Baguio: The day before my Birthday

One more day and I'm 23! Wohoo. I love Birthdays! Anyway, since our friend left for Manila already, we had to commute our way to what was left of the itinerary. Luckily, the taxis in Baguio are big and were able to accommodate the 6 of us! We woke up at around 6 to 7 AM and took cold baths 'cause that's how we roll. Walang lamig lamig samin! Patigasan to! Hahaha! Seriously, hang lamig talaga.

We dedicated our last day for pasalubongs. And since I have no pasalubongs for my relatives in Manila, I knew I had to spend quite a lot during day 2. It started with the famous Cafe by the Ruins.  I won't discuss about the menu since I had a different post for that. :) I was wearing a dress and I had no jacket. Ako ata ung pinakamay maraming exposed na balat sa buong Baguio! Haha

#1 Cafe by the Ruins (Menu here)

Since tipid mode, our meal was already for Brunch. I knew we have a long day ahead so I ordered rice. Believe me, this was the last meal I had until I arrived at Manila. 

#2 Mines View Park

I couldn't recall how Mines View Park looked like the last time I went there. But it was freaking cold and kinailangan kong mag tiis-ganda sa outfit! Haha Balutin ang sarili sa scarf! Haha nonetheless, the view was amazing! It was so green and so peaceful. We also bought pasalubongs here - Sundot kulangot, bonnets, peanut brittle, lengua etc! 

#3 Good Shepherd 

About 5 mins from Mines View so we just walked. Upon arriving, of course we had to take jejepics. I think that's one activity we'll never stop doing. Here, I bought ube jams and strawberry jams and lengua for my sister and bro. 

Then we left for Manila. I didn't know how many stopovers we had but it took us at least 7 hours. Even though this was a short trip, it made me realize that when you have good company, nothing else matters. =) 

Baguio: 3 Days before turning 23 Part II

Continued.

 

#6 Chocolate de Batirol

Since this was part of the itinerary, we went here right after lunch. Yes, we were already full but how often can you go food tripping in B? No time to waste! Lamon lang na lamon!

#7 The Mansion

The happiest part of this whole trip! I believe we overstayed at the Mansion just taking funny jump shot scenarios. Here are some of the best jump shots.

#8 SM Baguio

The weather was so freaking cold and we were wearing slippers! Before we left home, tinatanong namin sa isat'isa, "Tsinelas nalang tayo? Keri ba?" 

#9 50's Diner

OMG. Food overload ng bongga! We ordered super daming food plus my advance Strawberry cake. After eating we were all feeling sleepy already! haha! Sadly, this is also the place where our friend, Andrew had to leave for Manila.

#10 Somewhere in Baguio

Oh the terror we had to go through arriving at this place! Walking along abandoned buildings at 9 in the evening and random sounds from the bushes - Oh I can't imagine the terror. 

I met with my best friend back in secondary school at this place and so glad we had the time to catch up. 

** To update pics #10

Part III : Wait for it!

Baguio: 3 Days before turning 23 Part I

I3 Days before turning 23 I was in The City of Pines,Baguio! This super random trip that made me travel from Hong Kong to Clark to Baguio (Super tiring by the way!) is to just be with good company and laugh and EAT. Eat, Pray, Love ang peg. 

One of the reasons why my friends and I chose Baguio was to go Cafe-hopping and food tripping. We achieved this even with our short visit (2 days) and were able to follow our itinerary! Ang galing talaga! And we couldn't have done this without the Baguio Represent friend of ours. 

Here's what we did on our jam-packed Sunday.

#1 Breakfast at Mcdonald's

Haha! Badtrip lang. We went to B and ate at Mcdo. I thought they had a specialty there but nah. Just plain Mcdonalds.

#2 Bell Church

I had no idea we were going here nor this as a tourist spot. Haha! I guess I haven't been to B for quite a long time already. It's a church with a bell. Hmm, I guess that's it.

#3 Strawberry Sighting at La Trinidad

Finally tasted Strawberry taho! And yes, sighting 'cause we were on Tipid Mode (Strawberry picking costs 300 pesos) plus the mud we had to go through picking strawberries. Hassle chong! Anyway so we just went in and took pictures. Hahaha! After that, we bought strawberries for 100Pesos per Kilo. (My friend suggested to buy here since the price doubles in the market)

#4 Camp John Hay - Tree TopAdventure

One of the most exciting part of this super short trip! Prior to arriving in Ph, I always always check what to do in new places I'll visit. So I youtube-d Tree Top and found 2 exciting rides as a prerequisite for my desire to become an Adrenaline Junkie(Feeler!). And I failed! Haha!

The first ride was Superman, a zipline 150ft above trees?(Hahaha!) I'm not really sure cause I'm pretty confident that it was more than that when I looked on my right! I could see houses  below!Haha. Here's the whole video of our Superman encounter. 

The second which I underestimated or maybe overreacted to, is the Tree Drop. TD is a 60ft free fall drop activity. Here's the video of me doing the Tree Drop. It took me 1 minute kasi I had flashbacks of my life sa sobrang takot. Hahaha!

** I'll upload the video in a different post.

#5 Late at at Mile Hi Diner

Ordered this so-so Chicken Burger.

Part II : Wait for it!

When in Baguio, try Cafe by the Ruins

Before heading to Baguio, my friends and I wrote the cafes we would try during our short visit. One of the cafes is Cafe by the Ruins.

      The entrance

      The Ceiling

      One side of the place

      On top of our table

My friends and I tried ordering different food para tikim-tikim so we could taste every order. Everyone loved their food, lalo na ako. I ordered bangus with itlog na pula since we went there for brunch. Here is the pic of my delish order.

 Bangus with itlog na pula & organic rice. Php 300

Since most of you know, patay-gutom ako, I ordered an extra rice to share with a friend. Haha! If you want prices and list of food, see next pics. 

The Verdict : The tinapang bangus I had tasted so good! I think 300 is too expensive but it was totally worth it. If I return to Baguio, I'll definitely order it again and hopefully try other food too. 5/5

Cafe by the Ruins
25 Shuntug Road  Baguio City 2600, Philippines

+63 74 442 4010

When in Macau, try The Venetian

The Venetian Macao was modeled after The Venetian Las Vegas by Las Vegas Sands Corporation. It has an overwhelming - 3000 suites. According to sources, The Venetian is the "largest single structure hotel building in Asia, the sixth-largest building in the world by area and the largest casino in the world. " (source: Wikipedia)

The Cost
Being a 5-star hotel, expect the rates to be high. Depending on the room, the price could range from Php 8,000 - Php 15,000 per night. Yes, you might say it is too expensive but sometimes they offer discounts for early booking. Since The Venetian is known to be one of Macau's best hotels, the place itself is already one of the favourite spots of tourists. 

The Experience

Every summer back in college, my siblings and I used to go to our birthplace to have a short vacation with our family. Yes, "short" because I was in the trimester system.

Starting 2010, we have been visiting Macau yearly and stayed at different hotels. But I cannot deny that my favorite is..  (Drum roll please!) The Venetian. We always stayed in the Bella. Although I have only stayed in this hotel twice, I can already say that the experience was amazing.

When you arrive at the Macau Airport/Ferry Station, a shuttle bus will pick you up and take you to the hotel lobby. The interior is wonderful! The ceiling gives you a similar vibe to St. Peter's Cathedral.

The Lobby. This the the view from the counter where

we checked in. 

Source: (http://sandsconfidential.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/GCS-New-Ad-photo-2009.jpg)

The Gondola. One of the hotel's main attraction is the Gondola that takes you around the shops while rowers sing, giving you a Venice vibe.

The Bathroom. The bath is huge and spotless. It has a tub and a transparent glass shower that could fit at least 2 persons. However, be sure to tell your rommie to knock before entering since the bathroom has no locks. 

.

The Bedroom. Our room contains two beds similar to this. Each bed can accommodate at least 3 persons. 

The Pool. This is the main pool. The hotel has 4 pools and one spa pool. 

Source: (http://kattalyzed.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/p1010176.jpg)

The Shops. The hotel contains tons of boutiques. Take note that most of the shops in the hotel are mostly luxury brands.

The Verdict

I am not really a fan of 5 star hotels. I mean, I would rather stay in a low-budget hotel and use the extra money for shopping. However, I would make an exception. Although I have only stayed twice in The Venetian, it is my favourite pick. (I'm still looking forward to trying the new Galaxy Macau) I know I haven't really explored other options but staying here was never a mistake. Yeah, there's one tiny bit problem. At the casino, you can clearly distinguish prostitutes. I mean, I know that this is not the hotel's fault but I still feel I had to mention it. Maybe to at least warn you readers to wear something decent while visiting The Venetian. But other than that, I'd still give it a 5/5 rating for the service and the comfort of staying here.

The Venetian Macao

Cotai Strip

Visit Official Site

I'll be part of something big. It's gonna be Legen... wait for it!

(Clare)