Picnic Grove, Tagaytay

In the 1980s to early 1990s, we would go to Picnic Grive in Tagaytay, frequently. It had wooden cabins which you can rent per hour for picnics and also huge cottages for staycations. There was also a playground for kids. It was rustic, great way to commune with nature with densely populated tall trees, and a fantastic view of Taal lake and volcano.

So imagine our pleasant surprise when we visited Picnic Grove again but this time in October 2025. It seems smaller and more refined with fewer cabins and cottages, scattered within the dense forest. A better constructed viewing deck and an observation deck to see the majesty of Taal lake and volcano. It was really windy with a cold breeze from the slight drizzle and soft rainfall. Perfect weather for October.

Entrance fee is ₱75.00 per pax and ₱50.00 per car.

I will just let the pictures speak for themselves. 

Tagaytay: October 2025 - Day two

Second day started with a small but nice breakfast buffet spread at our hotel. It was great to feast on some authentic Tagaytay fare with a stunning view of  Taal volcano and lake.

Lunch was at a very aesthetically pleasing restaurant. One of the newer restaurants located on the ridge. It is located right in front of the Ayala Malls Serin. The place is called Bahay ni Maria at Marta Restaurant. The food was delicious and I like that their bulalo has a peppery taste.

After that sumptuous lunch, a slight drizzle that turned into soft rain didn't stop us from further exploring Tagaytay. Cooler climate with hovering light mist/fog was perfect to venture into Our Lady of Manaoag at Tierra de Maria. H.O.M.E (haven of meditation and enrichment) of the majestic 50 foot statue of Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth.

An intimate chapel featuring a replica of Our Lady of Manaoag (Pangasinan) inside the chapel. It is a serene, quiet sanctuary located on the main Calamba -Tagaytay roadm fronting the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and near the Picnic Grove. In fact, one needs to park at the Picnic Grove then walk a short distance to the Tierra de Maria. 

The gates are open from 8:00 AM until 6:00 PM. There is a garden wall vine of murals depicting the joyful, luminous, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the Holy Rosary. As well as the life of Jesus, the Stations of the Cross and the suffering of our Lord.

Tierra de Maria is a haven for the searching soul, a refuge for the weary traveler, a sanctuary of peace, and a threshold for healing. It is truly a spiritual experience, a piece of heaven and earth, feels like being HOME.

Tagaytay: October 2025 - Day one

October 2 was sister dearest's 50 something birthday so we decided to spend 3D2N in Tagaytay for some well deserved sister bonding moments. But first we dropped by the parents' final resting place in Loyola Memorial Park in Paranaque.

An hour and 30 minutes road trip through Skyway, SLEX then CALAX just in time for our standard Tagaytay lunch fare of bulalo, crispy tawilis, and pancit - full tummies before checking into our hotel. We rested for a few minutes then when we were about to go out again to hear mass at 5:30 PM at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, we couldn't open the front door. LOL Unbeknownst to us, it was double locked accidently by the hotel staff who accompanied us to our room. After several calls to the front desk, they sent a maintenance person to climb through the balcony (luckily we were just at the ground floor) to unlock the door for us. 

Lunch at Leslie's

We stayed at the Lake Hotel which is conveniently located on the main ridge.

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Church

By half past 6 PM, Tagaytay was wrapped with a slight mist and only the headlights of the cars brightened the dark roads. So we decided to have an early dinner at the place near our hotel.  If you are familiar with Bag of Beans, a known cafe that is all over Tagaytay City. They also serve delicious hot cooked like meals in their Bag of Beans Charito branches.

4 cheese pizza, Batangas beef tapa with rice and slice of cheese cake

Back at the hotel to call it the day. A blessed day celebrating sister's dearest birthday with good food, heard Holy Mass and a lovely hotel in cool and windy Tagaytay City.

Update

As I write this post at 4:45 PM of Monday, the 10th of November, super typhoon Uwan is somewhere in the northern tip of the country. It caused massive devastation across Mindanao, the Visayas region and as well as in Central Luzon.  

In Metro Manila, the rains was heavy to torrential and the winds were howling. 

Let's all keep praying for the Philippines that it would recover from all these natural (earthquake, volcanic eruptions, strong typhoons) and man made calamities (corruption scandals).

On the personal front, almost two months of not blogging because life happens. =)

I turned 57 last October 19, 2025.  

Simply grateful to always be showered with God's abundant mercy and his constant blessings.

Short trip to Tagaytay with sister dearest who was in town for 5 weeks.

Foreign film festivals season so I've been busy watching and immersing in culture.

Of course, still trying my best and putting all my effort into repairing/fixing/redeeming my marriage.

Heartbreak and betryal trauma is real!

Constant praying and hearing Mass, helps.

But it isn't easy, to say the least.

Will update soonest.

Keep safe and God bless us all.

Northeast Coast Taiwan Tour

Early morning of January 14, 2025, a Tuesday we were at the meet up point somewhere in the Ximending area of Taipei for the northeastern coast of Taiwan tour from Klook. 

It was a chilly day, perfect weather for two fifty year olds to hike, climb and walk miles without breaking into balls of sweat. :D

First stop was the Yehliu Geopark. Situated in the Wanli district, the park consists of a narrow cape, 1,700 meters long and 250 meters wide that projects in the sea in the northeastern Yehliu village. Its geology consists of the Daliao formation which took shape 10 million to 25 million years ago. The formation is primarily sandstone, which is rich in calcium. 

Each layer is different in composition of its sandstone and it was through the interaction of erosion by strong northeast monsoons and waves + the weathering of sun, wind and rain that brought about the diversified landscape. 

The most popular is the "Queen's head" and its smaller successor the "Cute Princess". There are also other formations which look like a dragon's head, a pineapple bun, fairy's shoe, heart shaped rock, ice cream rock, gorilla rock and a maling bird rock, among others.

Mushroom rocks

Gorilla Rock

The Queen's head, and the heart shaped rock

Cute Princess

Next stop is the Shifen old street where lanterns with wishes are released into the sky along the Pingxi railway line. It is a bit of a walk to reach the rail tracks, you pass through a street with traditional shops. Shifen was a former coal mining town with trains transporting coal from the mines in the region. This tradition of releasing lanterns into the sky started when miners working in the area sent messages to their families signifying they were safe. Mining in the area halted in the 1970s, but the tradition of sending wishes and dreams into the sky through colorful lanterns continued and is now a major tourist attraction in the area. By the way, the sky lanterns are eco friendly! Yes, trains still pass by even though when we were there, it was all quiet with nary a train in sight.

After releasing the lanterns, it is a 30 minute walk to get to the Shifen waterfalls. You walk through the Jingan suspension bridge (built in 1947 to originally transport coal) which was quite shaky, pass through stalls selling food and drinks (there are benches for dining) to set your eyes on the amazing waterfalls, known as the "Little Niagara of Taiwan". The area is quite clean with trash bins and restroom located in convenient spots.

Jingan suspension bridge

40 minutes away passing through zigzaging road up the mountains, the last stop of the tour is Juifen. Nestled in the lush mountains of northeastern Taiwan, this former gold mining town's main attractions are the narrow (and steep) winding alley ways, cobblestone streets lined with lanterns and flanked with traditional old tea houses. Most famous is the A Mei tea house which was made famous by the Japanese animated movie "Spirited Away".  There are also bustling stalls selling tea, biscuits and souvenir items. It tends to draw crowds so always be careful with your belongings. 

the famous A Mei teahouse

We had a great time, enjoying the scenic sights, the lovely mountain air even though it entailed walking, climbing up and down stairs, rushing through the attractions due to limited time. Truly recommend taking this tour!