Briefer:
- Found in 1571 by Gat Tayaw
- A highland town in the province of Laguna in the Philippines
- Got it’s name from a bird who sang “Liw, Liw, Liw” thus the name Liliw
- Surrounded by Sta. Cruz (capital city), Nagcarlan, Magdalena, and Quezon
- Well known for cold water spring resorts, native homemade sweets, and a sizeable shoe industry
It’s been a long time since I passed by this town. I used to go here a lot. The last time I was here was three years ago, if my memory serves me right. It was during the wake of Crackhead’s grandpa. Last weekend, together with my mother and my cousin, we went there all because my mother wanted a new sandals and slippers. She even has this notion that Liliw is just a few streaks away from Los Baños (which is NOT). It was a 6-8 hour drive from our place. The travel was hefty and exhausting. The weather changes from humid to rainy. It rained when we left Liliw, it was scorching hot when we passed by Sta. Cruz.
I was amazed by how this place changed, in just a few years. Maybe to attract more tourists, the city mayor decided to aim for uniformity and aesthetics. Most of the stalls there are newly-built and neatly painted, with all the footwear stores running across the long street of Liliw. They now have a McDonalds. (ahh, why it has to be McDo?)
A footwear and bag store around the corner, with its huge window glass. You need not enter the store to see what they're selling.
A huge slipper on-display. The largest I've seen. Too bad, the owner won't sell it to me.
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I saw Ratatouille the other day. I had fun watching the movie. My favorite Janeane Garofalo did the voice of Collete, the only lady chef in the brood. I hate rats but the movie was cute. It was meant to be cute so people won't feel squeamish about the rats. But I still quirked everytime a horde of rats comes into the scene. Watching the movie, I realized one thing. I still hate rats! Argh.
6 comments:
Driving anywhere in the Philippines takes a long time! i recently went to Laoag, 400kms, 12 hours hard driving!! The mayor of Liliw certainly has got the right idea! The town looks nice.
Oh, Liliw is so picturesque. I love going there too. Until now, my mother-in-law always sends me slippers from Liliw... 5 at a time... favorite ko... I always use them. :)
oy bago nga yan ah...
So it looks like this place may have lost some of its authenticity?
I can only hope that the changes are a good thing for the inhabitants.
I recall staying in the Campanile hotel in the center of Saint-Denis, very near Paris. It is a terrible place and the hotel is suitably integrated.
I remember looking down from my room window to the street, the window I couldn't open because it had been screwed shut. In a room with no airco. It was between 11 PM and midnight and I remember counting the rats that were crossing the street.
Big suckers.
I really like that top shot Rayts, the colour & lines are fantastic. Bit of a shame about the sky, but it's nice to know it's not just Scotland afflicted with grey skies :)
mike,
trip to the North is a bit more exhausting especially if you're driving...but if you're not, you'd just have to practically sleep the whole travel hours.
toe,
onga. saka mura lang. nakabili nga ako ng sapatos na 290 pesos lang, yung tipong mga 1k na sa SM.
luthien,
oo tsong...as in nagulat ako sa malaking pagbabago ngayon ng Liliw. ultimo simbahan nila ni-renovate na. ito lang street na ito ang may malaking pagbabago, yung kabila mala-Vigan pa rin ang dating. pero marami na ang mga nagsusulputang modernong bahay.
peter,
personally, i am sad for its changes. i like the old Liliw. it's like a Spanish-type village. old, big houses with large windows but now they are slowly being replaced by modern type of dwellings. McDonalds is already there so it won't take long would before the town is invaded by commercial companies.
phil,
that's nice of you to point out. i keep having the same problem everytime i take a shot on this particular time of the day. it was scorching hot when we got there, around 2pm and the sky was really dull, and then it rained. such a swell.
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