Tagaytay City

November 14-16, 2008

Tagaytay City (City on the Hills) is a paradise and an extraordinary place for me. One can notice that Tagaytay climate is very pleasant and chilly which I find it really nice and cool. It is the most popular summer destination because of the climate (cool) due to its high altitude. It gives also a very nice panoramic view to the famous Taal Lake - a lake within an island within a lake. And of course, the Taal Volcano which was thought to be named as "a volcano inside a volcano" because many believed that the lake that circles the volcano was once a crater or mouth of a volcano. It also has the distinction of being home to the "largest island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island". It really sounds interesting right.

How to get there is as simple as this, coming from the Northern part of Luzon, we took the route going to Tagaytay from the point of origin to North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to Manila to South Superhighway (SSH). The SSH offers the least traffic out of Metro Manila. From Manila take the Santa Rosa exit and turn right after paying the toll. Drive straight on until you get to the Tagaytay City market place, the entrance of Tagaytay City, just about 20 minutes from the Santa Rosa exit.

This city is a very interesting and it is the best getaway place for a lover, friends and for family as well - for leisure activities like picnics, horseback riding, camping, great golfing at two championship courses, plus breath taking sightseeing.

It was my second time in Tagaytay wherein my first visit to this place is just a whirlwind in nature during our high school fieldtrip and I haven't gotten to the Peoples Park in the Sky where you can really view the entire Tagaytay and as well as the neighboring cities but now I did. I had a chance to visit the place because I was invited to attend a movement named focolare. This religious movement goal and ideal is to love one another through the word of life - sharing the experiences and learning from the experiences. It was very nice that I was invited in this movement.

I met friends back there where we join in the trail of discovering the city. We went to the famous view deck in Tagaytay "the Peoples Park in the Sky" - an artful blending of natural and man-made attractions, poised on the highest point of Tagaytay City so we walk to reached the place from the guard gate. We took pictures over there and bought souvenirs for our friends, relatives and families. The park have many amenities they have the amphitheater, tourism office, souvenir shops, gazebos and etc. We also passed the Picnic Grove which we have a chance to get inside but sure theres a lot of fun and exciting adventures to that site.

We stayed at Mariapolis Center - a sacred sanctuary, calm and peaceful place. The Mariapolis also have this great site to view the Taal Lake and so the Taal Volcano. Keeping our healthy lifestyle we jogged together with my friends on the Saturday morning and took many pictures again..again and again.. we jogged for about thirty minutes in the nice breezy air of the morning. Then we had a chance to check this abandoned house and thought it was a Mexican style of house from my point view - looks like it really. But then there are chairs and an open door so we entered the place and we saw very great opportunity to take a picture of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano in wide and focus point of perception, so i guess the house is a view deck for visitors that you need to pay before you entered. The chairs are very unique in style, I was thinking the chairs is used to take pictures. So we took pictures as fast as we could and no need for the chairs. After that we jogged we had our breakfast.

After breakfast we toured in religious places in Tagaytay accompanied by a tour guide in places like "terra moy" and among others.

We pack our things after lunch of Sunday,preparing for a long trip going home but before we take the road we hit again into the souvenir shop and to the fruits stands for a delightful fruits.

We took many pictures and souvenirs on our way home like rosary shells, key chains, t-shirts and of course some of us bought fruits on the way home.

Our itinerary..
Day 1 (Friday - Saturday)
10:00 pm - 5:00 am - San Fernando City - Tagaytay City
5:00 am - 7:00 am - Rest
7:00 am - 8:30 am - Morning walk/Picture taking (deck)/Breakfast
8:30 am - 12:00 pm - Sharing Moments/Sacred Mass
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Lunch
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Peoples Park in the Sky/Picnic Grove
4:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Sharing Moments
9;00 pm - 10:00 pm - Dinner
10:00 pm - Bed time

Day 2 (Sunday)
6:30 am - 7:00 am - Jogging/ Mexican house (view deck)
7:00 am - 8:00 am - Breakfast
8:00 am - 8:30 - Guided Tour
8:30 am - 12:00 pm - Sharing Moments/Sacred Mass
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm - Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Preparation to depart
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm - @ Souvenir Shops/Fruit stalls
2:30 pm - 11:00 pm - Departure Tagaytay - La Union

Expenses
PhP
1,070.00 - full lodging including 2B, 1D,2L
1,200.00 - fare
2,270.00/person

The expenses on the souvenirs isn't included in here, it depends on how you spent your money for souvenirs. This trip is basically a religious for you can see the expense is cheap compare to a really toured/leisure in Tagaytay City.

There are places of Interests in Tagaytay City as follows:
* Tagaytay Picnic Grove
* Peoples Park in the Sky

* Tagaytay Highlands
* 41st Division USAFFE Marker
* 11th Airborne Division Marker
* Filipino-Japanese Friendship Garden

Don't forget to buy native delicacies of Tagaytay City such as the espasol.

Find out more about Tagaytay City
http://www.tagaytay.gov.ph
http://www.tagaytaycity.info

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