The Cool Baguio Weather

Along with half of Metro Manila, we trooped to Baguio last January to enjoy the pleasant weather. It was a spur of the moment decision, meaning everything was decided on, planned and booked in a week.

Another spur of the moment, but a well-worth it investment: a nice Canon G15! Small but packs a punch. I happily took all our Baguio photos with this and my amateur eye says I've made (and read all over the internet) the right decision!


We made the trip at 11 pm on a Deluxe bus to Baguio from Pasay and reached the Baguio Terminal around 5 pm on a very cold early morning (we heard it was 9 degrees that day)!




After a brief cab ride, we were welcomed by the warmth of Citylight Hotel, our home for 3 days. It's perched on top of a hill (aren't all places in Baguio do?) so we can just easily walk from the hotel to Session Road at night.

My sleep deprived self had to double check if I was seeing a bear at a hotel lobby. Turned out, it was the Front Desk officer with a really cute hat.

My son sweats like crazy. Nobody believes it when we say that when we leave the house for a simple trip to the mall, I bring at least 2 extra shirts for him. When we are out the whole day, we bring at least 6. Not to mention the countless pamunas for his back. So it has been my dream to dress him (and me!) in cool spring- season clothes.

So, that makes this Baguio trip a dream come true! Our OOTDs were documented and we tried to be as colorful as possible.

I have to commend Citylight's breakfast.Very good selection and they offer something different in the two days we were there.

Had 2nd and 3rd servings of their pancakes

Fueling up for the long day ahead

The hotel is also very near the Cathedral.




Picture-picture at the lobby before our entourage left the hotel.

Not wanting to waste a second, we hailed a cab to Mines View Park.Cab drivers are mostly nice and more importantly, give the proper change to passengers. I wish Manila drivers will be like that, too.

I don't know if it's just me looking through the eyes of my son, but Baguio is more beautiful, cleaner and greener this time.




Maybe because we were there early, or it must be the weather but I honestly couldn't believe Mines View Park can be this peaceful.

Of course, don't leave Mines View without a  pic by this distractingly pink-haired horse. They smell, but they look so photogenic.




After my fill of pictures, and going around the stalls, we rode a jeep to our next destination: The Mansion. Aside from the facade, there is really nothing much to do or see here so I made this little boy pose and pose for my new camera.

We hopped on another jeep to take us to Wright Park.

 


 "This is Instagram-worthy" (per the taho vendor). Looks nice but only has one measly strawberry--not cool!

I really, really love the woven cloth and want to purchase rolls to be crafted into shorts and other chic stuff. I do believe in promoting local products and artisans. Here's us making the most of our costume-rental.

Through the kindness of strangers, we got to have a group shot. I volunteered to take their group picture in return.

There are several nice spots where you can rest and enjoy the cool January breeze.

 Just across is the Botanical Gardens. I will take my old photos out of the baul and edit this entry with my photo on this spot taken when I was around Jared's age. Now, that will be a cool throwback!

After 4 attractions in one morning, we were famished by lunchtime. I trolled blogs for days to check the best places to eat in Baguio so I don't know why we ended up eating at Gerry's Grill at SM Baguio for lunch on our first day. =)

to be continued

Tagaytay-Canyon Cove-Nuvali Adventure: Canyon Cove Leg

Part I of our adventure is here.

Less than an hour after Tagaytay, and with tummies full from our late breakfast, we reached our destination: Canyon Cove.


Our Family Room
Our group is composed of 4 adults and 1 kid. The master's bed was big, soft and comfortable, and the the seating area by the window could fit in 2 more, if needed. There is a masters bathroom, a living area, a small dining table, another seating area by the living room. The kitchenette has a microwave, a mini fridge and an electric kettle.

The best part about this unit is the balcony which spans the entire length of this room. It gave us a full view of the peaceful beach and the glorious sunset that only eyes on vacation can fully appreciate.




For me, this place is so picturesque. We booked in November, and on our first afternoon there, we had the beach almost all to ourselves. I love the open-air reception area with high ceilings and the big, big pool.
 
This post was long in the making because it's so hard to choose the best pictures from those 2 days.

 
It was a relaxed weekend, just like how we intended it to be.  All we did was go to the nearest town to eat our meals (food at the resort was not spectacular), swim and sleep.

The town if I remember correctly is about 10-15 mins away, and we ate at Chowking and Mang Inasal. We took our breakfast at the resort though.

Gave us nice spots to take pictures, too!

I liked this beach better than the ones in Laiya and for the price we paid, the relatively short distance from our place, we'll surely be coming back. As I write this, I already have 2 more vouchers for another stay at this place.

The following day, when the sun cheerfully greeted us at dawn, we took that as cue to come down.

The pool was almost empty. But the guy had an agenda in mind. This playground proved to be too irresistible to our boy.

This was also our first out of town trip with his lolo and lola.

My favorite shot from that vacation. Our boy now considers Canyon Cove as his happy place.


Take me back to the beach, please?

Boracay: Flying for the First Time

This was a trip planned very carefully. The travel dates were sandwiched between our birthdays so it was, in effect a double celebration. I wanted this one to be special since this is our birthday treat for him as he turns 3. But the ‘new’ me didn’t want to spend too much as we still have home improvements to do. Booking two months in advance was a blessing because I was able to take advantage of the numerous promo fares (Cebu Pacific MNL-KLO and Zest Air KLO-MNL).

Our travel dates: March 30 to April 2
Travelling Buddies: daddy, mommy, Jared, lola and tati

I didn’t really have high expectations of this trip. This being Jared’s first and all and from our experience when we took him to Philippine Aerospace Museum last year. I was just praying for good weather and a safe flight. My rule to all of us is simple: do not compute and do not get sick. =)

Days before the trip, we were prepping him for the beach already. On the day of the flight, he woke up early, excitedly as if knowing what is ahead of him. Got to the airport at 8.30 am for our 11.30 am flight. Checked in without hassle and had our
2nd breakfast for that day.sitting comfortably on the luggage cart as we enter the airport

helping mommy check the group in

The boarding time was late by almost 30 minutes but he didn't mind at all. He was all over the place! He also amused himself by watching the planes come and go, eating, playing with his train and running back and forth.ala amazing race

at home at the airport

Come boarding time, he was beside himself with excitement. He put up a brave face even if I knew he was a bit scared because of the engine sound. He dutifully put on his seat belt (but keeping it on was an issue), took his seat by the window and waited patiently.

He might be too young to remember his first ride but by writing it here, I hope it'll bring him back to the day he first flew. The first plane ride was uneventful, which, coming from a parent with a three year old, is just plain great!

to be continued