Meet Me In Laguna
Laguna lures both local and foreign tourists with its many other attractions. The town of Sta. Rosa is home of the country's premier theme park called Enchanted Kingdom which boasts of its thrilling rides whole-year-round. You can also try a trip down the rapids of the famous Pagsanjan Falls through a canoe ride. Another town called Nagcarlan has an underground cemetery built hundred years ago, and was even used as hiding place by the Katipuneros (Filipino movement that fought the Spaniards in 1896). An exact replica of the Spanish-styled house of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal is at the town of Calamba. Craftsmanship of the people of Laguna is also a point of interest to many –the embroideries of Lumban town, the woodcarvings of Paete, the papier-mache of Pakil, and the shoes of Liliw. To discover all these things about Laguna, more than a weekend trip is recommended. I myself have not seen and touched everything Laguna boasts about. I twice enjoyed the rides of Enchanted Kingdom, but the rest of the time I stayed in this province are spent lounging by the hot spring pools in Pansol.
An outing is not complete without a chow. While you may be taking time in choosing which resort to stay in, you may drop by the many food stalls along the stretch of this resort-crowded town. The mouthwatering aroma of roasted chicken and fish would give you instant cravings for food. There are also mini-stalls and street vendors that sell live crabs, which are best when steamed. Fresh prawns are also available in the market of Calamba. Cooking is not a problem because most of the resorts provide its guests with cooking tools.
Those who are mad about sweets can also find satisfaction in the province. There are many stores selling Laguna's specialties buko pie (coconut meat pie) and espasol (milled cassava cooked in sweetened coconut milk and rolled in cassava powder). I remember one time when my friend and I made this nonsense agreement of counting the buko pie stores we passed by while we were on the bus on our way home to Manila. But neither of us had a good count because we were both sited on the right side of the bus, and we could not see the other side when the person seating near the window unclipped the curtains. We just contented ourselves devouring one-kilo of sweet lansones (fruit famously
Latest Articles