Danielli's Spa Revisited

I was yearning for a good night massage on a Sunday night as my last resort to relaxation from Christmas rush, so that I can start my work week refreshed. Off we went to Danielli's Spa, we arrived at about 10PM. We opted for the usual 1.5 hour massage for Php 530 and found that there is a reduction price promo! It was only for Php 450. Please read along to see my updates from my previous Danielli Spa review.

The massage:

 I have phone separation anxiety, it also helped me to always check my phone for the massage start and end time (including intermissions). I felt that the massage flow was lacking at some parts and did not feel that it was enough. For the benefit of the doubt, I approached the front desk and inquired. I was told that my massage was for 1.5 hrs., they immediately called the masseuse and asked how long my service was. The masseuse reported outright that it was for an hour only - okay, there was a mix up of information. My 1.5 hr massage was shortened to 1 hr. for the 2nd time around and masseuse went out twice for a total of 10 mins. It was an honest mistake for the masseuse's part and she offered additional kneading to fill in for the lost time, so I accepted and went back to the common room.

This time, I clarified that the additional massage will be for 30 mins. She blankly said to me that it will only be for 15 mins. because she went over 1 hour earlier. Again, I was checking the my phone and noted the actual start time (not to be confused with the waiting time in the common room until massage starts) and 10 min. down time with no clear reason. I stood up and walked out saying: "Nevermind." One whole massage flow was finished anyway, 15 minutes of hasty massage could not make up for the totality it.

Danielli Spa's amenities looked and felt the same. Unfortunately, the massage experience did not. Mr. DQ and I are in separate common rooms for men and women, we were the only customers at that time. I did not appreciate going to a wholesome spa where a masseuse repeatedly "slipped" her hands somewhere else. I am aware that confusion may sometimes take place between the front desk lady and the assigned masseuse; which is why Mr. DQ and I opted not to make a fuzz the first time around, we just realized that 1 hour was not enough for us. I am not sure if the business is trying to go after other spas that could offer 1 hr. massages for Php 200. I did not mind paying Php 530.00 and going the distance before, simply because it was worth it. I find it sad that they tried to stoop down a level in terms of service.

Tip: none this time

Likes:
Promo price

Dislikes:
Compromised service
Massage ladies seemed burned out

Price:
Original Price = Php 380 per hr. and Php 530 per 1.5 hr.
(Less 21-15%) = Php 300 per hr. and Php 450 per 1.5 hr.

Keywords: Danielli's Spa, Danielli, Spa, Danielli Spa Review

Kagay-anon Restaurant, CDO

Mr. DQ and I met our local friend to fill up our tummies with local goodness. We met at Gaisano mall and were supposed to have seafood nearby, but we've heard so much about the local cuisine at Kagay-anon that we decided to visit the place.

The winding staircase to the second floor, which led to the second entrance of restaurant. I could have been a showstopper and asked everyone to take pictures with me along the charming backdrop, but I was more enticed to see what lies on the other end of the staircase.

We were quickly greeted by local waitress and waitresses. "Kuya" (local term for older brother or a casual gesture for respect for someone's seniority). We ordered fruit shakes, Melon for me and Mr. DQ, which I easily gulped down into half a glass - reminded myself to save some for dinner.

First up was the Kinilaw na Tuna (Raw tuna in vinegar). Despite touches of sourness and a hint of chili, each bite-size piece easily swam its way to my tummy.

Likes: Serving presentation, Fish was fresh, Lemony and Chili taste, Smooth finish

Dislikes: It might be spicy for someone's liking

Another Our other appetizer was Guso Salad. The bits of bell pepper, ginger and onion were pretty. I found myself digging in for the seaweeds. My verdict: Umami! It was like experiencing the sea in my palette. If I didn't know any better, I might have mistaken the sauce as the sea water itself.

Likes: Umaminess

Dislikes: Raw taste of bell pepper and ginger

 We came for an adventure that includes having a taste of the well-known ostrich meat. Pardon my amateur attempt to capture Kagay-anon's Ostrich Salpicao. I was already drooling with hunger and still mouthful of Guso, but I'm pretty sure that we all paused a bit to acknowledge its arrival to our table. I could remember the wafting steam of banana leaf and garlic. I was surprised that the meat tasted like beef and it went very well with steamed rice, the garlic chips gave it an extra ooomph.

Likes: Meat was tender, garlic chips

Dislikes: I want a larger serving 

We ordered Grilled Tuna just in case we couldn't have enough seafood. It flakes off when the meat is forked apart.

Likes: Flakes off the bone

A touch of pork to cap off our evening; the Pork sisig was hot, a bit spicy and saucy. This dish made us go for another round of rice servings. Sizzling pork on a hotplate, this completed our evening.

Likes: Sauce that goes well with steamed rice, a hint of chili

Dislikes: I was looking for that extra crunch from chicharon

We could not retrieve the official receipt issued to us. We were able to experience Kagay-anon for Php 1.6 k. We only noticed the old pictures of Xavier College and its church behind us when we were about to leave. Among locals and tourists, I specifically enjoyed the Filipino themed- restaurant that is somewhat similar to Manila's local Barrio Fiesta and Kamayan. If I ever get to visit again, I will try out some vegetable dishes and local delicacies.

Bigby's at Centrio Mall, CDO

After our morning park stroll in Gaston Park and early Metro Hotel check in, Mr. DQ and I thought about where to have our first official meal in Cagayan De Oro since our McDo breakfast. Upon crossing A. Luna street from Metro Hotel's block, a line of motorella was calling our attention for a ride - this was funny since Centrio mall is already a few steps away. I guess we looked like tourists and might be going somewhere else. It is located along Recto Avenue, across Gaisano Mall and besides Robinsons Mall. 

We were running in circles on deciding where to lunch out. We decided for Bigby's since we haven't tried this anywhere else. Look what I saw in the menu: CDO Sinuglaw, this was immediately my first pick. I am fond of sashimi, ceviche, and the like. I was drooling already upon seeing "kilawin". Kilaw is a Filipino way of serving meat that was not cooked under heat, but was dipped in an acid agent like vinegar and spices. Sinugba is a Filipino term for grill or broil. Sadly, this was unavailable. 

I took a 30 min. nap at the Metro hotel before meal hunting, which is why I was not that sleepy from our early flight when I ordered Rack-A-Bye-Baby Go-Easy. The ribs was so flavorful from inside out that it did not really need helpings of sauce. I used the sauce for the mash so that it won't be a waste, but the mash tasted perfectly on its own as well.

Likes: Sweet BBQ flavor, fall-off-the bone meat, nicely grilled corn, creamy mash potato

Dislikes: Too much butter on the veggie sides and salt in the mash potato.

Price: Php 259.00

Like a hungry pirate, Mr. DQ ordered Captain Joe's Rib-eye steak. See the smoke from the picture? It was as aromatic as the picture looks like. The meat was tender, but Mr. DQ would have preferred it to be more tender per bite. I tasted some, but I was too busy with biting off the last meat pieces from the ribs. Again, I would it it without the need of the gravy.

Likes: The sizzling smoke effect, meat was tender, grill marks.

Dislikes: Too much salt for my liking in the steak.

Price: 650.00

We love cheese! We tried this sort of chicken pizza. Can you help me identify it? This came out first, but we ate it in between our ordered entrees. It reminded me of chicken carbonara and it successfully filled in our tummies and hearts with cheese and crunchy crust.

Likes: Cheese chunks, the sauce and crunchiness of the crust

Dislikes: Maybe some gooey cheese like the common mozarella would pump the it up

I am still not over my fascination for Missy Bon Bon breadshop. My sweet tooth still squirm for the chocolate brownie that we randomly bought to taste. It may be too sweet for some, I loved the gooey texture. This branch was inside Bigby's location and our table leads to the door to the breadshop. If we weren't so full with our meal, we could have tried their ranges of gelatos.

Strawberry and Mango Shake. Oh why not? I am on a vacation. The shakes are about 30% cheaper than in other resturants in Manila, I could have easily gulped down 2 of this if I were not going elsewhere after.

Likes: I could taste the strawberry bits, not too sweet, real strawberry garnish

Dislikes: I want a refillable version

Price: Php 89.00

From BPI's promo, we were able to have a take out of Tijuana Quesadillas Plain. They did not skimp on the packaging, this was handy for our afternoon trip in CDO. It was not gooey anymore since it was already cold, but it was tasty and still cheesy when we grabbed some bites on the road.

Cagayan De Oro Day 4

Here we come White Island! We were previously advised by the concierge that the resort has a boat ride service to White Island during mornings. Despite the temptation of sleeping all morning, we got up about 9 in the morning for a 15 min boat ride to a floating piece of island amidst the Bohol sea. If you're asking why, this is because the island will be submerged under water when the tide is high in the afternoon.

I felt like a dolphin, teeming with excitement as the waves of water gradually changed from dark blue to bright aqua blue. I've been living my whole life in Manila, and ironically had only been to 3 of the country's beaches (Malapascua Beach, Tayabas Bay and somwehere in Cebu Strait). Our ferry rower even offered to take our own pictures, I was thankful for this since I could not get an angle that could include all of in the frame. Manong helped us manage getting out to the marshy beaches of the island, where other boats and tourists were already enjoying the sunny Sunday morning. He told us that he will come back for us at noon.

While crossing the narrow and sunken strip of the island to the other side, I could not take away the thought of being left in this island while it goes under water - hahaha. I continued on, and occasionally adjusting my grip to our bags of towel and personal stuff as the water level rose upto above my knee. Thank God, we made it safely to other side, let's think about going back later.

Finally, the sand and the sea in between my toes. Good thing that we brought our goggles with us; we were able to see the sea creatures around us. Since it is submerged at most times, sea creatures dwell on this 2 mounds of island were corals, urchins and sea plants. We did not have life jackets and snorkels, a pair of goggles would suffice if you're a swimmer or a floater. We didn't wander far because there is not a need to. We didn't dare to go deeper than about 7 feet since we didn't have life jacket. There is this one school of corals full of life in it, I took a swim around it and was charged with adrenalin and delight. I did not know what kinds of fishes they were, I could only remember the school of black and white angel fish, and one lonely clown fish. We were careful not to step on the sharp sea urchins and not to damage the corals as well. The first creature that I saw as a shrimp, swimming on the shores when we got off the boat earlier - it was the cutest thing. Our friend and I attempted to build a sand castle our of the white sand but only managed to build a fort with a water hole facing the shore. The sand is not as fine as powder, a bit yellowish and grainy, mostly consisted of corals and shell. you may opt for a pair of beach shoes since some parts of the shore have thorny shell bits, but the natural feel of stepping on to marshy sand and water is priceless.

Manong came around 11 in the morning, we were already dead hungry by then and were looking forward to a brunch meal. We weren't sure where to eat except inside the resort. Our friends tried the carinderia food outside but our lady friend had LBM after awhile. Mr. DQ and I did not attempt to eat what they did anymore. Instead, we shopped for dried squid and dried fish. For 3 packages of dried squid (about 24 pieces of chicharon) and 2 packages of dried fish (about 16 pieces). We were in a hurry back to Benoni port, we reserved a multicab ride before our trip. It's a small town and everybody knows everyone's business. Although we would've wanted our original driver to send us off, we opted to take the reserved multicab since he already cleared out his schedule just for us.

The weather was getting sour when we traveled back to Benoni port, good thing that our multicab has plastic windows to shield of the mist. Our friends and I planned to stop by the "pasalubong" souveneir market at Benoni port. Unfortunately and fortunately, the ro-ro boat back to Balingoan port was already boarding. We hurried onto the boat and had outside seats. If it was a sunny day then I would have enjoyed this, but because it was rainy, let's just say that we had our adventure after all. My paranoid yet outwardly calm self was already thinking of escape routes if we needed to jump out of a ro-ro hahaha. Passengers on the last rows were naughtily shouting as if they were in a real thrill ride, one individual seated inside was tearing up. Home Alone 2 movie was on and we moved our attention to the TV for some comfort. Our friend has been sea sick when riding the boat, poor thing, he had to stand over the edge of the ro-ro and hold on to the rails despite being splashed by sea waves. The boat drivers tried to ride with the wave as we crossed Bohol sea to minimize the waves on deep water, and adjusted as we reached the port. I was relieved when we got off and my hair was frizzy and dry - and this was despite covering it with a shawl.

It was about 4 in the afternoon when we got to Balingoan port. We could have taken the bus back to CDO, but it was rainy and we were tired and hungry. We took a private van ride for Php 2500. Our flight was moved to 4 AM in the morning instead of the original 11 PM, we crashed to Miami Inn for a quick rest because Metro hotel was full. For Php 980, we were originally designated to a room that coincidentally smelled of cigarette. We noticed that there were no elevators in this hotel and went 2 floors up via stairs after we asked to be transferred to another room. Miami inn was more roomy but older. I could not sleep immediately due to slightly eerie feeling. We did not have hot shower and did not bother to complain anymore since we were tired and hungry. 

At about 6 in the evening, we ran to the 24-hour Jollibee fastfood chain, which was about 2 blocks away. We had our meal of the day! I'm sure that I wasn't delirious when I noticed that the local serving of spaghetti was 1/3 more in terms of the spaghetti quantity and the sauce - I had 6 hotdog pcs as compared to 2-3 back in Manila. I was a kid again and I was happy. I was so hungry that I even ate an extra hotdog meal. Locals were not skimpy when it comes to their meals, spaghetti and the chicken meal were still the predominant orders, up-sized juice drinks and upgraded drinks were evident. Since we know about the early closing of establishments, we passed by the bakery for some goodies for the next day's breakfast and flight. We stopped by a local grocery store for our pasalubong items consisting of flavored nuts and cornic (cirspy corn bits). Sighs, so long to missy bon bon and vjandep pastels *drools*. 

At 3 in the morning, we met our pre-negotiated taxi driver from yesterday. Miami hotel staff helped us in calling a taxi. This time, we headed to Laguindingan airport because Lumbia airport was already closed. The airport was about an hour away. Some parts of pathways did not have street lights, I would not want to walk around alone in the dark in this part of CDO. The airport was new, but comfort room was starting to take the toll. It was small but evidently more modern than the old airport; it had air-condition and second floor. After showing our board passes, a temporarily set-up pasalubong area greeted us. I got a box of 6 Vjandep pastels for Php 85. Pastels are sweer bread bun with yema or custard filling inside. The gooey cream melts in your mouth like heaven -mine did. Not bad since it costs more than a hundred back in Manila. Upon boarding the plane, I saw a teenage group of friends who had stacks of Missy Bon Bon pastels for pasalubong, I badly wanted to buy them off. Ugghhhhhh 'till next time Missy Bon Bon pastels.

Cagayan De Oro Day 3

Despite threats of the gloomy weather, it was like fiesta upon reaching the Cogon market; drivers and bystanders were greeting us while offering transport services to different locations in CDO. We took a 10 min taxi ride from Metro Hotel to the Cogon Market so that we can catch the bus to Balingoan Port. Our local friend negotiated with the locals and we were led to a Starex service unit to Balingoan port for Php 1500.00 for 5 people. It seems pricey, but it was worth it since most of us were able to nap The impending rain drops was threatening our Camiguin island tour, but we carried on anyways. before our Camiguin Island tour and avoided bus stops. It was a good decision after passing by more than 5 bus stops and seeing other buses parked on the roadside. The driver knew the route and it was as if we were riding the train.

Upon reaching the port, we were too early for the "ro-ro" that will transport us across to Camiguin Island (Roll on/Roll off ferry boat that carries cars and passengers). Other passengers were also waiting for the incoming ferry. The terminal fee was Php20.00 and Php 170.00 for the ferry ride per head. We boarded Star Ferry Boat at about 11 in the morning. The boat was pretty in pink and the seats were comfy enough for our 2 hour ride across the Bohol Sea.  The sea and the breeze, we munched on some peanuts and local spanish bread back from Balingoan port.

Drivers and bystanders greeted us again at Benoni port, and we were really grateful for our local friend's presence. We were also mindful of choosing because the multicab drivers have their own system of queuing for passengers also. Camiguin is a small island, our local driver/guide agreed to tour us around the island for Php 1500.00. As a local resident, "manong" knows the way around the island and talked while he drove. Our first stop led was to Katibawasan Falls. The road to the falls was elevated and sometimes led to off road pathways; though seemingly undeveloped, we felt lucky. It was as if we discovered a treasure island that is uncommercialized and unexploited by the mass.

Before entering, we noticed small "karinderias" (local canteens) selling piles of golden brown Kiping for P20.00 each. It was made of sweet potato, crispy, and served with sweet coconut jam. It was so sweet that it invited a bypassing bee and pet chickens of the locals, the chickens scrambled with every droppings.

Besides the mossy walkway, the trees, vines and shrubs naturally framed the top view of the water falls. A winding staircase led down to a small pool. We took a quick deep after changing in a public shed, I shivered as I took careful steps across the rocky and sandy ground of the pool. I was careful with my steps since the area is mossy and avoided unwanted foot injury. There was a precaution line that warned tourists of the deepness of the area where the water falls. Mr. DQ was 6"2' and was not able to reach the ground with his toes and kept his dream of showering directly below the falls to wait. The falls led to a controlled river-like structure that was regulated by a boulder of rocks. We climbed all the way up the winding staircase again to reach the entrance area, each step was worth the pool below. Entrance fee was P5.00 per head. 

Manong drove us to Paras Beach Resort where our friend reserved a room for 6. Look, mountain view from our left, the pool and sea on the right. Poor Mr. DQ, who helped me carry my sportsbag earlier from the staircase of the falls. We checked in early and left our baggages in the room, some changed their wet shirts before proceeding to the rest of the tour. I did some quality check by jumping on the bed and squishing the pillows - I didn't want to leave.

We continued our tour, Manong took us to the Walkway to the Old Volcano that caused the 1871 eruption. It also included Stations of the Cross, which that leads to the top of the mountain. Manong told us that it was a long way up and we did not go far. Most tourists get a photo opp of the first station. Entrance fee was P5.00. Karinderia and souveneir shops are found infront of the site that sold refreshments, shirts and of course grotto souveneirs. On our way to the Holy Cross, we passed by the sunken cemetery. The cross floated amidst the sea and the only visible structure from the sunken cemetery, one can cross the sea from the shore via small boat while a local pulls the rope towards the cross for a fee, we were content to see it from afar. From our pictures, it is better to go see it in the morning when the sun does not shine against the viewing spot. Bystanders will offer to take your picture with the cross, we took our own pictures. According to manong, a tip of P20-50 will be sufficient.

Our fourth stop was the Guiob Old Church Ruins, towards the sea was a cliff. Amidst the ruins and the knee-high shrubs, there is one well-maintained loo station. For P2.00, the polite caretaker showed up after use and even gave us receipts. The walls of the church ruins ere evidently made from corals and rocks found from the sea. We even brainstormed if the cliff was submerged by the sea and corals grew after 1871 volcanic eruption nearby that submerged the place, or the place was indeed made from the corals.  It was about 20 min drive from the resort, the old bell tower was still recognizable, the new light house is visible from where the old convent was. Nearby was a more than a century-old tree, I wondered how many wars and sunken ships it had witnessed. On our way, we passed by Tres Marias - the 3 sister mountains found at the middle of 2 mountains.


Being the water-loving girl that I am, my insides were tingling with excitement on our way to the cold spring. Some ways are off road again, but I didn't mind as I was already daydreaming of going to the hot spring after the cold one. We reached Sto. Nino Cold Springs and quickly walked to the edge of the natural pool. Our friends jumped into the cold pool. Mr. DQ was not comfortable of swimming with the fishes and I was hesistant to jump into a deep pool as I could not tell due to the clarity of water. We stayed at the edge and discovered a natural fish spa by slowly deeping our legs into the pool. Obviously, we were the invaders of the natural spring. Fishes swam away when agitated so it was important to keep still. It was tickling but it was a treat after a day's walking around the island. I could not deep my feet to long in a cold pool, so I took breaks. There was even a small crab that emerged from a hole on the edge of the pool - good thing we did not sit on it! A local from the outside approached us and asked if we would like some refreshments and even rice meals. We decided to have an early dinner consisting of coconut juices, 1/4 kilo pork adobo and a bowl of rice. The coconut is a bit on the sour taste already; nevertheless, we still scraped the coconut meat out of the fruit. The rice was soft and sticky, adobo pork meat was a little tough but aromatic. For a price of Php 250.00, it was a quick fix for our hungry bellies.

  

There's nothing like a nature-inspired spa trip to cap off the day. As the sun set, we were travelling the off road to Ardent Hot Spring. It was dark when we reached the hot spring and I was careful of the slippery path towards the hot spring. There is a change area, some tables, sheds, and even villas for rent. It was packed, it was almost past their bed time but the kids area are still full of lively children. The adult area consisted of two areas, some people are cooped up from where the water came from. Not much difference to the other side where the water was deeper. I entered the wrong entrance to the pool - my toes couldn't reach the bottom of the pool and hanged on rock formations towards the 5-foot swim area haha, so much for my fear of murky waters. I hanged unto Mr. DQ and tried to reach the bottom, the water was a bit murky yet the calming for tired muscles. The water was naturally warm, not hot. We placed our belongings on the rock staircases infront of the pool and took turns in looking out. Couples, families and barkadas were enjoying the warm pool, some were picnicking in the designated area. We thought of eating onsite, but were concerned on our way back since the service was only for 12 hours. We decided to go back to the resort and eat later. 

On our way back, I couldn't see the sides of the road due to darkness but this was negligible to manong's experience. We tipped Php 100.00 for manong since we enjoyed the trip with him. We enjoyed night pool swimming under the moon light, the water was still as the night since other guests were not back yet. While waiting for our late dinner, I enjoyed chilling on the hammock, while Mr. DQ and friends went for the billiards and table tennis for free. We feasted on our dinner next to the sea. The bulalo soup warmed our spirits, lechon kawali again for the "young at heart", chopseuy was average, sweet and sour lapu-lapu was fresh. After washing up from our room, we ordered cocktails from the clubhouse. I had a screwdriver; refreshing and harmless, but I was tipsy on our way back to our room. Cable TV was available available at the clubhouse and the concierge area, where guests could also sit and chat away. We were beat from the day's touring around Camiguin, we finished our drinks in our air-conditioned room and dozed off under our warm comforters, dreaming of the next day's agenda - White Island.

Cagayan De Oro Day 2

I must admit, it really is an effort to step out of one's comfort zone. So from the city touring and mall strolling, Mr. DQ and I met with our local friend and 2 more others from Manila after picking up Innova service unit from Avis. Thank goodness that the caretaker went out of his working hours to assist us as early as 7 in the morning. Yes, we rented the car for about Php 4k per day with Php 1.6K downpayment that will be returned upon return of the service unit. The car included insurance and diesel gas. The mileage was only a little over 4 km; lucky us, we are the one who about to wear it out haha.

This was the last day of Laguindingan airport's operation, we fetched our friends from Manila to get their things since they signed up for white water rafting in 1st Rafting Adventure. Hey look, PAGASA headquarters (Philippine Athmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services and Administration) was just across the airport. Our friends hanged out for a while since one of them works as a meteorologist. Together with our local friend, I didn't only feel homey in CDO, I also felt that the good weather was on our side.

I know, I know. Rafting was not my sort of thing... yet. Mr. DQ and I opted to go joy riding and see local sites such as the Gaston Park and Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, Gaisano Mall, Nazarene Parish Church, other local government structures. Just like in any other local churches in the country, lost souls are found in the area asking for alms. Some may get assertive by your tugging your shirt and tap your arms, please avoid giving alms because it is against the law and it has been advised by the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) to refrain from doing so. 

We found it interesting that CDO has its own version of Divisoria and Recto like in Manila. At the back of my mind, it's a bit comforting to say: "Oh, it's just like in Manila", only the place looks different and it tickles your curiosity to go and see beyond. Apparently, "Divisoria" means "divider" in English and the divider was built as an urban divider or a firebreak. Not sure why Recto is still connected to Divisoria at this part of the country though. Nonetheless, we saved Plaza Divisoria tour for later's night market experience.

  

When we met up with our friends, traces of adrenalin rush were still evident from their sun-kissed faces. According to our friends, the division of rafting were classified as beginner, advanced, expert, and so on. For beginners, the rate is Php 700. They signed up for advanced stage for Php 1k each person, which includes the service ride to the area and safety wear. It was the first time for our local friend to go rafting, and same for the meteorologist. From their experience, the advanced stage is mellow enough for healthy newbies and the guide was very experienced. I will definitely try this when I come back to CDO.

We set course to Bukidnon to visit Del Monte Plantation in Camp Phillips and its well-known clubhouse- The Bungalow, and Dahilayan Adventure Park. Though slightly hungry, we settled for the meaty tuna sandwiches that our local friend prepared earlier since we are headed for The Bungalow's famous steak. It's a 2-hour drive that includes going up the mountain roads. The service unit's air-conditioning was working fine, but we chose to roll down the windows to take in some fresh air. As soon as we saw the giant pineapple, we entered Camp Phillips and saw these cute and neat housings within the area. The air indeed smelled of pine and pineapple. Our local friend says that the housings were for the employees and that the place is guarded by military to ward off leftist from the mountains, but it is open for civilian's and locals.

Just infront of the pineapple plantation, the Bungalow clubhouse was literally a wooden bungalow surrounded by nature. As dreamy as the willowy tree, the large circular driveway leads to the entrance. It felt like I was about to visit my local friend's granny for some good ol' home cooked meal. I'll write a separate review for the details; my personal favorite was the stewed beef for it's gooey sauce and melt in your mouth meat pieces. Although they were ironically out of pineapple juice, I enjoyed the mango version and it reminded me of my grandma's old wooden house back in Manila.

The air grew cooler as we went onwards to Dahilayan Adventure Park, some parts were already off road but it didn't matter - the grandeur of the fields was mejestic. As a local resident, my reaction was: "Seriously, no one thought of shooting a cowboy film here?" My handy dandy headband turned out to be useful to keep out my hair from constantly slapping into my face. Thank God for a slightly gloomy weather, no rain.

The weather in Dahilayan was comparable to Tagaytay. No entrance fee to enter the park. There is, however, a range of prices for the corresponding thrill ride. Dahilayan offers shuttle ride service from Divisoria Plaze for Php 350.00 per head on saturdays.  Our friends went for the Drop zone. The caretakers strapped them up and lifted them to as high as 120 feet for an impending free fall. If any comfort, the man-made pond will catch the impact of your fall, in case of emergency. According to them, the stress and thrill was rooted to the cord pulling that will lead to the drop of thrill seekers. Spoiler alert: The hilarious thing was that the cord initially appeared to not work due to repetitive pulling, keep calm and pull again. The rates were Php 500.00 for single and Php 750.00 for a pair. When I finally decided to try ziplining for P500.00 single ride to Asia's longest zipline of 840 m, it was past 5pm and the park was finishing up with the customers, who signed up before 5pm. I noticed a peculiar trick that they used for big-boned people - plastic fins for windbreak. See other packages here.

While on our way home, we lost our way among the off road paths. Luckily, we asked a local "ate" ( assuming the wisdom of a maiden, not necessarily older sister) and headed back to CDO town proper. The mountains and unending fields looked like a cropped out picture from The Legends of the Fall movie. I have no pictures to justify this, you must see for yourself. After a quick fix up from the Metro Hotel, we visited Divisoria night market near Xavier University-Ateneo De Cagayan. Beggars were pretty assertive as we ate our way along stalls of chicken proven - a stick consisting of 4 pcs fried chicken intestine. It was sinfully good, especially when dipped in sweet and sweet and spicy sauces. Besides the frying woks, rice wrapped in banana leaf was also sold and eaten along with the chicken proven for a complete street meal fix. Filipino local street foods like fishball, squidball, kwek kwek, and balot were also available.

In the plaza, we were greeted by the "manangs" from lines of food stalls that were full of Filipino and local CDO food like varieties of pansit, adobo, "kinilaw" raw meat in vinegar. People ate on temporarily allocated plastic tables and monoblocks right on the street. Be careful of your belongings, it's night time and some may be tempted. Our food tripping led us to a 5 min. motorella ride to Inilog Grill, it's amazing that we fit in for a group that consisted of a 6'2", and 3 over 5'5" people. Our 2 lady friends settled for the right and left wing seat of the driver. 

The grill have non-smoking area and live band. If you don't mind eating in the dark with black lights on, this is the spot to chill with your friends. They had NBA replay on one side, the other one has the local drama series on. We were still hungry and feasted on pork sisig, calamares, lechon kawali, kalderetang kambing (goat), rice per head and 2 buckets of mixed varieties of SanMig lights. In addition to the fun vibe of the place, quirky reminders were found at the last page of their menu. Though I wasn't able to try ziplining and rafting, I was able to experience CDO on a relaxed tone; we were able to do as we please on our own phasing.