1st Colonial Grill

I wasn't sure whether to include this in my blog cos I only have a couple of pictures but since I enjoyed my brunch there, might as well. 1st Colonial Grill is just besides Bicol Blends Cafe ( i think I've read somewhere they have the same owner ). It's actually where the free breakfast for Hotel Villa Amada's guests are being served from 6am to 10am but since I'm usually out the door by 5am, I only got to drop by during the last day.

Finally! Authentic Bicol Express. Funny story: i had another order for take out and  put  it in my carry on luggage, after it was scanned at the pre-departure area, the airport lady told me " That's Bicol Express you got there right?" I was both confused and terrified thinking how much liquid is in there and they might ask me to leave it haha. Turned out she was just humoring me. Still amazing how she can tell by x-ray tho..

of course, being my last meal in Bicol. I had to have Sili Ice Cream again :))

Bigg's Diner

I've passed this li'l diner on my commute to and from the hotel and I knew that I'll eventually find myself sitting inside one way or another haha. There's just something about it that beckons to me. Also, I've read about it from online, well, it wasn't exactly a glowing recommendation but I'm not the one to believe something unless I've tried it myself. The place is an all-American diner. Everything about it screams of pop culture too: the framed pictures of famous personalities like Marilyn Monroe, Dean Cain, Charlie Chaplin, the bric-a-bracs attached into one wall ranging from a vintage sewing machine, a saxophone, among others. Plus, of course, the menu tho I managed to try only one cos I was already full at the time, plus I've got take outs lol.

Bicol Blends Cafe

I really enjoyed this coffee shop. It wasn't surprising that they had free wifi, what was surprising was that they didn't have any password activated. Super nice, right? Plus, the people were also really warm and attentive. Good food, nice ambiance, comfortable atmosphere, I mean everything you love in a coffee shop, it's there. This is also where I had my first taste of sili* flavoured ice cream and shake. Plus, it was just outside my hotel.  <3


Bicol Blends Cafe
Sagpon, Daraga, Albay
Legazpi City, Bicol

Next time I'm there, I'll have to try tinutong and malunggay flavored shakes too. :)

the famous Sili Ice Cream. Hot and Cold at the same time! :)

Sili Shake. sweet but then after a few sips, the  unmistakable red chili pepper taste kicks in. haha totally out of this world.

*sili - red chili pepper

Small Talk Cafe

I had a hard time getting here cos it was a bit hidden from the roadside and the driver had zero idea where Dona Aurora St. is so if you're planning to visit, your best bet is to stop by Penaranda Park and from there get directions from the locals or better yet, pedicab drivers.


SMALL TALK CAFE
051 Dona Aurora St. 
4500 Legazpi City, Philippines


Mmmm. Nothing really special about the place, the interior is okay. Tbh the only thing the place had going for them is the food, which is, as advertised, Italian cuisine with a local flair. The service though, idk if it was just me but they kinda seem distant, like they'd rather be somewhere else. idk they're not welcoming, a smile is hard to come by unless I smile at them first, not really pro active. It'd almost like they're thinking even if they don't go out of their way to make the customer's visit a warm and happy one, people would keep coming back because they're all over the internet. Which is a shame. I hope they were just having a bad day that time.  BUT, i thoroughly enjoyed food, all, except the Bicol Express.:))

the entrance..

i spot the UPAA yearbook. guess the owner's an alumni. also i noticed just now , some of the books' upside down lol

framed pics of famous people who visited. i recognize Sam Milby, Derek Ramsay, Gabby Concepcion, and i think Geoff Eigenmann

 

indoor garden. sorta.

there's a nook with a red wall.

PASTA PINANGAT/LAING - "taro leaves and gata blended  in white sauce and mixed with pasta." - superb!

bleh. i hardly touched this. BICOL EXPRESS - alamang/balaw with lots of  green and red pepper

PINANGAT LAING - "taro leaves harvested from the foot of Mt. Mayon and cooked in coconut milk. "

it tasted soo damn good.

no, i wasn't really hungry at all haha

Mayon - Legazpi, Albay Day 3

Note: quick post, will edit later. :))


So I got dressed and was outside the hotel by 4am, but the moment I went out into the morning, i stopped dead in my tracks. It was raining. Hard. The sky was completely dark. And it's my last day. I debated whether to brave it and wait it out til the rain stopped but then I wasn't sure if it was safe to stay at the bay at such an early hour so I decided to go back into my room. Besides, it's not like I'd still be able to catch the sunrise, by the time time the rain stops, it would be too late. I watched tv and checked online and pray the rain would stop. 10 minutes later, good thing I thought of checking out my window. Voila! the rain had stopped! 


I decided to still drop by the bay though as expected, no glorious early am sunshine. But I was glad cos even though it was still drizzling, Mayon was still visible. After a brief stay at the dock, I headed to Lignon Hill. I was actually pissed off. I tried reaaaaally hard not to cos I kept telling myself no one is gonna ruin my birthday for me. BUT. I was pressed for time and actually wanted to consider going back to ____ black sand beach so I wanted to make my Lignon Hill stop as quick as possible. However, the driver took me on an hour long road trip. Evidently he forgot I told him to drop me off at the roadside going to Lignon and realized it too late and he decided to keep mum about it. The nagging suspension was confirmed when I was back at the same jeepney stop I was on before. I told another passenger to tell me when we're at the crossing going in to Lignon. Five minutes later, I was at the road side. Grrrrr!!! But okaaay, I'm not gonna stay mad about it. At the back of my mind, I crossed out XXXXX black sand beach..


The situation was same as yesterday. No public transpo going in on sight. I asked around and they said there's no motorcyle for rent anymore. So okaaaay, I said to myself. I'm walking then. I have no idea how far the deck is but from what I've read, it's a bit of a hike.


Resigned, I started my walk up and just consoled myself with the thought that at least I'll get to take pictures on the way up. Am just taking the long but scenic route so to say haha. So I was surprised when maybe not five minutes into my uphill walk, I turned into what seems to be a small welcome/entrance structure. I paid a P20 (was it P20? I forgot already ) environmental fee, chatted with the girl manning the station and that's when I found out you hire a driver/motorcycle in that area. Gosh! How was I to know? They were completely hidden unless you actually walk up hahhha. SO this was the lesson I was referring to from the post below. Seriously, they need to post up a sign at the roadside lol.


And was I glad I was able to hire a driver cos the climb was loooonggg and uphill so had I walked all the way up, I would have been so drained of energy I don't think I'll ever get to enjoy the view waiting for me. It was magical when I reached the deck, I guess it was too early for most cos it was totally deserted. After the driver went on his way after dropping me off. I was the only one up there. And since it had just rained, the view was phenomenal. Framed by yellow flowers, Mayon offered a different view from the one in >>>>. Everything was fresh, crisp, clean, beautiful. I took some pictures and then the problem of who was going to take my picture. Good thing some people arrived maybe 20mins later, and I got to talk to one of the driver who as it turned out, moonlights as a guide and who showed me photo albums of the ATV trek up Mayon. I told him next time cos my flight is at 1pm. So he took my pictures, then I left to pack up my things.

Mayon - Legazpi, Albay Day 2

Now I read from a blog that Mayon is only clearly visible from 6am to 8am so i woke up really early to set out for Cagsawa Ruins. I got directions from the hotel desk, hailed a jeepney and walked a bit going into the ruins. The bridge was down due to last years typhoon so motorists couldn't get all the way in but I didn't really mind the early morning walk. Besides, a manong was kind enough to show me the way. Finally!! all those textbook and postcard pictures I saw as a kid. They don't really give justice to her, she's so stunning I could stare at her all day. As i was early, there weren't a lot of people around, which is good, but the bad part is that of course, there wasn't enough light for a good picture. but I had an unobstructed view of Mayon save for a few wisps of clouds! Another bad part is, actually, a downside to travelling alone, crappy pictures of myself haha. Some woman approached me saying she could take my pictures and showed me a copy of all the different poses I could do. For a fee. I didn't really have a choice so i said okay. Too bad she takes really crappy pictures: kept cutting off the top of Cagsawa, bad angle etc. But since she sort of told me her dilemma in life during our breakfast, i was feeling charitable and just shrugged it off.

I left at maybe around 8am after buying souvenirs just outside the park and headed for Lignon Hill for another view of Mayon at a different angle. However, when I got there, I waited and waited but there was no motorcycle for rent going inside. I know from reading blogs that its a bit of a walk going up so I wouldn't dare hike. I asked a couple other drivers if they've seen some vehicle for rent but they said there was one earlier but have already left. I waited some more but have to decide cos sun is going up, I don't wanna be there by noon. I decided to leave and come back the next day and and in the meantime, headed for Daraga Church. ( there's a really impt lesson I will learn the next day about this experience with Lignon Hill)..

After Daraga Church, I went back to the hotel, rested a bit, then set out for Sto. Domingo to check out their black sand beaches. The trip going there took maybe half an hour and i was excited cos the sand's supposed to be really something, composed of dried lava if I'm not mistaken. Imagine how crestfallen I felt when I get to the nearest resort and realized the tide's too high. No shore in sight!! Fail!!! Darn! I was feeling really down because I wasn't too sure if I'd still have time to go back the next morning considering the rest of my itinerary which requires to be somewhere really early. Plus considering the travel time. Oh well, I went back at the town center, took a photo of the church and went back to Legazpi.

I  headed out again for Embarcadero hoping to get better shots from yesterday but no luck really. I didn't mind tho, it was relaxing chilling at the bay staring out towards the water, Wiz Khalifa's Roll Up and Bigbang's Bad Boy on repeat in my music player. I left at maybe around 7 for Pacific Mall to buy me my birthday cake, candles, and a disposable lighter hahhaha. of course, though I was by myself, I had to have a cake. Had dinner at Biggy's on the way home. Woke up around 3am, lighted the candles, blew 'em, nade a wish, and prepared for Day 3.

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