LOOKBOOK | Dialed-down nautical for cloudy and rainy days

Summer may have officially left this part of the world but it's still hot AF despite the rains. Besides, the sun still makes a frequent appearance in between. So might a little touch of nautical in your weekend outfit still do?

Hell yeah!

DINING | Ted's Kitchen in Sta. Cruz, Laguna

Countryside feels with Ted's Kitchen in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

So we spent two nights at Ted's Bed and Breakfast in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, which we called our base as we ventured out into nearby towns like Pagsanjan for food and Luisiana for its waterfalls. The B&B, however, is just an expanded venture as Ted's is, first and foremost, a restaurant.

Design and ambiance
Ted's Kitchen evokes some countryside feels with its design--from its signage, to the wall shingles, and down to the distressed door and furniture. Inside, the shabby chic aesthetic is also carried out in its walls, which are lovingly decorated with all sorts of random paraphernalia.

TRAVEL | Ted's Bed and Breakfast (Sta. Cruz, Laguna)

Bonfire pit, cottages in the background.

When we called Sta. Cruz our base for a not-so-recent getaway to Laguna, we were met with questions like: "why Sta. Cruz?" "what's in Sta. Cruz?" or "what are you gonna do in Sta. Cruz?"

Admittedly the town has little to offer--at least that I know of--but we just needed a place to stay from where we could drive to other places of interest like the Hulugan Falls in Luisiana, Laguna. Suffice it to say that we found in Sta. Cruz a bed and breakfast that looks just like our kind of place: small, nice, and quiet.

Here's a rundown of our experience at Ted's Bed and Breakfast in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

TRAVEL | It comes in threes: The waterfalls of San Salvador, Luisiana, Laguna (Part 2: Hulugan Falls)

Read: [Part 1: Talay Falls and Hidden Falls]

This is the last of two parts.

A closeup of the upper part of Hulugan Falls.

After sweating it out to get to Talay Falls and Hidden Falls, we were ready to see the pride of San Salvador, Luisiana--the more than 200-foot high Hulugan Falls.

The trek
We traced our way back to about a quarter of the trail to the first two waterfalls and came back to a clearing before diverting to a different route. The clearing is said to be a camping ground for those who wish to stay overnight. According to the barangay captain, they purposely designated a campsite that was far enough from the falls to prevent littering as well as for safety reasons.

The trail took us through gigantic pandan (screwpine) plants that are several feet tall. Or should I call them trees already because of their height? The pandan I know are much smaller, so seeing this variety was a pleasant surprise. Pandan, by the way, is one of Luisiana's agricultural products.

TRAVEL | It comes in threes: The waterfalls of San Salvador, Luisiana, Laguna (Part 1: Talay Falls and Hidden Falls)

The beauteous Hidden Falls in San Salvador, Luisiana, Laguna.

I've been to at least two waterfalls in South Cebu this summer: the crowded but really beautiful Kawasan Falls in Badian and the super fun, multi-tier Aguinid Falls in Samboan. Those two trips were really calculated for fear that I might end up with another "episode" as a result of too much physical activity and dehydration.

But after making it through with no fever at all, we geared up for yet another waterfall trip, this time in nearby Laguna. The more than 200-feet high Hulugan Falls was our prime target, which was, based on what we've read, accessible via a relatively short (around 30 minutes) but very steep and difficult downhill trek. And then you have to go back up.

But there was another option, a longer but supposedly much easier trail that will take you through two more waterfalls--Talay Falls and Hidden Falls--before getting to the big one. Banking on "easier," we chose this route.

LIFESTYLE | Dad's Day at Manila Pavilion Hotel

Last month it was all about the mothers of the world. Now it's Daddy's turn to get some love and affection because it's Father's Day on Sunday, June 18. Don't have any plans yet? The Manila Pavilion Hotel and Casino can help you with that.

LOOKBOOK | Trekking in orange and ombre

Instead of beaches, this summer saw me visiting a couple of waterfalls. Outfit-wise, it was mostly blue for my first two waterfall trips, both in South Cebu. There's the blue shirt and swim shorts combo I wore to Kawasan Falls in Badian, and the multicolored pastel shirt and cerulean blue shorts I donned for our trek through the five-tier Aguinid Falls in Samboan. Though multicolored, the latter was still heavily anchored on blue.

This time around I consciously picked a different color, orange. As plain as this V-neck tee is, I thought it just pops, so I went for it and paired it with ombre printed swim shorts. I can't explain how the colors complement each other but for me it simply works. I subscribe to the thought that if it feels right, then it must be right.

LOOKBOOK | Not quite a Minion

I don't get to wear it often but I sure am glad to own dungarees. Also called overalls, it's something I've wanted for years but never found one until early last year. For me they've always been around although they've never made it to becoming a mainstream fad. Or have I missed a trend here?

LOOKBOOK | Linen and denim

A number of people are usually averse to long sleeves during summer for obvious reasons. But given the right fabric, we still can wear long sleeves and be just as comfortable. Because they're very breathable, linen and lightweight cotton are the usual suspects and are probably your best bet in beating the heat.

LOOKBOOK | Color to the world

With the midday sun casting harsh shadows, I look like I'm wearing shades. 😎

After getting ourselves all soaked at Aguinid Falls in Samboan, I had a change of outfit and carry on with our little town-hopping in South Cebu. It's summer and wearing color is definitely in this season.