalandan juice was so refreshing!

 We ordered their specialty, the calderetang kambing. It was ok but I like the Pinoy version with gata. Later, as I reviewed my previous post on sieg's, I found out I had ordered this before but it obviously wasn't memorable.

 Ah, this was much better! The crispy tuna tail tasted almost like crispy pata. I told myself it was probably the helahtier choice.

 I don't remember what this was exactly but it wasn't too good.

But we liked the dessert, frozen brazo de mercedes, which we shared, it was still Lent after all!

Visita Iglesia 2015: Southside

Even the Mama Mary in the grotto was covered with a purple veil

We got irritated at the exorbitant parking fees some people in Manila were charging us during our Visita Iglesia in Manila 2 years ago that we decided we wouldn't be fooled again. So we've decided to stay in the South side of the Metro--Paranaque.
First stop was our parish of Padre Pio. (See photo above)

Next stop was a church we hadn't visited in years-- Saint Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana Parish in Ayala, Alabang. This reminds me of the churches I see in Mexican telenovelas.

Inside the Ayala Alabang church... looks rather small, no?

They have painted bas relief stations of the cross

Here's a sight you don't see everyday---light traffic along the service road and expressway!

Third stop was Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Posadas, which is undergoing a facelift.

Love their stained glass illuminated stations

The carrozas all lined up for the procession on Good Friday

No wonder thre was a crescent moon instead of a cross on that tower!

Next stop was the Resurrection of our Lord Parish in BF Homes, another church we hadn't visited in years! We forgot where it was located and almost went inside a mosque!

Back in the day, I remeber the thick metal bars at the side of the church. Now, it's airconditioned with a textured roof that I guess is for better acoustics.

 

There was an old lady who was in charge of opening and closing the sliding doors to enter and exit the church. I felt sorry for her because people kept coming and going.

They have a man-made cave that doubles as a grotto on ordinary days and as the setting of the resurrection for Easter Sunday's salubong tradition

Mama trying out the papier mache stone made to cover the cave for the passion play

5th stop was another church we used to go to, The Mary Mother of Good Counsel church in Marcelo. Nothing much has changed since our visit last year, but we did notice it was really dark in th parking areas around the church.

6th stop was the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians, which is like the mother ship of many Bosconians.

I miss the artworks our school used to entice kids to join the clubs

Finally, our last stop was our perennial finale, the very modern St. Alphonsus in Magallanes. Inside, all the lights were turned off ,except for the tabernacle, for a very solemn effect

Their columbarium even has a sculpture of Jesus seemingly rising out of a pool of water.

Magallanes has always been our last stop because we used to go to the nearby Max's resto for dinner. More on that in our next post.