Baguio 2015

First order of business on our first day in Baguio was a hearty lunch at Grumpy Joe along Leonard Wood. Their dishes were good for two people and the food was delicious so it was great value for money!

Their pasta and salad and iced tea in mason jars.

The campus of the Philippine Military Academy is beautiful. The cadets are lucky that they get to enjoy the crisp Baguio air and take a leisurely stroll amongst the pine trees. They looked spiffy in their uniforms too.

This is where they hold their graduation rites.

One of the things that I love in Baguio is the pine trees, which is why I enjoy walking inside Camp John Hay. It's one huge park and we have so few of that in Metro Manila.

A lovely leaf

No trip to Baguio would be complete without a trip to Mt. Cloud Bookshop in Casa Vallejo along Upper Session Road. According to their website, their selections are 80% Filipiniana. Across Mt. Cloud is Baguio Cinematheque, and beside it is North Haven Spa.

The second floor of the bookshop

Pretty origami cranes beside the stairs

A wooden staircase straight out of Beauty and the Beast.
"Well if you like it all that much, it's yours."
"But sir!"
"I insist!"
"Why thank you, thank you very much!"

Strawberry taho!

The view of the mountains from the observation deck of Mines' View Park. As it was a Sunday when we went, the place was packed with tourists.

There's really something about Baguio that makes me want to go back again and again. :)

2-4 January 2015

Baguio 2014 - BenCab Museum

BenCab Museum is located along Km. 6, Asin Road in Tuba, Benguet, a 15-minute cab ride from Baguio City proper. The museum is owned by National Artist Ben Cabrera, and beside the museum is the house where he and his family live. Entrance is at PHP 100, with a PHP 20 discount for students with valid ID and senior citizens.

BenCab Museum has three floors, and visitors are advised to begin at the topmost level and make their way down to the ground floor, where Cafe Sabel and the entrance to the garden are located. Each floor has a terrace which offered a great view of the garden.

There are different galleries inside the museum. BenCab's gallery which features his own works and an installation of wooden, carved bululs are found in the second level. The bulul is the Ifugao rice god.

Here's a view of the museum as seen from the pond.

We were in luck that day because BenCab himself was in Cafe Sabel! Here's a photo of the girlfriend with the national artist.

2 February 2014

La Union-Vigan 2014

First time to go to La Union, second time to go surfing!

From Manila we boarded a Laoag-bound Partas bus that would take us to San Juan, La Union, a six- to seven-hour trip. We stayed at Flotsam and Jetsam, an "artist beach hostel" according to their website. The place just screamed HIPSTER!!! We slept in their shophouse dorm which had four bunk beds, and each bed cost PHP 880 per night. Upon checking in they'd give you a key for the locker where you can put your stuff. The lockers were right beside the beds which was really convenient. Flotsam was also kind enough to arrange our surfing lessons for us for the following day. The food at the restaurant was a bit expensive though, but they did offer free breakfast which consisted of wheat bread, different flavors of jam, milk, cereals, orange juice, and fruits. Hipster.

It was a good place to chill since the atmosphere was so laid-back. You could sip on a mojito while lounging on one of their bean bags, looking at the stars kind of scene. The guests during the time we were there were mostly conyo. Haha.

The big kubo on the right is their restaurant and the small kubo on the left is their reception area. The canopy hung above a sofa/bed that was right outside the restaurant. They had another hut which served as the hostel's common room. It had tables and beanbags and mats, and was called Mer Sea Buko Kubo. TEN POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR, I mean points for their wit.

The following morning, Flotsam's contact person for our surfing lessons picked us up from the hostel, and by "picked us up" I mean he walked with us to San Juan Surf School. The surf school was ten minutes away from Flotsam since the hostel was at the far end of the stretch of hotels/hostels in San Juan.

From La Union, we decided to go to Calle Crisologo in Vigan, which was only two hours away. We took an air-conditioned bus that passed right in front of the hostel.

We passed by Banaoang Bridge on our way to Vigan.
This was taken from the bus, hence the awkward angle.

It was a Sunday, so we slipped inside St. Paul's Cathedral for a quick prayer. There was an ongoing mass spoken in Ilocano.

Vigan is one of the girlfriend's dream destinations in the country, and it made my heart swell with joy to see her so excited when we were walking towards Calle Crisologo. She was obviously thrilled to be there, and her sheer happiness made my trip to Vigan pretty memorable as well.

The amount of tourists when we went was way more than when I first walked the streets of Calle Crisologo in 2012. It may have been because we went on a weekend, or because Vigan was recently voted as one of the new seven wonders of the world. Hopefully this resurgence in the volume of tourists boosts the economy of the city and the tourists' own appreciation of Philippine history and culture.

20-21 December 2014