Magayon ang Bicol: Day 2 - Legazpi Boulevard and La Mia Tazza at Embarcadero

My mom and I are big coffee drinkers and we've heard a lot about this local coffee shop in Legazpi which offers a coffee beverage that is uniquely Bicolano. La Mia Tazza Coffee is located at Legazpi's waterfront mall, Embarcadero de Legazpi. 

Before getting our caffeine fix, we went for a short drive along the Legazpi boulevard. 

Legazpi Boulevard

Panoramic view of the Mayon Volcano... covered in clouds. haha

Bancas

I bet Legazpi Boulevard looks better at night with all the lights on. 

Now let's head to Embarcadero to try La Mia Tazza's Pili Tazzino!

Embarcadero de Legazpi

Coffee with a seaside view? That's what you'll get at La Mia Tazza!

La Mia Tazza Coffee

Here's the drink we came here for, Pili Tazzino. So, what makes this drink uniquely Bicolano? It's the Pili nuts! Ice blended coffee with almond syrup and Pili nuts.

Pili Tazzino

My mom had the Pili Tazzino and I just couldn't resist ordering their Iced Caramel. 

Caramel forever

Ahhhh... Coffee with my mom on our last stop for the city tour. We needed that caffeine kick after a whole day of touring the beautiful city of Legazpi!

Here are a few photos of Embarcadero de Legazpi:

I'm so glad we were able to visit all the touristy places in Legazpi. Thanks to Froilan for the very informative and fun city tour!

Back at The Oriental Legazpi with Froilan

Magayon ang Bicol: Day 2 - Lignon Hill and Albay Pili Nut

Lignon Hill is where you can get the best 360 degree view of Legazpi, Daraga, Albay Gulf and the Mayon volcano. We weren't able to see Mayon in all its naked glory because of the gloomy weather.

This is where you start walking to the top... or maybe you can just drive up the hill.

They say the best time to walk up to the hill is at early morning so you can watch the sunrise and enjoy the cool breeze or late afternoon and witness the beautiful sunset and watch the city lights come on. Lignon hill also has fun-filled activities for everyone. You can do biking, rappelling, zipline and many more. No adventure activities for my mom and I though, we just went there to do some sightseeing. 

Rice fields and Mayon

Enjoying the view with mom

Albay Gulf

Legazpi airport in the background

The view from Lignon hill shouldn't be missed when you're in Legazpi. Wish I could go back and the weather would cooperate! 

Now that we've ticked off Lignon Hill on our list, it's time to buy some pasalubong from Albay Pili Nut, the oldest pasalubong center and pili nut candy factory in Legazpi. 

I know. Since 1936. 

Look at their Photo wall! Celebrities and other famous people who have visited Albay Pili Nut

So what do we have here?

Pasalubong, check!

Magayon ang Bicol: Day 2 - Daraga Church

After doing almost all of the camera tricks we could think of at Cagsawa Ruins, we then headed to Daraga Church. Daraga used to be just a part of the town of Cagsawa but after the devastating eruption of Mayon volcano in 1814 which killed thousands of people, the survivors of the eruption decided to relocate to Daraga which eventually became a new town. The Daraga Church sits beautifully on top of a hill overlooking the sea and the Mayon volcano. 

Mayon is hiding but she's there

History of Daraga Church

Intricate designs carved on volcanic stones

Our tour guide Froilan explained why the church's facade seemed to be painted in white. It's actually a lime coating done to preserve the church, it's not permanent and it will eventually return back to its original form. I loved how Froilan explained the different meanings of each design carved on the church's facade. Although I couldn't recall all of the things he said, I appreciate how he wanted us to look at the church in a deeper way, to look at it beyond the skillful carving of volcanic stones. That it wasn't just made because they thought it was beautiful, each aspect of the entire design had a particular meaning. He told us that the reason why he explained it in detail was because he didn't want the efforts of those who thought of the design with the different meanings behind each carving to be put to waste and forgotten over time. 

Relics

The Altar

With my mom at Daraga Church

So I guess that's it for Daraga Church. Lucky we had Froilan as our tour guide, learned a lot from him!

Magayon ang Bicol: Day 2 - Cagsawa Ruins

We woke up to a cold morning in Legazpi on our second day. I went over to the balcony as soon as I got out of bed to see what the weather was like. Windy and Gloomy. Not the kind of weather I was hoping for but it was a beautiful morning nonetheless. 

Breakfast Buffet

After having our breakfast, we met up with Froilan, our tour guide. The prize was supposed to be a guided trek up Mt. Mayon but that would be too strenuous for my mom so we had the Legazpi city tour instead. First stop was the Cagsawa Ruins. This has got to be the most photographed site in Legazpi. It's an old church built in the 18th century and destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Mayon in 1814. How can something so beautiful be so dangerous?

Cagsawa's History

Almost there!

I took my camera out and started taking pictures of the ruins when suddenly a man told us to stop taking pictures and to move to the side for a bit. Turns out that The Amazing Race Asia was filming in Legazpi. 

"no cameras please!" YIKES!

They're done filming. Yayyy! 

Now here's the fun part of our trip to the Cagsawa Ruins:

That's me scaring my tiny mother

On my mother's palm

Mom, you have to act like we're carrying something heavy!

Uhm... Why am I so happy?

Gotcha, mommy!

Mayon's too shy...

Those are the crazy camera tricks we did at Cagsawa. A trip to the Cagsawa Ruins wouldn't be complete without it! Thanks to the locals for their awesome trick shot skills. You don't need to pay them for it but it would be better if you give them some tip. 

Next stop, Daraga Church!

Magayon ang Bicol - Day 1

One of the popular tourist destinations in the Philippines is Mt. Mayon, famous for its perfect cone shape. I've seen a lot of this majestic volcano in postcards and magazines, I never thought I'd get the chance to see it up-close and for FREE! When I learned that The Oriental Legazpi was having an online contest and the winner gets a 3D/2N accommodation for two, a complimentary massage and a Mayon adventure package, I just knew I had to give it a try. I couldn't pass up on joining that contest now could I? I quickly worked on a simple painting entitled "I dream of Mayon", posted it on their Facebook page and crossed my fingers that I would win. Luckily, they chose my entry and I won the grand prize. 

Lucky me!

I was thrilled! I excitedly told my mom about it and we were supposed to be there on the weekend Typhoon Ambo passed by the Bicol region. My mom didn't want us to fly out that day because the area was placed under storm signal number 1 so we booked another flight only to find out on the morning we were supposed to leave that Cebu Pacific cancelled our flight due to "aircraft situation". We finally arrived in Legazpi on our third try, this time with a different airline. 

It's true, third time's the charm!

So I thought this was Mayon... LOL!

What was I thinking?

And then I saw this. Breathtaking. This view from the plane left me speechless. I hurried to get my phone and took some photos.

A view of the Mayon volcano from the plane

Window seat and this view. Awesome!

I've seen Mt. Mayon's beauty in postcards and magazines but to see it from this view is just spectacular. When we landed at the Legazpi airport, I still couldn't get over how beautiful and huge this volcano is.

Legazpi Airport

A smiling lady from The Oriental Legazpi greeted us when we arrived. Uhm... over here!

It was just a short uphill drive from the airport going to The Oriental Legazpi. The hotel has a fantastic view of the Mayon volcano and the rest of Legazpi city. I love its glass walls and modern design!

Modern Elegance

Spacious lobby

Executive Suite

My mom and I got really tired traveling from Cebu to Manila then Manila to Legazpi ( yes, there was no direct flight from Cebu to Legazpi that day). We had to catch up on sleep since we've been awake since 1:30am! 

Smiling at the camera before getting some sleep

We woke up just in time for dinner so we got dressed and went down to Jasmine, the hotel's restaurant.

Jasmine at The Oriental Legazpi

My beautiful date, Mommy!

Kinilaw na Isda, Laing, Lasagna and Chocolate Caramel Cake

Because I'm a pasta person, I ordered Lasagna. The serving was huge, I think I just ate half of it! Mom had Kinilaw na Isda and Laing (one of her favorite dishes). The Bicol region is famous for its spicy dishes cooked in coconut milk and Laing (Taro leaves in coconut milk) is one of them. For dessert, we shared a slice of their Chocolate Caramel Cake. It was divine!

After having our dinner, we headed to the spa to get a massage. 

One of my favorite parts of the trip! Got a really good massage at their spa.

Relaxed and ready for day 2!

No better way to end the day with a good and relaxing massage. More of Legazpi and Mt. Mayon on my next post!