Baguio has changed a lot from the last time I was here (year 2001). It is now teeming with commercialism which is kinda too much for me. I miss it when it was still with lots of pine trees and lesser people and establishments. Now, I can no longer smell the pine trees. In the city, the air is already polluted. What did they do to Baguio????
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| the family in Mine's View Park |
Last Feb. 3-5, 2013, hubby and I decided to take the kids to Baguio so they will experience the cold weather there. Best month to go here is February, when the temperature goes down till 10 degrees C (and lower).
It was a five hour drive (by car). We passed by Manaoag Shrine to hear mass. Thus, our travel totalled to almost 7 hours.
Since we are on a tight budget, we decided to stay in Teachers' Camp. But after 2 hours of waiting and seeing the cottage and requested for a new one, the receptionist suggested another place that might be better and more affordable than theirs. Sana naman umpisa palang e nagrecommend na. Sayang ang 3 hours namin sa kakaantay.
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| buhay pa din ang teachers' camp |
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| our supposedly cottage |
We ended up staying in Brentwood Apartelle. They gave us a three bedroom flat, with kitchen and dining. I haggled for a discount so they agreed for one thousand pesos off if we will not use the 3rd bedroom.
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| not so new apartelle |
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| ready to sleep |
After checking in, we went to Session Road to check the wagwagan and some souvenirs. The commodities' price here are quite higher compared to Manila's; unlike before that you can buy branded items for 50-100 pesos only. Session Road has a lot of new restaurants now.
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| geisha girls wannabes... |
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| sa may session road |
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| authentic igorot's store..the sagada weaving store |
Our first dinner (here) was spent in my officemate and friend's home. Romy and his lovely wife, Arlene, prepared a very sumptuous dinner for us.
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| they are so kind to accomodate and prepare a sumptuous meal for us |
Second day:
We spent this day touring around the common tourist spots.
1. Botanical Garden - less charming for me now. This is maybe due to some parts being renovated. This used to have a beautiful garden with lots of flowers. One thing that didn't change though are the Igorot elderlies for hire for photo ops.
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| with the elderlies |
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| love of my life |
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| 2nd shopping - silver jewelry |
2. Mine's View Park - as expected, it is too crowded with lots of commercial stores around it. Even the dogs are being used for business. I'm glad that there are no more children at the mountain foot waiting for coins. There's now a spot dedicated to them.
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| dedicated to the children who used to wait for coins to be thrown |
3. Wright Park - there are still some horses for hire. I bought some Sagada oranges and "duman" here. The oranges are quite huge and sweet. Duman is crushed pinipig which is a Kapampangan delicacy. It's chewy, not too sweet and very addicting.
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| the huge oranges..that tomato is big but looks small compared to these |
4. The Mansion - located just across the Wright Park. We were contented in just seeing this house from afar since the kids are too tired to walk already.
We also passed by Good Sheperd to buy some pasalubongs. The ube and strawberry jams and alfajor are always a hit for me.
Lunch was in Volante in Camp John Hay. It's a famous pizza parlor here. Yep, the food is great. We also check the outlet shops in Mi-Long.
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| yummy lunch |
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| heaven for me... |
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| the manor |
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| stores in CJH |
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| can't leave without a mirror shot |
Come afternoon, the kids are already not in the mood for any tour. We ended the tour for this day in Burnham Park where we enjoyed a lot of colors from the landscape exhibit.
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| flowers all over Baguio |
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| the only survivor amongst the four siblings in lakaran |
Second dinner was again Romy's treat in Villa Cordillera Inn. It's Filipino food this time. The place is so cozy, with a fireplace where you can just sit down and relax while listening to the band. My youngest even have a jamming with the band. Even without a formal singing training, she confidently sing with the band. She made us proud again that night.
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| a cozy place |
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| food galore |
next post... Strawberry picking in La Trinidad
hi, sorry for my late response... the cottage that was offered to us was not properly maintained and smell "not so nice".. but the place itself is really nice...
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