Fam Roadtrip to south Luzon for Volcanos and Churches

What a day we had with the family. We got up early and Noel's Mom, Dad, sis Magic and bro Jun came and picked us up at 7:15am to leave Manila, to drive south for a couple hours to the crater lake volcano at Tagaytay and some of the colonial Spanish architectual history in Taal down in Batanga.

So weird that between our condo and all the way through the country or atleast the island of Luzon in the Philippines, there is not only a Jolibee on every stop/town along with a predictable McDonalds and/or KFC...but there is also a STARBUCKS on every stop/town. Seriously, Filipinos are hooked on Seattle's Starbucks. Very weird. They are all busy and all look the same.

On the way to Taal we stopped in Tagaytay, a resort-y kind of town. We hung at their beautiful 2 story Starbucks (I know, can't help it) and looked over the foggy/cloudy morning over the valley into the huge crater lake and the second crater that is an island in the middle. So gorgeous.

Many of the homes and government buildings were beautiful with the plantation Spanish colonial architectual like this one from the 1700's in this pics. After us checking out the Cathedral at Taal and crashing a wedding going on there, we found one of the mansions of the town's influential. Noel asked if we could tour it, and the housekeeper let us in. As we walked through we found out that this was where Jose Rizal and friends used to meet and talk about and plan the Revolution against the Spanish in the late 1800's. We even found a trap door in the grand dining room where they could escape all the way to the Cathedral underground so no one could find them. Totally cool, and so much Pinoy history I didn't know and have learned since coming to this lovely country of 7,100 islands.
After many quality hours with the parentals we got caught in a 3 hour car ride home stuck in serious traffic. The roads here are so funny...no rules really reply: driving in the shoulder, driving between cars/motorcycles in between lanes, driving on the opposite side of the road and making another lane on the wrong side of the road...all no problems. Nerve racking, scary and hilarious. Did I mention trucks, cars or otherwise just parking in the right lane where and whenever they feel like it? Geez! It's freeing that there aren't any rules but also really annoying.

It was so nice to get to spend some quality time with Noel's parents. They are really fun. His Dad is quite but his Mom she seems to come to life with the kids. I see where Noel gets alot of his goofiness.

The last pic is at Sonya's Garden, a bed & breakfast and spa resort, in which I fould a beautiful chandelier hanging in the jungles next to a very simples mess hall feel. Hmmm. This country keeps surprising me. Can't believe we are leaving in 2 days.