In my last column, I related details of my trip to the Philippines to participate in the
Pan Asia Poker Tour. The poker tournament was great, but now it was time for two days of sightseeing before we returned to the United States. Being the ultimate tourist, I had gone to the concierge's desk and picked up all of the brochures on places to go and attractions to see. That's when we got the good news; our host Hiroshi Shimamura had hooked us up with two locals (Luther and Trixie Jao), and they would be organizing and escorting us on our sightseeing adventures during our two final days in the Philippines.
Luther and Trixie turned out to be absolute gems in every way. They picked us up at our hotel at 10 a.m. with two cars, since we had invited our friends Steve Numoto and Liz Tongson to join us. Our itinerary for the first day was to include a beautiful 90-minute drive to Tagatay for lunch at Sonya's Garden, a trip to a spa, a visit to their home, and dinner with friends at a Japanese restaurant back in Manila.
The drive to Tagatay was spectacular, with views of the Taal volcano once we got close to Tagatay. Along the way, we passed lots of small villages and roadside stands that were selling everything from fruit to flowers to unusual foods. Upon arrival, we turned down a dirt road and found our way to Sonya's Bed and Breakfast. It has a greenhouse, and most of the food we ate at lunch was grown there. Lunch consisted of a mixed meal beginning with green salad. Several types of lettuce were offered up in a family-style bowl accompanied by about 20 types of toppings: cucumbers, raisins, sunflower seeds, mango, tomatoes, radishes, and so on. Next came the pasta with a choice of sauces. I chose the dried tomatoes sauce, and it was outstanding. Chocolate cake was served for dessert. We rolled out of there and got a tour of Tagatay Highlands, which is like a private country club. The views of the volcano were superb. We ended up at the spa, where we all had massages and I also snuck in a manicure.
I slept all the way back to Manila and didn't awaken until we arrived at the Jao's house. Let's just say that it was one of the nicest homes I have ever been in. Their two lovely children (Max and Kim) kept us entertained until dinnertime. We met up with Hiroshi and his friends for a great Japanese dinner. By that time it was 10 p.m., and we were too tired to go clubbing or play Chinese poker, as was originally planned.
The next day, we woke up early and went to the complimentary breakfast buffet at the hotel, then to the pool for a while. Luther and Trixie picked us up at 11 a.m. for a tour of the local Manila attractions. Lunch was at a local Filipino restaurant. It was pouring down rain, so we decided to go into the Casa Manila. This is a three-story house that is about 100 years old and still has all of the original furniture, floors, and chandeliers. Later, we stopped at a museum that showed the history of Manila, and then it was off to the mall.
Dinner the last evening of our stay was at the Hyatt. We went to a Japanese-style buffet that truly must be one of the top buffets in the world. Thanks to Richard Gabriel, marketing director for Casino Filipino, for great company and a great meal. We walked back to the Diamond Hotel and had a two-hour massage, then woke up early the next morning and headed to the airport. I truly enjoyed the Philippines and will definitely return soon. I expect to see a lot more poker the next time around, as the locals are just beginning to get the poker "bug."
Now, let's play poker.
Linda is available to host charity events, corporate nights, tournaments, and poker seminars. You can contact her through her website at www.cardplayercruises.com.
