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FEATURE STORY

Starbucks Domicillo Design Hotel

"A cup of coffee shared with a friend is happiness tasted and time well spent." While there's a lot of Starbucks out there each offering the same coffee, as far as location and view are concerned, no one offers a view so panoramic, heavenly, dreamy and divine that is Starbucks Domicillo Hotel. Imagine sipping your favorite Chocolate Cream Chip Frappucino overlooking the ethereal Taal Volcano, how dope must that be? Today me and my friend decided to have a quick one-day-only getaway to escape stress in the nearby Tagaytay City. Adulting can be very tiring so we both needed to replenish before we get consumed by exhaustion. A friend of mine recommended this new Starbucks and upon seeing pictures online, I died. The superb view is something poets would draw inspiration! The exterior looks so mundane and quite appalling at some point. Inside is just another Starbucks with tables and chairs and couches and as go further, Taal is already waving at you and i...
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Rediscovering Pillila, Rizal: Windfarm

       Have you always dreamed of going to Ilocos Norte? Have you dreamed of seeing their famous windmills but is short of budget and time? Don't worry! There's another windfarm in Pillila, Rizal that is equally stunning as those in Bangui. 

       The Pillila Windfarm is located at the top of the hills of Barangay Halayhayin, Pillila, Rizal. We all know that the windmills in Bangui are arranged in a single row facing the West Philippine Sea thus creating a dramatic effect in photos. The 54 megawatts, 27 windmills in Pillila, however, are scattered on top of the mountains and the most you can have as your background in a picture is 3-4. But overlooking the mountainous Rizal plus a view of Laguna de Bay provides a refreshing treat to the eyes if you're from the Metro Manila and have always seen buildings and traffic. 

       This renewable energy project of Rizal is operated by Alternergy Wind One Corp in an attempt to reduce electricity cost of the province. Rizal has been continuously promoting tourism and making it as a lucrative investment. Well, I can not deny that Rizal is indeed a beautiful province.


       This is my first time by the way to see a windmill. I've never been to Ilocos. The road to the windmills is a bit rough. I noticed that there's a lot of bikers and riders going uphill. There's few private cars going to the top but me and my friends enjoyed the tricycle ride and it's more fun.


       The thought of creating an energy source and at the same time a tourist spot amuses me. Aside from harnessing alternative sources of energy, the wind farm project is a boost in tourism in the town.The windmill is so tall and massive and I even got afraid to go near and have a picture because I  feared the blades might hit me (hehe). The picture above is few meters away from the base.


       The view from the top is a relaxing treat to the eyes. The cool wind will surely massage your tired body. According to news reports, the wind farm has already been successfully interconnected to Meralco’s 115-kilovolt Malaya-Caliraya-Kalayaan transmission line. This is the second wind power facility in the Philippines, aside from the one in Ilocos Province.


       Our quick tour in Pillila Windfarm is unforgettable. We recommend this if you're looking for a quick weekend getaway or just want to have a short break from the sight of the metro. This is how beautiful Rizal province has become and will definitely come back to rediscover its numerous attractions. The province has  a lot to offer and I can't wait to share it to you soon.

    
       And to our regrets, we forgot to take photos of the windmills in a row! We were so thrilled at the sight of just one. Thanks to Elmer, the tricycle driver we hired for being so kind taking our photos, though the jump shot above failed. :-)

How to get there?
      We've never been to Rizal so let me share how did we get there instead. Ride an FX at Starmall EDSA bound to Tanay, Rizal and drop off at either Jollibee or the Tanay Market. The fare is PHP70.00. Tricycles are all over the place and there are some drivers who will approach you as soon as you get off the van offering their service since they already have an idea where you want to go to. Then tell the driver to bring you to the windfarm and the fare is PHP50.00 each. We are a group of five so this rate may change.
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Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 6, 2017 at 11:01 PM

    definitely will visit these windmills
    it's nearby binangonan actually but always give it a missed,:)

    ReplyDelete

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