This cow has an extra limb closely attached to the right, front legs. This medical condition is called polymelia, a birth defect that ends up with an extra and usually malformed limb.

Sometimes an embryo started as conjoined twins, but one twin degenerated completely except for one or more limbs, which end up attached to the other twin. Sometimes small extra legs between the normal legs are caused by the body axis forking in the dipygus condition. The extra limb is most commonly shrunken and/or deformed as shown in this picture.

Paradizoo also showcases several other animals, including ostriches, wild boars, deers and camels.

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The place is private property but Yoki allows school children to visit the place for educational tours. A minimal Php10 entrance fee is charged to visitors.

The place is huge with an open warehouse covering hundreds, maybe thousands, of antiques and other collections brought in from Indonesia, China and other south Asian countries. The centerpiece of the collection is a huge 30-foot Buddha statue.

The place also grows dozens of flowering plants and vegetables. They have several varieties of lettuce which they grow and supply restaurants and marketplaces within Cavite, Balay Indang being one of them.

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The place is like a garden in a farm with several small houses peppered across a hectare of lot. There are several cabanas and cottages within pockets of garden as well as a swimming pool with a recreation or yoga area.

The rooms are spacious — some with air conditioning while others have ceiling fans. You won’t be needing them anyway as it’s always chilly there and the breeze just creeps right thru the window. An old and rustic design with Bali and Chinese influence completes the entire package.

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Meal are served 5 times a day — breakfast, morning snacks, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner. That, plus the accommodations and facilities will set you back Php2,000 per head each night. Not bad for some real peace and quite.

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Meals usually starts with a green salad or soup, with fresh ingredient from their own garden. That’s usually followed by the main dish of either fish, a stuffed roast chicken, adobo or their special embutido which is to die for.

At night, it really gets cold and between 5pm to 7pm, tons of mosquitoes would go out and try to take a sip off of you. You can stay indoors or hang out at the cabana beside the pool for some recreation after dinner. In contrast to city living, people here sleep very early in the evening; sometimes as early 9PM.

Note: You can call Marge Tan of Balay Indang at 09178665825 if you want to book a week-end. Discounts for children available.

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In fact, the developers claim that during normal days, the atmospheric temperature is just 1 degree Celsius lower than that of Tagaytay. The trip from Makati via the SLEX is somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour depending on the road traffic.

The place is almost fully occupied and they’re about to start phase two of the project. With two-storey houses starting from single bedrooms to four bed-room units, it’s up to your budget which one to get. And I must say that the designs of the houses are very well done.

What only got me disappointed is that when I learned about Canyon Ranch, the brochure says units starts from Php2.8M each. However, when we went there on a visit, the prices have astronomically gone up with ranges from Php3.8 Million to Php25 Million. So, okay, I now know that these units are being advertised on prices before the project was even started and the price tags crawl all the way up further down the development phase.

The surrounding area and roads do seem to be too steep that I don’t think it is wise to have little toddlers running down the streets. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of the interior of the units themselves but from the outside, they do look pretty. Distances between houses vary between 4 to 6 meters depending on which type of house you pick.

Overlooking the ridge is a great view of the southern side of Carmona and you cna also see the San Lazaro Race Track which I hear does twice a week races. Filipina equestrian champion Mikey Cojuangco is said to have bought a 2-bedroom unit here where she can stay during her practices and training sessions (she’s putting up an equestrian school here too).

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With its towering height, it seems that it can see everything in its front.

But wait, do you know that there is a structure here in the Philippines that is somewhat similar to Brazil’s Cristo Redentor?

It was just recently that I discovered this gem: The Philippines’ Cristo Redentor. I was able to dig up this sculpture when I went to Tagaytay recently. While hitting the road on the way to the People’s Park, I saw a large towering figure, with wide arms open, as if ready to embrace me.

The structure is so tall, that you have crane your neck to see the innocent face of Jesus. Trekking to the foot of the structure is a uniqe experience. It was my first time to be there, and I felt that on that particular moment, I was at the foot of the Lord.

For me, it really was a special journey, no need to travel all the way to Rio de Janeiro just to experience this thrill.

Entrance to the 13.5 hectare of rolling land area is 25 pesos per person. Inside the Picnic groove, there are a lot of cottages available for rent that costs from Php100 to Php250 depending on the size. Overnight accomodation in cottages ranges from Php 1,400 ($26). As an added attraction, the Tagaytay Picnic Grove Eco Trail which takes tourist to a more exciting view of the Taal Volcano, via a more rigid pathway , would surely challenge one’s stamina.

For more details and other attractions visit: http://www.philtourism.com/tpg_interest.html.

Technorati Tags: Tagaytay, Picnic, Taal

Tucked in the rolling hills of Tagaytay, Sonya’s Garden is a peaceful, relaxing place, just exactly what burnt-out yuppies in Manila need. The flowers and interior design make the place so romantic, the place has probably already been witness to hundreds of marriage proposals. I personally know a few who have spent their nth honeymoons here, or who have given massage gift certificates as birthday presents to their spouses.

Another highlight of Sonya’s Garden is the food. Toni (who also provided the photo above) says:

But going to Sonya’s Garden in Tagaytay is always a treat. HER salads I like. The greens are fresh and her dressing tastes great. In the picture my salad has lettuce, fresh mangoes, cucumber, hard-boiled egg, pineapple bits, beans and her special dressing. I had two big servings. Mmmmm.

Maybe it’s the ambience in her garden that makes eating a salad a wonderful experience — there’s a whispering breeze, the sound of water flowing from a fountain, the sound of leaves and flowers rustling… Maybe I’d eat more salad if everyday was that relaxing!

Want to try it for yourself? Here’s how to get there:

From South Superhighway exit Santa Rosa and turn right towards Tagaytay. Upon reaching main Aguinaldo highway, turn right toward Nasugbu, Batangas. Go past Tagaytay Rotonda and proceed for 10km. After Splendido Golf course adn Sunrise Hill make a right turn on the Buck Estate. Drive for 2km and watch out for Sonya’s on the left side. Use the first gate and drive towards the end of the driveway and make a right towards parking lot.

To make reservations, call or text +63-9175329097 or +63-9175335140, or email them at info@sonyasgarden.com . For more info, visit their website (under construction, and may take a while to load. but the images are worth the wait!).