Cafe Marivent

and a before nine morning in Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Bagac, Bataan 

time check: 7:24 am

I woke up with the sound of sloshing in the shower. "Val must have gotten up really early", I thought. I was bundled up in a comforter with Kalai, a friend based in Sydney and is on a vacation in the Philippines. I forced myself back to sleep to no avail. Val and Kalai are two of my closest friends in high school and we only get to see each other once every two years. Just last night, we were ranting about how we cannot believe we're nearing thirty because really, we have not moved on from our high school selves. 

I slowly eased myself out of the bed and prepared myself for my bath. The floor creaked when I set my foot on it. The floor is more than a hundred years old (plus/minus) and the bed is too and the closet and the capiz windows which reflects the subtle morning sunshine. We rented a room in Casa Binondo in Las Casas in Bataan and while the history failed to register in my memory, it felt both weird and wonderful to wake up to an old-rich house, a mishmash of rich wood, stones and bricks and antiques and intricate carvings. I felt like Doña Victorina in Noli Me Tangere only in boxers and minus the matapobre-ness.

While waiting for the girls to prep themselves for breakfast, I went outside our, ahem, casa to take pictures. I mustered all effort not to greet every person I meet "mi casa e su casa" because one, the place where we are staying is not really my house and two, "buenas dias" is a less embarrassing greeting. Really, I just wanted to practice my Spanish. Pronto! 

Our accommodation includes Filipino breakfast in our neighboring casa, Cafe Marivent.

oh breakfast love ♥

The restaurant offers three breakfast option for that morning: longganisa, bangus and tocino. There were four of us by then, Kuya Bodjie (Kalai's driver), Kalai, Val and me. One chose longganisa. The rest had bangus. Hmmm, puwede na. The breakfast meals come with a slice of fruit and an orange juice. :)

Here are some pictures from the rest of our morning. :)

Prior to this trip, I was tempted to just sulk it up inside my room, work has been really draining my mojo. But getting together with friends, especially those whom you have shared your childhood with is priceless. And I am just glad I spent my weekend with two of my favorite girls in the world. Meeting Kuya Bodjie, Melvin and Pao (Kalai's friends from Sydney) is a bonus!

To mornings of beautiful history and even more beautiful friendship!

All Sunshiny,

Tina