we had an early start for the day. after taking quick showers, we made our way to DULCINEA to eat breakfast. the main dining area was already filled with guests so we just took the adjacent function room/dining area. i didn't take pictures of our meals because my hubby was hurrying us up since we will be strawberry-picking in la trinidad. holding our ever reliable baguio map, my hubby took a quick review of the roads & off we went.
these sights were what greeted us as we parked by the roadside.
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| strawberry fields welcome sign |
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| the "ubiquitous" strawberry |
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| "manangs" selling fruits |
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| a strawberry picker |
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| vast strawberry farms |
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| rows upon rows of veggies |
our "encounters" with the strawberries
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| got them on the palm of my hand |
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| "manang" chooses them for a customer |
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| the ripe & unripe all bundled-up |
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| jill holds one |
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luscious strawberries - who could resist them?
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| up close & personal |
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| my strawberry "taho" |
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| keychain |
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| ice cream scooper |
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| strawberry ice cream, no less |
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| first scoop - jill said the ice cream was yummy |
we also looked at the souvenir shops. nothing new. typical merchandise being sold around the city.
by the way, my hubby complained that the prices of the veggies he was trying to buy here did not come at all cheap. "bakit pa pupunta sa source if pang-turista o retail pa rin ang presyo?" (why buy at the source if the prices are still retail, not wholesale?)
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| handcrafted wood ware |
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| mini-brooms |
from la trinidad, we looked for a place to take our lunch. i suggested THE HILLSTATION at
CASA VALLEJO, a boutique hotel-restaurant-bookstore-spa situated along upper session road luneta drive.
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| bakeshop |
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| entry to the dining area |
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| menu stand |
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| leather-bound |
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| holiday-decked dining area |
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| jill poring over the menu |
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| black & white photo wall |
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a view of the outside from a
poinsettia-topped table |
what we ate
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| aperitif |
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| fish fillet with 5-spice chili |
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| lechon kawali with laing sa gata |
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| spanish callos |
after picking the tab, my daughters & i went to see the bookshop (MT. CLOUD)
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| mural outside the bookshop |
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| stairs leading to NOTH HAVEN SPA |
unfortunately, no photos were taken of the spa. but this i can say, the lavender scent that wafted in the lobby was heavenly...
from casa vallejo, we went straight to mines view park to buy my mom's baskets.
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the new MINES VIEW PARK HOTEL
scenes taken at the flea market
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| t-shirts, bags, shawls & what-have-yous |
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| chopping board, mortar & pestle, placemats |
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| thinking of what to buy |
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| even spongebob was here |
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| almost-real frogs |
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| local woven blankets |
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| dreamcatchers |
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| kirsten & her "frog prince" |
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| keychains galore |
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| through the mirror |
next stop was the GOOD SHEPHERD CONVENT to buy those delectable UBE JAMS.
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| the BELEN on display at the veranda area |
people images
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| the KOREAN hand sign |
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| father & son |
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| captured photo of a lensman |
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| in cartoon character headgears |
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| kid in boots |
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| one of the world's most expensive coffee |
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| brewed coffee |
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| footprints on the pavement |
from the convent, we went to the MARYKNOLL ECOLOGICAL SANCTUARY, Baguio's secret garden. it's a place where visitors are taken on a journey to the evolution of the universe in 14 stations. it cost us php 30.00/head. we first toured the center.
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| entrance sign |
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| corridor leading to the dormitory & cafe |
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| sleeping quarters |
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| a peek into one of the bedrooms |
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| the CAFE |
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| while patiently waiting for daddy |
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| "batibot" chairs |
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| steps leading to the sanctuary |
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| not so well-maintained garden |
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| looking for the right directions (we got lost, actually) |
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entering one of the caves
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we weren't able to complete all the stations. the trek was too arduous, pathways too steep. i think it would have been a lot better if a tour guide was with us. the center had none & the pamphlet given to us didn't help at all. it got us all disoriented.
we decided to return to cjh & found ourselves in the new ayala-baguio techno hub. the layout was similar to bonifacio high street.
after a quick merienda stop at the 7-11 store, we hurried back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
before leaving, i captured this breathtaking sunset moment from our bedroom window...
just a stone's throw away was WOOD NYMPH, the KOREAN restaurant where we dined.
the happy KOREAN foodies
who ate these
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| twice-served banchan |
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| spicy seafood soup |
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grilled beef ribs
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what better way to end DAY 2 but
a hearty KOREAN dinner. if ever we find ourselves in the city of pines again, we'll definitely go back to WOOD NYMPH. 2 thumbs-up for the ambience, food, as well as the ample serving sizes. everything's worth your money.
after an hour, it's off to nearby CHALET to retire for the night.
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