Day 8

14 December 2008

Attended mass at the church just outside of the barangay gates with Lola for Gaudete Sunday (third Sunday in Advent). There was a mix up on the time and we arrived an hour earlier than when the mass began. It was nice to follow along with the mass, even though I didn’t understand the language.

Auntie and Uncle took us to Tagaytay in Cavite for lunch and a day trip. We stopped at Trobado for lunch and were serenaded by troubadours (hence the name of the restaurant). I had a great time singing along with them, but I don’t think my younger cousins appreciated the experience as much as I did. Trobado also had a fantastic view of Lake Taal and Taal Volcano.

After lunch we went to Canyon Woods and toured the golf course community there. The Adrianos are members at several golf clubs in the area and they own a lot at Canyon Woods. They haven’t built their house yet, but they plan to do that in a couple of years. We had coffee at the club house and while we were there, I spied a castle looking structure in the distance. They told me that it was called “Fantasy World,” a really exclusive club at which they were also members.

I have mixed feelings about this place. The place was empty, almost deserted. But the grounds were still maintained and secured with guards. We had the place all to ourselves, but none of the buildings were finished on the inside, except for the bowling alley and the swimming pool. It was like they put the structure up and then didn’t bother to finish the rest of it. Uncle says it’s because ever since the owner suffered a stroke, they stopped construction. It’s a shame really, since the place could be a wonderful attraction for visitors to the area. But, because it's an exclusive resort, they won't open it up to the paying public. We ended up bowling at their bowling alley, with Leah scoring the highest at 83. I finished with a 78. I think everyone else was in the 50s.