Broken sleigh

The family decided to visit Tagaytay on Christmas Day. The climate up in the highlands is colder at this time of the year and going around various eating places at night appeals to me more than anything else. A side trip to Rowena’s pies and tarts was already in the itinerary.

Rowena's bakeshop and cafe

We left home at 3pm. While at C5, we noticed something was wrong with the tires at the rear. We dropped by South Avenue in Makati for a tire check and found that two tires need to be vulcanized. After an hour, we’re back on the road on top shape.

Incredibly delicious Blueberry tarts. Keeps toothache away.

It took us one hour and a half to reach Tagaytay despite the road construction at the whole stretch of the SLEX. I could just imagine the unbearable traffic jam it caused during the mad rush out of Manila one week before Christmas. We took the Santa Rose Exit.

Traffic on our way to Josephine's

Cloudy skies and a drizzle greeted us when we stopped by Rowena’s. At the Tagaytay rotunda, traffic was slowly building up. A heavy downpour followed. Tagaytay was swimming on Christmas Day.

People at the wait list

We drove to Josephine’s for a nice dinner. When we arrived, parking was difficult and the restaurant was swarming with people. We were number 13 at the wait list and it would take an hour more to get us seated. We decided to find a place to eat and saw Max’s.

Inside Josephine's restaurant where we stood and watched people enjoy dinner while waiting for our number to be called.

We went all the way to Tagaytay to have dinner at Max’s when we could have it just a few blocks away from our place in Cainta. Talk about irony, no? When we left the place, the wind was howling and the electricity went out. Ha ha.

That's mom checking out the menu at Max's.

Inside the car, we jacked one of our ipods to the speaker and sang Christmas songs to storm Scrooge.

Tagaytay is probably the best next thing after Baguio. Its cool temperature during summer and proximity at about 60 kms south of Manila attracts more visitors escaping the intense heat in high urban cities. The place does not only offer picturesque view of the world-famous Taal Volcano. There is a lot more to the place than you can imagine.

People’s Park has always been a favorite group hang-out. Entrance fee is at P25 per head. Inside the park are picnic groves where you can have barbecue parties. These facilities are for rent for as low as P150 per head. Somewhere near the Picnic Grove is an area where you can fly kites and take your camping gear for an overnight stay. Visitors may also stroll along the Eco-Trail.

For those who seek adventure, a trek to Taal Volcano’s peak is highly recommended. Taal is an active volcano located in Taal Lake and within it is another lake called Crater Lake. Head down to Talisay and take the 15-minute boat ride that would take you to the foot of the volcano. You can either go hiking or have horseback riding to reach the top.

Restaurants abound in this area. Gastronomical finds range from typical Filipino menu of Leslie and Josephine Restaurant, fast food joints, fruit stands along the highway, intercontinental cuisine of Antonio’s to organic garden specialties of Gourmet’s Café. For super delicious specialty pies and tarts, we remain loyal to Rowena’s.