road trip - part 3

next quest (well it seems like a quest to us now to find these hidden treasures of "viaje del sol") is to find the sampaloc lake - the largest among San Pablo's seven crater lake, (fyi, san pablo city is known as the city of seven lakes. we got excited when we learned that we can ride a bamboo raft and cruise the lake... bt immediately realised we cant do that since its raining like hell but still we wanted to see the lake.

i guess you've already surmised that we got lost again looking for this lake! We're already in San Pablo but would you believe that we somehow managed to get lost and find ourselves on the way to Quezon province! i dont know how we got lost but after lots of u-turns and questions we were able to find our way back to san pablo and reach sampaloc lake. a bonus the place is observing its fiesta celebration, too bad we didnt see marching bands... prolly because its raining.

love love these banderitas

after navigating for hours, we finally get to our destination... sorry it doesnt look picturesque and aside from the fact that it is raining ... it's also starting to get dark... the dusk is fast approaching

but that didnt stop me to have my photo taken (adik eh!) it's raining but i have my shades, LOL i really thought it was going to be sunny, feeling summer na ko!

another look at the lake... i think i've seen this lake before when we hike up in a mountain somewhere in laguna as well, i have to check that with mami dorcs and will show you better photos of the lake taken from the mountain top

so after cruisin around the place and got nothing to do, we decided to head back home since its already late... yeah we got lost again! we're just lucky that we always find our way back! we have like traveled almost 200km and half of that was spent tracing our way back finding the right track! so please do not ask me for direction or to be your navigator in this viaje del sol tour, oh i'd love to assist you that is if you're prepared to get lost and make sure you have a full tank, ok?

stopped here at luz garden (lisa wanted to buy some potted plants and it feels like we have a garden at the back of the car when we left the place), the owner aling luz is very accomodating , she said it was just her hobby before which became a business and i couldnt believe it when she said sh'e already 64! anyways her shop is located at bay, laguna

finally we find ourselves at SLEX and the traffic is starting to get crazy when we saw this beautiful place and decided to have coffee and stretch our limbs - sorry cant remember the name of the place but its so hard to miss, promise the place is sob big and well lit up.

i guess the laguna government is partly to be blamed why we got lost countless of times! well i admit my sense of direction or lack of it so pathetic but really it would help travelers if they put out signs in every major crossing. like this way to this so and so place, like what we have here in manila.

i'm really thankful to the people of laguna for being so nice! after spending 14 hours on the road i was so tired and dead to the world when i got home i immediately slept.

lessons learned? it doesn't hurt to ask for directions really especially when you're lost! and 2. learn how to read a map! having a map cant help you find what you're looking for if you dont know how to read one!

i invite you to take the journey, go out, hit the road and follow the sun

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a lot were asking how to reach the places and how to go about the viaje del sol, you can download the viaje del sol map here

here are the places to visit, it would be difficult to visit all these wonderful places in just a day, so you can just pick a few from the list... hope this helps

1. Pettyjohn Pottery
Bucal, Calamba, Laguna.
Tel No. (02) 8120766, (02) 7292980

2. La Vista Pansol
Norville Subd., Bgy. Pansol, Calamba, Laguna
Tel No. (049) 8341121 or (049) 2443645 or (049) 5451850

3. The Forest Club
Bay, Laguna
Tel No. (02) 3764623

4. Collette's Buko Pie
52 San Rafael, San Pablo City, Laguna
Tel No. (049) 5626754

5. Casa San Pablo
Gomez Compound, Bgy San Roque, San Pablo City, Laguna
Tel No. 0917 8126687

6. Tour of Sampaloc and Padin Lakes
Dagatan Blvd., San Pablo City, Laguna
Tel No. (049) 5627404

7. Pillar Plants and Novelties
Kusina Salud 09153737851

8. Kusina Salud
285 Bgy Sta. Cruz (Putol), San Pablo City, Laguna
Tel No. (02) 6995035

9. Carlito's Workshop
Sta. Ana, San Pablo City, Laguna
Tel No. 09198377755

10. Sitio De Amor
Km88.8 Maharlika Highway, San Pablo City, Laguna
Tel No. (02) 5527340

11. Villa Escudero
San Pablo City, Laguna
Tel No. (049) 5623282

12. Kinabuhayan Cafe Bed and Breakfast
Dolores, Quezon
Tel No. 09173271106

13. Ugu Bigyan: Potter's Garden
490 Alvarez Vill. Bgy., Lusacan, Tiaong Quezon
Tel No. (042) 5459144

14. Earthkeeper's Garden and Restaurant
Km 101, Bgy Talisay, Tiaong Quezon
Tel No. (042) 5457112

15. Casa Rap
Km 90 National Highway, San Jose, Batangas
Tel No. (043) 7262873

16. Charley's (reservation is required)
Lipa City, Batangas
Tel No. 09209507032

17. First Asia Institute of Technology
Tanauan City, Batangas
Tel No. (043) 4052326

18. Tarawoods
Bgy Natatas, Tanauan Batangas
email tara@info.com.ph

19. Herbana Farms
Km 59, Batino CPIP Exit access road
Tel No. 09205445439