2019.12.26. An Unplanned Trip to Laguna

I just finished everything that I needed to do for the previous term (yup, it took me the day after the 25th of December to finish everything), so I woke up quite late on a Thursday. And, by my standards over the last couple of months, waking up late means leaving the bed at around 9:00 AM. 

And the first thing I told my wife immediately after waking up? “Let’s go on a spontaneous trip!” It’s just that I may not have time after this, so I decided to go on an unplanned adventure. Our gang of three is not that difficult to manage, after all. 

After a short preparation that involved packing the first clothes that we can pick and downloading the entire Google Map of Luzon on the phone, we left the house at exactly 11:00 AM. I pinned the destination to Calamba, Laguna, specifically in Barangay Pansol, which is known for its hot springs and pools.

I decided to use the offline map to spare me from the alerts and traffic information. The entire stretch of C5 leading to the South Luzon Expressway was surprisingly light, but it took us about an hour just to get past Sucat to Alabang. In spite of that, and the fact that we were not really hurrying, we reached our destination before 1:00 PM.

After looking around for possible places to spend the night in, we checked in at Sol y Viento Pansol, a resort from the hilly part of Calamba. The resort area is very large, although the terrain is hilly, such that some sites are more accessible via driving around the mountain. The view from the reception area is quite good, as it gives you a nice view of the city in the foreground and the Laguna de Bay and the islands in it from afar. 

The view from the reception area of Sol y Viento, showing the other parts of the resort down below, the Calamba neighborhoods, and the Laguna de Bay in the background.

Immediately after checking in, we wanted to get to the pool and relax by dipping into the warm waters. There are pools just outside the reception area, but Stacie wanted to go to the kiddie pools down below, where there are fountains, slides, and play areas. So down the mountain we went, taking the steep, winding stairways that lead to the lowest levels of the resort. The smile on my baby’s face made the effort all worth it.

At the chilly kiddie pools

The resort had a restaurant, a catering by the Barrio Fiesta Greenhills. After having a shower in our room, we went to the restaurant and ordered Filipino staples tinolang manok and chopsuey.  Having a restaurant inside the compound that accepts credit cards is a plus for the resort, especially for us who had forgotten to withdraw cash beforehand. During this particular visit, however, the staff forgot about our orders, so we waited for an hour for our food.

While waiting, we looked out the window and noticed the nice view of the lights from the households and the small boats on the lake. The lake and the houses from the surrounding mountains really looked like the night sky dotted with stars, only down below and not up high. 

 

As we talked about random things while waiting for our order, watching the nice relaxing view from the lake, it felt like my stresses and burdens were slowly melting away. It was the purpose of the spontaneous trip, after all. I just needed this unplanned adventure to reconnect with my family, with nature, and, in a sense, with my inner self, as I parse through my inner thoughts and feelings (something I was not able to do over the last few months due to the heavy activities and very busy schedules). 

 

And speaking of inner self... my insides have been grumbling from the waiting. Good thing the food finally arrived. We enjoyed the last few minutes before the restaurant closed and headed back to our room. Tummies full. But bodies tired. But souls refreshed.  ■