Way Back to Manila and then to Cebu

Soon it was time to go back to Manila. Before we descended we stopped by the local Shoemart Shopping Complex to do some last minute shopping.
As it was Bimbim’s birthday and also Tina’s in 2 days time, Chu decided the best way was to let them choose their presents. They chose wisely and they got themselves a pair of lovely Swiss watches. For me it was T-shirts with Baguio prints. After getting what we want and also not forgetting those back home, we finally made the trip down the resort at about 3 pm. We reached Mayet’s house at close to 10 pm and everyone plunked down to sleep totally exhausted from the journey.
The next day we celebrated Tina’s 15th birthday at Mayet’s house followed by a night out at Ratsky. We ended up at the Comedy’s Club to listen to jokes by the duo TV comedians before we retire.
On the 5th May it was finally going back to Cebu. We thanked our host profusely for her hospitality. This trip we decided to take the ferry back so that the children can experience sea cruising. The journey will take 24 hours and they can move aboard the ferry for their meals and entertainment.



The children reached home with plenty of stories to tell their grandma and grandpa, especially Tina who has excelled in her horseback riding. She was showing off the videos to everyone and we have a good time laughing while listening to her commentary.

Second Day in Baguio

On the second day we went to the horseback riding park near Camp John Hay. At first nobody was interested in riding a horse; firstly the place smells of horse droppings and secondly the horses were so big they were afraid to get kicked off the saddle.
After much persuasion, Tristan (Mayet’s son) was the first brave one to get going. Mayet was afraid so he hired a stable boy to lead the horse.
Soon enough after watching how fun it was, we rented two horses; one small pony for the small children and a big black stallion for the bigger girls. While the pony was guided round and round the park trotting at a slow pace, the stallion was soon galloping at ‘break neck’ speed. The girls were getting the hang of it and under the tutelage of the stable boy were able to ride the horse like professionals. And then they forgot about lunch.





After lunch we took a car tour round the peak to observe the houses built on stilts along the edge of the mountain resort. We went to visit the numerous parks, one of which houses the summer vacation home of the Philippines President, The Mansion.



When it was getting dark we descended to lower ground and have our dinner at the famous Burham Park located in the heart of the city. The park features include a man-made lagoon ideal for boat rides, a skating rink, an athletic field and stadium, basketball and tennis courts, a biking zone, tree- and flower-lined promenades and a plant market.

Baguio, April 2005

When we arrived at the airport in Manila, we were greeted by Mayet. We have not met since she returned to Manila and she has put on some weight. She’s doing well. I heard she now owns a sari-sari shop and also her sponsor has bought her a big SUV.
That night we went out to the disco to celebrate three occasions: Bimbim 16th birthday, Mayet’s success and also to meet Chu’s long time friend working in Manila. The night we drank and the girls celebrated their reunion. They chatted and girl-talked till early morning.

Baguio was a quick substitute for Hong Kong. Since Mayet has offered her SUV to bring us up there and there been nothing nice in Manila, we repacked our bags and set off after lunch on the 30th April 2005. We took a good 8 hours along the highway from Manila and passed through beautiful scenery along the way. When we arrived in Baguio it was already getting dark, we quickly found a family hotel and checked in for the night.



The first day in Baguio we went looking for the strawberry farm. We finally found it thanks to the little tour map we found in the hotel. The children were happy because they have not seen farms growing flowers and fruits. To keep them busy Mayet brought them to a tourist farm where they can pluck their own strawberries for 100 peso per head. While they were busy we toured the flower farm and bought souvenirs for the house.