Bag of Beans Coffee Shop and Bakery: Tagaytay City, Cavite

The Gang!

Finally, we are set to have our brunch in Bag of Beans Coffee Shop and Bakery. Great place to dine after Taal Race, carbo-loading again! We enjoyed each and every moment we were together. So much fun to share laughter with my team mates. We ordered food as if there is no tomorrow. Most especially we enjoyed the unlimited brewed coffee. 

Go ahead, grab a bite!

Yum yum yum!

Mouth watering!

Service was great and food was great! The ambiance is great too! We had a lot of fun after having our meal. Took some pictures and we even made it as a pictorial venue! Laughing out loud. Priceless moments! Now I just want to share with you some of the pictures we took after our brunch. Now, you be the judge. 

Jordan, Eds, Char and Paula

Santa Claus said "Sssshhhhh"

Go grab a visit and dine here at Bag of Beans and you'll definitely love it. I will definitely go back here so soon. You can see sign of "No Smoking" meaning it is environmental friendly place to stay. As if you're just eating on your own backyard. The place was so peaceful too and that makes you enjoy your food without any disturbances. Also, they offer buffet meals! 

No Smoking Area!

Edison, Jordan, Me and Jerumel: having fun outside the coffee shop!

trio

Ligaya Drive: Tagaytay, Cavite-Talisay, Batangas

Mt Taal and Taal Lake

After our Taal Race and overnight stay in Vicky's Farm, we decided to take our brunch in Tagaytay. Thinking of the fastest way to go up to Tagaytay from Talisay, Batangas, we took Ligaya Drive. This route is just a 15-minute drive and it offers a scenic and panoramic view of Taal Volcano Island and Taal Lake.  

Mt. Taal on the background.

We had a great time enjoying road trip by appreciating the scenic view. Off course we stopped on the view deck to take pictures. Another moment to cherish. We just love taking pictures with the famous Taal Lake and Taal Volcano on our background. 

The Gang: Czharina, Edison, Jerumel, Mel, Paula, Reydan and Jordan

Another shot!

The hunks and the driver!

The goddesses and the driver!

Great view with great memories to cherish. After taking couple of pictures, we went back inside the van for us to continue our trip to Tagaytay City to catch our brunch. Making some kulitans  and stories then we just reached our destination and ready to grab a lunch at Bag of Beans Coffee Shop and Bakery.

Chilling inside the van.

1st Taal Lake Dragon Boat Race

When my team was able to confirm that there will be one last out of town race before the year ends, we got all excited and prepared ourselves for the race. Daily boat training, land training and pool paddling were being executed by my team in preparation for the race. The determination of every member of the team was undoubtedly onslaught. Every body was even more excited when it was announced that the race will be held in Club Balai Isabel, a private resort in Talisay, Batangas.

1st Taal Lake Dragon Boat Race was held last November 30, 2013. It was Saturday and we were all excited for the race. We just can't wait to get on the boat and paddle hard so that we can reap all the discipline and hard work we had during our training. My team had all the entries in every category: Open 200m Standard Boat, Mixed 200m Standard Boat and Women 200m 8-pair Standard Boat. Pressure is on for every team! After having a heavy breakfast, we had the usual routine of stretching to gear up for the race. After the opening ceremony, it's the actual race! Oars up!

Showing you the result of our Onslaught Racing Dragons (A) Entry: 

Race No. 3, Heat 3, Lane 4: Finished 1st Place with a time of 00:54.05 beating: Crimson Dragons, Triton Dragonboat Racing Team and Amateur Paddler Philippines (AmPPhi)

Race No. 21, Semi-Final 3, Lane 3: Finished 1st Place with a time of 00:52.52 beating: Manila Ocean Park (MOP) Dragon Boat Team (A), Rowers Club Philippines (RCP) Sea Dragons, Triton Dragonboat Racing Team

Race No. 28, Final, Lane 4: Finished 4th Place with a time of 00:55.55 together with Lake Buhi, Philippine Coast Guard and Buhi Cam Sur

Onslaught Racing Dragons (A). Picture courtesy of dragonboat.ph

Showing you the result of our Onslaught Racing Dragons (B) Entry:

Race No. 2, Heat 2, Lane 1: Finished 4th Place with a time of 01:03.08 competing with Buhi Cam Sur, Boracay Sea Dragons and Rogue Pilipinas Paddlers Club

Race No. 15, Repechage 4, Lane 4: Finished 3rd Place with a time of 01:00.41 competing with Rowers Club Philippines(RCP) Sea Dragons and Triton Dragonboat Racing Team

Onslaught Racing Dragons (B)

Showing you the result of our Onslaught Racing Dragons Mixed Entry:

Race No. 9, Heat 2, Lane 1: Finished 2nd Place with a time of 00:59.09 competing with Manila Ocean Park(MOP) Dragon Boat Team (A), Manila Ocean Park(MOP) Dragon Boat Team (B) and Spitfire Dragons Dragon Boat Team

Race No. 17, Repechage 2, Lane 3: Finished 1st Place with a time of 00:57.66 beating De La Salle University(DLSU) Dragon Boat Team, Maharlika Drakon Dragon Boat Team and One Piece Drakon Sangres

Race No. 24, Semi-final 2, Lane 4: Finished 3rd Place with a time of 00:57.48 competing with Philippine Coast Guard, Manila Ocean Park(MOP) Dragon Boat Team (A) and De La Salle University(DLSU) Dragon Boat Team

Onslaught Racing Dragons: Mixed Crew

Showing you the result of our Onslaught Racing Dragons Womens Entry:

Race No. 6, Heat 1, Lane 3: Finished 3rd Place with a time of 01:07.26 competing with Philippine Coast Guard, Triton Dragon Boat Racing Team, and Manila Ocean Park(MOP) Dragon Boat Team

Race No. 22, Semi-final 1, Lane 3: Finished 1st Place with a time of 01:05.79 beating Manila Ocean Park(MOP) Dragon Boat Team, Amateur Paddlers Philippines(AmPPhi) and San Beda Dragon Boat Rowing Team

Race No. 26, Final, Lane 1: Finished 4th Place with a time of 1:06.72 competing with Philippine Coast Guard,  Triton Dragon Boat Racing Team, Rowers Club Philippines(RCP) Sea Dragons

Onslaught Racing Dragons: Womens Crew

In between races, well, how can we not take as much as pictures we wanted if there is a camera here, there and everywhere you go? Smile here, smile there, you just need to make yourself camera ready as always so you will not be left out. Paparazzi is everywhere, I tell you. This is already a trademark to our team, we love taking pictures before-during-after races. No wonder why I needed to spend so much time in choosing some pictures to be posted here. I just do not recall how many pictures I needed to browse just to come up with these set of pictures. (I love looking at some stolen shots, most of the time those pictures made me laugh, if only I can post them here, Haha!)

ORDs in silly mode!

With our Mixed Crew

Chilling with (L-R) Jamang, Mandy, Gember, Rhyan Kenneth, Michael and Niqui.

Your blogger-paddler :)

This is how we celebrate being on the finals! Picture courtesy of dragonboat.ph 

I also had the chance to take some pictures with the other teams while strolling around the race venue. Lucky enough to bond with Boracay Sea Dragons Team. They are cool and fun to be with. Great to know them as well, (Oh! I just forgot their names, haha!) Blame it on my poor memory when it comes to memorizing names. Well who knows once I get a chance to visit Boracay, I might as well paddle with them one day. 

Chilling with Boracay Sea Dragons!

After the race proper and after having all the paddlers done with the dinner, awarding ceremony was awesomely anticipated. Presentations from each team just made the night more fun and exciting. It was announced that the presentation will be a contest wherein the "Best Team Presentation" will be given an award. You got to see each team presenting hidden talents from all the paddlers. Who would have thought that these paddlers can as well dance and sing? It was a great show. Paddlers are really having fun that night. You have got to see paddlers cheering their own teams. Check these pictures below so you will know how my team seriously presented a dance number. Unluckily, we did not get the first prize! Surprised? Well no, how can we bag the top prize if we have only 30 minutes after the dinner to rehearse our dance moves? But it was a lot of fun performing in front of all these paddlers and visitors. 

Onslaught Racing Dragons Presentation.

ORDs Beki Dancers! LOL!

ORDs Girl Dancers/Paddlers!

The complete performers!

After each presentation, it was then the moment we have been waiting for. We were all excited to go up to the center stage to claim our trophy. My team that night was the happiest, I claim the happiest because we achieved something we worked hard on it. With both men and women entry got the 4th place, how can we not be the happiest team that night? Most especially on our Women's Crew who made it for the finals for the first time in history of Onslaught Racing Dragons. Well deserved win I should say. Congrats Onslaught!

ORDs Mens Crew receiving our trophy!

ORDs Womens Crew receiving our trophy!

After the awarding ceremonies, paddlers still in high energy as my team conquer the stage, dancing and singing our hearts out. We had a lot of fun doing some crazy dance moves. We even had the chance to grab some paddlers from the other teams to dance with us as a toss for celebration. We enjoyed the night very much. Taking pictures together with our trophies and enjoyed some beers! What a race to remember. Thank you Club Balai Isabel and Philippine Dragon Boat Federation for making this activity such a blast. Looking forward for the 2nd Taal Lake Dragon Boat Race.  

With my colleagues: Mel, Paula and Czharina

With the LS Gang: Czharina, Jordan, Paula and Jerumel

Vicky's Farm House Resort: Brgy. Tumaway - Brgy. Quiling, Talisay, Batangas

Sharing with you the resort where we stayed during the 1st Taal Dragon Boat Race in Talisay, Batangas. It was a farm house resort that is overlooking Taal Volcano. We planned to go to Talisay a night before the race so we can have plenty of rest and sleep that is very much needed when competing. We arrived at the resort almost midnight and was amazed because the crew waited us even if we arrived too late than expected time of arrival. Haha well, what do you expect in Manila during Friday payday?! Heavy traffic off-course!

Our Room!

Now sharing with you all the pictures taken inside the farm house resort. We had a lot of fun exploring the place. We had a great time at the pool. Priceless memories and stories to tell. We were able to know each other closer and that made it priceless. Friendship grows! 

Early Dip with Jerumel, Edison, Chzarina, Paula and Jordan!

Check these: Best view of Taal Volcano, beach resort, picnic huts by the lake, restaurants, pavilions/events venue, cabana, swimming pool, volleyball and basketball court, conference and seminar areas, fishing lagoon, ample parking area, souvenir shop and more!

Videoke Area!

Basketball Court

Volleyball Court

After the race, we went back to the resort a bit late but still with high energy. We were surprised when the crew of the resort told us that we have a visitor. It was a great honor to meet the owner of the farm house resort, Ex-congresswoman Vicky. Such a great feeling when the owner, herself, find time to visit us in our room. We had a great conversation with her and off-course, we did not pass the chance to take a picture with her. 

With the owner: Ex-Congresswoman Vicky.

After the great conversation with the owner, we finally took a bath and prepared ourselves for mini-celebration party! It was such a great night with my colleagues, those laughs and stories are priceless. We ended up hitting the bed past midnight.  What an awesome experience to be nourished.

Celebration Party!