Z4 Goes To Baguio

my mom, sisters and i went to Baguio City last summer this year and i'm finally ready to share our first fun-filled adventure with the rest of the Z's. it was our first out of town trip with just the four of us girls. 

for those who aren't from around here or are not familiar with the place, Baguio is the summer capital of Philippines. summer can sometimes be excruciatingly hot in the Philippines. people like to cool off and relax to Baguio because of its cool, fresh air and cold temperature. it is located in the mountainous province of Benguet.

first of all, none of us has ever been to Baguio. i did a lot of research over the internet to know the places we must go and see. it's a good thing you find everything over the web these days. they can be life saving sometimes.

Philippine Military Academy

of course nobody goes to Baguio without going to PMA first, duh! you'll see all bunch of vintage cannons, tanks, airplanes, and other war stuff. if you're into those things, you'd love it. as for me, i just love the peace, quiet and cleanliness of the place.

The Mansion

they said that this is the house where every the presidents stay when they are off chillin at Baguio. we didn't get the chance to go look closer or inside the mansion because tourists are prohibited to go inside. apparently, there have been thievery issues. 

Mines View Park

this is the part where tourists take pictures with native costumes on, or take pictures with dogs like Beethoven. we were tempted to have our pictures taken with the huge dogs but it is Haram. Mines View Park is also swamped with souvenir shops. it was really a delight to go shopping there because they really sell cheap stuff!! like really cheap stuff. you get jams for P25 and key chains for as low as P5. Baguio tshirts and native bags, delectable sweets, fresh fruits and preserves, you name it they all have it. you can practically buy your whole barangay with souvenirs without breaking the bank. just be sure you can afford the excess baggage on your flight back. haha!

Wright Park

went horsing around at Wright Park.another first time for us. it was a long, painful 30 minute horseback ride around the area that our butts got sore after. we swore we will never ride horses again.

Strawberry Farm

the Strawberry Farm is located at La Trinidad, a mere 20 minute ride from Baguio City. you'd know when you get there when you see hills full of houses, such as that in the photo. we went strawberry picking and were a bit dismayed we hardly found large strawberries. it wasn't in season as the boy guide said. yes, another first for me to finally, not only hold but pick and eat fresh freaking strawberries! damn, if they didn't just tasted blahblah. anyway, going to the farm was also slightly a bit disappointing. i guess we were led to believe that it is a strawberry farm. but what we saw was a vegetable farm. there are not even that many strawberries. geez. but you know what, the lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and other vegetables were so fresh and amazingly cheap! if i live in Baguio i'd live to be vegetarian. like seriously.

Burnham Park

the man-made lake in the heart of the city you see on movies set in Baguio, where the protagonists meet and where they go on romantic dates that includes riding animal themed boats, is called Burnham Park. as much as i'd like to say that it was fun riding the boats, we were more concerned about bumping other boats that all we could ever think about was getting out the entire time. after the boat ride, we hanged for awhile at the park. they have benches all over the place where everyone can sit and take a whiff of the fresh cold air. there are lots of people having picnics too. Burnham Park is a very relaxing place to chill out to. fresh cold breeze keeps blowing in. 

Pines View Hotel

we stayed at the Pines View Hotel, which was weird because the only pine tree i saw was that only one standing in front of our hotel, that looks sad and about ready to die. but whatever. we had the best view of the sun rise and the city lights at night. and the service was nice also. our suite for four people, with two queen sized beds and a balcony with a view costs P4400 (if i remember correctly) a night.

we also went to Camp John Hay but i couldn't find the photos. huh, weird. it was huge and nice. they have a bunch of nice restaurants and hotel and golf course. we ate at Seafood Island and Army Navy and did a little shopping at the factory outlets. they have all these imported brands at the very low prices. we also went to SM. and they didn't have airconditioning. it was a little hot. 

and before leaving Baguio, you must never miss the chance to try Good Shepherd's oh-so-yummy preserves and other pastries. they can be expensive compared to those sold at most souvenir shops but i guarantee you they are the best! you can also try the strawberry taho. they have this everywhere i guess but i got mine at some vendor at the Mines View Park. you can also try the strawberry ice cream. vendors are found right outside the strawberry farm.

our Manila-Baguio trip might have caused us a fortune, being summer a peak season and all things are expensive like our plane tickets and hotel rooms. you should all take that into account when thinking of going on vacation on summers. but i guess it was well worth it because it's always more fun to chill on summers and you can be sure (almost) that no storm is going to rain on your parade.

have you gone to Baguio City?