Our chosen accommodation for this trip was Go Hotel Plus Naga. It's a budget-friendly hotel, conveniently located beside Robinsons Supermarket. It was also just a few minutes away from the venue of the Toastmasters club that we were planning to club hop during the weekend.
I wasn't able to take photos of my room, but the photos online well represent the room, in fairness. 😁I had a room with a king-size bed, and omg the bed was huge! Looking at the toiletries, the room is meant to be occupied by two people. 😆 I originally wanted to have twin beds in the room (one for the suitecase HAHAHA) but it was too late to change the room setup (I switched up my room choices a few times before the trip).
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| This was the view from the hallway outside my friend's room. |
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| Lots of greens outside! 🍃 |
After resting for a bit (and settling down in our rooms), we went out to explore. Since we were already hungry, we decided to just explore the mall next door and eat in a local restaurant. That's where we found Bob Marlin.
This was one of the restaurants the president of Naga Toastmasters Club, the one we were visiting during the weekend, recommended to me.
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| Yes, the name of the restaurant is a play on the singer's name. 😁 |
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| First time to try kinunot, a Bicolano dish made with flaked shark meat, cooked in gata and malunggay leaves. I liked it, although I feel like there can be a tastier version of this. |
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| This ensaladang talong was okay. I like the sweet vinegar taste that blended with the eggplant. |
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| Marlin Slab. Hmm, my companion said it was good. I was not really impressed. |
For my first meal in Naga, it was okay. Although I was excited to try and explore more. 😅
Speaking of exploring, we did explore the neighborhood nearby. We walked around the area. We saw a Yashano mall nearby, some street food vendors (the food looked and smelled yummy!) and some fruit markets. We were searching for a laundry service shop (because it's a must for my friend when travelling). We did find one. And then I bought some lanzones from the fruit market. It was priced at PHP100/kilo (which was still relatively expensive, for me). I was craving for some. Good thing, it tasted sweet as I liked it. 😋
It was nearing sunset during that time, and I still wanted to visit this church (due to personal reasons) just a few minutes from the hotel. My friend had to rest (and I have to give it to him, since he drove from Daraga to Naga 😅), and so I decided to use the rental car and just drive there on my own.
I felt nervous and excited at the same time. It would be my first time, in a long while, to drive a different car from my own. Plus, I'm in a new city. But I really wanted to do it. And so I braved and went out and drove the car to church. The adjustment with the new car took a few minutes, and then amazingly, I adapted easily. At first I was nervous because it was a keyless car, with just a "push to start/stop" button to operate on. I set up my Google Maps, and I was off to go to church. I visited the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Shrine.
I had some candles lit and then walked around the church area. There were not many people around (maybe because it was a Friday?). There was some sort of garden at the side of the church, which was typical for old Catholic churches.
It was also a beautiful full moon that night. The view was just lovely.
When I walked inside the church, I heard there was a mass beginning to be officiated, so what perfect timing that was. And so I decided to attend the mass. I felt that kind of solitary peace that I was familiar with, whenever I knew I was being guided and guarded. I gave my thanks to the Universe because I was feeling safe, even if I was on my own in this city that I am not familiar with. It actually rained hard during the mass (the church staff had to close the doors because the wind was strong). I felt slightly worried with my drive back to the hotel (it was already dark outside), but strangely I still settled with this calm and satisfied feeling within me. 🙂
I stayed for a few more minutes after the mass, because I wanted to take photos of the beautiful church.
When I checked my phone after the mass, my friend was already looking for me.😅 We were supposed to be going for dinner at the cafe at the hotel. There was this "Ribs, Rack & Roll" buffet dinner that he saw earlier that he wanted to try. And so I drove back to the hotel (it was not raining anymore, thankfully yay) for dinner!
And yes, after a few more minutes, we were eating again. 😆
I loved the pork barbecue the most! The ribs were okay. I would have loved it better if it was freshly cooked. 😅Since they had cocktails as part of the buffet dinner, I wasn't able to resist. I got one rum-based drink. I wasn't supposed to consume alcohol (because of certain health restrictions), but I said just for this night only. 😁Well, the drink was worth breaking the rules. 😆
After the dinner, we walked around the mall to buy some grocery essentials. I had to buy some items, like sunscreen, since I had let go of some items to lessen my luggage weight 😅.
It was indeed a long day! We retreated and rested early since it's going to be an early wakeup call again tomorrow. And so, the adventures in Bicol begin!
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