The Rainbow Connection

I wish I can go back to those days when I didn't have that much care about the world and all I ever believed in were sunny days and happy endings...

Le Bistro Vert - Dining with a Cause

"Le Bistro Vert offers a special sustainable food menu which ensures that food products support earth-friendly initiatives and help sustain local farmers."

Knowing that what you're eating makes the livelihood of local farmers better makes dining all the more enjoyable. This is what Le Bistro Vert offers diners who come and sample their kitchen concoctions produced by culinary genius Chef Sau Del Rosario.  Locally produced and all-natural products make up the dishes in the menu of the restaurant.

My friend Jen and I sampled two of their bestsellers - the Chicken Mango Asparagus Roulade (Php 350) and the Palawan Cashew and Herb Crusted Sole Fillet (Php 350). A little on the salty side, the Chicken Roulade was well complemented by a serving of brown rice.

For dessert, we tried their Calamansi Pie, which was very tasty as well.

We give Le Bistro Vert 4 stars for the great and relaxing ambiance, good food and the very informative and attentive staff.

Le Bistro Vert

Streetside, Fraser Place, Ground Floor

Forbes Tower, Valero St.

Salcedo Village, Makati

Telefax: 403-1841

Email: lebistro.frsr@gmail.com

www.lebistro.ph

Tagaytay in a Day - Commute Mode

There are days when you really want to get away from everything for just a while, even just for a day. And my friend, OP, needed that one day...I was more than happy to go with her.

On a Monday morning, we decided to take on the road to Tagaytay, but unlike our previous trips to the place, this time we went on commute mode. I used to wonder if Tagaytay is one of those places that you will not really get to enjoy as much if you don't have a private car, I got a pleasant surprise with this adventure.

My friend and I boarded the bus (P57.00/person) bound for BALIBAGO at the station in Taft Ave. Buendia, the one facing EGI Bldg. We were on the road by 8:45 am and ready to explore Tagaytay for the day. After an hour, the bus stopped at the Balibago market where we were directed to board the jeep (P35.00/person) bound for Tagaytay. We didn't expect it to be a long ride (1 hour) but we had good weather so we didn't really mind.



It was almost 11:00am when we arrived at the TAGAYTAY CITY MARKET. My friend wanted to eat at BUON GIORNO, an Italian restaurant at the CLIFFHOUSE so we asked some of the people in the station for directions. One route is to board a jeep (P7.00) to OLIVAREZ PLAZA, then once there, ride another jeepn (P7.00) bound for Magallanes Drive to get to the Cliffhouse. One of the tricycle drivers offered to take us directly to Magallanes Drive for P40.00, and since we were getting pretty hungry, we took the this route instead.





We finally arrived at BUON GIORNO just in time for lunch. The restaurant offered a very scenic view of the TAAL LAKE AND VOLCANO. To fully enjoy the ambiance, we decided to stay at the al fresco area. The restaurant had a very rustic yet comfortable and relaxing appeal. It was decked with wood furniture, drapes and pillows and little what-have-yous that reminded me of one particular show in the Lifestyle Network - Shabby Chic.



I ordered Salmon Risotto (P252) and Dalandan shake (P112). Op had Mushroom soup (P168) and Meatball Sub (P202). For dessert, we tried their Chocolate Espresso Torte (P168). It was a very hearty meal indeed, a bit pricey but the servings were quite big and can be enjoyed by two people.





Each meal is cooked to order so there's waiting time involved before you can devour their kitchen concoctions. According to the staff that we got to chat with, the restaurant has been in existence for almost five years and if you can't go to Tagaytay just yet, you may enjoy their Italian meals at their Shaw Blvd. branch.
Out of 5, we give Buon Giorno, 3.5 stars, for the meal, the ambiance and the very friendly staff.



With our tummies filled to the brim, it was time to hit the road again. We've decided to try the zipline at Picnic Grove. It took us two jeepney rides to get there - from the Cliffhouse to Olivarez Terminal (P7) and from Olivarez terminal to Picnic Grove (P10).

After paying P50 at the entrance, we headed towards the zipline area. For P300 each, we had a two-way zipline ride and a photo for each of us. This is quite expensive considering that the zipline only lasted for 8-10 seconds each. But then I guess, there is a premium to every experience, plus the scenery was also quite good.

At 3pm, we were ready to go home. We did not want to get caught in the afternoon traffic that much so we boarded a jeep back to Olivarez terminal and rode one of the San Agustin buses that stops at the Buendia-Taft station.

I know there are still a lot of things that we can do in Tagaytay and we'll definitely go back to do each of them next time. At the end of the day, it was really an afternoon well spent with a friend and just the right form of escape to get away from the demanding and busy life in the city.



Till my next adventure...

Something blue, Something sweet, Something unusual

It was a usual day at the office, putting together the next issue of the magazine I work for and chatting with my team. Suddenly, I get a text message from a friend asking where I was already - panic attacks! I was supposed to attend this event for a newly-opened branch of Blue Water Day Spa at Tomas Morato...hmmm, I thought it was after office hours but then, I was obviously mistaken.

So, after wrapping up my mini-meeting, I rushed to get a cab to get to the event - it was already 1:30 when I finally hailed a taxi who agreed to take me to QC. Another hour of traversing the streets of Manila, I was finally at the event and as expected, it was almost over. Fortunately, Anna, my contact was still there to give me the tour of the place. I have never been to any of the other branches of Blue Water Day Spa but what I saw was truly impressive. They have a couples room, a massage room for men and women that can accommodate five people at a time. The rooms have their own bathrooms and sauna area. The most interesting part of the place was the spa theater. It's a 16-seater theater with comfortable seats where clients can enjoy foot and head massages while watching a movie. Hmmm...I might try that one of these days.

After I finished the tour, most of the people were already leaving. My friend, Arvin, and I had our lunch and decided to continue our chat somewhere else. We ended up staying at Banapple in Il Terrazo, still along Tomas Morato. We've already featured this place in our magazine but it was only my second time to try out their cakes. We decided to get a slice of their Snicker Fudge Cheesecake (Php98) and we were not disappointed at all. It was truly, truly delicious - fine and creamy cheesecake with sweet, chocolatey and nutty bottom. Yum is the word! We stayed for an hour until we both had to be somewhere else. I needed to go back to the office, he needed to be at this Nike event at the Fort.



Usually, I would have taken another taxi ride going back to Makati but then Arvin suggested we take the MRT and so we did. I was never a fan of the train, I think it has been a year since I last used it to travel in the metro. I agree that its a more practical way to travel but what I don't like about it is having to squeeze myself in a throng of people, definitely not a fan of small spaces. Also, i easily get confused with where to go to exit...hmmm, for someone who works in a travel magazine, I think this is one skill that I really have to work on - knowing where to go. Maybe because it was not the rush hour yet but I had a relatively comfortable train ride, I even had the chance to sit down at some point. Well, maybe taking the train needs a re-thinking for me. Everything changes I guess and sometimes I know I have to learn how to adapt and who knows maybe what I'll find out won't be so bad. It can even be another welcome experience. What started out to be a little bit chaotic turned out to be...well, fun and interesting. Till my next mini-adventure.

Intro: So I Choose Travel

For the past months, I have been quietly debating with myself what this blog should be about and I've finally come to a decision - this is going to be my travel journal for 2010...or maybe for several more years in the future depending on how adventurous I choose to become and how I can diligently continue writing (fingers crossed).

My current work allows me to travel to different places within the country and I thought why not document them and share them with whoever cares to read my blog...or with those who have the passion to discover more than where they stand on at the moment.

Why did I choose Sit Steady Sam for a title? Well, to be honest, I just like the sound of it but then I realized, it could also be a phrase you tell someone who is about to experience an adventure...sit steady and enjoy the ride...sort of. So here I go...

For those of you who will have the time and interest to read what I've written, I hope you will also be encouraged to travel and see more of the world. After all, its been created for us not just to be a place to live in, but also a place to discover. So wonder and wander all you want and hope you see not only its beauty but its meaning as well.

Let's go.

My First Blog Entry on Travel: Lakbay Norte - Jan 24 - 31

I like going to places, even on my own or with a group. I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to explore the northern part of Luzon - thanks to North Philippines Visitors Bureau's Lakbay Norte Media Tour. This is my first major travel experience for the year, and to say that it was quite amazing would be an understatement.

The numbers are in. We've conquered 9 provinces, traveled 1,728 km, stayed in 6 hotels in different areas and spent more than 40 hours on the road inside the coolest (coldest?) bus (Victory Liner) for 7 straight days. With overflowing food and a group of enthusiastic, videoke-addicts and daring (Ella) individuals who share the same passion for seeing more of our beloved country - it was truly a great way to start my 2010.

Our bus left the Victory Liner terminal in Kamias a little past 8pm. We geared up for the long journey ahead of us. Most of us dozed off or at least tried to and I was fortunate enough to get probably two hours of sleep. It was the longest land travel I have had so far - 10 hours on the road...

And so our adventure began...

Day 1: Cagayan

We arrived at Tuguegarao, Cagayan, our first destination at around 5:30am and proceeded to the Parish Pastoral Center to enjoy the breakfast hosted by Cagayan North Convention and Visitors Bureau (CNCVB). It was quite a hefty breakfast comprised of the local delicacies - patil . After the press briefing and a short presentation about Cagayan Valley, the troop geared up for our first adventure destination - Callao Cave.

The stalagmite and stalactite formations inside the cave were truly impressive and equally so was our energetic tour guide Gerald. He took us through the whole seven cave chambers:

1) Aviary Chamber - where Nido birds can be found

2)Highest Chamber - 162ft from ceiling to the ground. There is also a mother and child limestone rock formation that can be seen on the ceiling

3) Dark Room - where the "anaconda vs. crocodile" rock formation makes an interesting spectacle

4) Cream Room - derived from the rock formation that looks like scoops of ice cream

5) Jungle Area

6) Adventure Chamber

7) Eroded Chamber

After going through all the chambers in the cave and listening to Gerald's creative and animated description of the limestone rock formations, I went to try out one of the other adventure activities being offered in the area - rappelling. With harness in place and after hearing the instructions given, i took one step off the ledge and was quite unsuccessful - the result, a badly bruised and scratched leg. I had to be pulled up. That was my first attempt but then, my battle scars would not have been worth it had i not tried again and so I did and this time around, I reached the ground in good form (at least that what they said).

My first sort-of-extreme activity for the day -- CHECK!

Good morning world!

I must admit, I am starting to get hooked on this...

Today I woke up wearing the same set of clothes from last night, yes I stayed at the office once again to finish some work...and to start this blog. While the bench I slept in was not that comfortable, I still got some shuteye, just enough to perk me up this morning. I'm realizing that I like writing stuff at the break of day as much as in the late hours of the evening.

An enjoyable conversation with a colleague over breakfast proved to be another good way to start the day. We talked about one of my favorite series of all time - Ally McBeal. While still in college, this series introduced me to two of my quirky habits -- pondering and choosing a soundtrack for every situation in my life. Yes, whenever something good or bad or a significant event happens to me, I'm always pre-disposed to find that appropriate song for that event. Well, I'm quirky like that I guess.

Anyway, I have to go home in a bit and probably get another hour of sleep...then I'll be back at the office doing the usual.

Till later.