Baguio City: Tam-awan Village

Tam-awan Village has already been in my radar for years now. i saw it on the boob tube many times over and in publications a couple more. It has always tickled my curiousity bones and so i wouldn't pass up this chance of visiting this artist haven in Baguio.

Not many people know that Baguio is an artist's haven. The more popular ones who called Baguio home are of course BenCab and Kidlat Tahimik. Another artist, with performance as medium, was Rolando Villanueva or more popularly known as the Showman Shaman. I remember watching him over Living Asia Channel performing some weird dance that my mind can't really grasp but i also remember tuning in till the program finished. maybe that's what made him an artist, even when one can't grasp on his performance he still got your attention.

The village is by Baguio's standards moderately far. But living in Manila for majority of my life, it was pretty manageable. I'd rather travel moderately far here in Baguio than waste away my never-cheap fuel in traffic along Edsa in the metro. Never-cheap i say because even if the Big Three cartel drop the fuel prices to Php10 to a liter, for us it will always be expensive. Coz even at that price, the fair price based on international prices would have been Php5 by then. You know what i'm getting at here, they will always steal us blind these damn three.

Ooops sorry got carried away there. i just happened to receive my credit card statement from Citibank, majority of which were spent on these damn fuel. i wonder what's taking those scientists too long in producing hydrofuel, maybe they're in Baguio vacationing.

Anyway, the village is referred to as the Garden in the Sky and for good reason. the entire vicinity of the village is surrounded by lots of greeneries. To describe it really is it's more like a mini-jungle out there.

There's an entrance fee to the village. Adults P50 and children around half of that. Upon entering get ready to climb a flight of stairs of around 30 steps. it kinda get the blood pumping for a leisurely tour.

the village has a hanging bridge of some sort which was really hard to navigate. it is narrow enough to allow only a single direction traffic. i thought the bridge isn't stable enough for a big group as i noticed it to be leaning a little forward. the bridge might just give in should a group of people decide to have their photos taken from below. scary thought.

the village features several ifugao huts for rent. during our visit i believe some of which were occupied so we weren't able to get a peek inside.

i thought of staying overnight here coz the rates were really cheap. but i decided against it in the end for fear of the bugs bugging us in the middle of the night.

you don't believe how artistic these guys are? here's their office written or formed by what appears to be scrap or junk metals from who knows where it comes from. only artists can think of that, right? i have the same junk and more at home, but i can't even spell CAT or DOG with it.

this painting was inked by coffee. i'm just not sure if it was the decaffeinated ones.

i was looking for the works of the artist who used his magnifying lens as his pen. didn't we experiment from our elementary days to expose the magnifying lens under the sun and place a piece of paper underneath it then the paper will burn. well, they have such an artist here. i'm imagining is artwork is really painstaking, it must take him several days to finish one. and for his patience, maybe that makes him an ARTIST.

we tried out their cordillera coffee. with a couple teaspoon of muscovado, i'm enjoying the coffee the locals enjoy. it tastes very basic, very raw not your average 3-in-1 instant which i describe as very commercial in taste.

this is what they call a Dreamcatcher. i think this originated from the native american indians. those people from the movie Dances With Wolves, those indians. Was there such a movie? yes there was, ask your kuya or ate or mom or dad. I think i might just have hinted on my age.

of course, leave it to the artists to think of a unique or artistic way to present their menu.

imagine me and jaden. then imagine all my cousins with us having this photo op. then imagine the bridge giving in. scary thought? well good thing below this is a pond where the wishing well is located. haha at least we'd be falling on water ... on a 2-foot deep water.

i think the highlight of our trip here in Tam-awan Village is the portrait sketching done on my wife Marie. It cost Php100 per head and Php 300 per couple.

here's the maestro of all the artists there being the most senior. he's El Kapitan. El Supremo. from the way he's holding his pencil and paper i'm sure it's going to be a masterpiece.

good thing we arrived early. the advantage of which was, all the other artists who didn't have models tried sketching Marie too. was it the beauty perhaps? naks.

of course El Maestro's headpiece was also done and tied in an artistic way. :)

the sketch slowsly taking shape and form, of course artistically.

another artist's rendition of my wife.

El Supremo finishing up. her clothes on the sketch looks more expensive than the actual.

below are the finished sketches. El Kapitan's sketch is the upper left one, which i think was the best one of course.

Ultimately, Tam-awan Village is a unique place to visit. If you're artistically inclined then it really is a must. if you want your sketch done, come early. It may be a little far from the city proper but it's worth the trip. The roadside going there is scenic, you could even see the South China Sea La Union part.

Tam-awan Village is located at 366-C Pinsao Proper, Baguio City with telephone numbers (074) 4462949 or (074) 4425551.

www.tamawanvillage.com

Tagaytay Weekend: Breakfast at Antonio's

over the weekend i went to Tagaytay City with our Thailand Trip travelmates together with our respective kids.

i saw our the itinerary prior to the trip and it included dining at one of the branches of Antonio's.

i've been to Tagaytay numerous times, being so conveniently close to Manila, but never got to try this very well-recommended restaurant called Antonio's. i've passed this up way too often before so i'm going to make sure i do this time.

maybe the real reason i've always wanted to try out this restaurant is my affinity to the name. from my earliest recollection i've already been introduced to it, it being my father's name. then when i finally had my own child, i named him after his grandfather, so my son's full name is Jaden Antonio.

here i added a piece of jaden's name to antonio's signage.

this is the main dining area of Antonio's since it the biggest. even saw Nadine Samonte here with her date. man, she's skinny. hahaha

here's another dining area which is more private and is very appropriate for a big intimate family dining experience.

here's the window scene of the same room, perfect for that intimate date. if she's not your girl yet then bring her here and it's a guarantee she'll be your girl before the meal ends. if she's your girl already, bring her here and propose and she'll surely say yes.



here's another dining area by the koi pond. it is the only outdoorsy-feel of the four dining areas.

here's another shot of the main dining area. there's another dining area after the stairs, a little secluded and doesn't have those ambiance as the other three.

here's the main staircase to access all four dining areas.

the waiting area was very homey and comfy.

in front of the main door. it turns out two Antonio's were now incorporated into one. we were looking for the old Breakfast at Antonio's but were told that they are now housed under one roof.

Antonio's Restaurant is newly renovated to accomodate the previous Breakfast at Antonio's theme of white-colored interiors. i think on a business standpoint it really was a good move, lowering overhead cost significantly.

this scene reminded me of a Shakespeare novel, Romeo and Juliet, only with DSLRs.

looking at the old Antonio's restaurant pics, they managed to re-use this interesting artwork. it can be seen at the waiting area upon entering the main door.

good thing we really dined here. the koi pond made it worth it since my son can't get enough of it because of his fondness to any kind of fish.

the koi fish here were huge and very colorful.

you can always ask the waiters for fishfood so you could feed them.

make sure you don't leave your children alone to avoid falling in.

mom and son enjoying the experience.

jaden had the best seat (table) in the house.

we arrived around 3:30pm so we can avoid the crowd but guess what, the restaurant was full even that late. we were told breakfast menu was only available till 4:00pm so we hurriedly ordered since the breakfast menu was the most affordable.

our tab was Php900 for 3 persons without drinks. average meal is around Php 350 for a basic breakfast meal.

i'll try saving up php3,800 for that set meal at Antonio's restaurant and maybe get to be seated in the bigger dining areas.

Baguio City: Mines View Park

Mines View Park remains one of the most visited tourist spots in Baguio City. It offers a spectacular view of Benguet's gold and copper mines and the surrounding mountains.

It's one of the must-visits no matter how often you've been to the City of Pines. So we headed off to this secluded part of the city.

One way of avoiding the traffic jam and the lack of ample parking in the area is to drive through Gibraltar Road and vist the Good Shepherd Convent for some actual or disguised shopping and parking your car inside the convent compound then walk the street connecting the convent and the park. It's about a 200 meter walk from the convent, one way to burn some calories given the limited fats burned due to the cold weather.

if you're not much a fan of the sun, you can enjoy the view from this roofed observation deck. it is also much safer here.

but staying in the roofed area will deny you the chance to have your photos taken along the railings with the spectacular view as background.
i always love shooting kids enjoying nature. it's always nice knowing at such a young age they already appreciate God's artwork. i'm sure they are future bloggers in the making.



here's how much a photo with the Igorots would cost. It's really not much, more of a donation really if you think about it. i regret not taking my photos with them. it's not everyday that you get to meet a genuine Igorot in the metro. Balikbayans should make this a must-do coz aside from earning some bragging rights with their friends back at their adoptive countries, it's also a nice way to give back for their good fortunes abroad.

Authentic colorful ifugao headdress.

this guy had a field day having his photo taken in a costume and with an Igorot tribesman.

i'm not sure how much he paid for it but i'm sure it was less than the supposed fee coz he might have sneaked some free shots out there without the Igorot really minding. i noticed the Igorots are just happy that people are still interested in having their photo taken with them. unlike at the Botanical Garden where the Igorots almost beg to have their photos taken (of course for a fee) but tourists just brush them aside. the thing is the foreign tourists are more gracious in turning down these kababayans of ours than we do.

GETTING ACROBATIC. this lady right here showing her good balance. being acrobatic is a must if you really want to get some spectacular photos.

whenever i see a foreigner enjoying the beauty of our country it always makes me feel a little prouder. however seeing his camera was another story, it made me feel a little more envious.

FOURSOME AWESOME. This foursome enjoying the awesome view.

The mines in the areas surrounding Mines View Park were formerly operated by Benguet Corporation. The mines have long been closed and nowadays, the only view you’ll see are extensive residential areas blanketing the valleys. Again a result of the over-population the city has been experiencing for some time now.

Some years back, this was where tourists would toss coins along the cliffs where waiting children and adults try to catch the tossed coins. it used to be a pretty scary sight. i remember experiencing it just once, which was during my first ever visit here. i remember thinking how incredible what they do, looking back it's another one of those things pinoys do i guess just to earn money for their daily living.

they were practically like spiderman crawling along the cliff, without any harness or safety equipment attached to it. i heard some have fallen to their deaths during those safety unconscious times. i'm sure the foreign tourists had a hand in making the local realize how unsafe the practice was.

another mistake i made. this was at the entrance going to the park. i presumed that having our photo taken here would cost us some. i already got the impression that everything is expensive here. well, while viewing the pics from my computer i noticed at the lower left a sign that says "PICTURE & THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION". if only i asked around. i'm sure it would have been a nice to have our pics taken here.

wifey and jaden here with a spectacular background. if only jaden was looking at the camera.

POSE, SHOOT, VIEW. These three represent the different stages of digital photography. the foreground is shooting, the middle is busy viewing their takes, and the background subject happily posing ala WOW Philippines style.

the view that gets the attention of local and foreign tourists alike. i think the thick fogs had a hand in giving it a hue of blue.

wifey and jaden here amidst the many tourists that flocked that day.

EL CABALLERO. this pose cost us P50 but i didn't mind as long as jaden was cool with it. there's no horse-back riding here but it's a good place to have a souvenir photo with the beast.

the photo on the left cost us again another P50. the photo on the right . . . . . PRICELESS!

and of course as other tourist destinations around Baguio, Mines View Park has its own share of pasalubong stores leading to the viewing deck. i remember buying plants from here some visits back, one was a money tree supposedly a plant for good luck. i can't believe i fell for it.

if you're souvenir shopping, try to walk the side pathways coz the stalls are located along it. but if you're in a hurry, just try walking the middle grounds for a faster exit.

Mines View Park without the cliffhangers who catch tossed coins is not as exciting, but i'm sure much safer, as before. But even without it, the park still is a must-see for it still offers the same spectacular view with or without the cliffhangers. sometimes, the energy of the place is enough reason to enjoy it.

Baguio City: La Trinidad Strawberry Fields

i've always been curious about this strawberry fields whenever any person talks about it coming from Baguio. maybe because i've always associated the fruit to be an american thing.

i remember when i was first told that strawberries are grown in Baguio, i thought it was pretty cool stuff.

many may have been discouraged to go to La Trinidad for its strawberry fields, maybe they are misinformed thinking that since it's outside Baguio then it will take a while to get to the place. well La Trinidad is adjacent to the city so it wouldn't take that long to reach the place. in good traffic, maybe 20 minutes can get you there.

A statue of an Ifugao woman stands guard at the Welcome Arch of La Trinidad, the provincial capital of Benguet Province.



here's the plantation of the Strawberry Fields. i'm not quite sure if this is the only place where they grow the fruit. if it is then it is amazing 'coz it's really not that big a field and yet it may be the place where all the strawberries encountered in this country originates from.



the field is not purely for strawberries. they also grow these colorful flowers which i failed to ask what specie. help anyone?






family photo-op.



how commercialized has this place got? well maybe the sign will give you a hint. but you need not pay, i think it's more of a voluntary thing.


how abundant is the strawberry here in La Trinidad? well, our beloved taho here is in pink. pretty awesome tasting this variety and the manong magtataho will throw in around three berries in your taho for safety measures.


guess what? their dirty ice cream is also in pink.

here we are getting our hands full of the pink stuff. strawberry taho can be enjoyed even in Baguio so you get to enjoy the pink stuff even if you fail to come here at the strawberry fields.


get to enjoy the other varieties of this pink fruit, be it in its natural state, in its processed state as a jam, and for the more adventurous in its alcohol state (wine).


funny how the berries are sold cheaper when it's bought at the stalls than when you pick them up by yourself inside the fields. even the experience has a price. the price difference is about Php100 between the two.


being a tourist spot, all other pasalubong products of the province are in full display here. the brittle, the lengua, crinkles, jackets, broom, phallic ashtrays, trinkets and veggies are also sold here for a one-stop pasalubong experience.

be sure to come here early, around 7am-8am to avoid build up of crowds. make sure to make a u-turn first before parking so that you're faced going back the main road. when the crowd comes in with their vehicles, it will be quite hard for you to maneuver your way back.

when we returned here on our last day at around 11am, traffic stretched all the way to the main road so try to check it out earlier in the morning.

finally i got to experience La Trinidad. we bought a week's supply of the pink fruit and i think i should have bought more. Strawberries has very rich antioxidant properties so if the taste won't win you over, maybe the health benefits will.

Again, La Trinidad is not that far to Baguio so the next time you go up the Summer Capital, be sure to include this place in your itinerary.

the province really has a problem with garbage. hope they'll figure it out soon how to manage it.

Baguio City: Secret Mountain

on our last day since we've pretty much covered up all of those contained in the itinerary i prepared, we thought of going to Ambuklao Dam. I checked out the Dam before going to Baguio and the views were quite interesting. The dampener was the travel time going there.

So i took the Ambuklao Road from the Leonard Wood Rotonda. At the onset i made sure i asked 3 people how far and how much time it would take going to the Dam to somehow validate those i read over the internet. i was quite surprised at the different answers, one was 1.5 hours, the other 1 hour and the last one was 30 minutes.

I forced myself to believe the 30 minute guy, so we went our way.

about 5 minutes into our drive along Ambuklao Road, i chanced upon this view. i thought, hey the view is not that bad.


then i stopped by here, by now i got excited. maybe i'm on to something here. what a waste this house was. why demolish the house with such a great view.

we reached this site where these two locals were having a nice chat. what a nice site. early morning conversation, chilly weather and a great view, the makings of a wonderful day ahead.


and since there was a road perpendicular to it, i decided to stop for a minute and click away.

upon seeing this site i totally forgot about Ambuk-whattt?

it had the same view as those in Good Shepherd and Mines View without the traffic and the crowd.

here are two shots with different settings. here the sky has a more dramatic effect to it.

here the flash was left on for a better foreground lighting but the sky was not as dramatic as the first one. any suggestions of achieving both?

well, asking the two locals finally how far Ambuklao Dam was, we were told it will take us 45 minutes (another different answer). that would take us 1.5 hours going to and from so we decided to not push through with it.

anyway, i had a feeling of contentment discovering this truly incredible view. one i call "Secret Mountain" until it's named.

Baguio City: Burnham Park

On our first day, i really made it a point that we visit Burnham Park since i wanted Jaden to enjoy his first trip here in Baguio City. during the planning stage i really included things that i know my son Jaden will enjoy such as the Butterfly Farm, Wright Park, Kiddie Golf at CJH and of course boating and biking at Burnham Park.

The park was named after architect Daniel H. Burnham who built the park around which the city of Baguio was built. Ever wondered why when in Baguio we get to encounter quite a number of American names such as Wood, Wright, Kennon, Harrison and Hay to name the more known ones, well go to this link (http://www.gobaguio.com/americans-and-baguio.html) and you'll be given the short answers on who they are and what their contributions in what we now know as the City of Pines. we should be thankful somehow to them for making the city as beautiful as it now is.

"When Architect Burnham conceived a plan for the park, he saved the very best piece of real estate for a public park to serve the people and provide for their health and recreation." - www.i-baguio.com

i used to really take this park for granted, i remember coming here in my teens and thinking "so what's all the fuzz about this boring park". i thought it was so lame to paddle your way in an artificial lagoon. but family life changed all that, it gave me a different perspective to it. you don't think of your own interests as much anymore but that of the kids more oftenly (is this a word?) when you have your own family already .

so boating and biking were on the top of the list of the must-do here at Burnham Park. For only Php60 per 30 minutes, it is quite a bargain for paddling time around the man-made lake considering the experience with my son, as a credit card company puts it "priceless". you can actually over-extend your paddling time without them noticing but i guess the operators rely on a person's honesty for this.

biking was only P30 per hour.

you can do some shopping around the park...



from silver wear ...




to domestic pets.



food is not a problem as many carts and stalls offer a quick bite.



like this manang offering a fruity alternative of strawberries to the

cholesterol-filled oily fishball.

i took a stroll around the park and these are some of the scenes i encountered. now i realize how beautiful this park is and how envious i am of the people here for them to have a park like this.



burnham is where "still as beautiful as the old days happens"...



where mending a broken-hearted happens ...


where naindyan ng ka-date happens ...


where the excited little boys happens ...

where the excited BIG boys happens ...

where beauty is everywhere happens ...

where making friends happens ...

where did i say beauty everywhere happens ...

... and where BFF best friends forever happens ...

we were billeted at Burnham Hotel which was just a stone's throw away from the park. so after taking my morning shower, i went back to the park just curious on how it looks like at early morning. the park offers a a totally different atmosphere but the constant is the joy it brings to its visitors.

the health-conscious and the not-so-healthy visitors do their morning exercises. i saw two separate groups from each end with their own instructors. sighted even some hunks who participated in the exercises. you can sense their slight embarassment doing aerobics given their buff bodies. i guess for them health comes first so to hell with their pride.

going around some more, i chanced upon this coffe bag / cart. i thought it was interesting. when i took some close-up photos, this "interesting-clothed" man approached me. it turned out, he's the owner of the bag and also the head of some 50 coffee sellers around the park permitted by the local government.

he used to be a bartender and hearing him out of his plans for the coffee sellers around the park was quite amazing. he said he'd like for them to have the same interesting bag/cart and then have everyone don a more presentable uniform.

here's another view of the morning exercisers (again is that a word?). some came in appropriate get-ups, some came in shorts, others in jackets, while quite a few were in slippers.

only during this part of the morning can you find these duck-boats parked along side each other. they form one corner of the boat operators.

baguio as it transforms and welcomes another busy day ahead. i'm wearing the jacket i bought at the Wagwagan night market the previous night, an Adidas camouflage jacket with a tribal design on the chest portion. Quite a bargain at Php340.00.

as i leave the park, i really had the biggest respect for it. imagine the thousands of happy moments this park brings to locals and tourists alike. if i was to choose what the number 1 destination is in Baguio City, hands down my vote goes to Burnham Park. No park quite like it. Simply AMAZING. Burnham Park ... Where Amazing Happens....

Baguio City: Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral

The first spot on the itinerary that we visited was Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral or more commonly known as the Baguio Cathedral. The cathedral is distinct from the other cathedrals in the country for its rose-colored paint on its exterior.

It can be accessed through the Post Office loop at the top of Session Road or you can choose to climb the 100-step ladder from Session Road going up to the Cathedral.

With its distinct beauty, no wonder couple Aga and Charlene Muhlach made this the church where they made their wedding vows way back in 2001.



I learned that the Baguio Cathedral is also distinct for being the only Cathedral in the world that owns and operates its own shopping center, the Porta Vaga.

view from the stairs near where the crucifixion scene is depicted.

crucifixion scene with the Cathedral on the background.

this scene depicts one of the seven last words of Christ before dying on the cross, particularly wherein He said to one of his disciples and mother "Mother, behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother."

family pic minus our princess, Breanna, whom we left in Manila being only 5 months old.

the altar where Aga and Charlene Muhlach exchanged their I DO's. so far they're doing good, lucky charm of the Cathedral i guess. with children as pretty as theirs, they should get busy having more children don't you think? :)

this concrete bench constantly reminds churchgoers and tourists these two general commandments that pretty much sums up the original ten commandments.

here are the original ten commandments, with an eye inside the holy trinity looking over. the 11th commandment would have been, "thou shalt not put garbage in front of the ten commandments tablet". i heard Baguio City really has a serious garbage problem that has been featured several times already on TV.

from last i heard, garbage is still a problem.

inside the cathedral grounds is a small, cozy restaurant called Palizzata. it has a good view of the lower areas of the city. i heard the tandori chicken is a must-try here. we didn't get to try dining here coz we just had merienda over at Cafe by the Ruins before coming over to the Cathedral.

The Cathedral as can be seen from the viewdeck of SM City Baguio.