When your boyfriend is too smart in Mathematics that even the number of our months together are counted! Yes, and because of it we have realized that we're about to celebrate a hundred months! One hundred months!! Is it the time that really flied fast or we're just totally aged in a clap. I could still remember the first time we had our monthsary, July 30 2008, but can't recall what had just happened that day. Lol. For the record, it's a total of eight years and four months to have collected a hundred of months. Amazing, right!? A kind of relationship started in high school days and who would have thought that will come this far.
John Victor is the name, heart is the endearment and Thirty is the number. A tall, dark and hundsome..handsam...oh HANDSOME!! Seriously, not because I'm his girl, but I think he is one ideal guy every girls are looking for. A very gentle person with dreams, courage, family-oriented and manly enough to fight for you. And he will surely treat me with lavish dinner date after reading this. Lol.
Since our family is devotee of Antipolo Church, we planned to attend a mass and go somewhere within the vicinity of Antipolo afterwards. We've been searching places to visit and we ended up in this so-called hanging garden of the city, the Luljetta's Hanging Gardens and Spa.
ON OUR WAY TO ANTIPOLO CITY
October 30, Sunday, left Bulacan at 5:30AM, this time I didn't drive 'cause I've got a driver haha. We hit the road to Fairview, exactly the same route when I went to Antipolo last September.
We reached the City at 7AM. Parked Mutya in the underground parking of a Mall and had our breakfast in McDonalds. We proceed to the church at 8AM. One hour mass went smooth and divine. Another thing that I love in attending mass here is because they never change the melody of every songs which is way smoother and soft to sing.
ON OUR WAY TO HANGING GARDENS
We hunted Loreland resort where Luljetta's Hanging garden is located. It's 30minutes drive from the main City and despite the bumpy and narrow rough roads, we've finally reached the place at 9:45 AM and stayed inside the car while we waited few minutes for its opening.
Luljetta's Hanging Gardens and Spa is only a part of a very wide farm resort of Loreland. 10-20% of it actually. It is very obvious that the whole farm resort has lots of amenities that are good for a family vacation or a group of friends bonding moment. At exactly ten, we confirmed our reservation in the front desk, Php1500 per pax retreat package inclusive of all the amenities for 5 hours with complimentary snack. The staff immediately issued our passes and we walked down to the Locker room. We got our keys and basket consisting a pair of "Batik" the traditional robe and towels. We changed quickly and left our bags in our respective lockers.
Since it's a hanging garden, we have to walk down to see the entire place and in every level there is a specific place that will surely match your relaxation needs. It's a very calm and serene place. Indeed the perfect spot to have peace of mind. We could only hear the sound of waters, melody of the singing birds, ringing winds and slamming bamboo trees. It was truly a day in the lap of nature.
FISH SPA!
We decided to try Dr. fish first, had finally deleted "fish spa experience" out of my bucketlist!! It's just a long pond with a rustic seats on its sides. We seated with excitement and when we dipped our feet down, gosh! It is so hard to resist laughter due to the tiny soft bites of those fishes. My feet can't afford to stay longer under the water because fishes are like hungry zombies aggressively eating our soles. This is such a funny experience. Hahaha. And I loved it! Well, later on we have adapted its cackling feeling and enjoyed another 30 minutes of fish massaging.
After fish spa, we proceed to their hydro massage pool to have a look but it's a bit crowded so we skipped this one and walked to see the "Buddha's Lounge" a wooden type mini open house where you can have their signature massage, you can stay in the couches as well with the perfect view of the infinity pool below with the very mesmerizing smell of scented candles all around the place.
As we walked down again,we entered the "movie lounge" which has several of large chairs with pillows and a huge flat screen television that is perfect for some movie catching, a set of table in front, snack bar on its side and a furniture consisting different board games and magazines which you can enjoy for free during your stay.
It's almost 12nn when we got back to the highest level of this garden to devour lunch. We've decided to have the complimentary snack first which is a set of Antipolo's crunchy best suman with mango and iced lemon grass tea which commonly known as "salabat". After 30minutes, they served us Seaweed breaded pork loin and Beef rendang which is not so pleasant to taste. I guess they must invest more on their food in terms of adding more choices in the menu, freshness of food and a little effort in making every dish a delish. Good thing we had a pleasurable silhouetting city view.
SAUNA/STEAM BATH
After
our lunch, we walked about ten steps downs from the restaurant to
experience Sauna. It's not included in my list but I never thought would
be a great experience too. A small heated room where you can either sit
or lie down to and do nothing but to get hot by it's steam bath and
sweat it all out. It is provided by water thrown on hot stones and I
supposed it has so many health benefits if done regularly. We have face
towel and iced water with good aroma to keep our normal breathing. Then a
woman approached us and suddenly turned on the heater, like wait, the
temperature inside ain't the heat we supposed to feel yet!? It's getting
hotter each seconds and we've had enough sweats so we finished our
sauna and had minutes of rest in one of the cottages outside.
We get back to the hydro massage pool to experience the water therapy but it's too cold so we swam in the infinity pool instead. Then we finally got the chance to dip in heated jacuzzi, my favourite water therapy of all.
After an hour of activity, we had an afternoon snack of cappucino and strawberry frappes plus a slice of double chocolate cake and repeated each amenities again after our snack.
4:30PM, we decided to have our last stop in movie lounge where we lay down, had small talks and rest our spoiled body in one of the couches. Laying next to him is the most rewarding part of the day. After all the relaxation this place offers, nothing beats the feeling of safety and free from stress whenever I'm inside his hug.
We left Hanging Gardens at 6PM and had our dinner of Bulalo and Barbeques at Padi's Point, bought pasalubongs for our families and reached home at 10PM. End of the day.
Luljetta's Hanging Gardens and Spa, the very first and only hanging garden in our country. It might have numerous type of pools and water therapies but the reason why I love this place is because it's just simply calm. With this place, you can have the power to leave everything behind and have a sip of tea without worrying for anything. It can fill your mind with only positivity that negative vibes are out of space. A kind of place you want to stay in for the rest of your life. A place where you can't feel regrets of paying a visit. It's a place that everyone's comfortable of. Yes, why it has to be a place? Has it ever came into your mind? Can't it be just a capsule which you can buy at convenient stores and transformed it in a huge place anytime when you needed time to relax in just a click. Why does life has to be this complicated? You know why there's so many questions "why"? It's because in every why, we seek for something; in every why, we find a better way; in every why, we get to find the answer in ourselves. That's why, "why" is the most educating question, not because of its way of interrogating but how you answer it with reasons, feelings and confidence. So in every "why", there's always a "that's why".
And for the highlight of this trip, to be with my greatest "why". Reaching 100 months is no easy. We both know aside of putting sugar, spice and everything nice, we had sour, bitterness and struggles. Of all the challenges, arguments and break-ups, I'm glad you stayed beside me, you never leave nor make me feel alone. For many, our journey had gone way farther but for some it's always just a beginning. Nevertheless, it's you and me that still matters. I hope we stay like this, choosing always the happiness of each other, no pressures, just keep on going with the flow and let God lead our way to his hand one day. But for now, know that every moment with you is a treasure and I would spend another 100 months with you and only you.
Hundred months, thousand miles or million times are just an illusion of numbers but being precise with your destination can only define one's journey.
Journeying Rochel and JV.
