GOOD MORNING!! :)

The picture below was taken at around 6:30 AM from the 6th floor corridor of Hotel Veniz.

Our last day for this trip! Huhu.
Since we don't have a view of the outside from our room, I was surprised when I saw how foggy that morning was. Sige na nga, akala ko nung una e ulan 'yan kaya medyo nalungkot ako pero fog naman pala.

These are only some of the options from their breakfast buffet. Eat-all-you-can kung eat-all-you-can, diba. :))

Then we went to Mines View Park for souvenir hunting. You'll find a lot of souvenir shops in the area. Remember that the cheapest pasalubong you can get isn't always the best even if it seem like a bargain. Product quality oftentimes comes with the price.

At first we thought that the park was closed because of the ongoing renovation but a portion from the side was open. Turns out that they are constructing a better flooring so it would be easy to descend the observation deck.

A picture with the famous Saint Bernard of Mines View Park.
Ang lala lang ng P 50.00 isang shot pero dahil turista, patulan na 'yan!

Ifugao traditional clothing is also available for rent for P 10.00 at dahil nga turista kami, patulan na 'yan din.

This is the view from the Mines View Park. The reason why this is called Mines View Park is because it overlooks an abandoned mine which I wasn't able to locate. Never mind that, I'm curious as to how this valley would look like a decade or more from now. I saw a picture of this place taken when it's valley was untouched by developers (not a lot of houses) and when there were still a lot of pine tress. Hmm. Punong-puno na kaya 'yan lalo ng bahay several years from today? Looking at the houses now, it seems to me that Baguio has also started to become congested and who knows how congested it is going to be if the government doesn't intervene with the booming construction. Not saying that I'm 100% against the development but when you look at it, there's a huge possibility na darating 'yung point in the future na itong lugar na 'to, hindi na siya Mines View Park kundi Houses View Park. Sustainable development is something that they should focus on especially when Tourism is one of the major sources of income for Baguio City.

We then walked towards Good Shepherd Convent kasi kabilin-bilinan nung mga taong naiwan namin sa Manila na bumili ng ube jam galing dito. Ganyan maka-pose dahil wala na kong anda ulit. hahaha. Tawa na lang. A jar of ube costs P 160.00 each but then they only sell two bottles for each customer.

It should be easy to locate this convent when you're in the area and make sure to go here early because a lot of tourists buy their souvenirs here.

Lines. Lines. I love lines.
I heard that the lines in Good Shepherd becomes insanely long in the afternoon so be sure to arrive here early especially on a weekend. They accept credit card pala. :)

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Pagkatapos ng bagyo, Baguio ulit.

We went to Hotel Veniz, our home for days 2 and 3.
Look at the fog.
I suddenly want to experience living in Baguio. Hehehe

Book your stay here:

Hotel Veniz Session

Punta na kayo sa Baguio ng rainy season and experience this too. Medyo mahirap lang that you'll have to cancel some plans because of the rain but this view and the feeling of being "one" with the fog is an attraction itself that isn't usually found at other places in our country.

I don't know the exact reason but even if this looks gloomy and creepy at times, seeing fog floating around me makes me happy.

This was our bed in Hotel Veniz
It's a good budget hotel. For P 600.00/person/night, you get a decent room. Wala nga lang view but it's okay.

Kung mas mataas ang budget, pwede naman mag-hotel na lang kesa transient house. Syempre, iba pa rin 'yung ammenities na meron kung talagang hotel mag s-stay.

LCD TV and aircon

Bathroom

I found it hard to bathe or use their water heater kasi extremes lang 'yung temperature na pino-produce.

Pag ginilid mo 'yung pag-open, unti-unting iinit 'yung water pero darating sa point na 'yung init ng tubig e pwede ng makapagpa-kulo ng egg. Umuusok na nga sa init eh. So ang gagawin mo e igigilid mo ulit para mabawasan 'yung init, tas maya-maya,bigla na naman mawawala 'yung init hanggang sa parang ice cold water na 'yung lumalabas sa shower head. Oh wells, baka 'yung kwarto lang namin may problema nyan.

Free Nescafe classic sticks and chocolate chip cookies.

Hotel Veniz is near Burnham Park and Abanao Square. Its location is very strategic since almost all jeepney routes pass by the area. They have complimentary coffee, toiletries, towels and a free breakfast buffet in the morning. Sulit na ang bayad. However, there is no wi-fi connection in the room so you'd have to stay in the common area to connect.

We went back to Camp John Hay and stayed here at the Manor Hotel for around 3 hours.

Ganda.
The initial plan was to go around Camp John Hay again but it started raining hard when we were about to leave The Manor so obviously, na-scrap 'yun.

Medyo nagkagulo pa kami after The Manor kaya nakarating kami ng Mines View Park at Good Shepherd Convent nung gabi pero ayoko na i-detalye 'yung nangyari. Ang point, kahit papano kailangan talaga mag-plano para hindi paikot-ikot. Plan pag maganda weather at plan pag hindi maganda para ma-utilize lahat ng oras.

When we went back to Hotel Veniz to eat dinner, the night market has already been set-up so went down to look around the stalls. Ang tempting bumili ng mga jackets ganyan kasi ang gaganda ng mga ukay dun pero hindi ako nakabili. Huhu. Sana pala bumili na lang ako.

Book your stay here:

Hotel Veniz Session

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We checked out at Tuvera Pension House and transferred to a hotel near Burnham Park, Veniz Hotel.

We ate our brunch here at Cafe by The Ruins.

We were asked if we were okay to wait for 30 minutes before they gave our seats because the restaurant was packed. We were more than willing to fall in line even if we were really hungry just so we could find out why this restaurant is one of the famous ones in Baguio.

Andun ako sa M. HAHAHA SOMEDAY. Dahil dyan, categorized muna ko under optimists and foodies.

If you're wondering why the place's name is Cafe by the Ruins, then you'll be shocked behind the reason why it was named that way.

Kasi, nasa ruins siya. Diba, nakakagulat? Pati ako, hindi ko iisipin na ganito 'yun eh. Hahaha. It's a ruins of a house which was destroyed during the World War II.

I wasn't able to take a picture of the whole place but it is beautifully designed and very cozy.

But as for the service and the food, I honestly don't get why this place keeps on getting the raves.

Sobrang na turn-off lang siguro talaga ko sa waiter nung sinabi niyang, "Alam niyo naman po siguro kung bakit matagal 'yung service, madami po kasing tao." Okay, not the exact words he said but 'yan 'yung naging dating sa'kin and I really think that shouldn't even be said to a customer. Nakisabay din 'yung service water nila sa pagiging rustic vibe kasi lasang rust. huhubells.

P 330.00/order

Anyhow, this was my order. Okay naman siya but it didn't make me happy. I mean, I paid more than P 300.00 for a meal so nag-expect na ko na mas may satisfaction pa pero waley, busog lang ata. Walang "Ahhh, kaya pala nila gusto dito." factor. Ang hirap pati kainin nung meat kasi hindi kasya sa bibig ko 'yung shreds kung anuman tawag dun.

But then as I looked at other diners, it seemed that they were okay with everything. Ang reklamadora ko lang ba? Hmm... idk.

Cafe by the Ruins, para sa'kin, ay maikukumapara sa isang crush ng bayan na hindi ko makita kung san banda o kung pano siya nagustuhan ng maraming tao. Nakapunta ka na ba dun? Ano kaya 'yung meron siya na hindi ko nakita?

After eating, we rode a taxi to La Trinidad's Strawberry Field. Medyo malayo siya sa Baguio kasi nga La Trinidad area na nga. If you don't like to ride a taxi, you can opt to ride a jeep (via Halsema Hi-way. Di ko alam kung anong route).

Our taxi driver took the mountainous route to La Trinidad. Hindi rin siya nagkulang sa pagiging tour guide and we learned a lot of things from him kasama na 'yung pagre-recruit niyang bumili na rin kami ng bahay sa Benguet. He also pointed to us the casualties of the Typhoon Sendong last 2011 and until the moment we were to alight his taxi, he taught us where to ride the jeepney back to Baguio City.

My friend and I weren't looking at the taxi meter 'cause we were busy sightseeing and we both got surprised that our fare only amounted to P 130.00. E 'yung pamasahe na 'yan mula lang sa bahay pa-SM North pag traffic eh. Ang laki nung tulong ng P 30.00 na flag down rate at P 2.50 na added payment for additional meters. Haaay, kelan kaya Manila? Ni hindi nga nagpadagdag si Kuya kahit malayo. To think that the distance from Cafe by the Ruins to the Strawberry field is maybe even farther than the distance of our home in Tandang Sora, Quezon City to Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Tadaah! My much awaited strawberry field which is currently a lettuce field.

Strawberry harvest season in La Trinidad is from December to May. No wonder we didn't see fresh strawberries being sold anywhere when we went there. Excited pa naman ako kasi nahihilig ako sa strawberries recently. A reason to be back! hahaha. Ngayon pa ba Baguio na madali ka lang pala puntahan?? Bwahaha.

Saan galing ang lettuce mo?

It started drizzling so we left the field.

Tapos si Kuya na nagbebenta ng taho na nadaanan namin papuntang field,
"Ayan Mam ah. Hinintay namin kayo talaga kasi sinabi niyo bibili kayo pagbalik niyo."

So we ordered two taho (P 40.00 each) tapos dalawa sila Kuya na nagtitinda at tig-isa sila na nagbigay sa'min para parehong may benta. Hinahati talaga nila 'yung customers. Bakit ako nata-touch sa mga ganung bagay? Pinabait ata talaga ko ng Baguio. hehehehehehe.

Nakakatawa rin ng marketing strategy nila Kuya na nagbebenta ng strawberry taho saka strawberry ice cream kasi ang main selling point nila ay may libreng Wi-Fi para ma-Instagram daw 'yung products nila na ginawa ko naman kahit napeke ako dahil walang Wi-Fi. hahahaha. Okay, obvious naman walang wi-fi pero "nagpaloko" pa rin kame kasi ginusto rin. Haha! Make sure to buy strawberry taho when you're in Baguio not only for a delicious experience but also to help the locals with their livelihood. You may also upload photos in your social media sites to spread the word na ang taho at ice cream sa Baguio, hinaluan na ng Wi-fi connection para hindi hassle sa mahilig mag-IG at para mas hi-tech.

We rode a taxi back to Baguio City only this time the driver passed through the Halsema Hiway route which is also okay and was a bit faster. Pero I think dependent 'yun sa traffic kasi mas maraming kotse sa area na 'yun. I suggest that when you go there, you also take the routes we took just so you can see more places.

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After Panagbenga park, we took a taxi to Camp John Hay. We arrived there at around 7:30 AM and were too early - sarado pa lahat. We asked our driver to drop us off at Treetop Adventure but he didn't know where it was so we alighted the taxi near the gate thinking Camp John Hay is not that big but we were wrong, so wrong.

Facing this sign, we walked rightwards and we reached a call center building and restaurant complex, similar to that of Ayala Triangle Gardens or Technohub. It was obviously the wrong side of Camp John Hay so we asked the guard and he told us to continue walking (pa-leftwards pala dapat) until we reach Le Monet Hotel and turn right. We misheard him and we were looking for Lemerick Hotel. haha

Although it's something that we're spending a beautiful morning walking in Baguio, it was still hard to walk in Camp John Hay since the landscape is mostly uphill and even harder when we see fast cars passing by us. Yan, morning exercise pala ah.

Even if the guard told us that Treetop Adventure is on the right side, we got fooled upon seeing Paintball Republic which is on the left side. Siya pa mali sa isip namin tapos inakala namin 'yun na 'yun kasi may zipline din kaya tinigil na namin maghanap ng adventure. We continued walking to look for the Cemetery of Negativism para naman may mapala kami...

And we saw the sign. We saw the sign!! :))

This time following the guard's instruction, we walked rightwards reaching a mini-golf course (thinking that was the cemetery of Negativism) and Arabica Coffee Company/Plantation. Hindi namin alam kung ano na so we just went straight ahead hoping that we were near our destination only to find out that we have entered an "exclusive village" in Camp John Hay called Scout Hill. Houses in this area are American styled or what they call Forest Cabin Houses. Ang sossy!

After touring the entire Scout Hill, we finally reached the place that we've been looking for! Pagkatapos ng maraming pagod at maraming lakad.

I was ecstatic upon seeing this view from Liberty Loop. Huhu. Nasa katapat lang namin 'yung ulap eh. I took a picture with a replica of the statue of liberty again and as far as I know, whenever I take pictures with a replica, napupunta ko dun sa lugar na 'yun pagkatapos ng ilang taon. Yan, yan. I don't know how and I don't know when but I'm claiming it. Someday, New York!!

We arrived there around 45 minutes early before the opening time so the guard asked us to tour around the "free taste" of the Cemetery of Negativism first.

It wouldn't hurt to know the opening time of the attractions you're visiting kaya pumunta kayo rito ng 9 AM. hehehe.

We went back at the gate of Historical Core and even before the opening time, the guard (naawa siguro) told us to buy our tickets so we can enter already. I wasn't able to put watermarks in the pictures taken inside the cemetery so they're just for you to find out. Pero 'yung nakasulat sa tomb na 'to na message galing dun sa nakaisip, "- as you leave this hill remember that the rest of your life, be more positive." Sana natuto ako mula kina, Can't Be Done, Why Diden't I saka kay Won't Be Used!! Huhuhuhuhu. Ayoko maging kagaya nila at dahil dyan, positive nga ako na hindi ako magiging kagaya nilaaaaa. Ang galing lang nung nakaisip gawin 'to. Totoo naman na ang most limiting factor nating mga tao ay tuwing nagiging negative na tayo, diba?

Uyyy, nagpaparamdam talaga sa'kin ang Panagbenga Festival 2015. I'll see you next year, Baguio!!

This Library Museum was under renovation...

Already more than a hundred years old, this Bell House is named after General Franklin Bell and this served as the official vacation residence of the then Commanding General.

Nakakaloka si Kuya Guard nung nagpaalam kaming pumasok dito.

"Kuya, pwede po ba mag-picture?"
"Opo, wag niyo lang kukunan 'yung mga kasama naming multo."

HUHU SALAMAT HUHU

Outside was this beautiful garden/amphitheater. This is still part of the Historical Core and you can rent this place for a Baguio Garden Wedding. Sige, sa 25th wedding anniversary ko, dito na lang. Sa 50th na lang 'yung sa Manila Cathedral. hahahaha. The garden, same with the bell house, is well-maintained and clean.

We tried walking and learning from this history trail but it was too tiring. If this trail contains more than 100 year history of Baguio/ Camp John Hay, nakakahiya man pero sumuko na kami pagkatapos ng 20 years. Hahahaha. We learned a bit though and it's so amazing how the place transformed to the Baguio we now know - a home to many families, a place where you can commune with nature, and a place to learn history. ANO RAW!? Naguluhan din ako sa sinabi ko. Pero 'yang picture sa taas used to be the Kennon Road before the road was constructed. Hahahaha. K. K. Ang hirap ah.

After learning from the historical core we checked if Treetop Adventure was already open and it was. :)))

Here is the current price list of the Treetop Adventure. We availed Package A which consists of Canopy, Funicular, Trekking and Skywalk. Pag bumalik kami rito, magbabaon na ko ng P 1,000.00 so I can try all the activities they have.

Ito 'yung canopy. Para lang siyang combination ng duyan saka cable car na iba't ibang stages. Availing package A shall take you 30 minutes to an hour.

While riding the canopy, this is one of the views you can see. Kitang kita ang clouds saka 'yung Cordillera Central Mountain Range. Breathtaking, diba? Literally and figuratively. Saka san ka pa makakahanap ng lugar na maaapakan mo na 'yung pinaka-taas ng pine trees? Waley! Pag nakasakay ka lang sa canopy mo magagawa 'yon.

This is the skywalk. Medyo mataas 'yung location niyan.

And here's your view upon reaching the end of the skywalk.

Pabalik na kami sa taas and we rode this Funicular. Minera feels.
'Yung mga Kuya na umaalalay sa mga guests ng Treetop Adventure ay friendly lahat. Kailangan 'yun para dun sa mga natatakot.

This marks the end of our Historical Core Walking Tour and Tree Top Adventure.

There are more attractions in Camp John Hay aside from the ones that I have here 'cause we weren't able to explore the whole place. Madami naman iba't ibang klaseng restaurants na makakainan, maraming pwedeng gawin at malawak ang pwedeng lakaran at tamabayan so if ever you're going here, you may allot a whole day of touring and you still won't run out of things to do.