We all woke up early to participate in the Automobile Association of the Philippines' (AAP) 2nd Caravan, this time traveling through Cavite and Batangas. The meeting place was at the Blue Wave Petron Station (as Petron is a major sponsor with free gas!) around 0630AM. It wasn't so hard to wake up the kids as they were both excited to go on a roap trip :) We first had breakfast while we waited for other participants to arrive.
Our first stop was at the Museo De La Salle inside the De La Salle University Campus in Dasmarinas, Cavite.
The 2-storey building was constructed to replicate the "Bahay na Bato" architectural design that was popular in the 19th century. The ground floor of the building was made of brick, mortar and stone. The 2nd floor was constructed out of wood. Inside the building are family heirlooms and artifacts of the same period generally donated or on loan from famous collectors and families. Since the collection was continually growing, the building was made to accommodate 4x the original size of the common "bahay na bato".
The tour started on the 2nd floor. To reach the 2nd floor, you need to pass a huge and grand staircase that leads to the foyer or the "caida". It is the receiving area and is called caida from the Spanish term caer (to let fall). When Spanish mestizas climb the stairs, they have to hike their skirts up so they won't trip. The moment they reach the last step, they let their hemlines fall, hence the term :) As you go around the area, you'll feel transported to the time of the Spanish Illustrados. The living rooms, the bedrooms, the kitchens - all showcase the opulence of the times. It's easy to picture Kapitan Tiago, Maria Clara and Crisostomo Ibarra (characters from Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere) moving about the place. :)
The tour started on the 2nd floor. To reach the 2nd floor, you need to pass a huge and grand staircase that leads to the foyer or the "caida". It is the receiving area and is called caida from the Spanish term caer (to let fall). When Spanish mestizas climb the stairs, they have to hike their skirts up so they won't trip. The moment they reach the last step, they let their hemlines fall, hence the term :) As you go around the area, you'll feel transported to the time of the Spanish Illustrados. The living rooms, the bedrooms, the kitchens - all showcase the opulence of the times. It's easy to picture Kapitan Tiago, Maria Clara and Crisostomo Ibarra (characters from Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere) moving about the place. :)
When you look out the capiz windows (like we did) you'll see a lake and a garden. The breeze that flows from the outside cools the whole house, much like it was in the olden times when electricity was still a dream in the distant future.
After going around the 2nd floor, we took the opportunity to take pictures of the displays in the ground floor. So here we are at the belen and at the "carosa".
When we were done, the kids went running around the gardens outside the Museum. The provincial government of Cavite also provided some snacks after the tour. Dana liked the garlic bread that came with the spaghetti :) I just replenished myself with the drinking water :)
