Finally Getting Out: La Trinidad and Back

After some long weeks of rain, my kid and I went out to finally stretch our legs and see what the world’s been up to – at least in areas that we have access with. I could not decide a nice itinerary during the weekend so I just decided to find very nice spots to take pictures in La Trinidad. We are doing this inside the weekly gasoline budget and still trying not to gain weight along the way.

I got hungry during midday because I have eaten a very light breakfast so I decided to stop by Kalei’s and have a light snack of fresh lumpia and Kalei’s iced tea. My kid wasn’t that hungry though, so the meal I posted in the image below is just good for one.

Fresh Lumpia and Kalei’s Iced Tea

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SM Cutting Trees in Baguio: Remembering the Past

Unless you have been living under a rock, you’ve heard the news about SM cutting trees in Baguio and the public outcry to stop what they are doing. This had become a sad week for me, because those trees that I used to enjoy seeing when I was little will soon be gone.

I’ve always loved watching the sun do peak-a-boo with me under a tall pine tree full of leaves. It is one of the most peaceful and memorable experiences I’ve ever had. With big entrepreneurs wanting to make money out of their pine-tree lots, they blindly decide to trade-in those magnificent tall trees for the money.

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Azalea Residences Baguio: Not Just Your Typical Hotel Room

Last weekend was a busy one for me. I didn’t think that I’d be reviewing a hotel so soon on this blog. The overall experience to be fun but tiring. For many travel bloggers, this is not something that is to be missed.

I was with a few Baguio-based bloggers, as well as a bunch of young travel bloggers who are mostly from Manila. We were to spend a night (or so) particular in this hotel in Baguio. “It’s probably a new one in town, just like what other previous travel bloggers had experienced”, I told myself.

Vince, the guy who invited me to this, send me a brief SMS at the last minute, “Azalea Residences is the hotel to review”. I deliberately didn’t ask which hotel anyway so I won’t be tempted to make a preliminary internet research. After all, first impressions with my naked eyes often delivers a better experience than knowing the place first hand. I was right, Azalea Residences is the new hotel in town.

I got into my usual outfit – blouse and jeans and grabbed old leather jacket, and took with me extra clothes that’s just good for the first night, drove to a convenience store to buy some toiletries (just in case this hotel doesn’t have any), then went on to find the said hotel after sunset. This one is located along Leonard Wood road and not too far from the central business district of Baguio. The blue signboard is not easy to miss which points to the two-way road where it’s end of the road is the hotel itself.

I followed that path and it was not long before the well-designed grounds of Azalea Residences Baguio greeted my eyes. But me, being that kind of person who is used to park the car by myself, I drove all the way to the parking lot, which was indicated by a small sign, but I realized later that I should have driven round the Azalean golden ball, stopping just in front of the hotel to experience their valet parking service (and I wouldn’t mind tipping).

“Looks more of a hotel that’s suited for the upper-class market”, I thought. I was right.

Azalea Residences at Night

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Kennon Road Viewpoint: Is It Worth Visiting?

Since Baguio is located several thousand feet above sea level, the city boasts of a few breathtaking views. Perhaps one breathtaking viewpoint that is worth stopping by is located along Kennon Road. However, unlike viewpoints like Mines View, this one lacks that tourist charm that makes it a place worth visiting.

The viewpoint is not hard to miss even it is not as “decorative” as other tourist spots. It only has the plain blue sign that indicates “Kennon Road Viewpoint”. The place is right beside a police checkpoint and a mini-parking lot.

The viewpoint is actually a building: the topmost floor is the place to enjoy and take pictures of the view, while the bottom floor contains an antique shop. Restrooms can also be found beside the structure.

I think this particular viewpoint is witness to a lot of photographers who had taken a picture of the famous Kennon Road even before the digital era which ended up in postcards, guidebooks, maps and books. These days, anyone can just stop by and take a good picture of the highway down below and probably end up with a photo that is as good or even better than those in the postcards.

Kennon Road

Kennon Road

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Tipping Practices in the Philippines

Tip or not to tip? That is the question.

I always find myself struggling these days whether to tip or not. I’m about 250 km far from metropolitan Manila; yet here in my Baguio hometown, I find myself surrounded by people these days who expect tips from me. Either I must be getting old to look like I’m earning a lot more than those freshly faced new graduates, or look like I have such a fat bank account (a fat body is in no way synonymous to a fat bank account), or it’s just that many of our service workers were getting used to tips given by tourists – so they expect such a thing from local Baguio residents.

I suspect it’s the latter. Grrr?

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Starbucks at Camp John Hay Technohub

I suddenly found myself in this one particular Starbucks station inside Camp John Hay. For that day I didn’t feel like driving a lot, so I planned to stay there up to lunch but I ended up staying inside almost the whole day because I accidentally bumped on old friends.

This second Starbucks branch I’ve been into is located in the Technohub area of Camp John Hay.

starbucks logo outside

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Diplomat Hotel: Haunted?

After getting our good old family car fixed, my mechanic suggested that I take a test drive around. The problem was on the brakes, so, despite being me being an experienced driver for more than ten years, I was really so afraid of getting behind that wheel. Well, in the end the mechanic volunteered to do the driving first.

We went around, then the next thing we saw is a lone road at the Dominican Hill. We drove through that road and that was where we found that one of those reportedly haunted places here in Baguio.

front of diplomat hotel

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The Simple Beauty of the Ambuklao Dam

This was the moment that I had been anticipating for the entire week! I was itching to drive the newly-fixed family car a little further to some place away from my Baguio hometown… then back in just one day.

My mechanic probably made a good job of fixing the engine of my family car. Whenever I drove it at a pretty fast overdrive speeds it whirs – the sound of happy mechanicals! Still I made sure that I performed the necessary basic checks myself such as checking the oil level, tires and brake fluid.

Then after all these we were off to Ambuklao Dam, a good 36 kilometers north of my hometown Baguio. The dam produces 75 megawatts of electricity to the Luzon grid. The dam is officially not part of Baguio anymore but part of Ambuklao, Itogon, Benguet.

ambuklao dam reservoir

Ambuklao dam reservoir

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Session Road in Bloom at Night 2011

Today I walked alone in Session Road and took snapshots of the event. It is day 6 of the Session Road in Bloom. I decided to go out after another hard day at work.

At 10 PM this Saturday, I really expected that there will be a lot of people in Session Road and it will be quite difficult to go through. I was surprised: the road isn’t full and the crowd that was usually seen at the upper and middle session road isn’t present. There seemed to be more Baguio folks than tourists, older folks than boisterous teenagers.

As usual, there’s a stage that was already set up at the uppermost part of Session Road where a locally-televised dance contest took place. When I went down the other way, I didn’t expect to see another stage at the lowermost part of that road too where a band is performing live.

Most of the booths offer food. There are still those booths that sell plants and flowers. There are also some few stalls that sell personalized T-shirts, mugs, and even one that do portraits.

Portrait Sketching

Portrait Sketching

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Panagbenga Park in Bloom

Just this weekend my kid and I happen to pass by the old Camp John Hay and saw a beautiful new park – the newly opened Panagbenga park. My kid and I didn’t have any plans to go to some other place, so we decided to check that new place out.

Panagbenga Park entrance

The park was just opened on the first day of February 2011, just in time for the month-long Panagbenga activities. I really wished I was out to witness the opening of the park as well as the day’s parade, but I happened to be very busy that day.

The Panagbenga park is an eye-catching sight at the Upper Session Road rotunda. It is the most colorful place which located right beside the former main gate (closed long ago) of Camp John Hay. I think it is located at the end of John Hay’s eco-trail. It is just located at the corner of Loakan and South Drive Roads. Read more »