Liliw and Nagcarlan, Laguna: A Taste of Joy in the Simple and Ordinary
Finally keeping a promise we made to ourselves to visit Nagcarlan and Liliw, Laguna to simply unwind and satisfy our footwear-bargain hungry selves, I, together with three other friends at work, trooped to Laguna last Friday - the last Friday of 2012.
The unusually swift travel from QC to Makati to Laguna seemed to be a sign of a nice and easy day ahead. It was meant to be a day to relax and have fun and enjoy the company of one another outside of work. Work talk was not allowed. We tried to live by the dictum of Sheilla's brother-in-law in their farm house: "bawal ang stress."
Unknown to us, there is more to Liliw than just cheap but good quality footwear. Likewise, we didn't know that there is such a thing as an underground cemetery and that there is one in Nagcarlan. We learned from the marker that the underground cemetery of Nagcarlan was built by the Franciscan Missionaries in 1845 and served as a secret meeting place of revoluntionaries in Laguna in 1896. The descent to the basement cemetery felt a little bit creepy but the novelty of the experience saw us through.
The visit to the shoe lane was the main event of day. We spent more than two hours checking out each of the stalls. The wide range of footwear available - from slippers to clogs and wedges and doll shoes and various kinds of step-ins not to mention immitation Crocs and Fitflops (re-named Feetflops) - was overwhelming. The price for as low as 3 pairs of slippers for P100 to just about P350 for the more expensive wedges and doll shoes could bring out the impulsive buyer among shoppers. Some would buy all colors of a certain style because the price is just too irresistible.
Tired of all the walking and footwear-ogling, I spent some time at the Church of St. John the Baptist. A 1939 reconstruction, the church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1880 and then again by a fire in 1898. The main altar is ornately and elegantly designed. What soothed my tiredness though was the sweet, calm voices of a group of children praying in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. I told my friend Glenn that I haven't heard children reciting prayers in such a serene manner.
Starving at half past 2 in the afternoon, we went to Chef Mau Restaurant for our late lunch. This restaurant is the first business venture of Chef Mau, one of the owners of Uncle Cheffy and a few other restos in Metro Manila. It seats quietly in front of his family home in Liliw and lacks airconditioning and appears like a typical local restaurant. A look at the menu however would say that this is no ordinary local restaurant. It serves fusion cuisine - Filipino and Asian as well as European food treats. We ordered Pumpkin Soup, Pako (fern) salad, Thai Tilapia, Tinapa Spring Rolls, Crispy Shrimps, Angus Beef Steak, Tofu Teriyaki, and Spicy Sisig - at very affordable prices. All these with our drinks and dessert of creme brulee cost us P1,530. And we all left with our taste buds very satisfied and our tummies really full. To describe how full I felt, I said I didn't even have space for air in my tummy. It really brought out the glutton in me.
We all went home feeling happy about our inexpensive trip to Nagcarlan and Liliw and promising that we will do this again and more frequently. As I went to sleep that night, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the simple joys that can come out of a day trip like this. Truly, the Spirit is present everywhere and joy is present whenever we choose it.
The unusually swift travel from QC to Makati to Laguna seemed to be a sign of a nice and easy day ahead. It was meant to be a day to relax and have fun and enjoy the company of one another outside of work. Work talk was not allowed. We tried to live by the dictum of Sheilla's brother-in-law in their farm house: "bawal ang stress."
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| Facade of the Underground Cemetery |
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| Descent to the basement cemetery |
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| The cemetery proper |
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| Liliw's trademark for everyone to see |
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| Facade of the St. John the Baptist Church |
Tired of all the walking and footwear-ogling, I spent some time at the Church of St. John the Baptist. A 1939 reconstruction, the church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1880 and then again by a fire in 1898. The main altar is ornately and elegantly designed. What soothed my tiredness though was the sweet, calm voices of a group of children praying in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. I told my friend Glenn that I haven't heard children reciting prayers in such a serene manner.
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| Pako salad |
We all went home feeling happy about our inexpensive trip to Nagcarlan and Liliw and promising that we will do this again and more frequently. As I went to sleep that night, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the simple joys that can come out of a day trip like this. Truly, the Spirit is present everywhere and joy is present whenever we choose it.
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