Philippines: Tagaytay City (Feels so good to be back!)
My Sky Ranch post was way back 2013 and it was in 2014 when I made the compilation of the must-visit places in Tagaytay. A lot of things have changed since then and the ridge is way more crowded now (January 2021, may COVID/ pandemic pa rin). I still went to Tagaytay in the past few years but I don't think I've blogged about my visits, ngayon lang ulit 'cause, you know, pandemic and na sabik gumala. HAHAHA!
I know that the ideal thing to do is to stay home but we felt that we really needed this getaway. We're home on most days naman at umiwas naman kami sa tao...
I heard some hotels require swab tests upon check in but I'm not sure what those hotels are and that it already gets congested there during weekends.
We stayed in an Airbnb room in a condominium near the Rotunda. We weren't asked to submit any health certificate or tests, just valid ID's. Didn't sightsee that much - sa Palace in the Sky lang and sa kalsada nag lakad lang nung medyo gabi na. Hangin ng Tagaytay lang sapat na, ganon. 😂 Ni-feel lang mostly ang breeze from the small veranda of our rented room.
Strawberry Taho outside the Palace in the Sky was a pleasant surprise. 😍
Grateful. ❤
Hindi pa normal at may pandemic pa, but still.
'Yung maaga pa pero halos sarado na lahat. Okay lang. Masaya naman maglakad habang umiinom ng hot chocolate galing sa McDonald's hanggang sa maalala niyong bawal nga pala 'yon dahil kailangan naka-facemask sa kalsada. Kk, wala naman ibang tao. Nakakamiss talaga ang hangin sa mga ganitong lugar. Malamig lamig na rin naman sa Quezon City pero iba pa rin eh.
Btw, there are currently a lot of condominiums that you can choose from but we opted for this one 'cause this is quite far from most tourist attractions but near restaurants, fast food chains, souvenir shops, free Taal overlook spot, and a mall. The room we rented came with a parking spot/slot but we just walked around the whole time aside from the Palace in the Sky which we visited before checking in.
Gusto ko lang kasi talaga maglakad at kumain ng Mcdo sa Tagaytay kasi mas masarap daw doon. That's it. HAHAHAHA. Char lang. Or not.
During the Geminids Meteor shower last December, I was asked if I wanted to stargaze here since out of town is a better place to watch it but I couldn't that time. Made sure that we still pushed through the plan 'cause ang mga magagandang balak ay tinutupad so here it is. Couldn't let go of the idea of Tagaytay after it was mentioned to me so better to be late than never. hahaha
Dyaan lang kami naglakad-lakad, sa tabi ng kalsada na sa bandang baba sa picture. I don't know kung anong pangalan ng hi-way pero 'yan 'yung diretso na dumadaan sa Palace in the Sky, Picnic Grove, etc.
This is enough for me, tbh.
I don't know if mas matanda na kasi (meaning wala ng energy masyado gumala... WEHHH) or 'cause I've been there for countless times that I don't mind if I don't enter the paid tourist attractions anymore. Sapat na 'yung good food, fun company, and cool Tagaytay breeze.
Basta for now, I'll choose a cold quiet morning with a hot green tea over anything else.
Provinces are easing up on the travel restrictions and tourism activities/business are slowly opening again but we all know that COVID is still here so let's still be careful when going out. The reason why I feel torn whenever I post recent travels now is 'cause I don't know if it's proper to promote "going out" when the best way to stop the virus from spreading and the safest way to prevent yourself from acquiring the virus is to stay home. But then again, businesses relying in Tourism and Hospitality are one of the badly affected and "supporting" them is the only way to keep businesses afloat in this trying times.
Going out has its pros and cons. There are risks. I'm not saying that we should all go out now but I felt like I earned this after staying home for more than half a year. huhuhu. I still feel paranoid and nervous especially when there are a lot of people in sight but sometimes there are things we do that outweigh the risks.
What do I bring whenever I go out these days?
My pandemic travel essentials: oil blotting paper, facial tissue, disposeable facemask, face shield, alcohol spray bottle, hand cream, lip balm, and hand wash.
For longer "travel": drinking water and wet wipes.
Let's all practice proper hygiene and follow the health safety protocols.
Please be safe.
Everything, in time. 💖
0 comments