Cheap Travel for Women: Cavite

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Things to do in Tagaytay : Puzzle Mansion

Thursday, July 16, 2015 Asia, Cavite, Philippines, Tagaytay No comments

by Shawi Cortez

If you are looking for a place in Tagaytay your kids will love, then bring them to the Puzzle Mansion.

Even if you're not bringing any children with you, but you yourself are a kid at heart, then this place will wow you.

Holding the Guinness World Record for having the largest collection of jigsaw puzzles, Georgina Gil-Lacuna received this award and recognition last November 29, 2012.

Ms Lacuna has completed 1,028 sets of puzzles by herself.

The first jigsaw puzzles in London were originally created by painting a picture on a piece of wood, and cutting it into small pieces with a jigsaw. So the original puzzles were wooden pieces.

Through the years, the modern jigsaw puzzles are made out of cardboard.

There are also three-dimensional puzzles and puzzle globes (which are spherical in shape).

Housed in this mansion is the world's biggest puzzle. Before passing away, Ms Georgina Lacuna has completed 70% of the biggest puzzle in the world, the rest was finished by family members and installed on the second floor of the museum.

the Keith Haring Double Retrospect set, a 32,000-piece puzzle

Inside the museum are different collections.

By far, my favorites are : Gustav Klimt's The Kiss.

And St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow Russia.

Is completing a jigsaw puzzle just for kids?

Not so. According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, it's one of the many activities to help keep your brain active and may help in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Located on the second floor, is a shop where you can buy puzzle to bring home for yourself or your kids. Get those brain cells working!

Take care when driving. It's a bit steep!

Entrance Fee : P100.00 (same rate for kids)
Address: Purok 4 Cuadra St. Barangay Asisan, Tagaytay City, Philippines
Telephone: (02)425-5195
Email: puzzlemansion@gmail.com

Sunday, June 21, 2015

First Timers: Stand Up Paddling in Taal Lake

Sunday, June 21, 2015 Asia, Batangas, Cavite, Philippines No comments

by Shawi Cortez

A visit to Tagaytay is never complete without a view of the Taal Lake.

But have you ever tried being on the other side of the equation?

It's almost 6pm and my friend Nannie and I were rewarded with a view of Tagaytay ridge. We are standing on a paddle board in Taal Lake on the side of Tanauan, Batangas, exactly the opposite of Talisay. The sun has almost set and we see silhouettes of SM Winds' five towers.

sunset in Taal Lake,
our view is Tagaytay ridge

This different perspective is a refreshing take on what we're used to seeing.

The first time I saw stand up paddling (also known as SUP) was in Baler, but the paddler was roughing the seas. I googled about it and saw that a calmer alternative could be done on a lake. Some yogis even do yoga poses on their boards.

So when Nannie posted an article in Facebook about stand up paddle boarding in Taal Lake, I immediately bookmarked it for future reference.

Weeks before this SUP experience, we booked a Ridgeview tour with Tono of FiliSUP. He recommends this for beginners, and minimum 2 pax is required. I honestly had a hard time looking for a Stand UP buddy as the rate is P1750/person, quite pricey for most of my friends.

From Tagaytay, we drove an hour and a half to get down to the lake, and around Tanauan. By 3pm, we were already at the launch point at Brgy Wawa, where Tono was waiting for us at La Playa de Tanauan. The resort is home to the dragon boat team Sagwan Tanauan.

La Playa de Tanauan

The festive flags are screaming so you won't miss it

After changing into our rash guards and shorts, we did not waste any time and started our beginners' lesson by the platform.

Since it is our first time to do it, we began in the kneeling position to establish our balance. Left hand holds the center of the shaft, while the right hand is about a foot lower and nearer the blade.

To shift to the other side, just slide your right hand up the center of the shaft, while your left grabs the bottom of the shaft.

We took a few strokes on each side of the board, and when we were good, we slowly stood up and stayed in the middle of the board.

begin with the kneeling position

Tips for beginners:
. When standing, adjust your grip and place one hand on top of the paddle, while the other is on the centre of the shaft.
. As you extend forward, keep the paddle in a vertical position, and bend your torso if possible.
. Dip the blade fully in the water and feel your back muscles burn.
. When the blade is almost parallel to your knees, lift it sideways and repeat the stroke, switching on each side of the board.

Our Ridgeview Lessons / Tour took about 3 hours, as we started a little past 3pm, and were back at the shore around 6pm.

Tono, our SUP instructor
behind him is Napayung Island

From the platform, we paddled to the left, and enjoyed a view of Napayung Island and Taal Volcano. The shoreline transformed from coconut trees to a semi-jungle--something you'd see when hiking. I stopped paddling for a while to take in its beauty. It would've been paradise for those keen into bird watching. Various species abound, and I don't even know what they're called!

lush jungle and healthy ecosystem behind us
makes for a good home to exotic birds

An hour into paddling, and we turned around for a short break by the platform. The wind blew, and it was more difficult to paddle against the water. We had to put in more effort and care not to fall off.

Break muna. Kuya Joe gave us directors' chairs to sit on while taking a breather

locals taking in the view

finally getting the hang of it

After the break, the lake was back in its calm state. Tono was to show us wild ducks on the opposite side, but we never saw any. We just basked in the sun setting behind Tagaytay, and marvelled at how the view is different from the lake.