Baguio City Escapade: Tour and Family Visit

Hello there!

This is my first time to post and share our experiences in this amazing Worldmappin community.

I am going to share with you our trip to Baguio City during Panagbenga Festival. Everyone was so excited for this trip. My niece and nephew didn't care about the days of their absences. My daughter isn't studying right now so she is free to travel without pressure. She prepared her stuff a week before. So, from our city we flew for almost 2 hours to Manila International Airport, then took a bus from there to Baguio City. As we arrived at a Bus terminal, at around 4 AM, it was so cold. Like we were all chilling. Kc regretted wearing leggings and a little jacket. We aren't used to cold weather, but we crave it since normally, the weather in the other parts of our country is hot to humid.
Kris, my brother in law's brother fetched us there. We were all exhausted from the travel. Everyone fell asleep right away. The weather in Baguio is always for me a bed tempt weather. We stayed at Aunt's Esther house. They have a terrace in their house, which I can see the overlooking view of the city below. I enjoyed the cold air grasping my hair and face. So cold yet so nice and satisfying.

DAY 1

On our first day, we headed to the famous statue Lion's head, the King of the Jungle, which symbolizes fierceness and strength, located along Kenon Road. As we went up the road, we could feel the coldness of the air. It felt really good and the scenery was breathtaking. Then, there it was—the massive lion's head carving, looking proud, as if it was welcoming us.We couldn’t resist stopping for photos. Several local and foreign tourists took pictures in front of the Lion statue. Everyone stretched to touch the lion’s nose for good luck. It was such a simple tradition that everyone follows. Well, it's not bad to do that at all. I compared the past Lion's head carving then and now. The color of the Lion's head is more vibrant now and the details are improved. It was hard not to be impressed.

After that, we went to The Mansion House. Going inside the mansion is not allowed anymore. I could see from the gate, the white mansion is big and the area is wide. Water fountain is also an attraction there. It's nice to just stare at the dancing water fountain. We walked around the rectangular water fountain and took some photos. The place is also surrounded by towering old trees.

Later that day, we headed to Valleywood Adventure Park, La Trinidad, Benguet. The Hollywood-inspired sign VALLEYWOOD is a picture-perfect spot. It is on top of a mountain with a very natural beauty, with an overlooking view. It's a new spot, formerly known as Rocky Mountain. Besides that, there are also other attractions like "the moon. They also have a café. The road to Valleywood was steep and the path was so narrow that only one vehicle could pass at a time. If another car came from the opposite direction, someone had to back up—thankfully, that didn't happen to us! When we arrived at the parking area, we had to take the park's van to the entrance where the ticket booth is located. Finally, we walked uphill to Valleywood, and it was exhausting because of the steps. We finally reached the top. The view is wonderfully amazing. We enjoyed sightseeing and taking photos. I am afraid of heights, so I slowly walk the steel bridge. I almost lost my breath haha but you won't regret visiting the place.

We went during the day, but it's even more beautiful at night when the city lights are visibly twinkling below. We spent a few hours just wandering around, taking pictures, and enjoying the fresh mountain air. It's a great place to relax and escape the hustle and bustle of the city.
The city lights when the sun was almost out.

DAY 2

Here is SM Baguio, interestingly, Baguio's SM has no air conditioner. The only SM distinct among all the SM supermalls in the country. I just took photos of some of the areas. I was quietly capturing pictures despite the noise around me. The mall’s elevated position, its height plus its terraces on the top floor, made it a very large and wide view deck. A stunning view of the city can be seen from here. We ate after the stroll at SM.
Approching SM

I love the the shining of the sun that lights the light green leaves.

DAY 3

This is in Acosta Grape Farm, La Union. There are a lot of grape farms along the La Union road. This place is known for its warm and sunny climate, which is ideal for growing grapes. The farm is one of the tourist attractions, letting visitors the chance to pick their own grapes and enjoy the scenic vineyards. We enjoyed picking the sweet, crunchy grapes while taking photos and capturing funny moments. I imagined myself walking, feeling pretty in the grape farm from one of my favorite movies, A Walk in the Clouds, starring Keannu Reeves and Aitana Sánchez-Gijón. I had so much fun.

Look at the cracks of the ground. I remember at the back of our home during the 1990s we experienced El Niño.

The vines are supported with cut bamboo tied with it. It's just simple, nothing fancy but very fairly.

Day 4

We visited Kris, my brother in law's brother's big house. Had dinner and hung out with the relatives of my brother in law there. We chatted, laughed and had fun. Dodong and his siblings missed each other. Their mom was really happy to see them. Everyone was delighted and excited for the visit. It was a reunion of the family and relatives. Everyone has big smiles on their faces. I can see and feel the warm and genuine welcome.

That is all for now.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

@celestyne15