This Rizal province’s largest city is one of the nearest and most accessible getaway station outside Metro Manila. We have been here a few times to visit some friends and go to its prominent resorts several summer years earlier, but we never had the chance to explore the place. Apart from that, I have been wanting to visit it’s famed art gallery for quite some time now so we finally decided to book our Saturday in for a quick Antipolo DIY tour.
A place of pilgrimage
Being tagged as the pilgrimage capital of the Philippines, our first itinerary is to attend the anticipated mass at the Antipolo Cathedral. It is home to the image of the Nuestra Señora de la Paz y del Buen Viaje (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage) which was brought in from Mexico in 1626. Many devotees come here during the observance of the Holy Week.
Where the water heals
Another Antipolo spot famous for both religious enthusiasts and common sightseers is the Mystical Cave. Apart from its magnificent and crystal-filled interiors, you’ll notice several stalactite and stalagmite formations that appear to be of holy and mystical images. It was also believed that the water dripping from its ceiling can heal any disease of the one who drinks it.
A boodle fight for lunch
Nothing beats garlic rice and grilled food on top of banana leaves, a toyo-mansi with siling labuyo sauce and a no-spoon-and-fork lunch. This so-Filipino way of eating is the theme of this simple restaurant called Tamerlene’s Ihaws Kamayan. The food here was a sure bang for the buck and nobody finished eating without ordering for an extra rice.
Heaven on Art
This 1.2 hectare land of fine architecture, of colour-filled canvases and of brilliantly created artworks of all sorts is a heaven for aspiring artists like me. Pinto Art Museum is truly a feast for the eyes and the soul as you can also see several religious-themed pieces displayed in it. I hope that visitors coming to this amazing display of Filipino talent would not only just find this place instagram-worthy. May they also find inspiration from all these masterpieces to do and spread creativity in every way that they can. I will be posting a separate blog to share more snaps of the museum.
We still have the Hinulugang Tak-Tak falls in our itinerary but we decided to conclude our Antipolo trip here as the day was too hot and had not have enough energy to keep going. Will also probably have the Yellow Lantern cafe and the Hanging Garden Resort on our come back itinerary. See ya! 🙂
InfinitEpiphanies 