Enjoying the freezing clouds of Tagaytay

There's always a first time, right Clarita! 

Two Sundays ago, we revisited Tagaytay, our favorite city. Except for Krystal whose school held its recollection there last November, our family hasn't visited the place since 2014. I was still pregnant with Junífera Clarita at that time. And last year, on our way to Burot Beach, we just passed by the place. So technically, this is Junífera Clarita's first time in our country's second "summer capital".

We are always excited to go to Tagaytay even though we have visited it many times already. For those who do not know yet, my hubby Pepe loves cold places (he always changes the thermostat of our air conditioning to its highest, LOL!). He's the type who prefers the rainy season, including typhoons! He finds dark skies romantic, so don't wonder anymore if you see him very happy within a dark forest. 

A breathtaking view of  Tagaytay!!!! 

Misty flowers.

Whenever we want to enjoy a place for its cold weather, especially on the coldest month of the year, Tagaytay naturally comes to mind because it is the nearest to our place. Baguio takes several hours to reach, probably six or seven. Even the mountain town of Luisiana, a place which is also in the same province as ours, can take up to three hours, but reaching Tagaytay takes only two hours. One if the traffic is OK. We left our place after lunch and arrived in Tagaytay at mid-afternoon. We went straight to "People's Park In The Sky" or "Palace In The Sky". Anyway, the main reason why tourists go to Tagaytay is to enjoy its mild climate. So why not visit its coldest place?

My first time to taste strawberry taho. =)

At the entrance.

This used to be, PEOPLE'S PARK IN THE SKY. Now it's T F S. LOL!

Merienda time! =) =)

After paying for the entrance tickets (₱30.00), we bought strawberry-flavored tahô (silken tofu with sago pearls). It was my first time to taste it. It was delicious. Then we experience the clouds when we were already there on top and taking pictures and selfies. While the kids were playing within the mists covering the park, I was ordering our merienda: fish balls, chicken balls, kikiam, french fries, and hot noodles. After eating our snacks, the kids continued playing, experiencing the moment that is so soothing to the senses. They don't get to play that much in our place. The park is cold, romantic, and awesome! It was also drizzling from time to time as the cold clouds continued to envelop us. Most people say that the thick mist covering People's Park In The Sky is fog, but the truth is those are clouds because the park is on top of a mountain. Many people just don't realize it because there is already a road leading towards the park. There is really no more need to climb.

We stayed up there until it got dark. As usual, we were one of those who were last to descend, hehehe! Our kids have learned to love cold temperatures just like my hubby. Like father, like children.  

My hubby is very happy up here. =)

Un gato blanco.

So if you want to experience clouds and a cold atmosphere, you better come and go to People's Park In The Sky. Who knows? We might even bump into each other up there. 😊

Real Selfies! =)

We ❤ Tagaytay!!!!!!!

Totally CLOUDY!!!!!!! 

                                                           —Yeyette—


DID YOU KNOW? The highest point in Tagaytay is Mount Súñgay, the place which everybody calls as "People's Park In The Sky" or "Palace In The Sky".  Its peak, according to Google Earth, stands at 2,351 feet above sea level.

Please click here for the complete photo album and don't forget to LIKE US on Facebook! ¡Gracias! =)

¡Feliz Día de San Valentín!

De parte de todos nosotros aquí en La Familia Viajera, ¡les queremos desear un feliz Día de San Valentín!

La familia Alas (La Familia Viajera) con la madre de Yeyette, su hermana y sus hijos. Haz clic aquí para ver más fotos.

Blood ties in Indang

Yeyette grew up in Abra de Ilog, Mindoro Occidental. But Indang, Cavite is also a part of her personal history. Her dad, Jaime Perey, is from there. And she has spent many a happy childhood memory in that town, particularly during summer vacations. She has brought me there and Krystal many times in the past during the early years of our union.

Although not as stunning as Abra de Ilog, Indang still has its share of rural charm despite its proximity to Metro Manila and other urbanized areas. Rustic fields, clean rivers cutting through green-covered gorges, and small pockets of woodlands still abound the municipality and its surroundings. The climate is cooler too since the place is situated at almost a thousand feet (Indang is just a few kilometers away from foggy Tagaytay).

Indang was named after the tree bearing the same name (Artocarpus cumingiana Trec.). Founded in 1655, it used to be a barrio of Silang for about 70 years. But the distance between Indang and the población of Silang caused great difficulty for the residents of the former to transact business and attend religious services at the town proper. They then petitioned to be separated from the town matrix, a request that was granted in the aforementioned year. Juan Dimabíling was its first gobernadorcillo (today's equivalent of a town mayor).

Indang could very well be the most archival-conscious municipality not only in Cavite but in the entire country as well. One major reason for that is because it has kept a complete list of all its town heads, from Dimabíling in 1655 all the way to Bienvenido Dimero in the present.

Behind Jefe and Juanito is the former municipal hall of Indang. Somebody here told me that this structure will soon become a museum which will showcase the history and tangible heritage of the municipality.

The ancestral homes here may not be as stunning compared to other towns, but they still add to the old-feel appeal of Indang.

While Indang figured prominently during the Tagálog rebellion of the late 1890s, the events which transpired there didn't figure the same in the classroom teaching of Filipino History. For one, many do not even know that Andrés Bonifacio's arrest was caused by his actions here. There was looting and even an arson attempt at the town church (I've read an account or two that he ordered the burning of the church, but I could not remember which book or document). The havoc he was creating was due, perhaps, to his bitter rivalry with Emilio Aguinaldo in leading the rebellion against the government.

Iglesia de San Gregorio Magno.

The most prominent native of Indang was Don Severino de las Alas (1851-1919), a lawyer who joined the Tagálog rebellion instigated by Bonifacio's Katipunan. In Filipino History, he is known as a member of the Magdalo faction of the Katipunan, hence an ally of Bonifacio's rival, Aguinaldo. He was appointed as Secretario del Interior during the Pedro Paterno cabinet in 1899. It was he who reported to Aguinaldo the untoward actions of Bonifacio and his men, particularly in Barrio Limbón. This was one of the reasons that prompted Aguinaldo to have Bonifacio et al. arrested.

After Aguinaldo's capture by the U.S. troops in 1901, de las Alas, together with General Mariano Trías (whose hometown of San Francisco de Malabón is now named after him) and Ladisláo Diuà (one of the co-founders of the Katipunan) surrendered after realizing that all has been lost in the war of resistance against the U.S. invaders. Years later, after his release from prison, he tried to run for governor of Cavite in 1910 but lost to General Tomás Mascardo.

Speaking of Don Severino, Yeyette may not be the only one to have blood ties in Indang. Of course it is noticeable that Don Severino's last name is closer to mine. In fact —and this is according to the seniors in my clan, many of whom have already passed away—, our original last name was de las Alas, and that my great grandfather shortened it to Alas for reasons still unclear. I even remember seeing an old calling card of an uncle of mine; he was using de las Alas instead of just Alas. But I do remember that, as a child, whenever I inquire from them why our last name was shortened, I never got a straight answer. "¡Basta Alas at de las Alas, parejo lang yun!" was the usual curt reply that I got, as if they don't want to talk about it. That's why when I first encountered the name Severino de las Alas back in our college history class, I became more intrigued than ever. Parejo lang dao, eh.

Are we related to him?

During our brief stay in Unisan over a decade ago, when Krystal was still a toddler, I asked my grandmother the name of her father-in-law as she and Auntie Nam (may they both rest in eternal peace) were preparing the ingredients for our lunch. It was a hot and lazy summer morning, so I thought of watching them do their culinary thingie (they were excellent cooks, if I may add). In response to my query, my abuela blurted out: "¡Severino!" My jaw dropped when I heard the name. So I asked her if he was the one who shortened our last name, and she said yes. I then told them of this Severino de las Alas in Filipino History, but they just shrugged. It seemed to me that they didn't even know who I was talking about. Bacá capañgalan lang dao. So I just stopped inquiring. At least I was left with a clue.

But they were correct. After all, Severino de las Alas (the historical figure, not my great grandfather) died in 1918, or seven years before my grandfather was even born (he was survived by his wife Agripina Jeciel and their children Teófilo and Guadalupe). Or could it be that Don Severino fathered a bastard and named the child after himself but changed/shortened the child's last name to appease the real family?

I started toying around with these questions when my great grandfather's name popped up again in a chit-chat during the final wake of my dear Auntie Nam a little over two years ago. My grandfather's only surviving sister, Lola Aida Alas de Jusoy, was also in attendance. And so I engaged her in a casual interview about the Alas - de las Alas connection, but she said she only knew a little about the real score. Nevertheless, she did share what she fondly remembers about her Tatay Binoy (their nickname for their father): the patriarch knew many local languages, most especially Spanish. I also learned from another relative that Tatay Binoy was one of the first people in Unisan to use dynamite for fishing (but this was a time when dynamite fishing was not yet generally considered an environmental hazard). Lola Aida's theory about the change in our last name was that somewhere down the line, there existed a family feud, probably a dispute in inheritance (a common problem among old-school Filipinos) or something like that. But really, she was not sure. However, her theory may hold water because I've heard of a similar story before. According to a former officemate of mine whose last name is Magallona, a faction of their clan slightly changed their last name by removing one letter "L" after an inheritance dispute. From that feud thus sprang the now famous Magalona surname (Enrique, Pancho, FrancisM).

Be it known that all this is just conjecture. But who knows?...

Krystal posing beside the monument and historical marker dedicated to Indang's most famous son, Severino de las Alas.

You can find this eye-catching stall at the town plaza. The home-made "calamay" (a local delicacy made from coconut milk, brown sugar, and ground glutinous rice) is cheap but exquisite!

❤L❤A❤F❤A❤M❤I❤L❤I❤A❤V❤I❤A❤J❤E❤R❤A❤

Last March 22 (a Sunday), the Rojales clan, of which my wife is a part of, had a reunion. The last time they had one was four years ago. In our family, only me and Yeyette attended it. This time, we brought the whole Alas caboodle. Krystal had been to Indang many times when she was still a baby, so this was like a homecoming for her although she could barely remember those visits. As for the rest (Mómay, Jefe, Juanito, and Clarita), it was just their first time.

The event was made more special because the most senior member of the clan, Lolo Cenón Rojales, was on vacation. Born on 12 April 1925, he is the only surviving sibling of my father-in-law's mother, Lola Natalia Rojales de Perey. Lolo Cen, Lola Talia, and three more siblings were the children of Don Dionisio Rojales and Doña Epifanía Feranil. Lola Talia was married to Lolo Benvenuto Perey, the son of Don Lope Perey and Doña Catalina Ersando. Lolo Cen is a retired engineer who has been staying in the U.S. since the late 1970s.

We were not supposed to attend the reunion because we're on a very tight budget. But Daddy Jimmy, as Yeyette's dad is known to family members, insisted that his uncle had wanted to meet Yeyette. This is because, according to many relatives, my wife bears a striking resemblance to her Lola Talia. Yeyette never met her Lola Talia who passed away before she was even born. Nor has she met her Lola Talia's brother, Lolo Cen. Besides, Lolo Cen was only on a short visit and will have to fly back to the U.S. soon. So we obliged (we also took it as an opportunity to explore a little of the población before and after the event).

The Rojales Clan reunion was held at this postwar "bahay na bató" owned by an auntie of Yeyette.

Assorted Filipino cuisine such as paella, embutido, menudo, etc. filled our plates and satisfied our palates (photos courtesy of Yeyette's cousin Frances Jill Alcántara).

Daddy Jimmy (right) introducing Yeyette and our daughters to his 89-year-old "balicbayan" uncle.

Four generations of Rojales. Lolo Cen (right) is joined by his nephew, my father-in-law Jimmy Perey (wearing cap) and La Familia Viajera (photo courtesy of Frances Jill Alcántara).

Lolo Cen (seventh from left) with his grandnephews and grandnieces. Yeyette is at second from left (photo courtesy of Frances Jill Alcántara standing at right).

Three generations: Cenón Rojales y Feranil (middle) is the uncle of Jaime Perey y Rojales (left), the father of my wife Jennifer "Yeyette" Perey de Alas (right).

Click here to see more photos of our Indang visit!

The thing we like about family reunions is that we are able to reconnect to family members whom we have not seen for a very long time (such as Tita Lydia, Daddy Jimmy's sister) as well as meeting those whom we have not yet met (such as Lolo Cen). Time and distance may have separated family members, but the filial bond somehow remains. After all, blood is thicker than water.

Gen. Gregorio Lim Marine Base: "Borácay de Cavite"

The Philippine Marine Corps named this place Marine Barracks Gregorio Lim. Ternateños refer to it simply as "marine base". But we'd rather call it —and the whole of Ternate for that matter— as "The Other Side of Cavite". The municipality, most especially the territories outside the town proper, is really something else that is almost "un-Cavite" for those who have been accustomed to the urban side of the province (the most familiar image to many, I suppose). Whenever Cavite is mentioned, almost immediately the stark stolidity and coldness of concrete and infrastructure come to mind: there's the robotlike queue of vehicles at the toll gate of CAVITEX, moving as if they're in a conveyor belt; the mushrooming subdivisions and commercial centers of Bacoor, Dasmariñas, and Imus; the unswimmable waters of Ciudad de Cavite, Noveleta, and other coastline municipalities; the lonely humming of machines in the Cavite Economic Zone and other industrialized areas; the monstrous traffic jams at Aguinaldo Highway with its gigantic, unfriendly looking concrete electrical posts; Bong Revilla, etc. I could go on and on, but I think you get the sad picture already.

The blunt reality is this: much of Cavite seems to be a lonely place for tourism to thrive on. Well, there's Tagaytay, of course, but it's on a league of its own (at the back of many tourists' minds, they don't even place the city by the ridge vis-à-vis the general imagery of mainstream Cavite). However, when one thrusts further southward, way beyond the humdrum or urbanized Cavite, one encounters an undiscovered freshness of air that seems to have been surreptitiously kept away from the "curse of modernization". To this, Ternate says "hello!" — or rather, "¡Hola!" For Ternate (sans the modern architecture of homes) seems to have been suspended in time. Its mores, its values, its faith, its language, they are all there, still intact, still strong, simply waiting for curious urbanites to take notice and give them their overdue acknowledgement.

Puerto Azul and Caylabne Bay Resort may well be Ternate's gems in the field of tourism. But they cater mostly to the gilt-edged. Not all beach goers are from the gentility. So this is where Katungkulan* Beach Resort comes in.

The entrance to the marine base which also leads to its white-sand beach resort. With its intimidating reputation as a military barracks, who would have known that it has a beach resort that is open to the general public? Not us, and not to many.

Coming from the entrance, the well-paved road continues to fork upwards through thick vegetation (with lots of monkeys!). Nearing the beach proper, one will be rewarded with a view of the beautiful cove far below.

Among the locals, this place is more popularly known by its former name: Borácay de Cavite.

Just arrived!

Juanito could not contain his joy!

Krystal still feeling cold. We arrived here before 7 AM, and the cold northeast winds made the waters too choppy one might think there was an ice plant nearby.

♥ Warmth in the midst of cold breeze. ♥

Katungkulan Beach Resort faces the entrance, or the mouth, of Manila Bay. The islands of Corregidor and Fort Drum are in full view. And on a sunny day, the mountains of Bataán could be seen. This beach was formerly known as Borácay de Cavite because its whitish sands resemble those of that world-famous island resort in Malay, Aclán. Not as white, though, but fine enough for you to walk on a sunny day even without sandals; the sands won't hurt your soles, promise!

We used one of those cottages for free. Nobody was there to charge us, anyway. Maybe it's really for free.

Jefe, Juanito, and Momay having the time of their young lives. The waters in the beach front is very shallow, safe for kids to swim.

Little Juanito braving the gentle waves!

That's no ship in the distance. That's Fort Drum, a heavily fortified island fortress formerly known as El Fraile. A mere islet a long time ago, it was transformed into a steel-reinforced concrete fort by U.S. Army engineers and was named after Brigadier General Richard Drum. The island fortress resembles a massive concrete ship. Its purpose was to defend the entrance to Manila Bay. Fort Drum is already out of commission as it was heavily damaged during World War II. We hope to visit the island one day.

Eastern point of the cove.

Western point of the cove.

Whitish sands.

Since Katungkulan Beach Resort is virtually inside Marine Barracks GregorioLim, this could probably be the most secure beach in the country! Entrance is also dirt cheap: just ₱100 per person. And if I may add, it's also one of the cleanest we've seen because we saw low-ranking marines (privates I think they are called) periodically cleaning the beach front. It is recommended that you bring your own food. There is a carinderia there and you can order from them almost any Filipino meal you want; just give them money and order the food about an hour or two in advance, and they'll do the rest (at least, that is what they did for us). The only catch is that they charge a bit too much. So might as well pack some marinated barbecue and other similar grub for you to cook on your own (yep, grilling is allowed so long as you don't get to grill your own arms).

All in all, our day-tour beach experience in Ternate is a satisfying one! Highly recommended for the budget-conscious beach lover! The "military serenity" of Katungkulan Beach Resort —the "Borácay" of Cavite— will give you a new perspective on how you view this historical province.

Remember: summer's around the corner!

♥L♥A♥F♥A♥M♥I♥L♥I♥A♥V♥I♥A♥J♥E♥R♥A♥

*Katungkulan (original spelling: catunculan) means "duty" in English. The name of the resort emphasizes and inculcates the meaning of the word into the minds of the Philippine Marine Corps, that it has a sworn duty to defend and protect the republic and everything else it stands for. So yes, you'll be safe here. Because the marines are not cops. =)