Infographic by Jan-Daniel S. Belmonte and Mich B. Salangsang

We all need to get away from the metro every once in a while. For Ateneans, Katipunan is convenient and familiar, but it fails to offer a complete escape from the university that stands right across the strip—a stark reminder of schoolwork and academics. Ironically, along with the plan of relaxing somewhere far off comes the reality of inconvenience caused by distance. That much is unavoidable, unless the destination in question is Antipolo.

This mountain getaway is accessible via Ortigas Avenue or Sumulong Highway, and can be reached without excessive planning and dragging hours on the road. As it turns out, the promise of lush greenery and captivating views isn’t as remote as one would think. Antipolo can serve as the ideal weekend vacation spot—if you know where to go.

Food for thought

An appetite for adventure is often accompanied by an equally insatiable demand for food. By car or by commute, the trip up Sumulong Highway (an easier route than the winding streets and traffic of Ortigas) can be an arduous one. Fortunately, Café Lupe lies right along the highway and provides a great spot to pull over and enjoy a casual lunch.

Pair any of the restaurant’s signature Mexican dishes with Café Lupe’s specialty beer: the Lupelada. Considered Antipolo’s premier lemon beer, the drink is served in a cool, sweating glass rimmed with salt.

The best seats in the house lie along the balcony, affording you a glorious view of Manila and access to the cool breeze of Antipolo that will leave you relaxed and your hair slightly disheveled. Come nighttime, this casual spot opens its doors to live bands that play well into night, keeping you from returning to city life a while longer.

For those who want to experience Antipolo dining at its simplest, Red Clay Bakery has that sincere ambiance of an eatery frequented by locals in the know. It features a selection of various noodle meals topped with lechon (good for three to four and ranging from P120 to P130) and, of course, its own array of freshly baked breads.

Where art thou?

After grabbing a good meal, traverse further into the city to indulge your artistic side. For a P100 entrance fee (P50 for students), one can experience the aesthetic haven that is the Pinto Art Museum. Spearheaded by the art-loving physician Dr. Joven Cuanang, the project succeeds in its promotion of Philippine art and culture.

The art is spread out across several ornate Spanish edifices, which are divided into interweaving exhibition spaces. Vibrant flora lies along the winding paths as you move from one edifice to another. The surroundings make an artistic statement all by itself.

Pinto houses over 400 artworks, all personally acquired by Cuanang since 1986. A wide array of drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations offers the visitor a departure from conventionality, taking one into the realm of the bizarre. One such gallery houses a mural that runs almost as long as a bus, while another features what seems to be a miniature puppet show.

Standing on a one-hectare plot of land, there is no denying the massiveness of the museum and the amount of footwork required in exploring the area. Take a break at the Pinto Café, which offers hearty dishes by local patisserie Bizu and cool refreshments to appease your hunger.

A tour in faith

Any decent getaway can gratify one’s senses for a while, but only few can satisfy one’s spiritual need for adventure. What does just that is the Inday Nelly Mystical Cave, secret cavern hidden in the mountains of Rizal.

The cave is named after its founder, Inday Nelly Deles, a native of Iloilo. Deles, according to the cave’s tour guide, heard a voice as a young girl urging her to seek out the cave in Antipolo. She did just that and has lived nearby as its owner and caretaker ever since.

A shack lies along the short ascent towards the mouth of the cave; here, one can pay the entrance fee of P40 to explore the first of seven floors in the cavern. A flashlight is also provided to illuminate the surreal stalagmite formations unique to this particular cave. The locals, being deeply rooted in the Christian faith, have named some of the formations after religious figures that they loosely resemble.

Notable stalagmite formations in the Mystical Cave include one resembling the Pietà, as well as a statuette of the Nazareno lying on his side. Water is also present throughout the cave in regularly spaced distinct wells. One well stands out from the rest, as the locals claim that the water there possesses healing properties.

Warmth in the wilderness

Ravenous from a day’s worth of wandering about, weary travellers can take pleasure in the international cuisine offered by a covert restaurant in Antipolo. Vieux Chalet is referred to as Antipolo’s “hidden secret,” and there’s no surprise as to why.

Literally meaning “old cottage,” it is veiled by winding, uphill roads and thickets that could easily get a traveler lost. For P40 to P60, tricycle drivers can bring you straight to this quaint restaurant.

The place itself has been around for nearly 25 years, though the food is still distinguished by a certain edge. The contents of the menu range from the pumpkin-infused Italian Farmer’s Soup (P125) to the Pizza de la Casa (P515), a thin-crust smorgasbord of smoked ham, mushrooms and oregano.

Overall, the ambiance of the place is that of home. There are only seven tables, which means that it never gets too crowded within the simple layout. Any vestige of noise is drowned out by the overlooking vista of Manila, which effectively soothes viewers into forgetting their problems even if for just a while.

Star light, star bright

It is difficult to gaze up at the stars in the middle of Manila where nightlife seems to overwhelm the sky. The first and only one of its kind, the Seven Suites Hotel Observatory offers “a conducive place for star-gazing in a hotel setting,” according to in-house astronomer Ramon Acevedo. Housing the fourth largest telescope in the entire country, astronomy enthusiasts and casual visitors can thoroughly enjoy the heavens in the hotel.

The observatory is open to hotel guests or those who avail of services in other hotel facilities. Visit the hotel’s website to see the observatory’s astronomical calendar, where they post advanced schedules of major astronomical events. But even without the telescope, the romantic view still catches one off guard. The night sky and the urban skyline seem to coalesce peacefully to the point that you can no longer tell where one begins and the other ends.

From a distance

Antipolo lies along the borderline of simple rural life and the swift pace of urban living. As the sun retreats into the horizon, the sight of Manila from Antipolo gives one a panoramic view of the hustle and bustle of city life. The horizon stands uneven with a mixture of residences and high-rise condominiums.

From a considerable distance you suddenly feel like an outsider looking in. Though you know you must eventually return to the city, there is a certain comfort in knowing that a brief escape isn’t so far-fetched. In fact, it’s much closer than you may think.

Editor’s Note: The Features staff would like to thank Joseph S. Angan for his significant contributions to this article.

To the boondocks

Getting around Antipolo is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

By Javison T. Guzman

LRT

Cost: <P15

Taking the LRT is one of the quickest ways of getting to Antipolo. While it won’t take you all the way there, a train ride to the Santolan Station of LRT2 will help you avoid heavy traffic for the first third of your journey.

Jeepneys

Cost: P8-20

Although rather daunting for the uninitiated, a bumpy jeepney ride through the hills is definitely one of the most fun ways of getting around Antipolo. Just hop on board as you exit the Santolan Station and enjoy the 20 to 30 minute ride out of the city!

Tricycles

Cost: P60 and up

Given Antipolo’s rugged terrain, there are some paths not even hardy jeepneys can pass through. Despite this, there are many tricycle drivers situated around Antipolo who are more than willing to escort you through the provincial city’s jagged dirt roads for a nominal fee.

By foot

Cost: It’s free!

If you’re feeling particularly daring, you should try traversing Antipolo by foot. As arduous as it sounds, trekking through Antipolo is one of the best ways to savor the vibrant landscape (and tone your legs).