Jericho's, Tanay - Pililla Boundary

It's nice to "get lost" from time to time. A relatively long drive during a holiday took us to some towns in Rizal where we happened upon a dairy farm and drove to a restaurant in Tanay that we wanted to try out for the food and the view. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we found it too crowded and didn't want to wait among the crowd who probably drove there for the same reasons we had. And so we decided to go back the way we went there and try to find a place to have late lunch.

Doing a quick search of places to eat at along the way back to Antipolo, we found Jericho's and its high ratings. The place was at the border of Tanay and Pililla (just beside the arch actually).

A pitcher of their refreshing lemongrass and orange juice

We ordered chicken quesadillas for starters

We ordered their boneless fried chicken and chose the parmesan variant

Their take on the roast beef was really good and is a must try for diners. The beef is so tender and the sauce actually has a hint of bulalo.

Their version of carbonara is also very good.

We had a very good meal at Jericho's. The service was also very good. Their staff was very attentive and also helpful with the menu. Jericho's is a very good restaurant with a very good selection in their menu. I think this is a restaurant that you can put in the map and also consider eating at whether you drive or take public transport to get there. It's definitely a good stopover for those driving to the farther towns of Rizal or perhaps on the was south to Laguna, Quezon or even Bicol. 

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Off-campus office for a couple of days

We recently had our first off-campus workshop for our Institute since 2019. The venue of our workshop is Punta de Fabian, which is located in Baras, Rizal. This out-of-town venue afforded us to focus on reviewing our programs and eliminated the most usual distractions if we held the workshops at the university.

The view from the venue was breathtaking

Another view of Laguna de Bai with the town proper of Tanay, Rizal visible at the base of the tree.

Here's an attempt for an artistic shot. Tip for future attempts: take a photo where the land is eliminated and the edge of the pool becomes the reference line for the images of the tree.

 

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Sunset and nightscape from Baras, Rizal

I just wanted to share a few photos I took from the balcony of the cottage we were staying at for the night in Baras, Rizal. We had our first off-campus workshop since 2019 and the venue selected was Punta de Fabian in Baras, Rizal. The view from the resort were spectacular and very much what we saw the last time we were there, also for another workshop. I didn't stay overnight then so I didn't get to take photos of the sunset. Here are some photos I took, playing with the settings of an old iPhone (I still use an iPhone 8) to get some nice shots of the setting sun and the surrounding areas.

This photo is more focused on the sun so the surrounding areas Baras in the foreground and Cardona further and Binangonan beyond the mountain or hill.

Here is a photo when you focus on the foreground rather than the sun. It is still bright and not as dark as what the previous photo would make it look like.

I was not able to take a photo when the sun descended as I was preoccupied with something. This was taken right after the sun hid behind the mountains of Binangonan and Angono.

The evening sky is lovely with the mix of colors left by the setting sun in its wake.

I can still recall a time when there were not so many people residing in these areas. Rizal now is also home to many people who actually work or study in Metro Manila. The province's towns are somewhat like bed towns similar to Bulacan's, Cavite's and Laguna's.

The evening sky as the backdrop for towns turning on their lights for the night.

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Brunch at Tanay Viewpoint Garden Restaurant

After taking our daughter to summer camp at Mt. Purro last weekend, we decided to take a side trip to Tanay to see what's there. More specifically, we wanted to see the restaurants and cafes as well as the views of the Sierra Madre mountains. After about an hour's drive, we decided to stop and eat at Tanay Viewpoint Restaurant. We were supposed to go to another restaurant/cafe but there were so many others that we decided to just stop over, have a meal and enjoy the views.

Restaurant sign by the roadside

The restaurant is located near a hairpin curve along the Marilaque Highway. Notice the wind turbines in the background?

That's a view of Laguna de Bai and Laguna Province in the distance.

Here's a marvelous view of the Pililla Wind Farm, which is now a landmark for Rizal Province. You can likely see them if you're on a plane approaching or taking off from NAIA.

It turned out that the restaurant was owned by the cafe we wanted to go to - Cafe Natividad. Here's a wrist shot that included the local hot chocolate I had.

The wife had their bestseller tapsilog

I had grilled tanigue steak to go with steamed rice.

We will be back in Tanay to try other restaurants there. We stopped quite short of other restaurants as well as Regina Rica, which we also wanted to visit.

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Return to the Angono Petroglyphs

Earlier this year, we went back to the Angono Petroglyphs. This time, our daughter is older and more knowledgeable. It was like a technical tour or field trip for her as she learned about the petroglyphs in her Araling Panlipunan class.

The National Museum is in-charge of the site, which is shared by the towns of Angono and Binangonan in the Province of Rizal.

There is a tunnel leading to the site. You leave your vehicle or alight from one at area near a shooting range. There is a security guard to watch over your vehicle.

It is dark and somewhat damp inside the tunnel. It was breezy that day we visited and so it was cool inside as we walked to the site.

The dirt road leading to the petroglyphs site

Waiting sheds at the site

We discovered that the museum already had upgraded the walkways and platforms used by visitors to view the petroglyphs.

A look back to where we entered the site

There are information about the petroglyphs including their discovery by a national artist, Carlos "Botong" Francisco, and the preservation work that was required.

Old photos showing the investigation of the site

History of the petroglyphs

Significance of the petroglyphs

It is now easier to walk around the site

Marker showing the cultural value of the petroglyphs

Path leads from and to the main building. Unfortunately, there are not much on display as artifacts are currently kept at the National Museum.

Platform for viewing the petroglyphs

They replaced the old wood flooring with what appears to be treated wood. We were informed that there are many termites in the area.

Examples of the petroglyphs

Images include those that appear to be people, turtles and birds

The petroglyphs are in relatively good condition.

What appears to be large turtles are a surprise to many even though Binangonan and Angono are along the Laguna de Bai.

Groups of what appear to be people may be families?

Some parts of the rock face are hidden and perhaps have similar petroglyphs or others waiting to be discovered.

Trees and bushes abound around the site

Another marker indicating the petroglyphs to be from ca. 3,000 BC.

 

After the visit, you can opt to eat in the area. There is the Thunderbird Resort and the East Ridge Golf Club. There is an excellent Japanese restaurant at the Golf Club. There are other restaurants and cafes in the area particularly at East Ridge Subdivision where there is a strip of restaurants and cafes overlooking Laguna de Bai.

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Coffee rush, East Ridge, Binangonan, Rizal

This post is more than 3 months overdue. We went to East Ridge in Binangonan, Rizal with our "Morning Walk" group. We learned from our neighbor-friends about this place where you can have good coffee and breakfast, and with a spectacular view of Laguna de Bai. They had gone there several times after their weekend walks but we had not gone with them yet as we usually had somewhere to go or something to do after our morning walks. We finally had some time last June so we decided to head there for some breakfast and fellowship.

Coffee Rush is at East Ridge in Binangonan, not far from the Thunderbird Resort and Casino

It is popular especially among the young in what we call the 'east' (i.e., Quezon City generally being the 'north' and Alabang generally being the 'south'). They have popular artists over to play on certain evenings.

 

The main building has several levels. The morning we were there, th

Another view of the main building from the grounds

The view from Coffee Rush - hazy/smoggy Metro Manila in the distance. Angono town is in the foreground.

View of Binangonan town and the Laguna de Bai

Corned beef silog

Tapsilog

Believe it or not but it was just the second time I tried Basque burnt cheesecake. This was good and better than the first one I had many years ago.

Their sansrival is really good. It should go well as dessert or to complement your coffee.

Signature coffee

The breakfast silogs were okay. To be truthful, they were not spectacular or fabulous but were not so-so. I would say par for the course or a bit above average. The coffee is good according to my wife and our friends. The hot chocolate was good (according to me). Price-wise, there's value for money there. The ambiance is definitely there but it is already crowded. I guess that's also because it is the only place to go there for breakfasts, brunch or lunch. The other establishments open late or do not have a similar view as Coffee Rush. Parking is currently all along the roadside. That could be a problem in the future when there are other establishments that will not permit parking for their competitors across from their buildings. The place is not that accessible to public transportation so people will definitely bring their cars to get there. Will we go there again? Perhaps, but I am not in a hurry.

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