Viaje del Sol | Around and About - Day 1

3^rd stop: Kubli Springs

Still full from the delicious meal at Kinabuhayan Café, we went straight to the nearby Kubli Springs for some nature tripping. One of Jay’s assistants was kind enough to lead the way and he also served as a tour guide. A few minutes into travelling from the restaurant, we were already out of the concrete roads and heading deep into the woods. From the distance, we could already hear the sound of the flowing water in the spring.  

You can’t really expect to see much from here. I mean, the point is being one with nature, right? Or something like that. Anyway, the spring was clean and well kept. Our guide said its okay to take a dip but we opted not to. We wanted to, especially with the hot weather that day, but there were no changing rooms and we weren’t exactly prepared. So we just took a stroll around the spring and enjoyed the feel of cold water on our feet.

After lots of photo ops, we decided to say goodbye to the lovely Kubli Spring and move on to our next destination.

4^th stop: Carlito’s Workshop

Now this is a sad part of our trip. It took a while before we reached Carlito’s Workshop. We had to go back and forth the highway a few times and there weren’t many people to ask around for directions. Unfortunately, no one was opening the gate when we finally arrived. I called Carlito’s phone a few times but didn’t get an answer. I think we waited for a good 30 minutes before we decided to leave. And just a few minutes after we left, Carlito was texting me and asking us to come back. But we just weren’t feeling it anymore.

It’s just too bad. I was really looking forward to this part of our trip where we get to see his works. Bronze sculptures, ain’t that cool? And you get to meet the man who made it. I also read somewhere that he serves good coffee and snacks, it would’ve been the perfect timing. Oh well, I just thought at least I had somewhere to go to when I come back to San Pablo.

We went back to Casa San Pablo to get some rest and prepare for dinner.

5^th stop: Sulyap Gallery Café and Restaurant

You get more when you expect less! That’s how we felt when we went to Sulyap Café. I think we kind of agreed that this was one of the highlights of our trip. Just goes to show how a simply awesome meal can make an entire trip worthwhile.

It’s a few corners away from Casa San Pablo which is very convenient. I’d recommend this to anyone who’s staying in Casa San Pablo. In fact, I'd recommend this to anyone who visits San Pablo City, period. It’s small restaurant within a compound. Also inside this compound is a museum but it was already closed when we were there. So maybe if you have lunch here then you could also museum.

So anyway, just like I said, we didn’t really expect much coming in the restaurant. We just went there to have a proper meal and get on with the night. But as it turns out, the place was really lovely and the food was really great! There were lots of antique displays and paintings which is quite common in this province. Probably part of the owner’s collection or something. It’s like their thing. Plus, it adds to the Spanish feel of the restaurant. Very classy and romantic. The menu consists of regular Filipino dishes. I don’t know if we’re just lucky but everything we ordered was just delicious. Highly recommended restaurant!

After an awesome dinner, we went back to Casa San Pablo with happy tummys. We considered going out into the town for some drinks, but we decided to just stay in and order a couple of beers to end the night. The restaurant in Casa San Pablo closes early but the staff were kind enough to let us order as much beer as we can, and stay out till we’re done, even after they've closed up. I just love the friendly people of San Pablo City.

Coming up next is all about the 2^nd day of our Viaje del Sol trip. Till then!