A Weekend in Pakil

Pakil is a town in Laguna known for whittling. I stayed there last weekend to watch my friend Klarisse play the violin in front of a crowd for the first time. We stayed at her grandma's, whom she fondly calls Ina. The house, located just a few steps from the church, the plaza and the public spring pool, makes it an ideal place to relax. With scenery of mountains and the prospect of going to the nearby town Paete, there's no wonder that my friend always wants to go back to this place. Just a 2 1/2 hours trip from Cainta junction, it's a very near respite from the hustle and bustle of the suburban towns.

Paete, known for its wooden sculptures, is just a five-minute ride from the town of Pakil. We only went into two stores, one was on the process of sanding some Pinocchio wooden dolls. I learned from the store attendant that these are going to be shipped to Italy. There were several sculptures that I liked, one was the luksong baka and another is a little girl sleeping at a bench with a dog beside her. Prices were reasonable, but with a limited budget, I only bought a sunflower stool as a souvenir (only 120 pesos!).
It's also good to know that in the town of Paete, stores are not allowed to use plastic as wrapper to the sold items. Items are either wrapped with a newspaper, or tied with a plastic straw.

Having enjoyed the concert sounds, the feel of the cold spring pool, and the sights of nature and man-made sculptures, could we leave Pakil without having our taste buds satisfied? Simple as the dishes may seem, I enjoyed all the food served to us in the house of Ina. It is the first time that I tasted inihaw na tilapia in fresh coconut milk with calamansi. The nearby bakery also makes a bread called Bonete, a combination of what we know as putok and pandesal. Soft as pandesal but glazed with butter like the putok. They also have a food Minani (from the word mani or peanut). It is roasted cassava in oil, garlic and salt. All yummy!

On our way back home, I thought of coming back again to this town of Pakil. If you live here, I am sure you will never want to leave.

How to get there:
From Cainta junction (Big-R) take the jeep going to Siniloan. This will take you through Antipolo and other towns of Rizal, offering nice views of some farms. At the Siniloan jeep terminal, walk further down to find a jeep going to Sta. Cruz, which passes through the town of Pakil.

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