three stop laguna

who says one can't do a fine day trip from Metro Manila? here's to give you three worth stop that you can do on just a day on a weekend. we did this on a day trip in Laguna where lawstude decided to tag us along with erick and lantaw.

[1] Paete
the country's carving capital is definitely a worth stop for those who wants to trace where some of the most beautiful wood carvings came. some of these now displayed on some countries around the world including in St Peter's Basilica in Rome.
find the street where most of the wood crafts are sold and on some shops you'll even get the opportunity to see the craftsmen do their art piece using a set of hammer and chisel. they'd be so kind to show you how it's done.the nearby church of Paete can be just one of the ordinary churches built by the Spaniards but not a lot knew that the large murals here are impressive. though it's sad to see that some part of the mural is already deteriorating.
one painting shows St. Christoper while a more notable is the painting entitled "Langit, Lupa, Impyerno" or "Heaven, Earth, Hell" by one of Paete's pride, Luciano Dans.just right outside the church grounds, expect delicious merienda from the vendors. that's for you to discover.

[2] Caliraya Japanese Garden
built in memoriam to all the Japanese soldiers who died during the world war II. today, it remains an abode of a beautiful Japanese-inspired ornamental garden. located on top of the hills of Caliraya just a short drive from Paete.
expect few rare flora view around the area including a mini man-made lake. a stairway that leads up to an overlooking view of lake Caliraya. this might sound odd but with the many tree shades around its grounds, it becomes a great resting place for the dead and the living.a minimal entrance fee is charged to enter the area, most likely for its maintenance. but there's not much to see or do around this area. it's really a site to somehow experience Laguna's fresh air.

[3] Caliraya Aqueduct
one of lake Caliraya's favorite stop would be the lake's viewing tower which serves as a site to monitor the lake's water level. now a photographer's favorite subject and might be considered as the lake's icon.shortly after our stay in this tower, the clouds turned gray and soon brought heavy rains. just the right sign that we have to head back home.