las casas filipinas de acuzar

we are currently coasting along sctex, on our way back from las casas filipinas de acuzar.

it was lunchtime when we got there, so we availed of their 'la parilla' lunch offering, where we got to choose from a variety of fresh meat and seafood, and it will be served grilled. susie and i chose the prawns, and had an additional dish each for Php 150 more--he the pork belly, and i the squid.

on top of that, entrance to the complex is at Php 650 per head, which includes a two-hour tour of the estate.

i have absolutely nothing bad to say about their staff--they are all very warm and accommodating, and more importantly, knowledgeable.

as for the whole complex, the place definitely has a lot of potential. it isn't fully operational yet, there are still houses that are being fixed and restored. but there are four or five houses that can already be rented, and the hotel rooms are already open for guests. there are two restaurants, a tavern, souvenir shop, and a refreshment stand.

the houses from the outside are impressive, even moreso when you realize that they were all transported from their original locations to bagac, bataan. mr. acuzar, the owner, tries his best to use original materials when he rebuilds them.

the interiors, though, could use more authenticity. there are a few touches that i found quite tacky, which took away from that sense of being in another century. will expound more when i review my photos.

despite that, though, i can't wait to be back there again in a few months. i'm sure the place will look a whole lot better, especially when casa binondo III, their first class accommodations, is finished. :)

photo: the plaza at las casas filipinas de acuzar, casa luna on the left.

on our way to bataan

susie and i are driving through sctex at the moment to get to las casas filipinas de acuzar.

the view on the highway is just stunning. so many beautiful views that passed too quickly that there wasn't time enough for a snapshot. i saw men sitting on the branches of a sturdy mango tree, farmers busy harvesting, with mounds of the day's harvest dotting the square parcels of green.

hatd to believe that these landscapes are just a couple of hours away from busy, insane manila.

a day in idyllic mariveles

mariveles is not particularly known for being a tourist's paradise. yet i got so caught up in susie's excitement for the place when i saw it last year, when susie took me along on his yearly drive, and i couldn't wait to see the place again.

the trip to mariveles makes for a great first trip of the year. it's a relaxing drive through a lot of picturesque greenery--something i always long for when i'm in our mad city of our affections. looking at a lot of green greatly revives and refreshes me, and this trip to mariveles couldn't have come at a better time.

the drive took about 3 hours, with traffic being really light in the morning. it's a little disheartening to find that a lot of modern developments are sprouting in the area where the vast fields of yellow and green are, but it's really hard to stop modernization. in fact, in the city center, there are plenty of industrial structures and plants, and the mariveles employment rate is actually pretty high. i'm just thankful that the view is still there, and that we can breeze through the place and have a fantastic landscape to gape at. the trees are especially lovely, with some of them having so much personality that i just had to take a picture.

near the mariveles municipal hall is the 0-km marker of the historical death march of 1942. mariveles was one of the starting points of the march, and on your way to this city, you'll find kilometer markers standing on the side of the road. today, the 0-km marker is in a tiny park of its own, and behind are two masts--one for the philippine flag and one for the US flag. a plaque that tells of the event stands between the two poles.

we brought a tiny picnic coleman of jabugo tortilla, jamon serrano, some cheese, and water. we initially wanted to have a picnic lunch in one of the fields of mariveles, but the wind blew so hard, it was actually difficult to close the car doors. we found a lovely mango tree with plenty of shade, but it was in an enclosed private property. since we didn't want to be shot at, we just parked in an area where only a friendly breeze blew, and had our lunch there. i sat inside the trunk of the car, with the hood protecting me from the sun. mariveles sunshine is scorching!

it wasn't long before we had to make our way back to manila. as i said, there really isn't much to see or do in mariveles. there are some beaches, and mt. samat is just close by. cyclists and trekkers can go adventuring up mt. natib, but other than that, there's little else to do but marvel at the view. maybe next year, we may already have something to do over there. i just hope the fields are still there.

to see photos of my mariveles day romp, click here.

going to lovely mariveles

once again, i've been invited to join susie on his yearly drive to mariveles. even though it's just a day trip, i'm pretty excited because it's my first trip of the year. :) it's my first trip since singapore, and i've been longing to get out of the city for weeks!

tomorrow, we leave at the crack dawn. even if we run into traffic, our mood will definitely be on laidback mode once we enter idyllic mariveles. we're hoping to have a picnic in one of the grassy fields overlooking corregidor. that town is so charming, i'm sure it's going to do a lot of good to a couple of jaded manilenos. :D

the photo on the left was taken a year ago, on my first trip to mariveles. this is one of those fields that gives you a great view of corregidor. lovely, innit?