One place that is awesome to visit because of its proximity to Manila is Caliraya Lake in Laguna. Caliraya Lake is a man-made lake shared by the towns of Lumban, Cavinti and Kalayaan.I have gathered from this site that Caliraya Lake was created in late 1930s by a US Army Engineer by flooding the Cavinti valley of the Sierra Madre to generate hydroelectric power for Manila. It was sabotaged by retreating Americans to prevent use by Japanese soldiers who rebuilt it, then themselves sabotaged it as their own defeat approached.
One of my favorite spots in the lake is the old and somewhat dilapidated Aqueduct. This aqueduct can be reached by hopping-over a concrete fence by the road and walking past its sturdy pathways. Although this structure is used to monitor the lake's water level, this place prove to be a favorite spot for visitors of the Lake. Here are some shots of the place including some of the meals we had in the carinderia by the roadside:
How to go there? As with my previous post, there are two routes for you to choose from. Either the SLEX route or the Rizal route. Please check out this post for the direction.
I have taken this day trip with Dong of Eskapo, Allan of Lantaw and Erick of Wanderboy. A truly enjoyable and fun day out of the Metro. For their accounts of the trip, please visit their blogs.
judging from your photos, the place looks very relaxing... i feel like i wanna go to that kind of place to get away from the urban hustle T_T sana pagkatapos ng review classes at board exam eh makagala na rin ako sa mga lugar na tulad niyan
ReplyDeleteThanks for the virtual tour. Let's see if I'll be able to drop by there this year. I wanted to go there when the Sadako series were at its peak. Probably because of imagining the lighthouse in that eerie film.
ReplyDeleteit's hard to believe this is man-made. i've been to Caliraya a long, long time ago and i have not been back. the pancit bihon makes me hungry--wala pang dinner. marvelous post.
ReplyDeletelooks nice. parang ang linis ng lugar. makes one want to go out and swim.
ReplyDeletesigh.
very serene. and i really like how you frame your shots. aaralin ko din yan para gumaling din ako. Ü
ReplyDeletelooks like walang water shortage dito---para san nga pala ang tubig ng dam? irrigation ba or for households din like La Mesa???
ReplyDeleteNagutom ako sa Sizzling Adobo. Sana makasama ako sa photo op next time. (Kung nasa Pinas ako. LOL)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I could not believe it was man-made.
ReplyDeleteHey, know of other peaceful, uncrowded, cheap places to visit near manila?
bro my father's hometown is just 3 towns away so we usually go to caliraya.
ReplyDeletehahaha... salamat din sa pagdrive papunta at pabalik. maganda nga ang tower na yan kaya lang nagtakbuhan naman tayo dahil sa ulan.
ReplyDeletedefinitely a perfect day trip destination. ang ganda jan.
ReplyDeleteYan ang laging masaya sa gala... may food trip na kasama... heheheheheheh
ReplyDeleteThe place looks so serene. Nice to go there someday.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a cool place to visit out of the City. Malamig ba dyan?
ReplyDeleteNice peaceful lake. Ooh! Sizzling Adobo! Yum!
ReplyDeleteNice use of leading lines..
ReplyDeletenever thought that Lake Caliraya was man made ! Thanks for the info. I love the foodie pics. Basta authentic, provincial dish - I love it :)
ReplyDelete