Sweets for the sweet at Chocolate Fire

I really miss working in Ayala Ave.- yes, traffic is hellish but everything is right there and everything is just so convenient. I think what I miss the most is getting to eat out in good restaurants for lunch or merienda every so often or pigging out after jogging in the evening in the beautiful Ayala Triangle (not to mention during Christmas season when the trees are full of lights!)

One of my favorite places in Makati is Chocolate Fire, it's about a 5-minute walk from LKG Tower and they have hundreds of chocolate products for you to try. Having a sweet tooth, I couldn't help but feel giddy everytime I walk into this place. But who wouldn't when you have so many chocolates to choose from? And given that Filipinos generally love chocolates, I think they will enjoy the high quality artisan chocolates that this place has to offer. 

It's quite pricey but this is expected from a specialty store as such. If I remember correctly, chocolate covered strawberries cost about 95Php and truffles for about 60Php a piece. They do have cheaper ones from 20Php also. Besides their chocolate selection, they also offer pasta, pastries, sandwiches and beverages like chocolate drinks, fruit juices and even wine. But I think that this is more of a desserts place, there are other restaurants in the vicinity for your main course.

Part of their chocolate display. Amazing, right?

Cake display

My favorites from the store are chocolate covered strawberries and dark truffles. I was able to try their chocolate covered bacon as well, I was quite hesitant at first because I didn't know how meat and chocolate would taste together. But the sweetness of the chocolate complements the saltiness bacon- this combination makes for an interesting taste.

Chocolate covered strawberries and dark chocolate truffles

This cake is very light, not too sweet. It's actually a good option for those who don't like sweets too much but in all honesty I'm not a big fan, I would really just splurge on the chocolates next time.



The ambiance is very laid back too, they have a couch where you and your friends could opt to stay while talking over dessert. I have only tried a few of their products but I love this place (and chocolates, of course) so I would definitely go there again to try the others. 

Restaurants in the City of Golden Friendship, CDO

In all honesty, the activities that one can do in Cagayan de Oro are very limited but it is the gateway to Northern Mindanao and it's very very famous for white water rafting. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to go water rafting as our schedule did not permit it. What we did have time for, however, was lunch and dinner (haha! This trip really is for work so although I did not get to do any tourist-y things, I was glad to have gotten to try different restaurants. 

VIENNA KAFFEEHAUS

The first place we got to try was Vienna Kaffeehaus. Their restaurant is in the downtown area in the same strip as several other restaurants such as Sentro. Their food is good, the calamares was prepared the way I prefer it but I believe that the must try in this restaurant is their dessert line-up. Queen Elizabeth is their best-seller, I thought as I was looking at it that it will be very sweet since the toppings seemed to be caramelized peanuts. But it wasn't at all, it was more of a bread really- a really good one. 

Calamares

Sugar-free blueberry cheesecake 

Queen Elizabeth

MISSY BON BON

The ambiance of this place is very light and happy and colorful. It's the kind of place you and your girlfriends would like to go to on a weekend brunch to catch up and gossip. It's like gelatissimo meets bread talk meets chuck's deli in a cartoon-y set-up. Their sans rival gelato, I was told, is a must-try. It's pretty good but it might be too sweet for some, I have a sweet tooth though so I didn't mind at all. 

Happy place! 

Sans Rival Gelato 

SENTRO

Just by looking at its architecture and design, Sentro is one of the more upscale restaurants in the city though I think that the price is still average compared to Manila. Their food is amazing. Most of their dishes have something different, and this makes their menu very unique. Everyone really really has to try their pasta - any pasta on their menu! or all of them! 

Chili Parmesan ( I think)

I don't know what it's called but the dominant flavors were that of cucumber and lemon.  

THAI ME UP AND FIL ME UP

This place is by far my favorite restaurant and I am praying that they bring this to Manila. This restaurant offers the complete dining experience - the place is really quaint, there's something to look at in every corner of the restaurant, the food tastes heavenly and their plating/food presentation is great as well. It's better to go there in the evening when the weather is cooler and when you get to visit, don't forget to order a pitcher of green envy.

MAI CRAFTS AND CAFE

I walked from our hotel to Ateneo de Cagayan because I wanted to visit their museum. However, to my luck, it was closed. I refused to go back to the hotel room without having seen or done anything interesting and so I went around the area. I came across Mai Crafts and Cafe. This place, I find interesting because it is both a home decor store and a cafe. I saw a sign that they were selling Churros con Chocolate and I bought one, not that I was hungry but I really wanted to sit in their 'cafe' which is made up of 3 tables that could each sit 3 people at a maximum. The place had a small rustic feel to it and it's the kind of place where you could just order a cup of tea and read a good book - I didn't have a book but the Churros with native chocolate wasn't bad at all. haha!

Mai Crafts and Cafe

INILOG

This is their local resto-bar and they do have black lights which is why people in white shirts in the photo below are glowing. It's an interesting place, they have jokes plastered all around the restaurant to keep first time visitors amused. And their sizzling ostrich (which is a popular local delicacy) is delicious. It's the kind of place Saturday night + buckets of beer chill place. 

Inilog

Their version of a chandelier 

Sizzling Ostrich 

One of my most interesting buys during my trip is this gigantic mango. I have never seen a mango this huge! I mean how does a fruit this heavy not fall off the tree? 

Besides these restaurants, those in CDO should also try water rafting, buy something from the hundreds of ukay-ukay stores there, go to Bukidnon to see visit the Del Monte farm or drive to iligan (2-3hours) to see the mighty Maria Cristina Falls or to take a dip in Tinago Falls.

It was my first time to go to North Mindanao and since it isn't one of the famous tourist spots in the country, I didn't think that there's so many beautiful places to visit there. I do hope I could get the chance to come back and really travel and explore the area. 

To the City of Majestic Waterfalls, Iligan.

"Welcome to the City of Majestic Waterfalls" it read on a sign as we crossed the border into Iligan. This city has about 20 waterfalls and this, I was really looking forward to as I have never seen one before. Since our trip to Iligan was only a couple of hours long, I was praying that we would have enough spare time (after work, of course) to visit at least one waterfall. 

We were Cagayan de Oro and since we finished work a day in advance, we went to Iligan(to visit our dealers in that area). On the way there, we passed by El Salvador where the Divine Mercy Shrine was and we made a quick 20-minute stop. The place was just well, divine - in every sense of the word. The shrine is 50-foot tall, it was built on top of a hill surrounded by trees and it has a nice view of the sea from afar. The place is so serene that there's an instant sense of peace within oneself the moment one reaches the top of the stairs heading to the shrine. 

The Divine Mercy Shrine, El Salvador, Mindano

While in Iligan we had the chance to visit the most famous waterfall in the country, the Maria Cristina Falls. It was a few minutes drive from the city proper. And this is something that one should really make time for when in north Mindanao. 

Maria Cristina Falls

She was majestic, exquisite and forceful. It is everything that Mother nature really is. It being my first time to see a waterfall, I knew I was going to be surprised but Maria Cristina exceeded my expectations ten fold. I was left in awe of its power, beauty and grandeur.

                    

My perception of a waterfall has always been what I have seen on movies- beautiful and romantic- where the lead actors swim, be sweet to each other, and have their first kiss and other kilig stuff (haha!). But the Maria Cristina's current is so strong (it actually powers a hydroelectric plant that provides electricity to the region). Bathing or dipping your feet in the water wouldn't be an option. It was amazing nonetheless. 

We had lunch at a place by the road called Gloria's Ihaw-Ihaw, they serve local food and it was pretty delicious. It also has a view of the sea. Isn't it nice?

The locals were busy catching crablets, I wanted to try catching one but couldn't find any. 

The place is also right in front of the childhood home of former President Arroyo in Iligan. 

Gloria Arroyo's former home (one of many) 

Wouldn't it be nice to have a tiny river like this at your backyard?  The water actually is quite clear in person.

Inside Gloria's old playhouse with her creepy dolls.

The city has so many waterfalls that if I had the time, I would go visit more. I think one of the more popular ones is the Tinago falls which we wanted to visit but lacked the time as it as out of the way. Unlike Maria Cristina, this had a small lake/pool where visitors can take a dip and the photos I have seen are just so beautiful. I would love to visit that place if I get the chance in the future!

Before this business trip, I did not even know where Iligan is. It isn't as popular as the other tourist spots in the country but I think it should be. I did some research and they have nice beaches too (not that you would be looking for one after you visit their majestic waterfalls), the food is quite cheap and it's a 2.5-hour drive to CDO which is popular for its water rafting. For those who are traveling on a budget but is looking for some adventure, I think Iligan should be a destination to be considered.

My life and my lotus tea

I bought several packs of different flavors of tea from Ben Tanh when I was in Saigon. It wasn't until today that I got to try one of the variants - lotus tea. It's dried up in a ball when you buy it and it opens up when placed in hot water. It's good but a little too fragrant for my taste (but that's just me). I think i'll stick to my leaves for now. Flowers tend to have a distinct taste -almost sweet- that I just could not appreciate. 

On another note, the next two months are going to be quite eventful. I'll be visiting Cagayan de Oro, Puerto Princesa and the Bicol Region - And I'm also going mountain climbing (which will be a first!) with the Kayumanggi trails on Mt. Maculot.

I'm most excited our Puerto Princesa trip because I have been dreaming of going for years now. Firefly watching, underground river, pristine white sand beaches and drinks by the baywalk with two of my closest friends! I. CAN'T. WAIT!! excuse my enthusiasm, I live for these stuff haha. Cagayan and Bicol are for work though so I won't be having much time to myself.

The thing is, I would like to travel - wide and far. halfway around the world, to places that will make my brain explode because everything around is sooo new that it still needs to be learned. I want to be around people who does not speak any of the languages that I can. I wanna get lost in streets with signs I cannot even read. I wanna explore the world. I wanna meet people. Eat local delicacies. Take public transportation. I wanna get to know myself. I just really really want to travel.

The problem is, I think I am living beyond my means. I need to be more financially responsible. Can anybody help me with that? haha but what the hell, I'm 22. and you only live once... right? I can be mature when I turn 23 ;) I PROMISE.