After our crypt incursion in Nagcarlan, we proceeded to the "Tsinelas" town of Liliw, Laguna. The town's main street is lined with stores selling the preferred weapon against cockroaches and other bugs. Kidding. I'm referring to casual footwear. Shopaholics like my friend Cathy will have a great time selecting from thousands of pairs of shoes and slippers. "I'll end up buying three pairs a day here," she said. At that rate, she'll be the next Imelda Marcos in three years.
Liliw, Laguna: Mang Kulas, Pabili Nga ng Tsinelas
We were hungry when we arrived around 10:00 a.m., so we went straight to Arabela, a low-ceiling, family-owned restaurant run by Mr. and Mrs. Camello, who named their establishment after their daughters, Ara and Bela. It's famous for its sweet and savory cakes, tongue-lashing (in a good way) pastas, mind-boggling pizzas, and other chicken and steak dishes. When we arrived, it was still closed, so we decided to visit nearby Saint John the Baptist Church, which is distinguished by its red brick facade.
The Footwear Capital of Laguna
We walked down the main street, which was lined with shoe stores on both sides. The majority of the houses were well-designed, with some retaining their heritage appearance. There's footwear everywhere you look, and Yano's song "Tsinelas" kept playing in my head. I'm curious if Mang Kulas got the tsinelas he sold to Dong Abay, when he was still a young and yet-to-be rock God, right here.
The sky was still cloudy, and I assumed that the rains from Nagcarlan had chased us to Liliw. We didn't mind; we just kept walking, occasionally trudging from one shoe stall to another as Cathy couldn't decide which pair to buy from the millions of options staring back at her. She finally decided on two, or was it three, or four pairs of shoes and a pair of slippers.
Saint John the Baptist Church
We entered Saint John the Baptist Church and discovered it to be darker inside, standing in stark contrast to its bright red facade. The sunlight filtering through its windows provided just enough rays to create a holy atmosphere within. The church was built in 1606 when Liliw was still known as "Lilio" and served as a part of Nagcarlan. It, like all churches of that era, was not immune to the wrath of nature, as the majority of the structure was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1880.
The church is located atop a small hill, reminding me of a similar hilltop sanctuary, the Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church in Daraga, Albay. Inside, one can see the pulpit still in remarkably good condition. I always check out the pulpito in every Spanish-era church I visit. I love imagining the old days when the priest would use it to announce pressing matters to the townspeople or deliver a solemn sermon. The facade is truly magnificent—the red bricks with small lichens in between create an ancient, hallowed appearance.
Arabela Dining & Capping the Weekend
Again, we were starving already, so we made our way back to Arabela, and I tried my best to steer Cathy away from checking out stalls for the thousandth time. We finally made it just as Arabela was starting to open. A number of diners were already outside, itching to get inside and see if the buzz surrounding this place was legit.
We wasted no time finding out for ourselves as Cathy did the honor of ordering our food—since I sucked at life-changing decisions such as ordering meals. We had T-bone steak, a rich pasta dish, chicken vegetable salad, and pudding for dessert.
Minnie Driver and Gambit (Wolverine to some) finally had their first meal of the day, and it was anything but simple. We gorged on our plates like it was our last meal on death row. It was a wonderful way to cap off our Laguna weekend, which started in San Pablo the day prior. What makes traveling—even on a quick weekend—so great? New places, incredible food, strange towns that gradually feel familiar, the un-bloggable moments, and everything in between. I plan to explore the rest of Laguna province even more in the coming weekends.
