After attending mid-morning Easter Mass and while the father was visiting his parental units in Cagayan de Oro, we headed South and up to Tagaytay and then to Nasugbu, both in Batangas.

Caleruega

It took around an hour and a half to get to Tagaytay through moderate weekend traffic. Though I once did clock in at just 45 minutes – picture Maritess the Revo doing Initial-D impressions around mountains at past midnight. It seemed every Juan dela Cruz and his mother were up in Tagaytay! The eventual drive back down to Manila took, guess what! Four freakin’ hours! I had my foot just holding and releasing the brakes all the way down to level ground in Cavite.

Brunch at Breakfast at Antonio’s was pricey, but of course exquisite. I ordered the sizzling bulalo platter – same as last time we were there, three weeks before. However, for a more affordable though not as fancy batok attack meal though, I also recommend the cholesterol-laiden bulalo at Tagaytay’s Mahogany Market.

Then we crawled over (both figuratively, from the food we had and literally, from the gaddam traffic) to Caleruega in Nasugbu. Here’s where we got to see the usual bunch of nice plants and flowery things, a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside, and of course, the expected stairmaster workout to get up to The Transfiguration Chapel.

After leaving Caleruega, we found out that Joel Magsaysay’s “Ilog Maria” honeybee farm was closed for the holiday weekend. So I thought I’d just pop in on my buddies at the ultra-mega secret HQ and take a photo of the warm greeting posted on their gate. I can’t disclose where it is exactly. They might hunt me down and shoot me.

We learned that The Old Kano’s organic farm is far from what it used to be when the parents first heard about the place when they were in college. If “old Kano” were still alive now, he would be the “ancient Kano.” The neglect of the place is obvious, since he is long gone.

The usual buying of pasalubong (even more food!) ensued during what was to be a very tedious drive back to Manila.

Back in the Metro, we picked up Auntie G to join us for dinner. Our two other regular guests were also in CDO at the time. Then we had Vietnamese food at Pho Hoa, Tomas Morato. I ordered a light tofu dish. I didn’t really work up an appetite on the drive home – just a sore leg from the traffic down the mountains.