First off, let me start by saying that I did push through with my DIY project of painting the ceiling and I am beyond exhausted... physically and mentally! I'm done with it but it still needs some touching up which I don't even want to think about now. So, I'll blog about something in the meantime because I seriously need a BREAK! ;p
Last week, we were able to make a quick, last minute trip to Baguio. Don't you just love how it's the spur of the moment plans that tend to push through? ;p The last time I was in Baguio was about 4 years ago for work. I was mostly inside a conference room for a week so I don't think that really counts. But when I was younger, I remember vacations here with the family, playing mini golf, going on picnics, having bonfires... If I remember correctly, the last time I was really able to experience Baguio was when I was 12. So I was really super excited to go back after all these years especially now with my kids. :)
We left Manila at around 6am and was able to arrive in Baguio just in time for lunch. It was a good thing both kids were asleep for most of the road trip, because I was worried how we'd survive 6 hours inside a confined space considering how hyper and impatient they can get.
We were able to check in at once (I'll be blogging about our hotel in the coming posts) and then we were off! The weather was perfect during our stay. Although you can't really drive around with the windows open since there's still so much pollution. But it was just the right amount of cool which was great since the kids were able to wear their jackets and long sleeves. ;p
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| I love cold weather outfits! |
We had lunch in the Mile Hi Center inside Camp John Hay, where they also have a few outlet stores like Nike and Mango (super few pieces and nothing great). But you don't really go to Baguio to shop right? ;p
We drove around Camp John Hay where we were able to see lots of flowers left over from the Panagbenga festival. It was hard taking a picture by this float since cars kept passing by! ;p
The whole Camp John Hay seems different from when I remember it though. Somehow older and less magical. The mini golf area was still there but the ice cream parlor and playground around it where we spent most of our time as kids were all gone! :(
However, there's also something new inside Camp John Hay like the AyalaLand TechnoHub. The main building is where Convergy's is, and you can find 7-Eleven, Pancake House, BPI, and Starbucks near the area. You can find more shops across the street like Res Toe Run and Brat Pack, and even more restaurants. It's just a nice area for the kids to run around and also to just chill and relax.
After, we dropped by Mine's View Park for a little sightseeing and pasalubong shopping. Poor Sabe was knocked-out at this point so he stayed in the car while we went down to see the view.
I really wanted Miley to experience riding a horse during our trip but I wasn't sure she would want to (she can be scared of trying new things at times). But when I saw this pink-haired pony, all I had to say was that it looked like Pinkie Pie, a character from My Little Pony (which she loves watching) and Miley was game! But she had to make Mommy ride the horsie first haha! It cost P10 per shot and luckily, we got this pic on the 2nd take.
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| look, my pants match the pony's hair! |
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| or if you want, you can also have your picture taken with this cool dog! |
The next day, we went to Burnham Park where we went boating and the biking. It was so much fun doing these activities with the kids!
Bikes can be rented for an hour but I don't think we even got to 30 minutes haha! After hubby and I took turns pedaling, Miley wanted to stop because she saw a kiddie bike like the one we have at home! Good thing we were able to divert her attention but she just wanted to run around the park by that time. Again, poor Sabe fell asleep during this part so he wasn't able to ride with us. :(
We went boating as well with hubby, father-in-law, and brother-in-law taking turns rowing. It was a bit tricky at first, with us going in circles and sometimes hitting other boats haha! I don't think we were also able to consume the 1 hour time but it was still fun. :)
The trip would have been almost perfect if not for the incident that happened that evening. We had dinner in Mario's, a restaurant known for its Caesar Salad and steak. My brother-in-law had spaghetti bolognese while hubby and I shared a truffle pasta. When we got back to our hotel, I wasn't really feeling that good anymore so I fell asleep early. Hubby woke me up in the middle of the night saying that they were bringing my brother-in-law to the emergency room since it seems like he got food poisoning (he threw up about 3 times and was already dehydrated). I went back to sleep but I was still feeling queasy so I went to the bathroom where I also threw up! It was a good thing I felt fine after, but my poor brother-in-law had to be given a dextrose. We don't exactly know if it was the pasta (since hubby and I shared but he was fine) but we're assuming it was that since it was the last meal we had (and maybe hubby's stomach is really more resistant to germs, he drinks Yakult regularly after all ;p).
Side kwento. My sister also went to Baguio last year for her senior retreat and more than half the class (including her) had to be brought to the hospital because of an upset stomach. I don't know if it's something in the water but just be mindful of what you eat and drink (just order bottled water or softdrinks in can) when you go to Baguio.
My mother-in-law informed Mario's the next day of what happened. What was good is they were so gracious, even offering to pay for the hospital bills (which my MIL declined). They sent a cake to our hotel room later with a letter saying that they were sorry for what happened and that they had informed their kitchen of the incident. In fairness, the cake looked delicious (hubby had some and it was really yummy daw) but do you really expect us to have an appetite after what happened?
It was a shame our trip had to end on that note, but I guess you can say it was a good thing it happened on our last night. Sayang lang coz we were planning on playing mini golf that morning but of course, brother-in-law and I ended up staying in bed. The rest of the fam just went pasalubong shopping instead.
We left Baguio at around 2pm to avoid Manila traffic. But somehow, the trip back seemed way longer, since aside from not feeling so good, Miley was awake the ENTIRE time! Trust me, it was uber exhausting being with a hyper and noisy toddler for more than 6 hours straight when all you just want to do is sleep. I kept thinking, if we were on a plane, for sure the other passengers would want to kill us already haha!
Well, we all made it back in one piece and despite everything that happened, it was still a good vacation since we were able to spend time with the family. I definitely wouldn't mind going back to Baguio again soon. And this time, we definitely have to play mini-golf! :)
