Baguio - La Trinidad .....full packed adventure ( Day 1 )

  I've been planning for this out-of-town trip months ago and been looking forward to experience strawberry picking at La Trinidad...  This is my second time in Baguio so I'm planning to enjoy and make the most of this trip....

 

 We left Manila via Victory Liner Caloocan's last trip to Baguio on Friday March 16 at exactly 11:30pm..  The trip took 6 hours and we arrived at Blue Mountain Hotel around 5:00 in the morning March 17..

 I already made a reservation a week before and the staff knew that we are coming early in the morning to leave our things at their reception so we could tour around Baguio to save time..

To my surprise, they allow us to make an early check-in without additional charge!!!! (great)

 So, at around 6:30am we head to Down Town Baguio to have an early breakfast at Cafe by the Ruins but unfortunately the Cafe is still close and will open at 8:00 am.. I decided to walk to Mabini St. near the Market and take the Jeepney going to Lourdes Grotto, we arrived there at around 7:00 am..

 I bought different colored candles to the women at the foot of the stairs, Php 20.00 for 6 different colored candles.. My mom told me that she needs to use the rest room so we head first to this canteen where their furniture are made by wood carvings...

 Here, we ordered 2 ham and egg with cheese sandwich for take-out at P38 each.

 We started climbing the stairs up to Lourdes grotto and stopping once in a while to rest and have a bite on our sandwich..

Finally, we reach the top and felt so fulfilled.. We lighted the candles and offered our prayers to Our Lady of Lourdes....

 Then, we head to Tam-Awan Village via Taxi cab.. I paid for the entrance fee and the staff at the front gate gave me a copy of the map to village.. We started trekking and as we climbed up, I found it very hard for my daughter Vlad because the ground is damp and wet due to morning dew.. I just took pictures of the best views and the real Ifugao's & Igorot's houses that they turned into cabins and cottages for rent.. I've noticed that most of the occupants are foreigners and everything else from the coffee shop to the souvenir shop were costly.. After an hour of picture taking and sight seeing we decided to head back to down town again for early brunch at Cafe by the ruins..

Ifugao's house converted into a cabin

view of the city behind the village

bugnay gallery

from the inside of bugnay gallery

 A few meters down the road we were able to ride a jeepney heading down town and the same passes in front of the cafe (great)...

At Cafe by the Ruins.....

We ordered the traditional "Hot Chocolate" and my mom have their "Rizal version" which they add Carabao's Milk (because she thought this will be better tasting and sweeter, but to her dissapointment it was really bitter), we also tried their "Lumpiang Sariwa" (mostly thin slices of carrots) and "Chicken Sotanghon" (the taste is quite different to the traditional sotanghon soup, maybe because of the shitake mushroom).  After some picture takings (and complaining) we finished our food and I paid a "whooping" P600.00!!!!!

  

 Right after the unusual brunch I decided to visit PMA even though my plan is to visit the place the following day but since we cut so much of our time because the expected visit to Tam-Awan has been shortened, I was able to insert this place to our 1st day's itinerary.. here are the pictures....

Diorama of Gregorio Del Pilar (the carpet is dried skin of an animal)

Inside PMA Museum....

marching down like cadet

PMA Grounds

 

stone tree house

After we left PMA we went to Botanical Garden, took some pictures....

  

Then we took a cab and head to Good Shepherd Convent to buy some "pasalubongs"...

the "view" from Mines View....

We walk down the road heading to Mines View Park..

Vlad loves the idea of the Igorot costume and do some "Trying-Hard"  igorot dance...

The Igorota Girl in Barbie Boots......

  It was a fun-filled, full-packed and non-stop adventure all in one day... we left mines view and head to our hotel at around 5:30 pm.. And guess what??? I managed to commute all the way to the hotel despite the fact the I am carry a lot of Heavy Jam Jars... Hahaha.... We took a jeepney heading to down town Baguio and ate our early dinner at Jollibee then take another jeepney at lake drive with signage "campo sioco", this Jeepney will pass Blue Mountain Hotel... 

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see also: baguio - la trinidad (day 2)