Cool. We’re actually thinking about going to Bohol next week, flying either to Cebu or to Davao and renting a car. We haven’t solidified plans yet but we really want to visit Bohol. Would you be up for Philippines Mini Dope Fest?
Back to the thread…
I’ve started seeking cafés in interesting locations, to go out and explore something new each morning. So far I’ve been to 3 cafés (again, DD coordinates). Again my starting point is near the Ace Hardware Las Piñas ▲ 14.4494, 120.9813.
The first café wasn’t all that interesting, except for seeing some areas east of me in Las Piñas and coming to the realization that I can find new and interesting spots each day, before the group heads out for the day’s planned events: Altitud Café, Las Piñas ▲ 14.4264, 121.0125.
The next café was simply a Starbucks in Bicutan City ▲ 14.4836, 121.0376. I got my coffee to go and headed over to TLC Park, Taguig, on Laguna de Bay ▲ 14.4885, 121.0632. It was a beautiful spot.
It was sunny and hot but I sat alone under a large canopy and the sea breeze and shade were very comfortable.
To get to this spot the ride took me farther east to Alabang and along the shoreline of Laguna de Bay, to Iglesia ni Cristo church ▲ 14.4191, 121.0502 and then north along the shoreline on the old road, Manuel L. Quezon. Although the old road is slower than the expressway parallel to it, it took me through the local towns and I get a bit more local flavor. Indeed, I experienced more of how the more common Filipinos live. I’m glad I took this route because this felt more like the ‘local suburbia’ to me. It’s still crowded and busy, but to me this felt like ‘inner city suburbia’, if that makes sense.
My third café was in Cavite City on Bacoor Bay ▲ 14.4812, 120.9076.
The ride out (along △ Cavitex Expy ▲ 14.4659, 120.9454) channeled a little bit of one of my favorite drives, the beautiful Miami to Key West drive on the Overseas Highway (hwy US-1). This was also a nice spot but my favorite coffee spot so far is TLC Park Taguig.
Today is day 12 of 30 on this trip and the group plans to drive south about 60 miles to Tagaytay, the Taal Volcano, and Taal Lake. This is a unique geographic feature known as a recursive island. Recursively there are 3 islands. You have an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in the Philippine Sea.
Wiki has Lake Taal listed on its page for Recursive islands and lakes ➜ Recursive islands and lakes - Wikipedia ■
Mainly for my benefit because I want to keep it straight:
Island #1 = Vulcan Point ▲ 14, 121 ➜ Taal Volcano Main Crater Lake - Wikipedia ■
Lake #1 = Taal Volcano Main Crater Lake ➜ Taal Volcano Main Crater Lake - Wikipedia ■
Island #2 = Taal Volcano ➜ Taal Volcano - Wikipedia ■
Lake #2 = Lake Taal ➜ Taal Lake - Wikipedia ■
Island #3 = Luzon ➜ Luzon - Wikipedia ■
Philippine Sea (the largest sea in the world) ➜ Philippine Sea - Wikipedia ■
For now we have to settle for pics I grabbed off the web of the recursive island Taal Volcano. I should get some photos today. Unfortunately I don’t have a drone for good aerial shots.
My mom and brother will go in the van with our driver and our caretaker and they’ll caravan with my Tia (she’s really my Lola but she wants to be called Tia). I’ve decided to add to the caravan and go on the motorcycle. I’ll be able to ‘follow my nose’ a bit more and do some independent exploring.
I put my more motorcycle-specific posts in the motorcycle thread (eg, ➜ The Great Ongoing Motorcycle Thread - #571 by Bullitt ■ ), and there is some more of my Philippines experiences in my posts there dating from 16 December.