Baguio Sojourn 2009

We went to Baguio last May to celebrate TheHusband's birthday and we were able to cover a lot of places then, so I didn't mind that our December Baguio trip was abbreviated. We left the metro at 1 am, December 29, and we got there around 7:00 am. In all our other trips to Baguio, we usually leave around 5 am, but I realized that leaving around midnight is the best; we got to sleep throughout the journey---we didn't even get up to pee or eat at the bus stops, which serve terrible, awful, disgusting meals. I woke up around 6, just an hour away from the city, feeling refreshed.

The hotel was still full and we had to wait till someone checks out around noon. We just spent the morning eating and roaming around and, of course, ukay-ing. By the way, I found a purple (yes, KG, purple) Fossil barrel bag, and it was dirt cheap (300 pesos, and it's still being sold at Fossil shops here for >2K! And may I add that it's in perfect condition?). In a way, finding it sorta ruined bag hunting for me. Why? Well, I kept on looking out for something as sulit as that one and I never saw another similar deal. There are lots of LVs, Guccis, Goyards, Balenciagas, etc, but they are all a bit dubious to me. Imagine, a Balenciaga motorcycle bag for only 7K? You know what they say, right? If it's too good to be true... Anyhoo, I found a brandnew Little Twin Stars (my favorite, along with Melody) slingbag (just 30 pesos!) and lots of Sanrio knick-knacks for Sharkteeth (and for me *silly grin*). And oh, oh, bought a nylon and leather Prada coin purse for 90 pesos! It was marked 120 pesos, and I was prepared to haggle for 100 pesos, but when I asked for the last price, the seller quoted 90, so there, score! TheHusband has been an incredibly good sport and went ukay-ing with me on the first day but begged off the next day and settled at a cafe for some apple pie and coffee.

We're creatures of habit, TheHusband and I. As usual, after checking in and unpacking, we went off to Rose Bowl for some serious Chinese food. Their mixed veggie was incredible...mainly because all the ingredients were fresh. They don't sell Häagen-Dazs by the scoop anymore, only by the cup, which is ~185 pesos! Balking at the price, I thought I'd get a small tub of Together's (a Korean ice cream) almond and vanilla, but the Asian store in SM doesn't sell it anymore, so I settled for a Lotte caramel and pecan drumstick cone. Not bad, not bad at all---the sugar cone was chewy, the ice cream was very smooth, the pecan bits were crunchy, and there was fudgy chocolate at the bottom of cone---they even covered the tip with a plastic thingy to prevent any melted ice cream from getting on your hands. Well, it was really good and it didn't have time to melt.
That's TheHusband there enjoying his cone. Yes, we went to SM. *head hung in shame* What did I tell you, we're creatures of habit.


A couple of officemate-friends were also in Baguio and texted me that they went to the Strawberry Farm. Inggitera that I am, I prodded TheHusband that we go too. It's only a short way from the city, just ~80 pesos in cab fare, one way. Honestly, I was disappointed. I was expecting something more quaint and I was hoping for lush, red berry-laden plants. Well, there wasn't much to see, actually---just plastic-covered plants, with only a few strawberries visible, unripe at that, and they're charging 400 pesos for strawberry picking! I'll be the one to go through the mucky soil and pick the berries and I have to pay to do those things? Shouldn't that be the other way around? Hahahaha! I settled for a kilo and had my fill of strawberries. We didn't stay long, just enough time to eat the berries and buy some tschotskes and bottles of jam.

It was Rizal Day and we went to his monument. I remember when we were staying in Hotel Veniz, we would get roused (to say the least) from sleep early in the morning of Rizal Day with the sound of cannons being fired. Way to welcome the morning, right?! There was one time when one of the honor guards fainted and fell and I initially thought, are they reenacting Rizal's execution? I'm kinda dense. Anyhoo...TheHusband is in this picture and the first to point him out gets a prize (Philippine address only)!
We didn't even go to the Botanical Garden this time. This picture was taken in the Orchidarium. We decided against buying any flowering plants, as all the mums I bought last year eventually died. I think it's better to buy in Tagaytay because the difference in temperature is not as much as Baguio's and hence the flowers are better acclimatized. Factual? Not sure, but I'm not about to waste money on flowers that would only bloom for a few weeks then wither. We also went to a few we-never-fail-to-go-there places like the Guess outlet shop (not much good deals, just jeans for Sharkteeth and polo shirt for TheHusband), the cathedral, Solibao restaurant (for some true-blue pinapaitan), and Burnham Park, the old standby.

After we almost slept on the cold, cold streets of Baguio last year, I booked early for a hotel. Looking at Bloomfield's website, I was enamored by their wooden finish rooms and and their rates are more competitive (READ: cheaper) than Hotel Veniz' and they're very near SM (yes, yes, creatures of habit). Long story short, we booked there. Well, the rooms are not as "woody" as the pictures, more like "laminate-y," but their service is good. The staff are helpful and friendly without being too familiar. Yes, even the laminate-y rooms are okay---totally value for money, and they provide more pillows than other hotels and they have two spacious clothes cabinet. I would love to stay there again, but it's really very difficult to get there. It's mostly uphill coming from Session Road, and if you're coming from SM, you have to walk a long way around to get there. TheHusband had to push me because my legs were already leaden from all the walking and ukay-ing. Funny though that I hardly notice any pain when I'm scouring the ukays. Hmmm...why kaya? Anyway, would I recommend this hotel? Yes. Would I stay there again? Probably if and when my endurance is up again.

We got home safe and sound on the evening of the 31st---just in time for the New Year. Thing is, I was so exhausted that I almost slept through the New Year revelry and TheHusband was a touch irritated (understatement, diba bebe? hehehe) because Sharkteeth and I almost immediately fell asleep again a few minutes after twelve.