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“If Legazpi, Albay is a jar, what would it contain?” is a question I never asked myself the first two times I traveled to that place. It is probably because my Legazpi, Albay trips have never been planned vacations.

On this third trip with Boktor, I ventured on asking myself that question and found that my answer is this:  This jar called Legazpi, Albay contains an Elusive Superstar, a testament to the Filipino’s devotion to God, food trips galore, adventure and lessons in survival.

Smalltalk Cafe:  Bicolizing Italian Food

Mr. Ketel took us to lunch at Smalltalk, a restaurant that serves Bicolano inspired Italian food.

Smalltalk looks like an Italian restaurant with a few small tables scattered around the place, a piano and old pictures displayed on the walls. The place was intimate and cozy. Smalltalk bestsellers include pasta with Bicol Express (shrimp and pork sautéed in shrimp paste, a.k.a. bagoong, coconut milk and chili), Laing (gabi leaves, pork and chili cooked in coconut milk) or the Bicolana Pizza (pizza topped with Bicol Express or Laing). I had the Bicol Express pasta and the pizzette. Both were good but I liked the pizzette best. (more…)

For the second time in a span of less than a month, Boktor and I were sent to Legazpi, Albay.

The sun was up when we left Manila and I expected to see the elusive superstar, Mt. Mayon. I am, however, learning that the weather in Legazpi is erratic. When we got there it was raining and Mt. Mayon was completely shrouded in clouds.

During this trip, we never got to see the elusive superstar in all her naked glory. The most we got was a brief glimpse of her mouth and her foot. In fact, I had the feeling that Mt. Mayon did not want to see us this time around. But, I will leave this story for later.

Tomorrow…

The Unexpected Adventures of Boktor and Pandora in Legazpi, Albay Part II coming soon…

Mt. Mayon:  The Elusive Superstar

Legazpi City, Philippines is on a plain.  From almost anywhere in Legazpi, you will see Mt. Mayon on a clear day.  It is a green mass rising from the ground to meet the sky.  Not being part of any chain of mountains, Mt. Mayon is solitary.  Mt. Mayon’s cone shape is almost perfect and it is undoubtably an active volcano.  Smoke plumes are seen coming out of its mouth. (more…)

The Ruins of Cagsawa: A Testament to the Filipinos’ devotion to God

Mr. Ketel took Boktor and me to Cagsawa, Daraga, Albay (a ten minute drive from Legazpi) where the ruins of what was once a huge church is located. According to the memorial plaque, the church was built in 1724 by Fray Francisco Blanco, OFM (Ordo Fraternum Minor, otherwise known as the Franciscans). The church stands at the foot of Mt. Mayon. When Mt. Mayon erupted on 1 February 1814, most of the church was submerged in lava. The only part of the church  that was not buried is the belfrie and the top most portion of the church pillars. According to this article, there were about 1,200 people who sought sanctuary in the church and were buried alive there when Mt. Mayon erupted in 1814.  If you want to read more about Cagsawa, click on this and this.

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The Zip

Mr. Ketel took us to Lingnon Hill from where you can view Mt. Mayon and Legazpi City.  As Mt. Mayon was elusive that day, Mr. Ketel suggested we try the Zip. What is the Zip?  The ends of two parallel steel cables are attached on a post on one hill while the other ends are attach on a post in another hill.  You are then asked to wear a harness.  Carabiners are clipped on to the harness and on the rollers that are attached to the cables.  After giving a thirty-second explanation on what to do,  your are pushed off to zip over the trees.  Weeeee… is what I said in my mind when I did the Zip.  Such fun!!!

If you want to see Pandora doing the Zip, click here.

The Hotel Venezia

Boktor and I were not expecting to be billeted in a fancy hotel.  Lucky for us, our hotel in Legazpi, the Hotel Venezia, surpassed our expectations.

Hotel Venezia is a three-minute ride away from the airport. Surprisingly, I never saw or heard any planes flying overhead. I was told that this is because the planes fly from the opposite direction of the hotel.  The hotel is located inside a quiet and well secured subdivision away from the busy streets of Legazpi. I was able to walk around the area without fear of being run over by cars or bothered by other pedestrians.

When Boktor and I got to the hotel, we checked-in and went directly to our rooms to unload our things. When I stepped inside my room, I immediately noticed that the room had already been cooled for me. I also saw that it was very clean and the layout was simple and made good use of the space. My room had a king-sized bed with white crisp clean sheet and huge fluffy pillows, an LDC TV, a desk, a coffee table, a comfortable arm chair and a closet. When I opened the closet to put my bag in, I was surprised to note that I was provided with a cotton robe (the one with the small square pattern), room slippers and a laundry bag. I was also pleased when I saw that there was a safe, a well-stocked mini-bar (I just like seeing that there are things to eat in the min-bar but I am not one to binge on mini-bar food) and a bathroom that had complete amenities like cotton buds, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, lotion, hair dryer, comb and shower cap.  My room had a veranda, and when I stepped out, I realized that my view was Mt. Mayon. Sadly, it was cloudy so I could only see parts of it. (more…)

Alam mo…

The phrase alam mo literally means “you know” in the Filipino language and is used as an informal introduction to stories (usually gossip) told verbally to friends. Often times, the phrase is said when the person telling the story is excited to tell it. So, I start this story by saying alam mo…

When Boktor and I arrived in Legazpi, Mr. Ketel told us that he made reservations at a popular restaurant for lunch.   According to Mr. Ketel, this restaurant is usually full and we cannot get seats without reservations.   So, I turned around and excitedly told Boktor that we were going to a restaurant that not everyone gets to go to.  Then, I asked Mr. Ketel the name of the restaurant but he could not remember what it was called.  I was intrigued.

On our way there, Mr. Ketel told us that the restaurant was actually an eatery in a house.  Boktor later told me that when he heard that the restaurant was in a house, he assumed that  the place we were going to was like a Sonia’s garden or that house in Urdaneta where Chef Laudico serves gourmet food.

As we got closer to the restaurant, Mr. Ketel informed us that the owners of the house were the cooks and waiters. When I asked him what kind of food was served, Mr. Ketel said that the food is lutong bahay (home cooked food).  After hearing this, I had a strange feeling that this restaurant was not at all what Boktor expected it to be.

After a few minutes of driving through narrow one-way lanes, our driver stopped at a non-descript area full of small houses built side-by-side like jigsaw puzzles. Mr. Ketel then led us through a narrow alleyway, and before the dead-end, he pointed to a door to the right that had a sign that read “Alamo’s Eatery Please Come In”.

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