Aw'right - yes, this is a late post. Lol.
Last weekend, our DSS team (@work) decided for a roadtrip to Tagaytay as part of our team's year-end get together. I never been to Tagaytay (
I'm not a fan of travel, lol ) for that matter. Ehem, I'm more of a homebody type of person, plus I hate inconvenience both physically and financially (
especially the latter, lol). So even if I'm not crazy (
naks, ako na) about the idea still, I enlisted myself (
lol) - I may be a lazy butt but definitely not a boring one, you see.
I'm on a night shift, so can you imagine the lack of sleep (
lol). I told you, I hate incovenience.
At ten minutes past six in the morning, we're trailing EDSA going SLEX. While some already been to Tagaytay still they're not familiar on how to get there, thanks to the technology these days. Car and cellphone both equiped with a GPS so we're confident there's not much of a problem.
Yeah, we have actually arrived at Sky Ranch a bit too early at twenty five minutes past eight in the morning. Establishments were still closed, we had to wait for few more minutes for the restaurants to open. We had no breakfast prior to the travel. The weather wasn't very cooperative, few drops of rains can be felt on that chilly morning.
We're supposed to have our breakfast at Josephine, we heard there's a '
eat all you can' on their menu. But as I have mentioned, rains started falling so we just stayed at Sky Ranch and wait till the nearest eatery will be opened. Kenny Rogers was the first to accomodate customers.
We had our breakfast finished but we had to wait for the Sky Ranch to open. Another 30 minutes more of waiting before they finally accepting patrons. Sky Ranch is not an extreme place if you want to experience a really breath-taking, worth to be remembered rides of your life. Rides are mostly for kiddies. They have this 'Sky Eye', a big Ferris Wheel (when you're a '90s kid. Oh did I spill anything? Lol), making it its most fascinating ride. At Php 150 per head, we tried it because it's really large and we want to feel what it is like up there. It's enclosed, you won't feel your at the top of the world. I mean, 'did-we-just-really-ride-that-thing' comment actually popped up my mouth after getting off. We've just taken picture of the view from above just to make the experience a bit worthy, lol.
We roamed the place a little bit and headed to the Puzzle Mansion. It's home of the world's largest collection of jigsaw puzzles. They're the Guinness title holder by the way. Getting there is a puzzle in itself. Matter of fact, we have turned the wrong way a couple of times. We just laughed at the experience saying it's part of the puzzle, lol. Funny because the people we have asked near the vicinity are clueless about the place. The first person was on vacation from the province, so no idea what the hell is puzzle mansion. It puzzled him too, lol. The second one actually pointed us to a completely different place. The third, the kids playing on the street. It looks like they knew the place and gave us a vivid description on how to get there. As we turned our way, we asked another group of people just to make sure those kids are legit. They don't know the place, uh oh. Another group of people and still don't know.
Then I noticed that Tagaytay is home of pineapple, I mean everytime we turned, a pineapple fields would welcome us. I was fascinated, lol. We tried another people or groups for the direction and still not getting the correct one. Until finally a car approaches toward our direction, we stopped and motioned him for a stop too, lol. Good thing he's nice, we asked and finally knew the place. The kids we asked previously were correct all along. Finally after a series of turns and pineapple in the background, we reached our destination. It's a secluded place I'll tell you. Lol.
At Php 100 entrance fee you can drown yourself from staring a lot of puzzles in different colors, sizes and shapes. You can also have your photo to put into a jigsaw puzzle at Php 500, if you want a remembrance that you really visited Puzzle Mansion, lol.
The place was like a private resort because there's a swimming pool and a series of rooms piled its near end. Again it's in the middle of a pineapple fields. After solving the puzzles available in the ready table we vacated the place and went to see Leslie's restaurant for a lunch. Leslie is famous for its Bulalo but I thought Marikina's Vivian is far better tasting.
Our last stop is the Picnic Groove but we paid a visit to the nearest Lady of Manaoag first. Picnic Groove is a forest (lol), Zip lines and horse backriding are the favorites which we never attempted to try anyway (lol). We just crossed the path to the opposite end and just stares the Taal lake and the people excitedly roaming the place. We're already exhausted by that time. I was actually dozing off from to time, I mean I just came from a night shift.
Thirty minutes past four when we decided to heads back Manila. On our way back we stopped at Collette for the Buko Pie and Rowena for the tarts and other sweets. Rowena is known for its premium collection of tarts.
We get stuck on traffic upon the approach of Nuvali. We've been there for more than an hour - so stressful. If you ask me. And we got a baby on us, one of my officemates brought her 1-year old daughter. We were all praising her all day, she's the most behaved kid we knew. Not until we headed home (lol) because she's been crying non stop - like non stop (lol) that it would put everyone in panic. She never ceased from crying, when we're about to enter Alabang we made the wrong turn and entered Star Tollway. I knew we entered Star tollway and I know where it is heading but I just keep myself mum because I thought our boss (it's her car so she's the driver, lol) has something better alternative to get rid of the traffic. Then maybe she realized we were heading the wrong way, she commented, "We're supposed to be in the Sky Way, what is this place?". And that's the only time I have made the comment. "I think we're lost, this is Star Tollway and we are heading Batangas, the end of this will get us to Batangas pier. Are we going to Puerto Galera?" Lol.
We found a car parked at the side of the highway and we stopped. As we opened our window the one beside the window immediately asked not even knowing who or what the person is doing. She asked where we are and how to get back to Manila. The man was peeing and actually taken aback there were suddenly people on his back, he immediately zipped his pants. Don't know if he's finished (lol) and motioned us to follow him. He said, we're in Tanauan and we have to follow him to get to the U-turn back to Manila.
It was a tiring day, I came home forty minutes past ten in the evening. I'm not sure if I'm going back to Tagaytay any moments from now. Lol.
Ikaw ano ang kwentong alamat mo?
We arrived at four, the once sunny day had suddenly shifted its mood and pouring rains actually welcomed us. We bought candles and distributed to each of us. There wasn’t a crowds, the atmosphere was calm. Four candles were handed to me, immediately I went to the other side, the vacant one. I lighted all four and offered prayers to the Lady of Manaoag. While praying the Our Father, I forgot some of the lines, lol. I have to repeat it thrice until I am convinced it sounded, RIGHT. Toinkz. 
