Sunday, February 15, 2015

My kind of Valentine's Date!

As Valentine's Day looms in, a lot of people are planning different romantic and creative ways to surprise their loved ones. From flowers and chocolates on the doorstep to a romantic dinner on a cruise.      
Yeah, that sure is a nice way to pamper a girl on this kind of special event. I guess that was the essence of Valentine's Day right?      
As for me, I have my own view of things: Practicality.      
Yes, my guy showers me with stuffs from bouquet of roses, stuff toys, clothes, and take me to dates. But of course, there would be times that I need to say 'NO'. Because a relationship doesn't need to be costly,right?      
So for our Valentine's date, we decided to join his family which are planning to have a picnic at Picnic Grove in Tagaytay.      
I'd been to Tagaytay countless times. I mean it's just a 30-45 minutes ride from our abode (Dasmarinas).      
But in Picnic Grove? I haven't been in there, and I was a bit excited since I really love going outdoors especially getting close to nature.      
Going there was easy once you reached Tagaytay. Jeepneys and Tricycles could take you there. As for us, using a private vehicle was convenient. 
When we reached the park, it was overflowing with tourist--from foreigner to locals, and from couples to families. Despite the gloomy weather, the place was obviously filled with fun and happiness.      
The entrance fee per person is at P50.00, and the parking fee for private vehicles starts from P35 depending on the size of the vehicle.      
Inside you'll find rental tables and huts ranging from 100-500.  Pony and horseback riding are offered for P150/hour, or if you only wanted a souvenir picture you could ride them for P20 and have your picture taken.   
Food stands and souvenir stalls are located inside too, but I suggest that you bring your own foods, in fact you can even grill some barbecues there.      
View decks are located a bit far towards the edge of the park, and the view of the lake and the volcano was real spectacular. imageYou can go on trekking there, although it wasn't really as thrilling, but try the zipline and the cable car and you'll get thrilled.

Well, the place was a great place to visit for a budgeted weekend holiday trip.      

At 3PM, we exited the grove as we still have one more place to go--Mall of Asia to watch the International Pyromusical Competition. 

On the way, we got stuck with the rush hour's traffic, and the mall's vicinity was heavier with it when we reached the place. Parking lots are fully filled. Having left with no choice, we decided to park along Seaside Blvd in front of One Esplanade.      
It was 30 minutes to 8PM when the hustle-and-bustle of the city was silenced by the blast of fireworks, sending off little sparks that lighted the skies of the MOA grounds and the Manila Bay.      
The sight was amazing, and though we're a bit far, we were able to enjoy the show over our simple but delicious packed dinner. imageimageThe Philippines International Pyromusical Competition is now on its 6th year. Two countries are set to compete each Saturday, starting last February 7 to March 14.   
That night, the exhibition was between Italy and Brazil and each lasted for 15-17 minutes. The hearts formed from their fireworks add up to the romantic feeling of the Valentine's season. 
It was quarter to 9PM when the show ended. After packing up our stuff back to the van, we boarded the vehicle and went home.      
Tired from the adventure, I easily dozed off to dreamland as the radio plays love song on the background.