misstinapie

- Balatoc Mines - The Mines is just too far from everything else that a taxi drive there has a special rate of 500php one way. You could expect not only paying 500php more back but more than that as well since you have to pay for the driver's idle time. Reagan refused the initial negotiation but seeing my worried face how far it really was from everything made him gave in. I honestly do not want to spend hours here hoping for a jeep to come. We settled for 1800 roundtrip from 1145 to 3pm.  Based on other blogs, they were supposed to do the tour at 10am or 2pm. However, as experienced that time, they do the tours by the hour (with 30 minute intervals for cleanup of the tunnel mine, will explain later) for as long as a group arrives. Initially it was just me and Reagan (we missed the earlier group) and was lucky that minutes before we started, a family of 5 came to join us.  The museum holds all vintage items related to the company. Everyone is allowed to go in w...

- City Center Hotel- For the last times I've been to Baguio we've stayed at Hotel 45. But this time though they were fully booked at the time we wanted; it's a long weekend after all. This was a very good recommend from one of my closest friends,  since it's right smack at the Session Road, near different restaurants, wet and dry market, a fairly stocked supermarket is on the same row as it is and is accessible to taxis and near Burnham Park. It's also new. It was fairly clean and simple: I absolutely loved the shower with the enclosure. I don't like the showerhead though (those tiny holes freak me out. I just found out I have Trypophobia ) but thank goodness they have a really good heater (which unfortunately Hotel 45 lacks) For 2100 we got breakfast for two, wifi access and a clean overnight stay. Sadly though they don't stock toiletries. They also don't have a bidet installed. - Burnham Park - As part of Reagan's project ...

-CJH: Historical Core- Not the original Totem.  For an entrance fee of 60 pesos, you get to see the Bell House, Ampitheater, Secret Garden and the Negativity Cemetery. You can get a tour guide too if you wish. The Bell House is currently under construction so we missed what's inside, but the garden outside is a feast for the eyes too. On the left is a small trek to the Secret Garden which Reagan and I believed is a masochist's secret garden being that far from the house. I was out of breath! On the way back we were kidding how it was like at the Bell's house: Maid: Sir here are your papers! Bell: This is not the right one, it's at the other drawer Maid: (after going to and fro) Are these it? Bell: You've missed a paper. Maid: (panting now) Sir here's the rest. Admiral called. Bell: Which admiral, would you be fine to ask? Maid: (stains of sweat on her uniform, she drank Bell's juice to his surprise) Sir, he doesn't say, and here...

- CJH: Treetop Adventure - The Mandatory Briefing The trip from the Grotto to Camp John Hay didn't take too long that we've arrived there around lunch time. We wanted to eat for the first half of Package H but advised not to because once we've crossed the first Canopy ride, we could not come back anymore. It is also discouraged because the ride has an hour of waiting time. Tree drop  The first phase is the Tree drop. It's the quickest and your baptism of fire. Once you've completed this, there is no way you would be scared for the rest of the activities. From the photo it's obvious there is no tree but a sturdy structure of green metal. They hoist you up with the harness fixed around your chest up to the thighs. The feeling of not holding anything was really scary and before you change your mind you're already heading down. It was so quick I didn't even thought of holding the black rope which we're not supp...

-Travelling Up- While we've spent a bit of time planning trip, we have failed to consider actual travel logistics. We've booked our hotel, decided on our budget and laid our IT plans for the entire duration (I even included the expected times) but have totally ignored how we're going to and from Baguio. We've left at my unit around 9 on a Thursday evening and have chosen to go by bus to victory Liner Pasay. Traffic was moderate and the bus was jam packed. Arriving there we saw the long lines that lead to the ticket office. The one I asked was going to Dau and was instructed to go to the first window. I was ecstatic seeing only 3 people there but my happiness was short lived. At the counter it read that they are already fully booked till Saturday. In my head, sure, we could go, but then what? We need to be back by Sunday! Not giving up yet, we've traversed from there by foot to all the nearby bus stations, all with the same status. We've ended up in Pasay T...

  The earliest recollection of mine ever being in Baguio minus the time when I was still very young, was when I was there in the summer of Grade 5. I remembered Mines View being an ideal place to take photos of the ‘view’ then but when I came back a few times later, I can’t say I’m pleased with being there anymore. There are just too many stores and people I had the feeling the place is too overcrowded. But how overflowing of them in the number of stores, is their lack of a proper place to eat. In our search for a non-too main stream food stop we ended up in a not so popular place with no customers. You can easily miss it though, since it’s situated right at the edge of a small commercial building we thought wasn’t opened yet (it was already lunch time). Mangan Tayon in literal terms: Let’s Eat.   Terribly hungry, we then decided to eat there anyway. Their menu has nothing we haven’t tasted yet so we ordered at random. Bagnet, Asparagus stir fry and the man killer,...

There are only a few restaurants in Baguio that have impressed foodies and regular customers alike and one of them (based on blogs anyway) has got to be Café by the Ruins. So of all the times I’ve been in Baguio it’s a shame I have never ate there yet. So when I was more free in insisting where I want to go (I was with friends at this trip), I’ve already brainwashed them to give in with my whim.   I rarely endorse ordering bread before a meal since it’s too heavy, but with my enthusiasm, I actually got everyone to order their well known kamote bread. There were four of us so we had the chance to order all four spreads they have on the menu. Next was the actual meal. They didn’t have group meals (as far as I’m concerned) so we ordered each on our own. This is the second time we dine out and I still ordered the bagnet meal. Someone also ordered drinks, and I’m not sure now what those are, but they were fantastic. All those meals are then served with soup. Sadly, ours came when...

Cafe by the ruins, Road to Manila

Taho Breakfast, Strawberries washed, Mangan Tayon (remaining pics) and the statues in Kamayan restaurant near Hotel 45

Mines View Park

Hotel 45; Strawberry Farm

I forgot to ask why was it called Hotel 45, but what I do know is that there are like 2 Hotel 45s in Baguio alone, the old one at Session Road (which looked like a cheap motel) and the newer one where we stayed in.  From the main road Far from your 5 star hotel, Hotel 45 does not offer too grand of an entrance. From the door, you can easily spot the reception, on your left would be the dining area already and just a few steps   from the only available lift is the kitchen. Looked a lot like they're in China. If memory serves right, they have at least 5 floors with varying room sizes. Their   lift   has a capacity which claims to carry 11 people, although I can’t say that as true when everyone carries a humungous backpack. Our room is reasonably spacious, with one matrimonial bed, a single bed, tv (with cable), an industrial fan (?!) and its’ own restroom. There were four of us so we asked for an extra bed which later on we also requested to...