Located in
Asisan, Tagaytay City is Puzzle Mansion Bed & Breakfast –
an art gallery within a convivial resort and botanical garden. It is a new
destination perfect for those who want to relax and enjoy while exploring the
world’s history in a form of art! Plus you get the chance to meet the
Guinness World record holder i.e. GINA GIL-LACUNA.
Tagaytay's Puzzle Mansion
It was
last November 29, 2012 when Gina Gil-Lacuna was publicly awarded the Guinness
World title for having the largest collection of Jigsaw puzzles. Because of
that, she was encouraged to open a gallery to showcase her collected works and
to inspire other people by her story. Just so you know, Mrs. Gil-Lacuna was
only a high-school graduate but that didn’t stop her in fulfilling her dreams.
Her passion in reading books and travelling helped her educate herself and be a
successful businesswoman as she has become.
Georgina Gil-Lacuna holding the certificate awarded to her by
Guinness Book of World Records for having the Largest collection of Jigsaw
Puzzles
Mrs.
Gina Gil-Lacuna has a friendly and beguiling personality that made me feel at
home when I visited her Puzzle Mansion. She is gracious and lively which
reminds me of my mother. Despite of her age, her memory is still untarnished.
In fact, I was so impressed by how informative she was in delivering facts and
stories about her collections. She is certainly a brilliant woman and worth of
recognition.
"I'm a loving wife, a mother of one, a friend, a businesswoman and a high-school graduate", a heart-rending statement by Mrs. Gil-Lacuna.
Be
passionate on what you are really good at – this is what I've learned
from the Guinness World record holder Georgina Gil-Lacuna. For over 60 years of
age and a high-school graduate, she has confirmed to me that you can do
whatever you want and be successful with it as long as you have the passion and
determination at heart.
To
meet and talk with her was indeed a life-inspiring experience!
The
Puzzles:
Gina
Gil-Lacuna’s interest for puzzles began for some 26 years ago. According to
her, she has been buying puzzles from souvenir shops, museums and puzzles
stores as she travels to different countries across the globe. To date, she has
1,028 jigsaw puzzles and still mounting!
Retablo De Santa Columba
18,000 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces
Largest Puzzle in the World
For just P100 entrance fee, you can
have an educational tour inside the puzzle museum. The interior was filled with
frames of piece-together puzzles in different sizes, colours, dimensions and
forms. The moment you enter the gallery, you will be bombarded by her unique collections scattered and displayed in every wall and corner of the room.
Most of the displayed puzzles are pictures of historical places, paintings of renowned artists, famous personalities and Disney characters. In fact I was soaked by the wide collections the museum exhibits. I was also surprised to see puzzles in 3D and 4D! But above all, I was dumbfounded by the stories of each puzzle and how it was put together by a single old woman. Jeez! She must be really patient. Amazing!
Most of the displayed puzzles are pictures of historical places, paintings of renowned artists, famous personalities and Disney characters. In fact I was soaked by the wide collections the museum exhibits. I was also surprised to see puzzles in 3D and 4D! But above all, I was dumbfounded by the stories of each puzzle and how it was put together by a single old woman. Jeez! She must be really patient. Amazing!
Puzzle Museum
3D and 4D Puzzles
US Presidents and Pope John Paul II in puzzles
Coca-cola mosaic (one of the challenging puzzles because of the tiny coca-cola images in it) and Disney Princesses in motion Puzzle
The Water Lily Pond (Painting by Claud-Oscar Monet)
1,000 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces
Completion Time: 12 Hours
Guernica (Painting by Pablo Picasso)
2000 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces
Completion Time: 40 hrs
This particlar puzzle took the longest time to complete because of its monotone color scheme.
Besides
the puzzle museum, the place also offers a relaxing accommodation and best lutong-bahay Filipino foods to devour. The hotel
has an outdoor swimming pool and 11 rooms. Adjoining the resort is a beautiful
botanical garden where you can stroll and breathe a fresh air.
Going
there is not a problem because the resort provides free shuttle service to
fetch visitors from the main road of Tagaytay City. But during our tour, we
were provided with free transportation service – back and forth from Buendia,
Makati City. That’s how accommodating and caring Mrs. Gil-Lacuna to us. Thank
you Mommy Gina!
The Puzzle Mansion's Hotel with 7ft pool
Best Lutong-Bahay Filipino Food
(Coconut Cream Pie is the best!)
MJ De Leon & I enjoying the Puzzle Mansion
The Puzzle Mansion's Botanical Garden with Wishing Well
To
wrap it all up, I find Puzzle Mansion Bed & Breakfast suitable
for people who want to experience pure relaxation. They have
comforting accommodations, good food and the place is situated in
a very peaceful location. Plus, the Puzzle Museum is perfect for
educational field trip. But above all, to be in a presence of a Guinness
World Record Mrs. Gina Gil-Lacuna is an awesome experience!
This is certainly a destination I would very much recommend to my
friends and travellers like you!
Nicole, MJ and I want to
say "We love Puzzle Mansion!"
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