Travel Throwback | Purrfect Bonding in Tabby Town Cat Cafe and Corgi Club

Four to five years ago, there was a dog and cat cafe located in Silang, Cavite which is now closed after the pandemic. Indeed, it is a haven for pet lovers especially if they want to spend their "me time". 

Fifteen minutes away from Tagaytay Market or from Nuvali, there is a cat cafe where you can spend time with the different breeds of cats and dogs. Located in Brgy. Lumil, Silang, Cavite, accessible to the cities of Santa Rosa, Laguna, and Tagaytay City, this cafe offers not only pets, but also cool beverages and sumptuous food, as you mingle with these furry animals. 

The facade to Tabby Town Cat Cafe.

Cats are excited waiting for their food as well with bonding with their visitors.

The cafe where you can buy milkshakes, coffee, tea, and drinks. 

There are different breeds of cats found in this cafe such as Scottish Fold, Scottish Straight, American Shorthair, Persian, Siamese, and other foreign breeds. You can also enjoy your stay here as you take milkshakes or coffee while feeding and cuddling cats and dogs.

Cats are enjoying their sleep in their napping areas while visitors are roaming around the place.

A cat with heterochromia or a condition with difference in eye colors. 

Feeding the cats is one of the best experiences in this cafe.

Right after the Taal eruption and the pandemic, the cat cafe closed as they faced challenges in their business. Hence, their Facebook page is still active, as they are selling and giving their cats and dogs for reasonable price. Therefore, they are still looking forward to reopening once again, as they find business partners to support the establishment. Lastly, this cafe is the place that I really missed so much after the pandemic because of the cozy ambiance and the relaxing mood of playing with cats and dogs - a perfect place for pet lovers.

Date of Travel: January 02, 2020

Travel Throwback: A Visit to the Iconic Churches of Metro Manila

Metro Manila is known as the place where there are plenty of traffic jams, busy metropolitan scenario, hectic schedule of the people and the urban atmosphere. Despite of the city ambiance in the Metro, there are preserved religious treasures that played an important role in the history of the region and the fact that National Capital Region (NCR) is an ideal place for Visita Iglesia. The urban area is populous yet accessible to transportation modes.

The San Sepulcro Parish Church in Laguna was visited by many devotees during Holy Week.

The first church that I visited which is located outside the south of Metro Manila is the San Sepulcro Parish Church in San Pedro City, Laguna. The church is near in my home town. In addition, the church is popular among religious devotees especially during the Holy Week where the miraculous Jesus in Holy Sepulchre, also known as Lolo Uweng can be found here. It is a pilgrim's place for healing since some devotees believed that Lolo Uweng may grant your wishes and heal your illnesses through praying.

Saint Peregrine Laziosi Church

I also visited the Saint Peregrine Laziosi Church in Tunasan, Muntinlupa City. Saint Peregrine is the patron saint of the cancer patients. It became a parish on 1985 and it is under the pastoral care of the Order of Servants of Mary. In addition, there are many testimonies of healing happened in this church.

Saint Joseph Parish Church, the home of Las Pinas Bamboo Organ

From Muntinlupa, I went to Las Pinas City to visit one of the historical churches, the Saint Joseph Parish Church. It houses the cultural treasure, the Las Pinas Bamboo Organ a pipe organ made mostly with bamboo pipes. It was completed by Father Diego Cera in 1824, the builder of the town's stone church and the first resident Catholic parish priest. It was shipped to Germany in 1972 for restoration because it was unplayable for a long period of time due to ages and numerous disasters. The organ was returned in 1975 and it became a National Cultural Treasure in 2003.

The Las Pinas Bamboo Organ, a National Cultural Treasure.

The Saint Andrew Cathedral in Paranaque City is the next stop for this pilgrimage. Built in 1590, it is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. The church is the seat of Roman Catholic Diocese of Paranaque that comprises the cities of Paranaque, Las Pinas and Muntinlupa.

Saint Andrew Cathedral

A few minutes away from the town proper, the National Shrine of Our Mother or Perpetual Help also known as the Redemptorist Church located in Baclaran. It is a prominent Catholic national shrine located in Roxas Boulevard, it enshrines the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. It is also historical where the late Pope John Paul II visited the church on 1981. Prior to that, he first celebrated the Holy Eucharist here as the Cardinal - Archbishop of Krakow as Karol Jozef Wojtyla on 1973.

Baclaran Church

I visited again the Malate Church, Santa Cruz Church and Binondo Church after two years which was my first Visita Iglesia in Manila. There are renovations made in the church especially in Malate and Binondo as part of the restoration program of the heritage sites in Manila. In addition, I also walked from Santa Cruz Church passing the Chinatown in order to make it in Binondo Church.

Malate Church

The facade of Santa Cruz Church 

The Binondo Church with its renovated facade.

Lastly, I also visited the San Sebastian Church in Quiapo. Recently, the church has encountered threats to structural integrity where there are rust and corrosion in its steel structure due to sea breeze near the Manila Bay. In fact, the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation Inc. holds day tours in the church. During the visit, there are tour guides who tell us the story of the church and the advocacy of preserving the National Cultural Treasure.

The Basilica Minore de San Sebastian is the only steel church in the Philippines.

The tour guide is telling the advocacy of preserving the San Sebastian Church.

The interior of the steel church.

Despite of the urban life in the Metro, these religious structures are still treasured by the local government and the Catholic church. They went to restoration programs by doing major renovations in their structure because they want to preserve these cultural treasures in order to save our heritage not just from natural disasters but also to continue the Filipino cultural legacy in our society up to the future. 

You may also read this article Visita Iglesia: Heritage Churches in Manila 

Date: March 24, 2016

Travel Throwback: The Pahiyas Festival Experience 2015

Lucban is a town nestled in the foothills of Mount Banahaw. It is noted for its colorful festival during May 15 called the Pahiyas Festival. This festival is dedicated to Saint Isidore the Laborer (San Isidro de Labrador), the patron saint of farmers. It is noted for its colorful decorated houses made of fruits, vegetables and even grains, especially the vibrant leaf-shaped chandeliers made up of rice paste called kiping. The festival serves as a thanksgiving to their patron saint for the bountiful harvest of crops in their town.

This year, my friends and I decided to visit Lucban for the annual Pahiyas Festival. We rode a bus going to Lucena City from Calamba. After one hour, we decided to go down in a diversion road going to Tayabas City via riding a tricycle to our first stop - Kamay ni Hesus. We spend our time here by climbing the hill and praying at the hilltop for blessings and guidance. We took our lunch in the eateries in the area,

After our lunch, we went to the town proper for the Pahiyas Festival. As usual, several local and foreign tourists flocked for the celebration of festival and to see the vibrant decorated houses in the town proper. I had the chance to visit houses and took photos with my friends in order to appreciate the creativity and hard work of the Lucbanins for the preparation of this colorful festival.

Tourists are roaming around the town to see the beautiful and vibrant houses decorated with vegetables, fruits and grains.

Welcome to Lucban! 

A house made up of palay grains and kiping which proves that the town has a lot of rice fields.

A colorful house with decorations made up of coconut shells and a sunflower made up of bananas.

This house represents the bountiful harvest and the rich agriculture industry of Lucban, Quezon.

The decorated houses and exciting sights and sounds of the streets proved that Pahiyas Festival is an event that you cannot miss especially if you are traveling around the Philippines. The houses are decorated with tons of effort and it was a sign that the agricultural town has a bountiful harvest every year. There are different decorations such as chandeliers made up of fruits and kiping,characters made up of vegetables and colorful ceilings, fences and walls made up of  leaves, hay and grains. The lively music, street dance and the lights of the houses in the evening are also interesting to see in the festival.

A colorful chandelier made up of pineapples and kiping.

A windows with raddish as borders served with green bananas, papaya and tomatoes.

The images of Lucban Church, Ascending Christ in Kamay ni Hesus, Saint Isidore the Laborer and the natives of Lucban with the different agricultural products.

Higantes in Pahiyas. It is very amusing that this house expressed the concept of Higantes in Pahiyas.

The kids and parents are having a photo opp with Stuart the Minion and Spongebob Squarepants.

Animals made up of hay with bread.

Lively street music

These cute veggies are looking to somewhere which expressed that they are thankful to the bountiful harvest.

One veggie was hanging on the tree, getting some coconuts while a line of veggies doing the bayanihan where they are bringing cocnuts hung in the bamboo pole. 

Another line of veggies bringing coconuts hanging in the pole and the other one was climbing on the coconut tree.

In the heat of the sun, these veggies are grating coconuts.

A mother veggie showing love to her child in a nipa hut.

This festival is truly Filipino. It shows that Lucbanins are truly creative in terms of decorating houses and improvising stuff to make the tourists enjoy the festival. In addition, it is a way for some Filipinos to give thanks to the Lord for the great economic activity which is agriculture that serves as a source of income to the natives of Lucban. They are also grateful to the patron saint of farmers, Saint Isidore the Laborer and the natural resources in the small town of Lucban. Nowadays, Lucban is known for its Pahiyas Festival, the healing shrine Kamay ni Hesus and the peaceful ambiance and the clean and green nature of the town as well with the warm-hearted hospitality of the Lucbanins.

You may also read the following entries:

• The Pahiyas Festival Experience: Lucban Town Tour
• A Healing Journey in Kamay ni Hesus
• The Pahiyas Festival Experience: Food Hopping in the Streets of Lucban

Date of Travel: May 15, 2015

Travel Throwback: A Visit to the Puzzle Mansion

Have you experienced to visit a house full of jigsaw puzzles? If you experienced that, do you want to have your own collection of jigsaw puzzles? Can you collect and solve thousand of jigsaw puzzles? 

Last summer, I visited the Puzzle Mansion, the house which holds the record of world's largest puzzle collection by the Guiness Book of World Records. It is  located at Barangay Asisan, Tagaytay City. which can be found in a hilly terrain the midst of pineapple fields.

The Puzzle Mansion has a puzzle museum, a puzzle store, an infinity pool, a ten room Bed & Breakfast, a function room with capacity for 400 guests and a garden.

The mansion is somewhat hidden and you can enjoy the view in the midst of pineapple fields.

If you are traveling with groups, you may ride the customized Puzzle Mansion jeep where the fare is worth P10.00

In order to get there, you need to take a bus going to Tagaytay City. After that, you will stop on the arch of Barangay Asisan where you can ride a tricycle going to Puzzle Mansion. The curved roads going to the mansion are thrilling and when you get there, it is your choice to ride on their customized jeep created by Sarao Motors, one of the leading jeepney makers in the country.

When I get there, I decided to try their shuttle service to the mansion and it feels good, but it is better to have my friends in riding their customized jeepney. Then, when I get there to the mansion. it was very overwhelming to see a collection of puzzles. There are approximately one thousand jigsaw puzzles which are collected by Gina Gil Lacuna. She was awarded in 2012 by the Guiness World of Records with her 1,028 puzzles.

Inside the Puzzle Museum, you can see solved jigsaw puzzles of different artworks, famous personalities, landmarks and tourist attractions. In addition, you can also see wooden puzzles, spherical puzzles, and 3D puzzles in the museum.

One of the largest jigsaw puzzles in the mansion.

The section for Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles.

Different landmarks around the world are featured in 3D Puzzles.

Spherical puzzles from cartoon characters, underwater life and fruits.

Aerial views of the cities such as London, Tokyo, New York City and Paris in a 3D Puzzle. 

Putting Puppies

The jigsaw puzzle of "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo Da Vinci is one of the most favorite attractions in the museum.

Coca Cola Puzzle from collected small leaflets

The portrait of Pope John Paul II in a jigsaw puzzle.

The forty-four presidents of the United States.

Wooden dinosaur puzzles

"The Watchers"

In the second floor of the museum, you can see the largest jigsaw puzzle with 32,000 pieces created by Keith Harring. This puzzle has vibrant colors but it is gigantic and a massive challenge for puzzle lovers. In addition, there's a puzzle shop where you can buy jigsaw puzzles or even spherical, wooden or crystal puzzles in which you can assemble in your home. You can also enjoy assembling puzzles in the Puzzle Station.

The largest jigsaw puzzle in the world with more than 32,000 pieces with its pastel colors.

Puzzle Mansion Store

In 2016, I want to come back in the Puzzle Mansion to get to know more about the Puzzles as well with different artworks. I realized that Puzzles are considered as a big help in improving your intellect and academic performance. It will serve as an aid in Geography and to enhance assembling and logical skills. Before I left the place, I bought a  Jigsaw Puzzle with 300 pieces featuring a Kitten on a picture. One of these days, I will come back again in the Puzzle Mansion and I will try to visit more than three times next year or if possible, to have an overnight stay with the family or friends.

My Instamag collage of the Jigsaw Puzzle that I bought in Puzzle Mansion.

Puzzle Mansion is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Monday - Friday) and 7:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday). They are located at Purok 4, Cuadra St., Brgy. Asisan, Tagaytay City. Entrance fee is worth P100.00 including kids.

Date of Travel: April 11, 2015