BAGUIO REVISITED

 It was days before Christmas, and for the first time in a long time, we decided to go out of town amidst the hustle and bustle of the yuletide season.

Afterall, it has been years since we last visited Baguio where Jon and I have very fond memories of during our early years.

What made it even more special is the fact that it is going to be R and Ate Lyn's first time to go there. 

My Mom and my nephew Spiro also decided to tag along with us on this adventure.

My boy's first trip to Baguio.
It proved to be a test of patience as we had to keep him "entertained" the whole duration of the trip.
 Thanks to Steve Jobs for providing entertainment, hehehe.

We decided not to bring our own car and just take the Deluxe Bus all the way up to the so called Summer Capital of the Philippines. We were excited to be onboard the Deluxe Trip again just like the last time because it really was so comfortable and it is worth every centavo we paid - large "lazyboy" seats, toilet on board, light snacks and a "stewardess" to ensure that we have a rocking good time on the road.

But, as fate would have it, we were caught in a very chaotic traffic jam (what do you expect, it is the Christmas Season!) and we were not able to make it to our 1PM Trip.

But that did not dampen our spirits.  We have agreed to still go on with the trip and just take the regular aircon bus that was scheduled to leave at 2PM.

So, off to Baguio, we go. Yipee!


We had some stopovers along the way but it proved to be a welcome break rather than an anoyance.  I guess you really have to "find your own sunshine" when it comes to these road trips lest you become grumpy and stressed.

Kesa ma bad trip, go lang ng go at "umihi" sa lahat ng stop overs! Hahaha

We finally arrived in Baguio around ten in the evening.  By then we were all tired and sleepy.
So we called it a day right after check in.

The next morning, we were already recharged and ready to seize the day in Baguio!

But of course, "piktyuran" munang umaatikabo.

Mommy wanted J to take her picture overlooking the view in our room.

She made sure that the Pine Trees were seen and requested that I post 

it in her Facebook with the caption:  "The Baguio that I knew".

Then we went out and took pictures of the hotel's facade

Yes, we stayed at Mines View Park Hotel.
Will post my review in Trip Advisor  and will link it up here in this blog.

Our first stop for the day is the MINES VIEW PARK as it is stone's throw away from the hotel.

A have a lot of childhood memories of this place and was more than happy to be making more this time with the little boy.

A more "modern" and "crowded" park greeted us.
A very big difference from the one I have in mind.

As expected, the place was very "touristy" and I had to remind myself several times that I was there for the view and not for the thousand and one "kiosks" selling different products.

Good thing, my family is "game" in striking poses that provided a lot of laughs and entertainment.

        Thank the good Lord someone has to take the picture.
        Otherwise, I will be  forced to dress up too.

Look at the little boy, he was so bored he had to pick his nose to pass time. Hehehe

I know I know. 

 I pity the dog but I just couldn't resist taking this picture

 because I am amused that my boy isn't afraid of dogs unlike his Parents.  

As in, I will not be caught dead (neither will Jon) standing

 this close to that dog (ar any other dog for that matter!)

After having a good time at the Mines View, we all agreed that it was time for lunch.

We went to OH MY GULAY!  And, OMG indeed, there was more to the place than the food they serve.

The restaurant is located on the rooftop of an old building along Session Road.  

 That being said, you will never expect a place as serene as this exists.  

The food (which were all "gulays" and absolutely NO MEAT) was delicious. 

Certainly a welcome change from Carnivores like us. 

                                     It was that good that I only remembered to take pictures when we were eating our deserts. 

 That, or we were THAT hungry!

After having that sumptuous lunch, we all trooped to the WRIGHT PARK for Horseback Riding.  

I can still vividly recall how excited I was every time we go here.  It was so vivid that I could still smell the pine trees just by thinking about it.

Sadly, the place is now bustling with commercialism that it was an effort to link the memory to the present times.  Nonetheless, the boy had the time of his life riding horses with his Dadda and Ate Lyn while Mom and I shopped.

Hi ho, Silver away!

Mom and the kiddo were pretty beat after Wright Park so off we went back to the hotel with takeout food to give them all a rest.

In the evening, J and I went out again for a lovely dinner while Kuya Spiro took charge of his Lola, and his cousin R and Ate Lyn.

There is more in store for Day 2 of our Baguio Trip.

Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

DAY FOUR: GREAT WALL

Our last full day in China was also the day of our departure back to Manila -well our flight back is 1:00AM the following day so it is, technically the same day right?

Well, at this point, we already had three action packed days so we were confident that we were making good use of our time so far.

So, on that chilly winter morning, we opted to REST and agreed that it will be a free and easy day.

We stayed in our hotel room until around 12:30 PM just lounging around as we have already packed the previous night.

We only checked out of our rooms when our Driver called declaring that he has arrived.

By the way, we again opted to hire a private van. This time around, we booked it privately with the same  company who brought us to the ski resort only this time, the Hotel did not have a "cut" anymore from the quoted package.  It saved us around 300-400 RMB.

We were thankful that although it is still cold outside, it was not snowing anymore and the wind is not that strong.

Our first stop is the OLYMPIC PARK

OC Confession:  Parang gusto kong gawing capital ang p sa word na Park

Remember that China played host to the 1988 Olympics right?

Well, the area where the games were held back then is still very much operational but it has become more of a Tourist spot than an actual sports venue.

Above picture shows the famous "Water Cube" Building where all the water sports were played. This building is indeed unique as the wall looks like "water filled".  It's made daw of a special fiberglass, ek ek and as usual, the Engineers in our group had a field day.

The structure at the far right is of course the "BIRD'S NEST".
It is not only famous because of the Olympics but also because the prices of steel way back in 2006-2008 skyrocketed to almost 300% of its original price because apparently, the supply in Asia was used in the construction of this building.
As per Jon, madami daw ang mga steel suppliers ang nalugi during that time.  Oh well.

After spending an hour or so in the complex, we visited a Silk factory.
Well, while we have the option not to go here, we spared a little time for the sake of our driver as he might be targetting a certain "quota" in bringing tourists there.

 In fairness, the quick trip there proved to be very "educational" if not fun and interesting.  We learned many things from the guide.

As expected, there were items for sale at the end of the talk but we knew all too well NOT to fall prey so we respectfully declined and headed outside.

Here's the little bub posing for a picture in front of the Silk factory

Then it was time to head for the Great Wall.

There is actually three areas of the Great Wall that are opened to Tourists.  Back in 2007, Jon and I went to the Badaling section where it was steeming with Tourists from all walks of life.

This time around, we asked that we be brought to the Mutianyu section of the Wall.

At the entrance

We were happily surprised that there weren't too much Tourists, in fact, we were the last group to come in.  We opted to ride the cable car going up and try the TOBOGGAN on the way down.
Unfortunately, the Toboggan ride was closed during the winter so we had to take the Cable Car both ways.

Ito yung itsura ng mga Cable Cars - Safe na safe....NOT!

I was holding the little boy very firmly kasi "open" ang cable car and pwede talaga mahulog. So scary. Tapos malamig pa kaya medyo hindi malakas ang grip mo not to mention the layers of cloth you have.

Eh mukha namang enjoy si Kulit dahil he shouts "snow" everytime he looks down on the snow capped mountain on the way up

Maya mayang kaunti, ayan na, nakikita na ang Wall from afar. Nakaka GOOSEBUMPS ito, I tell you!

We were up the Wall in no time and of course, we hurriedly took pictures kasi we wanted to savor the place.

Ito talaga ang target ko:  Na when the time comes that my boy studies about the different places we have been to, I will be able to show him a picture of that place with him in it bilang masyado pa siyang bata para maalala the experience.

Ayan na nga ba sinasabi ko oh, pakialam nya sa mga pader na yan.  He was happily playing with the snow and keber lang nya sa great wall na yan. Hehehe.

The Great Wall was all to ourselves, yipee!

A few more minutes and we were already being called to go down.  Apparently, they were already closing kasi it was almost 5PM na din.

And, of course, we were happy to go down na din kasi we were all looking forward to what else? SHOPPING!

"Baratan" portion muna pero in the end, we became good friends with the two Manongs who happily smiled for a souvenir picture.

After that we went back to the hotel na para ayusin sa mga luggages all the items we bought the whole day.  Not an easy feat ha considering ang dami na naman naming maliliit na supot na na-pick up here and there.

After that, we had dinner at the nearby New World Shopping Mall.
And because we still had time and some Yuans left, we went to the Supermarket at the basement and had a last hurrah on shopping.  Haha.

Then the airport shuttle we commissioned arrived and whisked us to the airport in no time.

The flight was smooth save for some little "turbulence" once in a while.

We arrived around 4am in Manila.

That ended our adventure in China!

FUNNY SIGNS FROM ALL OVER PART TWO

As mentioned, I was having problems with uploading pictures on this blog a couple of days back so I had to cut short my post on  "funny signs".
So, I am hoping I have better luck this time so that I could publish the rest of my collection.
So, shall we continue?

ONBOARD THE OVERNIGHT TRAIN FROM SHANGHAI TO XIAN

Our small cabin on the train has this sign on the table.  How accommodating, don't you think?  Well, I had, afterall a  "rideplacin' good time" onboard!

BACOLOD CITY, PHILIPPINES

Taken June of 2012 during our Annual Employees' Getaway.  This is apparently, a Christian Church and had this "unique" and I must say, "catchy" way of getting their message across.  Too bad we did not have the time to go inside and visit but whoever thought of this certainly has the "creative" gene and would make a good product manager.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Well, this is, I think, a famous cosmetics brand in SoKor.  Kalinya sya palagi ng Etude House tsaka Natural Republic.  Nagkalat ang branch nya everywhere.  This particular branch is in Myeongdeong Subway.  Kasalukuyang kaming "nawawala" noon  ni Jon and medyo kakapagod at kakastress na.  When I saw this sign, nagkatawanan na lang kami kasi parang gusto kong bumili ng sangkaterba dito para mawala ang "inis" namin.  True enough, super effective ha - pangalan pa lang, nakakatanggal na ng inis!

BALANGA , BATAAN

Who says being "unkabogable" is IN these days? Sorry, we found a whole town in Bataan who would rather feel "kabog" so much so that they name their town "Cabog-Cabog"!

We found this sleepy town on our way to Morong, Bataan last Summer to visit the now famous Las Casas Filipnas de Acuzar.  Everyone was sleeping in the car and when I opened my eyes, I saw this school.  Eh ang bilis namin kaya naman talagang kinailangan pa naming balikan para lang makakuha ako ng picture.  Adik much! 

CABANATUAN, NUEVA ECIJA

Who says the Master Rapper has crossed the great beyond?  Na-uh, he just changed professions and tweaked his surname a little so he gets to escape the prying eyes of showbiz tsismosas. Hehehe

Note:  Meant no disrespect to the Master Rapper.  Just amused at how we Filipinos could use "wit" and humour" in our everyday lives.

So, there. 

That is all for now until I see something again that is printworthy.

Still can't get over "Maglolona" though, hehehe. 

FUNNY SIGNS FROM ALL OVER PART ONE

Let me take a break from the Trip to China Series (I know I still owe you the last day "kuwento" and the summary of expenses and tips)  by a post that is picture filled.

Here goes:

I have always been observant.  

Hindi nakakalampas sa akin the little things bordering on "unusual and amusing".

Daming beses, when I see something that catches my attention, talagang babalikan ko pa to have its picture taken.

More so when we are out of town.  My discriminating attention to details gets more pronounced.

That being said, let me present to you some of the witty/funny/interesting signs from all over which I have kept all these years na parang some sort of a "collection".

Jon knows about this fascination of mine at nakikisali na din sa pag-oobserve to add up to my collection.

Note that the following pictures are taken by me and is not lifted from the internet ha.

SHANGHAI, CHINA

Let's start off with a picture taken from our latest trip.  It is an Ice Cream Store I believe that is located right smack at the exit of The Bund's Sightseeing Tunnel.  Now, makes me wonder what kind of milk do the owners use for their products.  Must be "Gatas ng Ina", don't you think? How healthy!  

VANGVIENG, LAOS

Jon and i rented a motorbike and went around this tiny town that is famous all over the world for TUBING.  It was already getting dark when I chanced upon a hotem with a funny sounding name. 

I wonder who checks in there and what "amenities" they expect to have in the rooms. (insert sheepish grin here).

SHANGHAI, CHINA

And, while we are at it, isama ko na itong signage I saw at a mobile soda vendor.  I  have tasted 7UP, Mountain Dew and Mirinda.  But never that cola on top of the list.  I wonder how it'd taste. Eeewww.

YANGOON, MYANMAR

We were off to Bagan to see the thousand temples aboard a ten hour Sleeper Bus ride in Yangoon when I saw this ad.  Good thing my hands are fast and took the picture in a matter of seconds.

So, what do our oldies often say?  "Kaya di ka makatulog dahil sa KAKA KAFE mo.  Nuff said. 

Loving it so far?

Do you have your version too?

Please do share.

As for me, there is more to come in the next post.  I am having a hard time uploading pictures so I have to cut it short for now.

Laters, folks!

DAY THREE: SNOWY BEIJING

Our Hainan Airlines flight to Beijing the previous night was smooth and on time.

Plus, it was delight to ride on a really  big and luxurious plane again after years of patronizing budget airlines.

I think the aircraft was previously owned by Cathay Pacific as the remote controls still bear its logo.

Getting into the City was a breeze as well, since I booked for a two way airport shuttle.

Novotel Hotel Xin Quiao (where we stayed the last time we were there too) did not disappoint too.

We got rooms at their Premium Lounge and we had cocktails round the clock. Kewl!

Anyhow, we woke up the next morning with a pleasant surprise: SNOW!

It rarely snows in Beijing kaya I know that the Lord is really ensuring that R and Yaya Lyn get to experience a day or two of Winter with the works!

Yes, it was this thick.

Our initial plan was to go to Nanshan Ski Resort on our own.  I have already researched about it and it seems very doable.

But, with this kind of weather, I had to think of Plan B.  There is no way I am exposing my boy with this kind of weather.

I had no other choice but to get a service from the hotel.  And yes, the price they quoted was so hefty.

                                   

                                      

                                        The road to the Ski Resort looked so gloomy.

Just looking at this picture makes my fingers go numb again.

  

We got to the resort in over an hour and there, the snow was even thicker.
Buti na lang we were ready with winter clothes from the head down to our toes. :)

Wag kang masanay Anak, you are not to wear that often, hehe.

At dahil "sadista" kami, we rode the double chair lifts right up to the peak of the mountains.
I regretted the whole experience and wanted it to end the instant we commenced.
My extremities hurt like hell and it went numb for hours.
Mainit na tubig na ang binabaran ko and yet i could not feel a thing.
I do not remember feeling that in New York some few years back when we went to a Ski Resort too kaya it was a weird feeling for me.

After the ride, we were all shouting "HOT NOODLES!" which we easily got in one of the stores inside the resort.  Oh, what a relief it was I tell you.

Then it was time to bid adieu to the Ski Resort.

We passed by the Tiananmen Square as this was a sight not to be missed.

When we got back to the hotel, I booked for the Kung Fu Show later that night.
R, Ate Lyn and I had to beg off  because of the extreme weather outside plus I got to watch that show before too. Sayang din the money.

I just went out on my own around Wangfujing area which was within the vicinity of our hotel.  I had loads of fun shopping! Weeeeee.

Here are some of the pictures they took in the Kung Fu Show:

The Red Theatre where Kung Fu shows are held nightly

The Azarcons with the Cast on their background

Hop on over to my next post:  our Great Wall of China experience

DAY TWO: XIAN OF MY DREAMS

I peeped out of the window and my heart jumped with excitement.

We were already in Xian and I am just moments away from the Terracota Warriors.

But boy, going out of the railway station is not easy, huh.
You have to compete with thousands of people for space and you literally need not make an effort to move as you will be swept off by throngs of people making their way out.

We met our guide for the day Brian  (whose name and contact number I got from Trip Advisor).

Once outside, I noticed that it was "hazy" and I thought it was because of the -3 degree celcius temperature we were having.  

Imagine my shock and disappointment when Brian said that it was because of Pollution.  He said that there are two huge coal companies in Xian and this "haze" is experienced all winterlong.

I asked them why this is being allowed by the government and he said matter of factly "this coal companies bring us a lot of money".  Holy smokes!  I wanted to go home right then and there for fear of my boy inhaling those substances.

Anyhoo,  we ate a quick lunch at Dico's (a Taiwanese local joint) and off we went to the Terracota Warriors.

The ticket booth near the entrance.  You have to take a short golf cart ride to the Pits

We paid for our tickets and rode on a golf cart to get to the actual sites.

The history of the Terracotta Warriors is so fascinating (at least for me and the million other people who visits the site the whole year round) because they were archaeological treasures that speak of the glorious past.

It was actually a whole batallion of clay figures buried thousands of years ago alongside the tomb of the Emperor so that he would have an army when he dies (astig sa trip di ba?)

Tapos, in 1974, a group of farmers who were digging a well accidentally unearthed it.
What's even more fascinating is that they were not taken away from the actual site where they were dug.  They just built concrete structures over it.

This is Pit 1 - the most number of warriors found

In 1979, the site was opened to the public.

I made Jon take a picture of R with the warriors in the background so that when he is older, we can show this to him.

I was "hyperventilating" all those times that we were there because I am a sucker for history.  Dati, nakikita ko lang sila sa TV at sa books pero now, I am face to face with them.  Ang saya lang talaga!

The Chariots- imagine the details they put into the figures eh wala pang machine noon. These were crafted using their bare hands.

In one of the Pits, you would get to meet one of the farmers who discovered the Warriors.
Kaso lang, you cannot have your picture taken with him kung di ka bibili nung book.

I thought I could resist the temptation, pero I was wrong. We bought the book, he signed it and let us take a picture of him with R.  Ayos ang "raket" ni Manong Farmer!

I hope someday we get to use this Anak in one of your school projects para sulit bayad. 

After spending a lot of time there, Brian announced that it was time to go as there are more sites we need to see in Xian.  We obliged kasi nakaka "umay" na din talaga the warriors at that time. Hehehe

Our next stop was the Xian Gate, which was, to me, just like the Walls of Intramuros.

Honestly, I could have skipped that had I known better.  Sayang the 40 yuan we paid for each person.

Tapos, we specifically requested Brian to bring us to the famous Muslim Quarter in Xian.  Not because of the history but because I have read that there is where we could buy cheap souvenirs, haha!

Achieve na achieve naman ang purpose namin as we were able to buy a lot of souvenirs there and even got to sample some local delicacies.  I savor this time kasi we left the kids under the care of Ate Lyn inside the van and the four of us (Glenn, Anna, Jon and I) ventured into the market.  It was like having a late afternoon double date. FUN!

A structure inside the Muslim Quarter

After that, we had to rush to the airport for our Xian to Beijing flight.