Disappearing terraces, terraces gone

Sagada you are wonderful! Three days in your embrace and the experience was exhilarating. It was just the Banaue Rice Terraces (please rehabilitate it with haste for it is slowly disappearing) along the way I wanted to see but you surprised with me so much more. The unexpected thrills you pulled from your sleeve was magical. I am truly grateful I made it in your arms. Love, jeepneyjinggoy

After the navigating a cave promoted for its “pornographic” stone formations, standing in awe before suspended sarcophagi, hiking for hours along a picturesque mountainside to get a freezing shower under a waterfall and witnessing the break of dawn, it was finally time to go. There is much more to see and that’s gives me a reason to head back to this place, soon.

It wasn’t time to head home yet. The road taken will lead us to where another kind of terraces once stood – Baguio, a good six-hour dive. It seemed shorter in company of a crazy cluster. God bless our trip.

Transportation rides from Sagada to Baguio.

Ages ago, that was when my most recent visit to Baguio was and I was looking forward to seeing it again. How much has changed? Has its cornucopia of gastronomic delights grown or is the old guard of cuisine still ruling? How much more airspace has the diesel fume occupied engulfing the (once) pine-scented city? Is Asin more exciting with the BenCab Museum in it?

Coffee break @ the country's highest point.

Local brew goes well with Sagada cinnamon roll (discovery!)

Davao contingent: Kim P & Karyn F.

A night in Baguio with a long list of musts – go, see, eat, buy, etc., promised another sleepless time ahead. It seemed impossible to complete but we were up to the challenge. We needed another miracle. Or coffee. After all, the spot grows some of the best coffee beans in the country.

(Warm sun-) Light at the end of the (tunnel) hallway.
A cozy nook by our bedrooms (pictorial purposes only, we never did stay too long inside the house).

Soon after we found our chic campsite (in the form of a three-storey duplex in a village by the country club), we started with our culinary tour. It was the only thing we really did, maybe to keep us awake or sate our cravings for the taste of Baguio we have grown so much fond of. Whatever the reason, weight gain was to be expected.

And our food tripping started.
Meet Lady Batirol.

She makes perfect hot chocolate drinks.

That goes well with the bibingka and suman.

Chairs!

Well, we did a short stop at the “outlet stores” but wasn’t successful in that form of shopping. What proved to be one, though, was the visit to Good Shepherd. Any Baguio trip wouldn’t be complete without the ube and strawberry jams (now with sugar-free variety), peanut brittle or the chocolate covered flakes in the luggage. I psyched myself to paying the excess baggage weight on the plane ride home.

So we’ve tried the local tsokolate, suman and bibingka at Chocolate de Batoril, the Mongolian fare (which was disappointing and their key lime pie was so-so), the Hill Station’s offering was good, we missed the burger and steak since none of us were members of the Country Club but got to take home their freshly baked goodies from their other resto instead. Yep, all the food stuffed in our bodies in 48 hours. Again, I psyched myself to expect excess weight and pay for it.

Lunch at the famed Mongolian resto and this dessert- Key Lime Pie.
I wasn't impressed.