It's More Fun in the Philippines Part 1

My friends and colleagues from Oman will be having a tour of some of the places here in the Philippines. My best buddy Arvin, and I went to Angeles, Pampanga ahead of time and stayed at the Clarkton Hotel where we made reservations primarily for its location. Since it's situated nearby Clark International Airport, it will be more convenient for us to pick-up them up when they land and take them back on the day of their departure.

We got hungry and went out to find a nice place to eat. After a few-minute walk, we found Amore Mio Mediterranean Restaurant and ordered some pasta. How lovely it is to listen to a pianist's serenade while having your dinner. It is indeed an amorous spot to hang out and it's one of the restaurants that I highly recommended.

The day we have been waiting for finally arrived. We picked up our friends from the airport the following morning and I am thrilled to see them again. I've known these guys way back when I was working overseas. We would sometimes go out to eat and have coffee or Shisha. It's always fun and full of laughs whenever we're together. I know they're still pretty much tired from the 14-hour flight so we went straight back to the hotel to have lunch and rest.

In the evening, we went to SM Clark to have dinner and buy some of the things they need.

It was their first time to see a tricycle so one of my friends tried one for a ride to check how it feels.

The next day, we packed up and got in the van we hired taking us to the first destination of the tour, Baguio City. We had a stopover at the market where my friends bought lots of fruits!

We arrived in the afternoon and stayed at the Pines View Hotel. What I love about this hotel is the view from the lounge where you can see the city below. We rest, went out for a walk in the evening, had our dinner and went back to the hotel.

We've had enough rest, which got us prepared for our adventure. However, I heard from the news and from my friends that since its peak season, the traffic within the city is heavy it will take ages for us to jump from one place to another. I suddenly imagined us getting stuck on the road along with strangers and realized it wouldn't be much fun at all. Though it is paid, I made a call and inform the guide/driver to no longer pick us up.

I told my friends of the situation and that it will be better for us to walk than taking the van for the tour. The attractions in the city are somewhat close to each other that having a bit of a cardio won't hurt and is quite beneficial. Anyway, Arvin and I already have an idea where to take them since we've been here before when we're searching for a travel and tour agency prior to their visit.

I remembered some of my friends taking a cab, got stuck in a traffic jam and when it hasn't moved for 5 minutes, they decided to get off. Meanwhile, Mustafa and I chose to have a stroll and stopped by the Laperal White House. We went in for a little ''ghost hunting'' and to check out the Bamboo Art Exhibit and the intricate artworks never ceases to fascinate me.

We then passed by the Teachers Camp just a few steps away. This is where teachers and school staff from all over the Philippines would stay when they come to Baguio in the summertime and enroll in special courses related to education.

All of us joined at the Botanical Garden, an ideal place to take lovely photos where you will be welcomed by varieties of flourishing flora.

We heard this little kid crying and immediately comes to his mother's aid by comforting him while I take a group photo.

We've been to the Wright Park, The Burnham Park, and the Mines View Park as well. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of batteries so I wasn't able to take more photos. We headed back to the hotel afterward.

Tired from the long walks and in dire need of rest, we never had the chance to go out at night. I remembered when look into their rooms, only to discover that they're all asleep, leaving the doors open and the television on. It's a good thing I checked on them. I turned the TV off, shut the doors locked and called it a night.

The van that will take us to Manila arrived at 10 am and which makes it a cue that our visit to Baguio has ended, but it will not be complete without having a stop for photos at the famous attraction along Kennon Road, the Lion's Head.

I asked my friend to have a taste of the ''Balut''. It is a fertilized duck egg that is boiled and eaten in the shell. Some considered this delicacy disgusting that they even included it as one of the eating challenges in Fear Factor. My friend finds it rather delicious and bought another one. hehe

He became the chieftain after winning the Balut challenge! Nope! I'm just kidding! But I guess that's what everyone feels after eating one... or two. =)

We're done with taking photos and food trippin', so we went back on the road.

We stayed at Hotel Durban, located in Makati. Though the rooms and the hallways are not that spacious, it's not something to be  mindful of since we won't be staying there most of the time. What I love in this hotel are their friendly staff, they have their own bar so you won't have to go far when you needed a drink, and it's ideal location, which is just a few meters away from restaurants, spas, and convenience stores.

My friends from Vietnam visited the same places in Baguio as well. You may read all about it here, A Day in Baguio. The fun never ended there as we prepare ourselves for our next adventure - Boracay!