We had a rare long break last December.  We decided to leave the city for a short break.  It was really short, like just an overnight stay in Tagaytay.  We left December 26 and came back December 27.  We figured that most people would have finished with their vacation by then, so there probably would not be too many crowds!  My husband and my brother had work on December 28, so we had to be home before then.

The problem is…a lot of Metro Manila residents probably had the same idea!  So there was a bit of traffic jam along the way, especially with the narrow country roads.  Oh well…

Anyway, since we stayed in our relative’s house, we didn’t really have too much problem with accommodation.  We were simply told to bring our own bedding — pillow cases, bedsheets and blankets. It was a nice, quiet gated subdivision with an American country home theme.

I so loved the cold weather.  It was a refreshing change from the usual heat and humidity that we almost always experience in Metro Manila. It’s not often that we often get to wear jackets (the kids look so cute in their jackets!).  It’s so cold that my little Baby Girl Bear, who always loved baths, refused to have one!

What I didn’t like so much were the long waiting times at restos.  We went to Leslie’s for dinner and had to wait for a long time to be seated.  When we went to Breakfast at Antonio’s for lunch the next day, it was pretty much the same story.  It was a good thing that both places had koi ponds which kept the kids entertained while we were waiting.  Next time, we’ll bring rice and canned goods and maybe some ulam that we can keep in the refrigerator so that we’ll just eat at home.    Will save some bucks too!

We didn’t do all the usual Tagaytay stuff like horseback riding because of lack of time.  We think that we should have a longer break next time so that we can bring the kids to do all the other touristy stuff.

What the kids really really enjoyed was the playground inside the subdivision where we are staying.

Here is E Bear, enjoying himself on the monkey bars!  Hahaha!  (Actually his Papa Bear was holding him from below).

It was an ordinary playground, much like playgrounds you see in Metro Manila subdivisions and malls, BUT with the added privacy and the cool cool air, it was so much more enjoyable!  The kids ran and play without breaking a sweat the whole time.  Papa Bear and Mama Bear enjoyed watching the kids enjoy themselves!  If only for this, the trip was already worth it!

I would really really love to go back and I would really really love to have a longer break, like maybe a week.  It was a refreshing break, and we really bonded as a family, without having to think of anything else but enjoying ourselves.

Right now, Papa Bear and Mama Bear are thinking of setting aside maybe a week during summer vacation to have another break and bonding with the kids.  Keeping our fingers crossed that this wish will come true.