Strawberry fancies and more: "Escapade to Baguio part 3"

This is the most exciting part of my visit to Baguio City. I had a chance to visit the strawberry farm in La Trinidad. Strawberries are very much popular in the city and most of the visitors will have a chance to pick the ripe ones straight from the plant.

I was quite not that lucky because strawberries are not in season today. Well, few of them were sprouting. Strawberries are shy during rainy season. I got a few close-ups of some red pretty strawberries.

It is really no doubt that strawberry is very popular in Baguio. You may be able to see different delicacies in strawberry flavors or some with touches of strawberry, like this taho. This is a superb Filipino delicacy made with soya, this time with a twist of real strawberry and flavored syrup.

Moving on after these tickling strawberries, I also had a chance to visit the Bell Church. This place is very much similar to Chinatown in Manila. Here are some pictures of it.

The most solemn part of the day is having a visit at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. I also had a chance to visit the Good Shepherd House. Both are perfect place for silent moments and personal reflections.

This wonderful escapade is really unforgettable. It really made myself relaxed and enjoy the moment of it.

Somehow as I finally got home, my mind still sees this beautiful environment, cool breeze and nice places. Truly, I will still plan to go back and experience it over and over again. And now I see my way home at the expressway wondering when to come back.

Garden paths: "Escapade to Baguio part 2"

The cool breeze of Baguio woke me up with a smile and turned myself to be excited for the next journey we had. A cup of coffee will really start your day to ease the coldness of dawn until you feel the first rays of the sun. On the second day of our escape to the summer capital, we visited the Mines View Park.

There are lots of picturesque scenery you can find there. Actually, you will be amazed of different spots for picture taking. Also, you can find lots of goodies for memorabilia and for the nostalgia, all showing the rich culture of Baguio City. The photo below shows a view of different houses that looks like a connected Lego pieces.

A view of the mountains just very near the clouds and fog. Imagine the top of the mountain kissing the cool breeze of clouds. Rains fall down easily in Baguio and that helps a lot in maintaining its cool temperature.

Many jewelry lovers will also love a place of silver choices and ornaments for accessories.

Next stop is the Wright Park wherein I myself got fascinated with the horses. Horses there comes in different colors, really amazed me a lot. The staircases are also picturesque, much of a really good experience.

I also had a chance to see the front view of The Mansion. This is the official residence of the president whenever he is having a visit to Baguio or in some nearby areas attending functions and gatherings.

In the Botanical Garden, feed your eyes with different plants and flowers and enrich your sight with spots and scenery.

Shopping! There are lots of stores wherein you can buy different native products, all capturing the culture of this city. Delicacies such as strawberry wine, peanut brittle, strawberry jam and others are surely mouth-watering.

The Philippine Military Academy is also situated here. Here you can find a very large camp and training area for the country's future defenders.

Alright, so enough for the second day. I will now ride this white horse to drive me in this sunflower path to look for 'zombies on the lawn.'

Manila Day: "Escapade to Baguio"

June 24 is declared as a non-working holiday in celebration of the 439th Araw ng Maynila (Manila Day). With much anticipation of a vacation, me and my fellows decided to make the most out of it for a holiday. And we decided to travel all the way to Baguio - the country's summer capital!

Quite awkward, isn't it, that it's already rainy season? But this is really so much fun. We will stay at the coldest part of the Philippines for four days so you can read most of my entries about it on the following days to come. So in the mean time, let me share you my first day here in Baguio City.

The following photos were shot at the orchidarium. I was never fascinated with flowers until I saw different kinds of it in rows and columns, with different colors and sizes. Totally, the place will enchant your eyes and overflow your sight with beautiful hues.

This is the herbal plants section. Not so colorful in pictures but I'm so happy to learn how they magically cure simple illnesses that commercial drugs also do. Below are samples of the flowers you will find in the orchidarium.

It's the frog actually, not the plant.. Well, anyway, we got some solemn moment there coinciding with the heavy rains of the city. I had the chance to climb the 100steps stairway to the Baguio Cathedral of the Our Lady of Atonement and the experience is quite rewarding. This is my first time visiting the church in my second time of travel to Baguio.

This is the most fun of the activities we did today. We enjoyed the boat riding at the Burnham Park. It is my first time to row a swan-boat with three passengers. I was so thankful that i drove the boat smoothly.

A lone branch of a tree. Actually, no significant event that I can associate it with. Just to end this post, expect more to come in the succeeding entries.