Come the actual day, IL just read the messages a day before our trip and we went first to attend the 1st birthday party of LP's nephew. Our fourth year adviser wants to go with us but since she's with her family, just bid us goodbye while we hopped on LP's car with Kuya Henry driving.
Our weekend trip is going to Kinabuhayan Café in Dolores, Quezon. It wasn't that far because it was only one and a half hour travel from Alabang. We arrived at the place around 8:00 in the evening. We got little lost while looking for the place and ask for directions. The owner of the café is Jay Hererra who also cooks and entertain his guest. Upon arriving in the area his pet daschund Muning greeted us. Muning and I instantly bonded. He was cute chubby dog and very fond of guests. After we put our things on our native cottage, we roam around his place and check out the stuff around the dining table and do some pictorials. Jay served us red wine and a very delicious dinner consist of creamy risotto rice, lasagna with vegetable stuffing and salad with edible flowers. The serving is sooo big that two people can share on one plate. Jay said that he wants to make sure that all guests who dine in their place are satisfied with the food. The food was great and very delicious. After our dinner, Jay and Chrome served us desserts and coffee. The dessert is sweetened camote with coconut flakes in it with flower that tastes like watermelon. While eating, Jay entertained us with his stories and let us watched some of his local productions on his laptop. I already downed 5 kapeng barako because it was really delicious. I'm no coffee connoisseur but I really liked the coffee and the flowing conversation up to the wee hours of the morning. I would say I really enjoyed the night with my HS friends and our host. While talking, Jay's stereo are playing and I really liked the songs, from classical piano music up to the sentimental one it really brings the right ambiance in the place. And up until now, The classic song "Somewhere Down the Road" by Barry Manila and "Lost in your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson is still my Last Song Syndrome (LSS).
After our conversation, LP and IL played billiards and Jay was playing his guitar. Me on the other hand was busy shooting pictures and petting Muning. It was already 3am when we finished playing and talking. Before going to bed, we visited Jay's pet pig named Onion who was comfortably sleeping on Jay's couch. We stayed a little while on our hut and talked a few more. While my friends are busy arranging their stuff and changing clothes, I was sitting on the chair doing my own personal emotera moments. IL noticed this and told me to just be happy and enjoy our night together in Quezon.
The next morning, we woke up late and when we went to the dining area, Jay is already busy preparing our breakfast. As usual, the breakfast is delicious, it was the traditional chicken rice soup topped with plenty of kasubha, oregano and basil and combined with tokwa't baboy. I don't like tokwa't baboy that much but being curious on how it taste, it was very delicious and not the usual tokwa't baboy served in restaurants. We were also served with juicy dalandan juice. After our late breakfast, we toured around Dolores Quezon going to Mt. Banahaw. It was our first time to reach Mt. Banahaw and got intrigued by the mystical mountain. Kuya Jerry and Ka Jun was our tour guide. We went to the Sta. Lucia spring since the elders at the place told us to plunge in the water to "cleanse our soul" before going to different areas of the mountain. The water is so cold but very refreshing (I just dunno if my soul is already cleanse since I'm bitchy nowadays :P). We also tried cleansing on the falls and pray for guidance and success. After our Sta. Lucia trip, we went to Kinabuhayan falls on the other side of the mountain and trek our way to the falls. Before our river trekking, we went to the wishing spring at the Kinabuhayan. There is a rock in the center of the spring that you need to aim your coin. After 2 tries, my coin was successfully aimed at the rock.
After a few minutes we started doing the river trekking. The trek is not easy because of the huge rocks and muddy terrains but I did manage well on since I didn't get any scratches (only bruises… hahaha). In fairness, we did the river trekking wearing our ever trusted Havs flipflops and still manage not to slip or got scratches. Ka Jun was good at pointing nice places to reflect or pray and after a few minutes of walking we reached the Kinabuhayan falls which is 12 feet deep. He also gave us a red amulet that came from a native tree in Quezon for safekeeping. The red amulet is for good luck on career, business or lovelife (which I need?! Haha).
After our river trekking, we headed back to Kinabuhayan café for our late lunch and spiritual massage from Ka Jun. As usual, Jay prepared us a sumptuous lunch of fried rice, chicken fingers with spicy red tomato sauce and lasagna with mozzarella cheese and herbs inside. We were so famished at our river trekking that we almost finished the whole plate. After our lunch, our dessert was gumamela jam with vanilla ice cream. It was delicious that you won't even notice that you were eating a gumamela. Who would have thought that gumamela can be eaten and used as dessert? Haha. The food was superb and super sulit.
For the last activity on our weekend getaway, we did ask Ka Jun to do the spiritual massage (or in Tagalog, "hilot), to relax ourselves and prepare our things before leaving. Ka Jun told me while massaging me that I need to take care of my lungs since I am prone to cough and colds (which is also true since I was diagnosed before with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection). Then IL joked that its not my lungs that needs attention but my heart. Because of this joke, Ka Jun asked me what problems I am currently having and did advise some few words. I won't say what our discussion was but it was pretty shocking. Hahaha
After Ka Jun massaged us all, we all say our thanks to Jay for being a great host and headed on going home. After a few minutes of bus ride, we went to LP's restaurant in Calamba and waited for LP's driver to take us to our houses. FD, LP's friend was already waiting for us when we arrived. After a few minutes of talking about our weekend adventures, we already went home. Super tired during the weekends but it was sooo worth it! :)
