Tagaytay

This blog post is about a spontaneous trip with my girlfriends to celebrate Mima Ju's upcoming birthday. It was also my first time truly exploring Tagaytay, as we usually just visit for meals without exploring the city further.

We were supposed to meet up at the PITX bus terminal in Parañaque at 9 AM, but guess what? I totally overslept because I stayed up until 6 AM. Poor Julia, on the other hand, was strezzs! Hahaha, mabagal daw kasi kumilos yung jowa nya. Buti na lang hindi agad nag punta si Pauline sa PITX, kundi matagal nya kaming iintayin. 😂😂😂

We took the LRT from Shaw to Taft Avenue and then boarded a Carousel Bus to PITX. Since we were the first to arrive, inorderan na rin namin ng breakfast sila Julia at Pauline para maka kain bago umalis. Shortly after, we boarded the bus heading to Olivares, Tagaytay, which took around 2 hours to reach our destination. Our initial plan for the first day was to visit People's Park, have a late lunch or early dinner at Ridge Park, and then go to Sky Ranch. However, we reached our hotel around 3 PM, so we decided to rest a bit, take photos on the rooftop. Sa Prime Residences nga pala kami nag check-in.

During our "MEMA" photoshoot, Pauline noticed our hair standing on end, causing her to burst into laughter as she realized it could be an indication that we were about to get struck by lightning! Though it startled me a bit, we brushed it off and decided to head downstairs before anything happened. Mahirap na, baka maging headline pa kami sa balita, hindi kami pwedeng madisgrasya ni Julia, marami kaming kagalit. Ayaw namin silang maging masaya 😂😂😂

After resting for approximately 30 minutes sa room namin, our stomachs growled, so we headed to Ridge Park to eat. We had to wait for about 30 minutes before getting a seat in one of the Kubos where we would dine. Gusto ko talaga ng alfresco dining, kahit pa natatakpan ng fog yung Taal volcano, but my friends preferred the indoor comfort of the Kubo.

Instead of ordering the famous Tagaytay bulalo, which tends to be wallet-draining with small portions, we chose other dishes that were ideal for sharing. We had fried chicken for the three kids, chicken wings, kare-kare, pork binagoongan, and delicious boneless bangus. Si Mi Jorge, isa sa friends namin ay dumating galing Batangas, so we devoured the food and dished out some juicy gossip. Nothing beats good food and chismis, am I right?

A true guilty pleasure! (Kahit parang di naman kami na guiguilty hahaha) Oh sige, ito chismis talaga. We specifically planned to eat at Ridge Park and order kare-kare to bring joy to Pauline the sad girl. She had a bittersweet memory tied with Ridge Park and kare-kare. Hashtag Mahal ko o Mahal ako 😂😂😂

Attached are a few snapshots from our group chat and a lovely family picture taken at Ridge Park. Good times, good food, and amazing friends – that's what it's all about!

Alright, let's dive into the next chapter of our Tagaytay escapade! We went to Sky Ranch and I was deadbeat malala. Taas ng energy ni Spade at Ace, I couldn't keep up, kaya nag carousel na lang kami. We managed to capture some adorable family photos, friend group shots, and even some silly poses with the ferris wheel in the background, thanks to Pau and her instax na bumagsak muli langit pababa sa kamay ni Jorge pababa sa sahig. Hahahaha

Pau and Jorge took the kiddos and headed back to our hotel, while the rest of us - me, Lm, Julia, and Charles - went on a grocery mission. It was 8 PM, at eto nga yung plot twist, saan pa merong bukas na grocery store ng ganyang oras? Dibaaaaah!!! First stop, Hypermarket-Closed! We waited for another jeep to take us to Robinson's (Nadaanan na namin bago mag punta ng hypermarket). None in sight. Kaya naman with a heavy heart hahahah chossss. Nag lakad kami pa Robinsons which was 10 minutes away pag nag lakad 😭😭😭 Imagine, pagod na katawang barbie ko tapos nag walk pa mga ferzuns. So yun, by the time we got there, our tired souls were practically crawling. My tired legs were crying na siguro and begging for mercy hahahaha. Grocery kasi ang sabe, hindi marathon. 🤭

We managed to snag all the essentials we needed, hindi to lugaw ahhhh, hndi essential ang lugaw besh! Biruin mo yun, may na para kaming taxi with side ride. Pang tricycle lang yung back ride bhi3. Ubos na english ko. Basta may babae sa tabi ng driver. Kaya nag siksikan kaming apat sa likod. The driver only asked for a measly Php 100! In Tagaytay, e-trikes usually charge Php 150 and squeeze in only three people. 

My heart swelled with gratitude when I saw my clean and tidy kids, all thanks to their awesome Mima Pau. Not everyone is lucky enough to have friends who'll shower love and care on their little ones like mine do. Love you, Mi! 🫶 May dalawang pintas ka mula sakin Hahahahaha. 

Once we got back to the hotel, I wasted no time hopping into the shower for a much-needed cleanse. And guess what I found? Julia passed out on the couch, dead to the world! Mukhang comatose si baklaa. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Charles was a kitchen hero, cooking up some mouthwatering bulalo. After my refreshing shower, I crashed on the bed and fell into a deep sleep. I woke up around midnight, only to find LM and Charles patiently waiting for the bulalo to reach peak tenderness. They'd been at it for a good three hours, since I had passed out at 9 PM. Dedication ba usapan, etong dalawang sped na to pambato ko 😂😂

Finally, it was time to indulge in our extremely belated dinner. And of course, what's a trip without a little drinking session? We snagged two bottles of tequila from Robinson's, but we managed to conquer just one, keeping our plans for the morning in mind. Afterward, we settled on the balcony for some photoshoot and, of course, to chat about expenses and settle our debts. We timed it perfectly so we were a little tipsy and nobody could cheat. 

You know, just good ol' friends having a tipsy heart-to-heart about utang 😂😂😂😂😂

Eventually, we all surrendered to sleep. The first bed was a kid party zone, occupied by Yana (Julia's adorable niece, only 4 years old), Spade, Ace, and LM. Jorge, Pauline, and I claimed the second bed, while Julia and Charles snuggled up on the sofa bed. We passed out around 6:30 AM and miraculously woke up at 8:30 AM, we decided to head to McDonald's for some much-needed coffee. It was just me, Jorge, Pau, and Julia, leaving LM, Charles, and the little ones to enjoy our morning chikahan. We stumbled upon a store selling flavored cassava for only Php 25 per piece, kaya bumili kami. 

Ang ganda nga pala ng view sa balcony ng room namin, kita yung taal volcano. Syempre may budget hahahaha. Same goes for McDonald's, we just stayed there for a bit and then made our way back to the hotel. We were supposed to wake up at 7 AM to hit up a fancy coffee shop, but when we saw their starting prices, a whopping Php 295, we said, "Nah, let's have McDo instead." It was right across from our hotel, and we only paid Php 80 for a large coffee. Tipidism, right?

When we got back, I took charge of cooking breakfast. Fried rice, hotdogs, eggs, and corned beef simple but oh-so-satisfying. Pauline took care of the dishes 'cause I didn't want the sink to be a total mess while I was cooking. While I was busy in the kitchen, Julia woke the kiddos up and told 'em it was time to go swimming. But, when they were about to hop in the elevator, the staff told them that the pool was closed on Mondays. Bummmmer! I felt so bad for Spade and Yana na excited mag swimming. 

LM went out to buy some chicken and tubs 'cause we decided to have lunch at the picnic groove instead of eating out. We were gonna hit up the zoo for some samgyup, but it would've taken forever to get back, so we opted for the picnic groove instead.

LM actually headed home early. After we finished eating, he bounced na dahil he had to go to work. He's used to traveling solo, so no biggie, but I couldn't help feeling a little down, you know? Haha!

To cut the story short, We checked out at 12:15 PM and made our way to the Picnic Groove. The view there was stunning, and the weather was just right. Not too hot, not too cold. The sun was shining, but there was a cool breeze in the air. We found a cozy kubo (hut) where we could admire the clear view of Taal Volcano. We didn't stay too long though, as we wanted to make sure we didn't get stuck in traffic on our way back.

 By 2 PM, we hopped on a bus back to PITX and rode the carousel once again on our way to Megamall. From there, we hailed a taxi to take us home. I was a little worried 'cause there were so many people, and I had two kiddos with me. My friends and I took turns holding onto Spade and Ace, so it wasn't too much of a hassle. Yeah, it was tiring, but man, it was so much fun! I can't even put it into words, but I'm beyond grateful for my squad. Even if I leave my kids in their care, I feel at ease because they're all so responsible and loving. Love you, Mimasaursz 🦕 I don't mean to get all sappy, but I love you guys even more for the love you show my kids whenever we go out. 🥹

I'm happy but also kinda sad. In a few days, Julia and Pauline will be leaving Task Us. Mag isa na lang akong maiiwan. I hope we get to hang out again soon. I'm already looking forward to more adventures together! 💖

 Anyways, I crashed as soon as I got home. My kids, on the other hand, ate and played because they slept through the entire byahe and still had plenty of energy left. I forgot to mention that I didn't get my change back from the bus we took to Megamall. I gave them Php 500, and the fare was only Php 38, but I completely forgot that I should have received some change. It's a bit disappointing, pero ganun talaga. Maraming mapansamantala.

But enough with the gossips for now, mga beh! It's already 1:56 PM, and I need to sleep. I have a shift starting at 10:30 PM tonight. Napuyat na ko dito!! Bye-bye! 🫶