Thursday, May 19, 2011

Baguio - The City of Pines 2011 Trip

My visit to Baguio was a start for me to pursue what I love doing most which is to TRAVEL. I was excited but at the same time I was also nervous, as it was my first time to travel by my self and the thought of the long ride to Baguio which took around 6 to 7 hours was scary for me. It sure made my tush numb! I Left Manila at around 10:00am and arrived in Baguio at around 5:30pm. Here are some pictures I took while I was on the bus on my way to the "City of Pines" using my Mobile Phone, so forgive me for the so-so quality. 



I stayed in "Philippine Baptist Theological School", also known as PBTS. I originally wanted to book their “Vacation Cottages” but as it was a peak season at that time; their best rooms were fully booked. So I would suggest booking ahead of time, a month or so, if ever you decide to stay there. 

Day 1 [March 21, 2011]

- SM Baguio
- Café by the Ruins

I made sure I was going to enjoy my stay in Baguio, even if it meant going to places alone. I took a taxi to SM, there was a little traffic near Burnham Park but aside from that all went well. Taxi was cheap, cost me a little less than ₱100.  In the afternoon, Genesis, our pastor’s brother In Hong Kong, was kind enough to meet with me. So, my first day started with me going around SM Mall. :) 


We decided to take a visit at Cafe by the Ruins - thinking it was one of those historical places in Baguio. Well, we were fooled! It was in fact a restaurant. It had me by the word "RUINS" and did not think of the word "cafe" (hahaha) plus, the only ruined part was the front-yard. Anyways, we decided to just go inside and order something to eat. The place was rather relaxing and it was really nice.


 Day 2: [March 22, 2011]
- Carnival [Burnham Park]
- Lunch [at Gerry's Grill (SM MALL)]
- Shopping 
- Movie [Red Riding Hood (SM mall)]

On the 2nd day, Kuya G and I originally was going to go boat riding in Burnham Park, but it was not very wise to do it at 11am in the morning. It was just way too hot. At that time, they had in Burnham Park a some sort of a carnival where you can rent out and Play Table tennis, so we did that instead. It was 100 an hour plus 50 deposit. I was exhausted after the game - I was literally gasping for air and I was seeing stars too! lol After an hour of sweat, we decided to have lunch at Gerry's Grill which is located inside SM. I must have been so tired and hungry I didn't think of taking a single picture of that place. Later that day, we went to see a movie. 


Day 3: [March 23, 2011]
My third day in Baguio was the busiest and the best day of all. We were being spontaneous... and went where we feel like going.

The Mansion House. It was built in 1907 as the official summer residence at the instance of William Cameron Forbes to serve as the residence of U.S. Governors-General. Since then, it has served as the holiday home and working office for each President of the Philippines during his or her visits to Baguio. The main gate of The Mansion is said to be a replica of one of the main gates at Buckingham Palace, London. Coolio! :) [Info from Wiki]

Wright Park. For P300 pesos, you can rent a horse for half an hour within the Park area. There are a lot of horses to choose from, they even have pink horses (lol). The best part is it's not that far from The Mansion, it's only in the opposite side of the road and around 5mins walk. 

Mines View. Truly amazing… simply unforgettable. As we all know, Baguio is well known for its magnificent view. The only downside is that, it gets really crowded and the place is quite small. Anyways, we rented out Igurot costumes for ₱10 and took pictures, with my own camera of course. As usual, the infamous dog, which you can take pictures with for ₱20. 
Famished, we decided to have lunch at one of the restaurants at Mines view. The Bulalo was HUGE and it cost around ₱300. However, I wouldn't say it was the best but it was good enough cause I don't get to eat bulalo in Hong Kong. So thumbs up for that one. :) 


Tam-Awan Village. It is a model Cordillera village. It consists of authentic Ifugao and Kalinga huts on hilly terrain. Located in Pinsao Proper, it's just a few minutes away from PBTS from where I was staying. We decided to go up the hill where you can see the whole village. I loved it! 

Strawberry Fields. It is Located in La Trinidad Benguet which is a few minutes away from Baguio City. It was tremendously awesome! My first experience to actually see strawberries right from the ground and actually get to harvest them myself. It was my farmville moment (hehe). They gave us a small basket and you can harvest as many strawberries as you want but of course you have to pay them after. A kilo of strawberries cost P150 which is more expensive than buying them directly from the stalls lined up in that area. But paying P150 for an experience is not too shabby! :)
All that in one day. Phew! But it was great! I had a blast going around Baguio. But it wasn't over yet, after getting all getting all our sweats out from picking those strawberries, we went back to SM mall where we had dinner and to end the night, we went for the last full show and watched a movie. :) How's that for my 3rd day in Baguio?!
Day 4: [March 24, 2011]
- Asin, Baguio [ Hot Spring ]

On my 4th day in Baguio, We went to a place called "Asin" Hot Spring Resort"... It's located in a barangay in Tuba Benguet, around 30mins from Baguio. The water in the pool is said to have therapeutic effects (I sure wasn't feeling it - teehee). We arrived there early but in just a few minutes, the place was packed. The downside of going there is that the transportation going in and out of that place is very limited, so you actually have to leave as early as 4:30pm to catch a ride back to town. We left at 5pm and well, we almost did not get a ride. So I think it's best to have your own car if you decide to go there or better yet, stay over night. :)


My fifth day was basically packing day for me. I bought so many things, that I had to buy an extra bag. And so, my time in Baguio has come to an end. It was a wonderful experience and an unforgettable one. Baguio is simply beautiful!! If you have not been there, I definitely encourage you guys to visit Baguio and make sure you visit every bit of the place, it's worth it!  

Cheers!
Bex

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