Our Favorite Souvenirs from Our Trip to Baguio and a Side Kwento

One weekend before the Holy Week, trekked to Baguio with BDW’s family for no reason other than to leave Manila and be together. DW loves being with his cousins and the trip would be perfect for the young ones to bond and be makulit together.  Also, BDW spent most of his childhood summers in Baguio. They have a house there which is now being rented out. We checked into The Manor for the trip which is an excellent hotel to stay in. Log cabin feel and all with a working fireplace to boot at one of their lobby restaurants.

We booked the Superior Room with Garden View. The double beds were very comfortable. Two adults can actually share one bed.

The washroom was small and a bit old from the condition of the tiles and fixtures but it was really clean. I loved that the room had a separate dressing area (third pic in the collage below) that has a working hair dryer! There was no bathtub.

The trip was quick. We only spent 3 days and 2 nights in the city but that was enough in my opinion. There’s not much to do in Baguio and even if the horde of Holy Week tourists weren’t there yet, the city still felt crowded and congested. There wasn’t much to do in the City too and the SM building jutting out of the Baguio City skyline was just very sad. I wanted to go to La Trinidad to take DW strawberry picking but it was just too long a drive to take for our dear tired drivers. If you’re planning  a trip there anytime soon, I suggest you read up on Anton Diaz’s Baguio guide here . Funny that he mentioned to avoid the “allegedly corrupt Camp John Hay operation” (his words).  We went to Camp John Hay to play mini-golf only to find out that the course has been demolished. DEMOLISHED.  BDW’s heart sank when he found out because he was really looking forward to playing mini-golf with DW . He grew up spending summers in Baguio and the mini-golf was one of his favorite places to spend time in.  There was also some sort of a subdivision now inside Camp John Hay so I’m not sure what the authorities in that area plan to do with that. And the pet cemetary? You have to pay a fee to get in now. There’s still a free area that has been very much neglected.  In the paid area naman, the tombstones have been garishly painted with what seems to be kalburo. I remember the pet cemetary and the mini golf course in the few times my family and  went to Baguio when I was growing up but now the kids in our family can’t even relate na. So we did the next best thing and  took pics of the bugoys among the pine trees. Pose naman sila. Solb!

May zipline na rin pala sa Camp John Hay, if that’s your thing. I do hope they bring back the mini golf course though. What’s a family with toddlers to do in Baguio anyway? My sister-in-law brought DW and her sons to Burnham Park to ride the boats but she had to keep reminding the boys not to touch the murky water!  We didn’t go to the horses at Wright Park because we felt sorry for the horses with their painted hair (neon pink ba naman) and scrawny bodies. We went to Mines View but we could only spend a few minutes there. The place was packed with vendors who were selling everything from sweet corn to t-shirts. What’s there to see now? Wala really. When you go up to the supposed view point, you just see other people’s houses and the mountains losing battle over commercial development.  Around the park, there were also stalls there where you can take pics with St. Bernard dogs.There were 4 stalls with the St. Bernards there, 50 pesos for 4 pictures. There were also the horses, 10 pesos per picture.  It was a dizzying marketplace and the smell of tourists being trapped filled the air.  After a few minutes of wandering around, we parked ourselves at the entrance and ate seedless Sagada Oranges while waiting for other family members to arrive.

Anyway, not all was lost!

Shopping saved the trip (well for me) and what’s a trip to anywhere without bringing back a souvenir or two?  Aside from the usual fresh strawberries, strawberry jam, peanut brittle and ube jam (at least maasahan Baguio with these yummies) We bought a couple of things from the trip too.

First up : The Rattan Rocking Horse

We found the Rattan Rocking Horse on our way up to Baguio in one of the many stalls along La Union. I saw it and got curious.  BDW saw it too and told me about it when we got to the hotel. We figured to try and ask about the horse on our way down. We ended up buying one because it’s just really beautiful and unique. The rocking horse was just  350 too. We bought the horse on the spot, placed it inside our car’s trunk and went our merry way. If you’re on your way down from Baguio, as soon as you hit LA Union, keep your eyes peeled as these stalls are just in front of houses and the horses are just displayed along the road. There are no store signs nor markers too so if you want to buy one don’t hesitate and hit the brakes right away when you see these beauties 🙂

Next Up: Brooms from Baguio

 

 

My mom asked me to bring home brooms from Baguio when also I saw these mini-ones that were being sold for 70 a pair at the Baguio market. Now DW has his own walis. Di na nya aagawan si Inday.

Last: Pine Cones!

For DW, pine cones! These were everywhere and DW had a good time collecting them. He was really curious about them! Of course he tried biting into all of them. AAACK!!! (kaya blurred ang second pic)

The trip to Baguio was still worth it because of family and the Manor is such a good hotel. Coming home to our room after a tiring day in really comfy beds in a big room was a real treat.I just wish there was more to do in Baguio though :/