A photo journal.
April 18. My husband and I decide to go on a trip to Tagaytay. We leave Manila at half past ten in the morning and it rains most of the time we are on the road. A couple of rainbows (yes, a couple) start appearing at the first sign of sunshine. At about two in the afternoon the colors change dramatically from the sad blues and greys of the overcast to brighter, camera-ready shades of delicious reds, yellows and greens. I start taking pictures. It rains again after a few hours. The camera stays in my bag until around 5pm.
Bag of Beans
We chance upon a famous cafe, The Bag of Beans, and decide to try out whatever it is they're known for... I mention to my husband that I read about their famed pies online...
So we try their Chicken and Mushroom pie. I order a cup of hot cocoa as well. We appreciate the pleasant atmosphere, the quaintness of the place and the little details scattered around the area that make for pretty pictures. We take what we hope turn out to be pretty pictures.
~
I ask for citronella candles from the waiter. He informs me that they have none. I say "great, I'll just have to enjoy the malaria then."
~
We leave before the mosquitoes get the better of my mood. I remain deliriously happy.
~
We start looking for lodging well into the night. We land at a place called Taj. My husband dents our ride's fender at the parking lot. No thanks to the man "assisting" him as he parked. ~ 
We are given a room with two double-sized beds. It's not so bad. We don't object.~ We have dinner at Taj's restaurant. Indian curry for me, of course. Oddly (but not sadly), the grub's not up to snuff. I make way better curry than their chef does. I'm not even Indian. We head down to a seven eleven to buy some snacks. It is a good evening. I declare that I enjoyed the day's experiences immensely.
April 19. We wake up to a gorgeous sunrise. We can't help but take real flora photos for our imaginary album. We head to the Royale Tagaytay Estates to check out what it was we came to Tagaytay for. Royale Tagaytay Estates
300 square meters surrounded by pine trees plus it's a bird sanctuary too! I love it here. I envision a modern Scandinavian rest house standing near a creek, surrounded by flowers. I can see myself, with my laptop, lounged by the fireplace... looking at my very own pine tree. 
I enjoy the idea. It will be like Christmas all year round. It will definitely cost us a fortune, though. So I do what comes for free -- dream and write and dream again. I cross all fingers left to cross and say hello to Tagaytay -- My arms stay wide open, open wide for you.
The trip back to Manila is again a rainy one. Yet all stays beautiful, and we make no objections. This is one experience that has made us want to stay in Tagaytay for a long long time. Whatever the weather.~
In the near future perhaps.
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