Allow me to take a moment to talk about something not related to Project Go.
March was a horrible month for me. Gruber, my baby monster, got sick and died. It took a lot out of me, since I love that dog more than I do 98% of the people in my life, and I was a wreck. I almost didn’t push through with this month’s Project Go but I made a promise to myself that I will do this project.
I decided to go to Tagaytay. Quick, near, and relaxing.
I didn’t really want to be alone so I texted a friend one Friday morning and asked her if she’s game to go Saturday morning for breakfast. She said yes, so off we went.
Her work shift ends 4am so I went to her place about 5am and we waited for a bus going to Tagaytay. Lucky for us that the bus we need passes by her place. The whole trip took around an hour and we were in Tagaytay by 6:30am.
Our plan was to have breakfast at Bag of Beans in the Rotonda but it apparently opens at 9:00am so hunger made us decide to take the jeep to the main branch instead.
I love Bag of Beans for two reasons: the ambiance and the breakfast meals
Part two of the plan was to hop on the bus back to Manila after breakfast but since we were already here, and we saw a sign for Tsokolateria on our way to Bag of Beans, we decided to stay a bit and enjoy the fresh morning air.
So we got on another jeep and went off to look for Tsokolateria. We got lost a bit so we walked quite a bit before realizing we already passed by it twice.
Tsokolateria’s original branch came from Baguio. Their specialty is Tsokolate de Batirol. Basically, they make hot chocolate from tablea using batirol -a small pot with a wooden stirring rod. It’s the traditional way of creating hot chocolate and one of the great things that came out of the more than 300 years of Spanish colonization.
We insisted on ordering two kinds because we foolishly thought that the waiter was exaggerating when he said that each order is good for two people.
I lost the top view photo but the Tsoko Mallows? Filled with really large marshmallows. You can see the tops on the two cups in the picture above.
Instead of spoons, we got mini-wooden rods of the batirol and the waiter taught us how to properly mix them (roll the rod between your palms).
By the way, Tsokolateria is in The Boutique. So, we enjoyed hot chocolate good for four people enjoying the cool morning air in this space.
Some notes:
- Bus cost us Php83 each per way
- We left Manila around 5:30am and got there around 7am. Left Tagaytay sometime noon and got back to Manila aabout 2pm. Not bad for commute. It will most definitely be faster if you drive
- Having said that, we left really early Saturday and came back Saturday, too, which helped us avoid traffic. It would have been a different story if we left later in the day and came back to Manila on a Sunday
- As with everywhere, take care of yourself and your belongings, respect people and culture, follow rules, minimize human footprint, and throw trash in the proper place
All in all, it was an easy and relaxing morning. Perfect for a broken heart seeking comfort from a good friend, good chocolate, and a chilly morning.
Still chasing,
Lyra
lyrareyes.com 