Pancit, Philippines Part 2

Today I want to write about a day outing to Tagaytay and the Taal Volcano which is very nearby. It is only about 25 minutes drive from where we live, so from Manila it will take about 2 and a half hours. It is a lovely day outing perfect to do a picnic.

One pays an entrance fee to get into the park, 50 Pesos per person which is equivalent to about 1 $, so not very much. The view is amazing and one can do some zip lining over a valley. A lot of fun but I still gave it a skip as I am afraid of heights. It is great to have a little thrill part on the outing.

The volcano is apparently till active; it is the smallest volcano in Philippines and has not erupted for many, many years. There are plenty of house boats on the lake with people living in them; it is like a small city. One can book a boat ride or a horseback ride, so plenty to do, nobody will get bored here.

We just took our own blanket and had a little picnic, nothing special, just sitting around with some good friends. There are little huts too, so one is protected of the sun, but as it was a little overcast we didn’t need it.

It is the rainy season here in Philippines, so one must be careful in the afternoons as the rain can come without warning and the downpours are tarantula. There are floods all the in Manila and the lower areas, so best to have an umbrella with all the times. If it doesn’t rain the sun is hot and burns, so it is very common that one uses the umbrella as well as sun protection

Pancit Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package thin rice noodles

• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken legs, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1/2 cup soy sauce

• ground black pepper to taste

• 1/2 medium head cabbage, shredded

• 2 carrots, shredded

• 2 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces

1. 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveinedPlace the rice noodles in a large bowl, and cover with warm water. When soft, cut into 4 inch lengths, drain, and set aside.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the chicken and pork until no pink shows. Season with soy sauce and pepper. Remove from skillet and set aside. Saute the cabbage and carrots until tender. Stir in the noodles, green onions and shrimp. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stir in the chicken and pork, and cook for 5 more minutes.

Oh, by the way, below you see my first meal in the Philippines, yes KFC, but slightly different than in many other countries, especially with the rice (the little packet) it was by the way very nice.