Cruising

By Johannes L. Chua

Maria Makiling staue in Mt. Makiling. (Photo by Ali Vicoy)

For most people, their idea of a day-off is spending time in the mall, watching a movie, eating at a restaurant, and shopping for clothes. The mall becomes their comfort zone that soon, their minds become a hodgepodge of plots from the latest blockbuster, menu of a fastfood chain, or location of where the sales are. If you become a walking and talking map of SM, Robinsons, or Ayala malls, then you need an emergency break. For your next day-off, try to drive a little farther and infuse some sense of history in your life.

If you are based in Metro Manila, the neighboring provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal, and Bulacan offer a myriad of activities for you and your whole family (whether it’s your immediate or extended families) to enjoy. I can list a hundred things to do for a day – and you will find each one of them as enjoyable and fulfilling as the next. You don’t have to depart very early and I can guarantee that you don’t have to arrive that late in Manila.

But for me, the best one-day break I can recommend is a trip to Laguna. For a day, you can combine a trip to a historical house and have some fun – and even experience a gastronomic adventure along the way.

First, you don’t have to leave very early in order not to get stuck in the morning rush. Leaving Manila at around 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. is an ideal time. No gas money wasted here once you enter the smooth roads of South Luzon Expressway. At the end of SLEX, enter Calamba town at around 11 a.m. At this point, you will log 54 kms on your odometer if you reset it at the entrance of the SLEX.

Calamba’s road may look cluttered – all modes of transportation share the road such as buses, jeeps, and tricycles, so be extra patient. Look for the sign which says “Rizal Shrine.” It is impossible not to see it. But in case you’re visually-impaired, you can ask around and you will be directed to the right direction unless you ask a fellow visitor too.

The Rizal Shrine, the birthplace of Jose Rizal, is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesdays to Sundays. Opened in 1950, the reconstructed house brings you back in a time when the mind of the young Pepe (Rizal’s nickname) was being molded. After going around the two-story house, it would be around lunch time. But if you still have extra energy, walk across the house to visit the church where Rizal was baptized.

Head towards Los Baños. Along the road side are countless eateries offering home-style cooked meals. Of course, there are the regular fastfood chains – Jollibee, McDonalds, Chowking, etc. But of course, you didn’t travel this far to get a taste of what you have in the malls. When I travel to this part of Laguna, I always make it a point to drop by Palaisdaan. The eatery may look modest and your dining area is a modern bahay kubo but the food is sumptuous! I particularly like the bulalo, the pinakbet – especially the fresh seafood. One advice: Don’t order desserts. For this, drive along the highway and look for Lety’s Buko Pie. Yes, you will be bombarded with vendors and signs of buko pie along the way but set your sight on Lety’s, its buko pie (costs P120 per box) is one of the best I’ve tasted through the years.

Now, for your afternoon itinerary, I’m giving you two options: water or mountain. All you have to do is look at your footwear. If you’re in sandals, it’s practical to choose water; if you have your trusty mountain shoes, the wise option is to choose mountain.

The water option is of course the hot springs which is located along Barangay Pansol in Los Baños (Km. 62). If you don’t have your swimwear or salbabida with you, don’t fret. There are shops along the highway selling suntan lotions, all sorts of life savers, and swim attire. You don’t have an excuse not to swim!

Make up your mind first if you want a public or a private resort (this usually depends on your budget). Of course, going to a public resort is cheaper since you only have to pay the affordable entrance fee. If I would recommend, I suggest you try R&R Resort. This is a public/ private resort since there are areas inside for the public’s use while private cottages (costs P4,500 one night) also come with their own pool. So if you don’t want to mingle with strangers, you can stay in the comforts of your own cottage while the mini pool is just at your doorstep – ready to welcome you anytime you want a dip.

If you choose the mountain option and in no mood to wet your hair, the mountain trip to Mt. Makiling will give you a different kind of high. This is ideal for couples since I’m sure the kids would demand a water adventure. Just follow the jeepneys that enter the U.P. Los Baños campus and once there, you can navigate your way through the winding roads. You can visit the Philippine High School for the Arts, the Museum of Natural History or the Jamboree site and take a breather from the pollution of the city (and there’s no entrance fee to all of these sites).

You will not lose your way since there are signs inside the campus. If you don’t want to hike, just spread a mat on the grass, bring out the buko pie and vanilla ice cream and you can have an instant buko pie-ala mode. If you have your significant other with you, hold hands while witnessing the sun bid its farewell for the day.

Depart Los Baños around 6 p.m., take a quick snack along the highway and arrive in Manila no later than 8 p.m. If you still have the energy of an Energizer bunny, Enchanted Kingdom beckons with its lights visible along the SLEX. Even then, you will be back in Manila before midnight.