Elektraphile: A Day in Tagaytay

We went to Tagaytay in mid-July. There's no planned itinerary. The place to get off to was decided along the way. Cool.

First stop was Monte Maria, which evidently is a shrine for Mama Mary. Our friendly neighbor driver that day mentioned about it and my sister suggested that we should drop by. It was a vast area of vacant lot which I supposed a new church location will soon be built. There is a huge makeshift chapel where I thought a number of Sunday masses were already held. Hundreds of monobloc chairs are lined up neatly in the open air site. I wasn't able to take a picture of the place so I could post it here. Too bad. Had I took a photo, I would have shown you something like a before and after image of the soon to be risen Sacred Heart of Mary Shrine.

Then we headed to Caleruega. I was already thinking that it's not even near Holy Week yet and here we are visiting churches. There are lots to see and some good subject for photographs that we stayed there until we heard our stomach grumbling violently.

Caleruega Church in my eyes

Tangkad, our lanky household assistant, doing her ecstatic version of 'Jump for Joy'

We drove to Mahogany Market for late lunch. Although I have gone a lot of times to Tagaytay, it was my first time to dine in that place where I heard (whether it is true or not) is the home for the best bulalo. I am not much of a bulalo fan so I would say that the grub we had was just a basic need for my empty stomach.

It rained after the cholesterol-laden lunch. The rain poured heartily as if it would want to wash down the residues of fats that my companions ingested from those fatty bone marrows.

Mahogany Market (I wonder where the mahogany trees are)

After the rain we headed to the Palace in the Sky. Not much to see. I didn't see any semblance of a palace though. Just a ruined place that has the breath taking view of the whole Tagaytay. Maybe. For me, the only thing that saved the place was the presence of the fruit stalls not far from the gate entrance. Bananas, avocados, papayas, jackfruit were so cheap that we ended up buying more than we can handle for the whole week. The purchase was just a sheer display of our inclination for hoarding. My sister ended up giving most of the fruit finds to neighbors and friends. Our family love to share.