Abet and I just had the time of our lives. We were fortunate enough to experience a little piece of heaven on earth in the mystical little town of Dolores, Quezon.

We stayed at Kinabuhayan Cafe which was an experience in itself. After Abet took me to Casa San Pablo early this year, I said I'd take him to Kinabuhayan Cafe next time. That 'next time' became urgent when last month, I was feeling so stressed with work and had all these pains and ailments. I knew that Dolores is just what my body and soul needs.

We were welcomed by Jay Herrera, the chef and co-owner of the cafe, as soon as we arrived. Jay could have passed off for an ermitanyo with his glasses and long, flowing gray hair, but as soon as he gaily greeted us in perfect English, I knew we had an interesting stay ahead.

We arrived just before lunch, and Jay's assistant Ralph ushered us to where we'd be staying--a two-storey open-air hut. On the first floor was the sala with bamboo furniture, a hammock, and a shelf against the lone wall which housed books and the television with cable. Upstairs was the sleeping area, which was basically just a big mattress and a giant mosquito net. Behind the hut is the bathroom, which isn't really a room--it is also an open space. The walls are high enough though, so no worries about exposing yourself. It was such an experience to take a warm shower as I feel the cool mountain breeze on my bare skin. Abet claims to have had the best crap of his life on that toilet. ;-)

Lunch was served in our hut because there was a busload of digital photographers who also had lunch there, and Jay didn't want us to be disturbed. The set lunch was amazing! We had creamy mushroom risotto, a salad of singkamas, carrots, and cucumber with vinaigrette, and a very flavorful pork dish--all in very generous servings! I have a hearty appetite and can eat a lot, and I was hungry from the trip at that point, but I wasn't able to finish my meal. Abet cleaned his plate off, though. The food was so good that he was already asking to go back before we even finished lunch. We had vanilla ice cream with nuts and liqueur for dessert, and we were served a pot of the Batangas coffee to cap off our meal. Gourmet meals at the cafe were at P500 per person, but you're not paying for a meal, you're paying for an experience, and it's a bargain at that price. Interestingly, Jay came over as we were eating--to apologize for our lunch! He said that the meal was not his usual menu for lunch, but since he was also feeding 40 photographers, our food was cooked as part of a large batch and not specially prepared for us. He promised to make up at dinner. Unbelievable!

After lunch, we just lounged around the place and played with Chongki the dog, who stays at the hut we were staying in. Goodness, the hut even came with a pet! Abet is a dog-lover, and having Chongki with us was such a treat for him. The dogs at the cafe are used to guests, and Chongki is the most people-oriented dog I've come across. I kept on calling him 'Ganja' by mistake, hehe! We took a lazy stroll around town before it got dark and went to the church to say a little prayer.

Dinner was perfect, just perfect! By dinnertime, we were the only guests at the cafe, so we had the place all to ourselves and had a candlelit dinner in the garden. It was so romantic! Again, the food was marvelous. The meal we were served would have been at home at a 5-star hotel, yet Abet and I were dining amidst a garden and candlelight--in our humble pambahay. (We were there to rest, after all.) We had some of that wonderful coffee again.

After dinner, we had a nightcap of lambanog with Ralph sharing stories. He got a guitar out, and Abet did his thing. ;-) Jay was so impressed with Abet's playing, he got his laptop out to record Abet's music and said that he'd treat us to lunch the following day. How cool is that? It was a fun night of music, drinking, and story-telling by Jay and Ralph, it was the perfect end to a good day. We retired to our hut tired but happy.

The next morning, coffee was brought to our hut as soon as we woke up. Breakfast was great, but at that point, we were already expecting it. We watched a little TV while waiting for a tour guide to take us on a nature trek.

Our guide was Ka Jun, who was also told great stories. He took us to Kubli Springs, which, as the name suggests, is a spring hidden within the forest. It is actually within private property, probably Jay's. It was definitely the highlight of our trip.

Kubli Springs is the perfect place to relax and just commune with nature. It was truly unforgettable. We got to swim with fishes with dragonflies hovering just above our heads and big birds (crows, I think) flying by. The water at the springs had a faint sweet smell, and it tasted sweet, too (the water is so pure, it's safe to drink). Ka Jun told the most interesting stories that kept us entertained the entire time we were at the springs.

Ralph and Jay arrived around lunch time to bring our (free!!!) lunch--fresh salad, a vegetable dish I didn't recognize but ate anyway, and fish grilled right there. At that point, I was just already in such a state of bliss that I didn't even bother taking pictures. A quick swim after lunch, and then we were taken back to the cafe to change and prepare to go home.

We had such a grand time at Kinabuhayan Cafe and Kubli Springs that it was so hard to leave. We had to drag our asses to say goodbye. Before we left, they presented us with a bottle of lambanog. Wasn't that sweet?

Abet and I feel so lucky to have been able to experience all these. We were able to partake in wonderful meals, stay in a relaxing environment, go on a trek, bathe in a spring, and enjoy the company of very interesting people. We felt closer to and happier with each other than ever.

I highly recommend a stay at Kinabuhayan Cafe to everyone. You will not be disappointed. (I definitely won't stop bugging my brother Momon and his girlfriend Ros until they go there.)

Life's too short. You owe it to yourselves to visit this place at least once. ;-)