My readers are wondering what I am doing in Tagaytay because I always go there. Wala lang. I like going there on day trips and weekdays to avoid the chaos. I leave Manila around 10, tapos by 6 pm, I am back. Despite the long drive, I just enjoy going there– the fresh cold breeze, the food. I like its provincial appeal, I just try to ignore the monstrosity of SM, Ayala, Robinson’s, and Cityland’s high rise condos.
I buy veggies from the gilid-gilid streets, the freshly picked veggies from backyards. Dito medyo feeling probinsya pa rin at presyong probinsya. I don’t buy fruits from the tourist clusters kasi presyong turista.
I recently brought two friends there, at P20 a kilo, we were allowed to pick the sayote from the vines in their backyard.
Divine and Gina had so much fun picking sayote from the vines.
The ones planting and selling the veggies are caretakers pala of the owner of the land, who are from Greenhills in San Juan. The guy is the one planting and all earnings are his to keep. He is paid by the owner P3,500 a month. He proudly told me that by January of 2015, his boss promised that he would increase his monthly pay to P4,000 a month. He started with P1,000 more than twenty years ago. Mukhang ang bagal ng usad ng sahod nya ah. The owners are selling this piece of property for P6,000 per square meter. Wooo, ang mahal na. There’s another parcel at the back with a big rest house built by the owners. That portion, they are not selling, but renting out to weekend vacationers.
Meron pa syang two roosters.
He was also the one who planted this poinsettia. I didn’t know that this plant grow tall too.
First time I’ve seen round upo. Ayan, there’s now gender mix. Upo used to be dominated by the male, haba lang yan at tulis, ngayon, meron ng bilog. Nagpa sex change na rin.
The neighbor also sells round upo. Divine and Gina were so amazed too, they bought one each. Divine’s husband is the brother of another Divine, the mom of superstar Sarah Geronimo.
Gina on the other hand has no celebrity streak. Her family are deep into their Catholic faith, spending weekends attending Couples for Christ and church activities.
They haven’t been to Puzzle Mansion, since it’s just on the other street, I brought them there.
I couldn’t understand what this photo was all about. After I paid P400 for 4 tickets (excluding me), their in house staff said we should have a group photo first. He also made my guests put their thumbs up. They were not given naman copies of the photos.
They are promoting their coconut cream pie. So while I was waiting for them, I went to their canteen and checked out their pie. Masarap daw sabi nila.
Out of curiosity and to patronize homemade goodies, I ordered a slice.
P65 I think. It’s okay, not so sweet. The top part is like a gelatin. It’s actually an improved version of buko pie.
Ang bilis nila, they didn’t spend more than half hour inside the Puzzle Mansion.
Picture me
I’ll picture you
I brought my guests to Sonya’s Garden kasi daw they haven’t been there although they come to Tagaytay every now then. Sonya’s kasi is actually outside of Tagaytay, it’s a little farther off.
Food in Sonya’s is good but for some reason, every time I ate there, nasusuya ako, Is it because of the salmon belly? Note that buffet na sila ngayon. They no longer give a pitcher of dalandan. Still bottomless but they give you one glass at a time.
I was trying to hide my wrinkles pero wala, sa dami, kitang-kita pa rin. I need a banana leaf instead.
I brought them to the munisipyo. They had a field day taking photos of each other.
At every break, the guys call their bosses. The misis-ses.
Someone told me that Tagaytay ridge has thousands of illegal settlers. We just don’t notice them because they are hidden under the lush greenery. Dapat the local government controls their influx. Agapan sa una pa lang.
