…cont.
05.03.09 SUNDAY
Past 5:30am when we left During’s and decided to have breakfast in Tagaytay. 🙂
We agreed to be back in Manila in time to watch Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Ricky Hatton to be televised on GMA.
Our road trip to Tagaytay itself was fun. Kulitan at asaran. Sinong ‘pulutan’? Siyempre, AKO!. Kung nun elementary kami nila ako inasar, malamang sobrang pikon ko nun.
Sabi ko nga kay Omie, “Maru-ruler na naman kita diyan eh” . Medyo di na niya naalala yung incident na yun nung Grade II pa lang kami. Tamang kulit si Omie nun (or tamang pikon lang ako? :p ).
Anyway, nalampasan ko yung incident na yun na di ako sinumbong ni Omie kay teacher.. hehehe.. but I learned to be more patient and promised myself na di na ko mananakit, no matter how pikon I will be.
Today, we’re friends na. 🙂 Cute na at di na nakakaasar yung pagiging ‘alaskador’ niya. hahaha..
It was my first time to go up Tagaytay in the morning.
This arc says “MALIGAYANG PAGDATING SA LALAWIGAN NG MAGIGITING” . Interesting. 🙂
It was 7:06 am when we reached this spot and made a left turn going to Caleruega. Since it was my first time in the place. I’m a bit surprised when by the entrance, the friendly guards charged Php30.00/pax. Before I could ever utter a protest, Obet paid Php 150.00.
In my mind, “how come you need to pay to get in a church?. Pagka-mahal namang parking fee at flyer na ‘to. 🙂 ”
Lui’s familiar with the place so she served as our tour guide. Caleruega, according to the flyer the guard handed us, is a house of prayer and renewal. It has complete facilities to accomodate retreats and seminars. Even wedding receptions.
Pretty flowers, lush greens and interesting structural features sorround this peaceful and beautiful place close to nature and yes, closer to God. A perfect place to contemplate.
Kung di lang ako malo-lowbatt na, I could have taken more photos of us around the place. It was just past 7am at kami lang ang tao. In between supressed laughters and a lot of teasing, sabi nga ni Omie, Picture! Picture! 🙂
(mabuti walang nananaway ng ‘Silence Please.” )
Obet and Omie with a backdrop of lush greens and abundant trees of Caleruega. You can hear birds chirping on the background.
Kami naman.
With She and Lui and Omie, again. 🙂
Eto lang ang medyo di ko gusto, crossing hanging bridges. 😦 Kaya pinapauna ko sila para di masyadong magalaw yung bridge. hehehe..
The place is just so relaxing and peaceful. I hardly recognized my fear surfacing again.
Pause for pose at the hanging bridge.
Finally, wacky class picture..hehe..
According to Obet, there could be snakes around. There are holes in the soil like this scattered all over the land area. You could imagine who could have done this holes. Maybe Obet is right.
Okey, one more shot and I’m out of here. 🙂
Next stop : Caleruega Church.
Obet, Lui, Omie and She infront of the TRANSFIGURATION CHAPEL. According to their website, TRANSFIGURATION CHAPEL is a reproduction of Caleruega Church in Spain.
This is interesting. Let me repost it here.
The Transfiguration Chapel
Rising tall and majestic in the highest point of Caleruega is the Transfiguration Chapel. From here one can behold the expanse of Caleruega and witness the glorious opus of radiant nature – a symphony of sky, trees, and the distant hills of Batulao. Like St. Peter during Jesus’ transfiguration, anyone who experiences such splendor of nature’s poetry will declare: Lord, it is good for us to be here… (Mt.17:4).
The chapel itself is replete with symbolism. Its façade is a reproduction of the original chapel in Caleruega, Spain. Its hut-shaped roof is in remembrance of the temporary sheds that the apostles wanted to build for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah during the transfiguration (Mt 17:1-8). The seal of the Dominican Province of the Philippines is depicted in stained glass in the upper portion of the chapel’s façade. The seven grapevines entwined in the steel doors of the chapel not only portray Jesus as the vine and we as branches (John 15:5), but also symbolize the seven sacraments.
The main altar is a carved tree trunk representing the “stem of Jesse,” mentioned in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah: then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit (Is 11:1). The tabernacle is a gentle reminder of the burning bush through which God revealed Himself to Moses in Mt. Sinai (Ex 3:2). The birds carved on the communion table are representations of God’s providence in Matthew 6:26: Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap…and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
The stained glass depicts the Transfiguration of Jesus witnessed by Peter, John, and Luke. With Jesus are Moses and Elijah, two significant instruments of God in the Old Testament (Mat 17:3).
This is a sure spot where the bride in her dainty wedding gown, will have her photos taken. There was a wedding that will happen that day. The bride and some members of the entourage are all over the place and having their sweet time taking their photos. Like us. 🙂
Just a note on the function halls.
TOMASINO HALL : An 80-bed (double deck ) dormitory for MEN with 6-unit common toilet and bathroom.
CATALINA HALL : A 90-bed (double deck) dormitory for WOMEN with 14-bathrooms and 6 toilets.
See the numbers. 6 against 14. 🙂 Pretty obvious, right? Nice.
The website indicated in the flyer cannot be viewed. But you may find details of the facilities of Caleruega Philippines in this link.
See the bride behind them? Nice.
I did not see the groom. Was busy taking pictures and appreciating the scene.
According to Lui, there’s still hope for us. 🙂
( okey, it is an inside joke )
She and Omie, behind is the TRANSFIGURATION CHAPEL and the grooms men.
The TRANSFIGURATION CHAPEL is a 150-seater chapel. It is an ideal venue to hold a solemn wedding ceremony with a small group of guests. The chapel, that day was simply decorated with mums and roses. The wedding theme, judging from the color of the entourage’s gowns, (and flower arrangements) was red and apple green.
Obet : Kamusta naman tau (me) naka-shorts papasok sa chapel?
Me : Kamusta naman at nauna pa tau sa kanila (the wedding guests and couple) pumasok dito, parang tau ang wedding coordinators nila. hahaha.
More flowers.. love it!
Parting shots. 🙂
Bye, Caleruega. See you again next time. 🙂
The Php 30.00 entrance fee is understandably for the maintenance of the place.
How To Get To CALERUEGA ?
(lifted from the flyer)
PRIVATE VEHICLE :
Via South Superhighway :
- Take Sta. Rosa exit.
- Proceed towards Tagaytay Market.
- Turn right to Rotonda.
Via Coastal Road :
- From Roxas Blvd. proceed to Aguinaldo Highway all the way up to Tagaytay.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION :
- Proceed to CROW Bus Terminal along EDSA in Pasay Board Buses going to any of these destinations : Nasugbu, Balayan or Calatagan. Get off at Evercrest, Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas. Tricycle service is available at Evercrest entrance or it’s a 2 kilometers hike to Caleruega.
CALUEREGA Phils. is located at Brgy. Kaylaway, Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas
For more info contact :
Ms. Jackie, Ms. Melda and Ms. Cristalle
Call or text : 0921.270.9890 or 0921.830.4226
Call : (043) 706.0348
Email : caleruega_philippines@yahoo.com
Our next stop is at Tierra de Maria, some walking distance away to Picnic Groove. I am a little hesitant to take photos inside the shrine as people are silently praying. After saying my own, we went up and oversees the wide lawn that leads to Picnic Grove.
Omie, She and Obet at the Tiera de Maria in Tagaytay.
Omie wanted to try the zipline. I informed him that a one-way up-there bliss costs Php200.00 and Php 300 (I forgot. :p ) if it’s two-way.
“Goodluck sa’yo, down there is a cliff pseudo snake pit. ” 🙂
Omie : Puyat ako. 🙂
Last few shots before my batteries went dead.
For the record :
It was She’s first time in Tagaytay daw. 🙂
The hanging bridge that never fails to make me feel sick. 😦
We ate brunch at Andok’s. Funny thing was, there’s Andok’s actually in San Joaquin, may sinigang pa. 🙂
Pero trip nga eh. Fun trip to Tagaytay with friends.
After ng brunch, uwian na. May pasok pa sa work si Obet ng 3pm and we also want to catch Pacquiao’s fight with Hatton.
In less than 1 1/2 hours nasa Pasig na kami.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to watch the fight. Parang napapikit lang ako eh, tapos na ang laban. In 6 minutes time, on 2nd round.
Bagsak si Hatton. 🙂
I AM YOUR SIMPLE JOY 
hm.. good one.
nice! i’m gonna make my own blog
yeah… bookmarked te xt :))
huh. attractive thoughts :))
yes. luv this thread )) l
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Thanks Andreas! 🙂
I am wondering what Jaclyn says with that =D
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