Miya’s 2nd Birthday at Las Casas

WARNING: PHOTO HEAVY POST

We celebrated Miya’s actual birthday at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. Since the place is in Bataan, we figured we should stay there for atleast two nights so that our drive will be worth it. So I bought two vouchers from DealGrocer way before Miya’s birthday and immediate booked the dates. We left the day after my birthday and since our car was coding, we left the house at 10am. Which is just about the right time for us since check-in is at 2pm. We arrived at the hotel/resort at about that time.

After checking-in, we explored the nearby grounds (the place is huge!!!) and took photos.

Then we went back to our room to change into our swimming attire and headed for the beach.

The water in the beach is not that clear – almost black, I think because of the black sand of the area. Since it was only me and Miya swimming, I wasn’t particularly brave to go deep into the water. We only stayed at the beach for a short while. We had to convince Miya that we will go back the next day because she was so happy with the waves splashing about. We then headed to the swimming pool where we stayed for a while.

After swimming, we ordered dinner at the restaurant and had our food delivered to our room. We then went to our room to wash up and change. After taking a bath, we were back to exploring the place. Not long after, it was time for dinner. Miya ate along with us. I’m happy to say that Joema and I can now eat together with Miya. No more Joema eating first while I entertain Miya and then I hand Miya over to him so that I can eat. Although, there are still times that we do that especially during the times that Miya doesn’t like to eat. But if she wants to eat then I can feed her and myself at the same time.

The next morning, for Miya’s birthday, to keep up with our tradition, we gave her a cake, sang her happy birthday and gave her our gifts. I even hang up a “Happy Birthday” banner on the wall. 

Forgive our bedhead hair hehe

We then went to have breakfast at the restaurant. After breakfast, we went swimming again but only for a short while because as I’ve mentioned before their pool is not heated.

Before eating lunch, we stayed at their gazebo to hang out. We love it there.

In the afternoon we joined the heritage tour of the place. There are currently 27 houses in the property and some of these houses can be rented out to guests. 

We were given hats before the start of the tour

Four of the 27 heritage houses inside Las Casas

Intricate ceiling done by an artist from Paete

This is inside a very luxurious bathroom

The original UP building from Quiapo was transfered at Las Casas

Those pillars are original from the old building

It’s a very interesting tour because you will get to see all of the 27 houses. You can enter some of the houses while some are not open to the public like the house that the owner of Las Casas uses whenever they are there. Suggest you do the tour in the morning since it gets pretty hot in the afternoon and you walk from one house to the other. At the latter part of the tour, Miya started getting restless she wanted to feed in between houses (see our photo here). The last stop for the tour is our gazebo. So we stayed there for a while before going back to our room.

After using the cold towel provided after the tour, she decided her angel friend needed a cooling down as well.

Yehey Daddy bought Pringles

Happy as a clam

During dinner, it was so thoughtful of the restaurant staff to give Miya a leche flan (in lieu of a cake) with a candle and sang her a happy birthday. I didn’t intentionally tell them it was her birthday. It just came up because she was being her usual daldal self so one of the servers asked how old she was. So we told her she turned two that day. Funny thing is when the singers came to our table, we immediately asked for our bill haha. I don’t know I’m just not comfortable with these singing groups at restaurants because I always worry if we should tip them or not since we didn’t ask them to sing but there they are singing in front of our table. Anyways, I digress, when the singing duo finished their second or third song, I asked that they sing "Happy Birthday" for the little girl. That’s when I knew something was up because they kept looking back at the kitchen and they were a bit hesitant to sing the song. And I also had to ask for our bill again and the servers kept on looking back at the kitchen and signaled me to wait. I don’t know what took the servers that long to prepare the leche flan and candle but it took the singers several songs before they sent out the leche flan hehehe. Nonetheless, we appreciated the gesture. I was so happy for my little girl. 

For our last day at the resort, we went for a swim after breakfast. But as I’ve already told you we had a little bit of a mishap at the beach. I’m not sure what irritated Miya's skin, if it was the water or the sand. But she kept on running up and down the beach saying “Hapdi, hapdi.” At first we thought, she was just playing around because it looked like she was having fun running up and down the beach. That was until she cried hehehe. Sorry but this girl knows how to tease us. Sometimes she says one thing but means another. But no worries, it’s nothing tap water can clean and fix. 

More photos of our last day after the jump:

We went to the pool after the beach and stayed there.

And then it's time to go home.

We hope we can continue doing this for Miya's birthdays, that is, go out of town/country for a trip. And also for our future children. I really love celebrating birthdays this way, making memories with my kid this way.