Cold Summer in Baguio

Welcome to the summer capital of the Philippines! I believe there's a sign somewhere upon entry to this little haven for the heat weary populace. But I must have missed it because I've been sleeping on and off, on this trip. 

Am not much of a road tripper. I get lulled to sleep while on the road. If I don't, I'll be plagued with the motion sickness. Anyhoo, we planned on checking out BenCab's museum on our first day (Friday) but we arrived an hour too late. The museum has closed and it doesn't open on weekends. Boo. 

It was my first time to be housed at the Camp John Hay's The Manor. Well, the entire development is really charming. And I love how well-manicured the place is. I admit, I have a weakness for all things pretty. 

It was a very quick trip. We only had a chance to visit Session Road at night which was buzzing with activities. A few steps away is the night market beside the Burnham Park. We had our moments. I went back to my hotel with three pieces of sheer dresses at P35 each! Huh.

We had a nice dinner at Mario's on our second night. Spanish cuisine didn't make that much of an impression to me. Only the rockefeller oyster. Everyone went gaga. Yum.

Mario's rockefeller oyster. You'll forget your name once you've taken a bite.

But I was very intrigued with its popular dessert called flambe. We ordered Mango Flambe. I asked the Chef what makes it so special. Ah, it has liqueur. It's so good, I forgot to take a picture. Boo, again.

On our last day which was a Sunday, we went to the public market to buy freshly ground coffee. I was amazed that the selection has considerably grown. Eight years ago, I only remembered about three -- barako, robusta, and arabica. Now, it has gone designer! There's hazelnut, almond, and vanilla flavors. 


After a half hour of amazing race inside the Baguio Market, we emerged with a few good buys. A head of lettuce, a kilo of strawberry (note: it gets squishy) and a few other green stuff. Okay, veggies.


Before heading back to Manila, we took our lovely time at Cafe by the Ruins. It's a place for artsy-fartsy people that wants to enjoy their food and the place. All the artworks are so beautiful. Handsome, even. It's a great place to chill with friends and loved ones. 

The food is unbelievably yummy!

It's menu is full of trivia, too. There's a sandwich inspired by National Artist Nick Joaquin. He doodled on a napkin what he wants in his sandwich. And voila, it's one of the cafe's bestsellers!

Look how green is my salad. It's topped with goat cheese. Crunch on the outside, soft on the inside. Heaven.

Another healthy option. Erika swears it's super yummy!

While our Baguio trip was such a short trip, the memory is lasting. Nothing's a blur. I think I've truly embraced how it is to seize the moment. 


Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.- Anon.