Up close and personal with the wildlife.

After six long years, I was finally able to revisit the Philippines. I want to say that coming back felt like a dream, but the truth is it felt more like a punch of hot, humid air. I am not proud to say I had acclimatized to the temperature in the North-western hemisphere so that every second outside of an air-conditioned room in the country felt like the entrance to hell. I thought planning outdoor activities such as going on zoos and safaris in Vigan City (especially during the summer) was a huge mistake. Thank goodness staying at the Safari Hotels and Villas offered us the reprieve and relaxation we needed from the heat in between outings.  

Move over, Pokemon Go!

I came across Chef Wars when I opened my App Store and saw it as the Featured Game of the Day. With the promise of being "a food and cooking RPG (role-playing game)" with "over 900 recipes to discover" and "over 500 different towns to explore", I could not resist sacrificing my three-year old niece's Playfirst app (much to her chagrin) just to make more room in my phone for a 116.9 mB app.

The stunningly-beautiful infinity pool at Villa Escudero.

I'm not usually one to visit an attraction that I've already gone to in the past unless (1) some part of it was revamped in a major way, or (2) it was designated as a place where I need to go to celebrate something. In the case of my second visit to Villa Escudero, it was for both aforementioned reasons: their swimming pools were newly-renovated and my father booked us a room for Fathers' Day.

And so, we drove to Tiaong, Quezon province in the middle of June for a family staycation where we expected to be free from the stresses that came with living in a generation where dogs eat dogs.

Old Heritage Houses standing on the edge of a canal in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.

There's something fascinating about old architecture.

I remember writing a 300-word essay explaining my stand on a question that went, "Should old heritage buildings be kept as they are or demolished to give way for progress?" It sounded like it was an easy question  wherein any immediate opinion could easily be formed, but it was not.

The "Fruitasan Mo" fruits market at Bangkerohan, Davao City.

"All roads lead to Davao City."

While Davao City in Davao del Sur has always been one of the Philippines' most iconic tourist destinations, its new-found popularity and sudden projection to the spotlight can be credited to the country's most powerful man as of present-- His Excellency, President Rodrigo Roa-Duterte who hails from said province. The largest city in the world in terms of land area, Davao City has always been famous for its low cost of living, public safety, cleanliness, and orderliness, and its export-quality production of fruits and  seafood. 

The wooden azotea of San Fabian PTA Beach Resort overlooking the picnic area and the ocean is where diners may indulge themselves in unlimited pork barbecue and bangus sisig.

D'you fancy sitting here, a cold drink in hand, while gazing at this lovely view?

Here in Pangasinan where I come from, tourists come for the infamous beaches for their amazing beauty and world-class quality. Think Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Patar Beach in Bolinao, and the surfers' favorite Lingayen Beach in the provincial capital.

The facade of Matutina's and Gerry's Seafood.

The common belief that the province of Pangasinan is rich when it comes to blessings from its surrounding bodies of water is actually an understatement-- the place is literally overflowing with seafood (especially during circumstances that warrant an increase in the level of the tides). Pangasinan is where places dubbed as "Bangus (Milkfish) Capital of the World" and "Seafood Capital of the North" hail from. And from among the numerous seafood restaurants that serve freshly-cooked seafood in the unique Pangasinense way, Matutina's has been one of the oldest leading institutions.

Very delicious pork sisig and rice from Patio Elmina.

Have you ever entered one restaurant in your entire lifetime that made your breath catch on your throat because-- based on what it looks outside-- you didn't expect it to look so darn rustic and charming inside? As I remember last night's dinner with my best guy friend, I smile and think to myself, "Yes, I think I just did."

Located along Jose de Venecia Avenue, Patio Elmina Grill & Restaurant is easy to ignore at first because they had no large signs at all beside the road. In fact, I only found out about the restaurant through my mom, who also knew about it from a friend.

There are cute bangus (milkfish) statues in the parking lot...

..whose eyes light up at night! So cute!

There's a bridge over koi-filled water leading to the dining area.

The two-cubicle restroom is a little dirty and mediocre, though. It would have been great if it stuck with the restaurant's theme.

Hand washing area.

There's space for a live band. Too bad there wasn't one playing the night that we dined.

Inn Asia, a motor inn, is located just behind Patio Elmina. 

They have a pool. I hope it's not just for Inn Asia's guests, though. I'd love it if diners could casually eat beside the pool while enjoying the breeze (if there's any).

Poolside dining area.

The food here are not only very commendable-- they're very affordable, too!

Pork sisig (Php180.00) and steamed rice (Php25.00 each). I understand that the restaurant's specialty is bangus sisig, but we still went with pork and were thankfully not disappointed. The sisig's portion size is a little bigger than what average restaurants serve, but when it comes to talk like this then the steamed rice takes the cake (one serving is really big)!

Kare-kareng gulay (Php165.00). Very delicious peanut sauce here-- and they even put in some pieces of beef. Thank you, Patio Elmina!

Pancit guisado (Php140.00). I want my pancit to be  wet with some sauce, but this one's a  little dry. Still, it tasted really good and has a big portion size!

Sinigang na tiyan ng bangus (Php190.00). Beware of fish bones!

Crispy kare-kare (Php220.00).