Balinmanok: Discovering a Paradise

Balinmanok, is not a familiar place but is yet a paradise to be discovered. If you are on a travel to the province of Pagasinan you would probably visit the amazing Hundred Islands or the white sand of Bolinao. Many people have not yet discover the beauty of Balinmanok, so when we set foot to its shores, the true beauty and serenity of the place welcomes us.

Balinmanok is located in the quiet fishing town of Dasol. This place is literally a province, where people leisurely enjoys music from a local radio station while making a banca, where farm animals are considered as pet, and the locals past time is simply idly enjoying the beauty of their surroundings.

We arrived at Villa Balinmanok at around 4 o’clock in the afternoon on a cloudy Saturday. Villa Balinmanok in description is divided into three places, first is the villa where the guests stayed, second is the Jacuzzi (the guests named it as such) which is at the left side of the villa and the third is the Balinmanok ship wreck located at the right side of the villa. To get to the Jacuzzi and Balinmanok ship wreck, tourist needs to walk some miles, you can ask the villa’s hospitable attendants for directions.

the house in the villa

the boat and swing

Since we arrived late, we first explore the place and decided to take a swim on the next day. Our first stop is the small hut located on top of a small cliff in the villa. In the hut you can see a nice view of the sea. After being mesmerized by the wonderful view, we decided to look for the shipwreck but unfortunately we were not able to locate it. 

hut on a cliff

The villa’s attendants are the one who showed us the Jacuzzi. The Jacuzzi is another sight to behold, as you will see how the waves crushed the rocks at the shore. During our visit the waves are strong since it is almost the rainy season. Although we have no plans of getting wet that afternoon, the waves are strong that we eventually got wet. The rock formation is also different in this part of the beach. I believe that they are dead corals and eventually turned into rocks. Be careful as these rocks are sharp and can cut your feet.     

the shore of the Jacuzzi

the Jacuzzi

waves crushing the rock

After taking pictures at the Jacuzzi, we headed back to the villa to prepare our dinner. Again, the villa attendants are nice to cook our dinner and they are even the ones who bought them.  Once dinner is over, we decided to head back to shore. And the night sky in the province is definitely different from the city night sky. The sky is full of stars and you can see clearly the different constellations. Unfortunately we forgot to bring our cameras. After feeling nostalgic, we decided to get a rest for tomorrow’s adventure.

A Kiss of Chocolate

Last April 22, 2012, when I went to UP Diliman, my sister told me to try and eat at Chocolate Kiss; though I was hesitant at first, my sister was very persistent to treat us at Chocolate Kiss. By the sound of its name you can tell that it's a pastry or bread store, but Chocolate Kiss offers more than just its bestselling Devil's Food Cake. Upon checking their menu in the internet you will be surprised to know that they also have a wide choice of set meals for breakfast, merienda and lunch.

Chocolate Kiss is located at Bahay ng Alumni at UP Diliman Campus. UP Kiss Cafe, 2nd floor (the original cafe), overlooks the UP track and field oval, that seats up to 90 persons. UP Kiss Cafe, Ground floor, seats up to 50 persons. With a homey ambiance and accessibility, it's no wonder that it became a part of the lives of the UP students.

Chocolate Kiss menu includes soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta, Filipino and Asian dishes, meriendas and, of course, cakes and pastries. Their house specialties includes their Salisbury Steak, Barbecue Chicken Fillet, Beef Stroganoff, Fish Kiev and Chicken Kiev to name a few. Iced teas, juices, sodas, coffee and the famous tsokolate eh are the drinks that they offer.

For our late lunch, I had the Beef Lasagne and my brother ordered a Chicken Barbecue Fillet served with rice. We both had Iced Tea for our drinks. We also ordered a basket of fries for the appetizer and of course the Devil Food Cake for dessert. When the iced teas were served, we were surprised to see two glasses of tea with calamansi atop each of the glasses and a small pitcher of honey. This only means that we are the ones to mix the ice tea. And, it was a nice experience to mix your own ice tea. 

the basket of fries with dip

create your own Ice Tea

Once the food is served we did not wait any longer to sink our teeth to the delicious food. The lasagne is meaty and also cheesy at the same time with no "umay" taste. The Barbecue Chicken fillet is not sweet like the taste of other barbecues, nor is it salty. The barbecue sauce is absorbed by the chicken meat. The Devil's Food Cake is a yummy treat, the icing is like marshmallow in texture and the sweetness compliments the bread. 

the Barbecue Chicken Fillet with its tasty sauce

the Cheesy Beef Lasagne

the yummy Devil's Food Cake

Food serving is good for one person and is enough to satisfy one's hunger. Food prices ranges from Php 100 100 - 395. For more information you can contact Chocolate Kiss at 332-3502 or you can visit their website at this link http://thechocolatekiss.com/index.html

Chocolate Kiss Menu

A piece of Cake and Tea

the hanging decors at Chocolate Kiss