– Keep Calm and Ride On! –
Ryan and I have so many things in common and one of those is travelling to places. This is one of the reasons why we get along really well even before we were just friends. Recently, he got himself a motorcycle and since then we planned on going for a road trip and have an adventure we haven’t tried before. Last Holy Week (Thursday to Saturday), we did our first long motorcycle ride going to the province of Rizal, Philippines.
DAY 1: Antipolo Church, Sun Flora Farm and and an Overlooking Site somewhere in Jala-Jala Rizal
Fully geared for our ride, we left the house at 5:00 AM and reached Antipolo Church at 6:00 AM. Since it was a holiday our travel was swift. We first had our breakfast at McDonalds located just near the church, went to the church after, bought adobo flavored roasted cashew nuts for pasalubong at P100 per order (it is priced at P150.00 when you buy with a help of a fixer) and left to Baras Rizal where we met our friend Ana (who also has her own ride) whose a local there.
We checked in at Wonderfeal Apartelle in Tanay Rizal at around 8:00 AM where we are booked for a 2-Day stay for P2,600.00. Ana also stayed with us so we just paid P400.00 for an additional bed good for two days.
We chilled a little bit then went out to Sun Flora Farm at 10AM. We reached the farm at 11:00 AM but when we got there, alas! we have not seen even a single sunflower haha! We were informed that the farmers just finished harvesting all of the sunflowers so maybe next time.
At 12:00 Noon, we headed to this place at Jala-Jala where the view is amazing and the wind was so relaxing. We just sat there, appreciated the sights and surroundings and took a lot of photos.
By 1:00 PM we were already back in Tanay and stopped at this restaurant called Tanay 2 where we had our lunch. All of the dishes that we ordered were delicious and served hot at a very affordable price. My favorite is the Gotong Batangas, which consists of pork/beef intestines drenched in a steaming hot soup. Though its called “goto” you will never find even a single grain of rice but its tasty with a bit of sourness to it.
We went back to the apartelle after we finished our lunch and rested until it got dark because it was already scorching hot outside.
At 8:00 PM, we went back to Baras and bought pritong itik (fried duck) as recommended by Ana and we had our dinner at the hut also inside Wondefeal. The duck was delicious and even tastier than chicken. The meat is more like of a native chicken because its black-ish and the skin is intact with the meat. The sauce that comes with it makes it more interesting to eat.
To wrap up our day, we treat ourselves over few drinks with our left over fried itik from dinner and crispy chicken skin we bought earlier on the road as pulutan. At 2:00 AM we finally dozed off.
DAY 2: Regina Rica Shrine, Batlag Falls and an Overlooking Site somewhere in Pililla Rizal
The next day, Ryan and I (Ana went home to Baras for a while) left the apartelle at 7:00 AM going to Regina Shrine also located in Tanay Rizal but more far up. The road going there is a bit challenging for beginner riders like Ryan because its a curvy high road. We reached the shrine at 8:00 AM and we first had our breakfast at the cafe inside it before we wandered around. There was no meat in the menu but the food are actually nice and tasty.
Fueled up by our healthy meal, we started wondering around the huge place, 13.5 hectares to be exact. Aside from the massive Regina Rosarii, a 71-foot high image of our Lady, Queen of the Holy Rosary, there are more attractions or sites inside the property including a church, cafe, restaurant, mini farm (yes we saw sheeps and a horse), park, souvenir shop, outdoor columbary and ossuary and more which we were not able to go to anymore. Just make sure not to wear revealing clothes if ever you are planning to go here, someone will surely call your attention.
We left the Regina Rica Shrine at 10:35 AM and reached Batlag Falls at around 11:00 AM. We parked on a nearby hill with the assistance of a parking staff and walk our way to Daranak Falls. Batlag Falls is actually located above the Daranak Falls and there is no other way to get there without passing Daranak first. At the entrance of Daranak, the staff said that they cannot accommodate us anymore (along with the other people/families) because Daranak is really crowded already. But he let Ryan and me passed anyway when we told him that we are actually heading to Batlag Falls.
We paid P50.00 each as we entered Daranak and P100.00 each at the entrance of Batlag Falls. Although much smaller, Batlag Falls is more beautiful, cleaner and less crowded. We learned that Batlag is a private site unlike Daranak which is open to public for a much lower fee.
The falls is just AMAZING! The water is really cold and refreshing while the huge trees covers up the harsh sun rays. It was really comforting and soothing there, indeed a great experience for Ryan and me. We spent roughly two hours at Batlag just chatting, enjoying the water and admiring the wonderful view just in front of us. At 1:00 PM we finally left because we felt hungry already.
At 2:00 PM we reached and dined at the famous Rambulls Bakahan Restaurant which was packed at that time, well most of the time. We ordered a bowl of Lechon Sinigang at P200.00 and a glass of special halo-halo at P99.00.
We rest for a while there and got back at the apartelle at 3:00 PM thankful for the air-conditioning! Ryan took a good nap and I went straight to the bathroom to freshen up and took a good rest after.
Around 7:00 PM, we met again with Ana and her friend and yet again went far up the curvy road to an overlooking spot at Pililla Rizal with few restaurants (karenderia) as well. Ryan and I were a bit nervous that time because of the challenging road and it was already dark and colder. I mean, we were on that road earlier but on a shiny morning. Thank God, we survived hehe! We ordered another serving of Gotong Batangas but it taste nothing like the one I tasted at Tanay.
After a few laughs while enjoying our meal, we were back at the apartelle by 10:00 PM and rested earlier.
DAY 3: Antipolo Church and Hinulugang Taktak
Ryan and I woke up early and prepared for our ride back home. We bid goodbye to Ana and left Tanay Rizal at 5:00 AM. By 5:45 AM we were already back at Antipolo, took our breakfast at the same McDonalds where we ate last Thursday and once again went to the church to thank God for our safe ride for the passed 2 days.
Before heading straight home, we decided to drop by to Hinulugang Taktak just to take some photos haha! but we are planning to be back there soon and actually enter. Afterwards, we headed to Pinto Art Museum but sadly it was close. It is located inside a subdivision so the security guards, in a polite way did not allowed us to enter even just to take photos. Maybe some other time.
At around 7:30 AM, we were finally home! We are thankful to God for guiding us for the entire trip, fulfilled because our first long ride was a success and happy because of another good memories for us. We are already planning our next long (or longer) ride and I will be sharing it again on an another blog.
So, where and how did you spent the holy week?
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