Friday, January 21, 2011

Tagaytay: The Lake Hotel

lake hotel 1

Because my brother had some business to do in Tagaytay last weekend, my sister and I decided to come along and enjoy the cold air.

Surprisingly, it was much colder in Tagaytay than it was in Baguio the week before. I’m not complaining though; I love the cold weather much more than the humidity of Quezon City.

lake hotel 2

Brother’s acquaintance is currently working in the Lake Hotel. I must say, the accommodations were lovely, but the prices are way too much… much more than Taal Vista, which is very surprising. I guess since it was newly built in November 2009 that they could jack up the prices, but unless I’m earning more than I can spend, I don’t think I can stay there.

Good thing it was only a day trip though, because I don’t think my wallet can afford any more abuse. xD;;;

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Baguio City: The Good Shepherd’s Garden

good shepherd veranda

My brother has a sweet tooth for Good Shepherd’s Peanut Brittle, Strawberry Jam, Ube, among many other confectionaries this brand is well-known for.

I don’t like sweets very much, aside from the occasional Strawberry Jam on buttered toast. And I didn’t need to buy anything for anyone since no one really knew I went to Baguio in the first place. :D So I decided to walk around the gardens to enjoy the cool air while I still could. :3

good shepherd garden walkway

good shepherd wishing well good shepherd garden fence

For the record, even though I was alone during my walk, I was not emo tripping. Ok, maybe a little, but that doesn’t count! I’m actually glad I had a camera phone with me, since these will make very good art references some day.

good shepherd main garden

Note to self: Buy a DSLR when you get the chance. I bet these photos would have turned out much better with a good camera. *A*;;; Ah well, such is life…

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Good Taste: Cafe and Restaurant in Baguio City

When people tell me not to judge a book by its cover, I now think about this particular restaurant, opened 24 hours in Baguio City.

good taste cafe and restaurant - buttered chicken and bihon

Located in 8-9 Lapu-Lapu Street, Good Taste may be a little hard to find, but well worth the trip. The setting and crowd in itself is not exactly “fine dining”… actually, it’s more like a chaotic, fast food place that’s jam-packed with hungry people all waiting to be served!

But I have to say, the serving sizes are huge, the price is affordable, and the food is absolutely delicious! Looking at this very bad photo of their famous buttered chicken is making my mouth water while I’m writing this. *o*;;; Their crispy pata and bihon were quite something as well.

I wouldn’t recommend to dine in this place at night though, because we did have some trouble with drunks along the side streets to find our way back to our car. Next time we’re going back, we’ll be ordering some take out and eat back in our hotel. I’m not sure if they have delivery service, but you can try calling them at (63 74) 444-2201.

…I should not have written this blog post so late at night. Now I’m craving for that buttered chicken. *A*;;; Mmm…

Monday, January 17, 2011

Camp John Hay: the Manor

It took me a while to get them together, but here are a few photos from Camp John Hay’s Manor where my siblings and I stayed in Baguio last weekend.

camp john hay: the manor

The Manor itself is quite huge, and the rooms are comfortable enough that I wouldn’t mind if I had to stay indoors all day. Prices are slightly higher than the hotels you first get to when you enter the city proper, but it’s well worth the extra few hundred pesos when you want peace and quiet at night and a breathtaking view.

camp john hay: the manor garden

Both the facilities and the staff make you feel like you’re one of the richest people alive. I really liked the garden with this small waterfall because there were koi fish in them! None of them were significantly huge or pretty, but they were obviously well-fed. Too bad they swam too quickly for me to snap a photo of them.

camp john hay: the manor's outdoor cafe

We had a breakfast buffet on Sunday morning, and I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind going back there to eat again. You could probably tell from the lack of photos that we were all too happy to finish our meals that we forgot all about taking pictures!

The weather is excellent this time of the year too. It’s quite cold compared to Manila, which is a welcome change for many I’m sure, but it’s better to pack those jackets just in case your body can’t take the cold!

camp john hay: tha manor lobby

Overall, the Manor is a very nice place to stay in when you visit Baguio. I believe there is another facility within the area call "the Suites” which is similar to the Manor but is still under going construction. Same prices and accommodations, but less people stay there since only a few rooms are available. I wouldn’t mind trying that out once I get back to Baguio though~ ♥

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Manor at Baguio

kuroshitsuji - sebastian michaelis iconMy siblings decided to go to Baguio this weekend while the parents are away. :3 It's just an overnight stay, but I have to say, Camp John Hay is really quite something.

The Manor makes you feel like a million bucks. xD All of the staff wear white gloves and the gardens are amazing. :3 I could just stay in this hotel and I'd be satisfied, but of course, my siblings get bored easily, so we'll be heading out in a few minutes to see Ibays for some silver then off to the market for some fresh fruits and vegetables.

Speaking of vegetables, I've never tasted vegetables so sweet. I guess what they say about Baguio having the freshest vegetables is quite true. :3

We ate a lot of good food at the most unlikely places too. I wish I brought along my bluetooth dongle for my laptop, but I doubt I'd have time to edit the photos.

I'll post more later... for now, I'm going to go get some strawberries and fondue~ ♥