THE C CIRCLE

La Union and Baguio. These were our summer get-away destinations. We left Manila on 08 April at lunch time. I was really excited not just because it will be my first time to go to those places but also because since we started i-Elev8 Contact Solutions last April 2007, it will be our first time to take a long vacation! Whew!

I know it’s going to be a fun filled vacation that’s why I brought along my camera so as not to miss any moments and picture worthy stuffs. And here are some of the pictures that I have taken:

Our first top over was at Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. I took this picture of a train relic while we were having coffee in Starbuck’s.

We happened to pass by these people who were doing “Senakulo”. This picture was taken while we were driving along the stretch of Tarlac.

We reached La Union at around 9:00pm. In this picture is Mac (in red shirt) with his cousin, Jok Jok. We stayed in their place.

It’s been years, since I have last gone to a province like La Union. And the thing that I am expecting from this trip is the kind of life that is slow-paced and free from stress at least for a few days while on vacation.

09 April - We woke up around 7:00am. In our excitement to see how the surroundings look like, we immediately went out of the house even without having breakfast first.

These are the sights that we do not happen to see anymore in Manila. I felt so close to nature.

After admiring the beautiful sights in the fields, we went back to Jok’s place. One thing that is not common nowadays in Manila is people do not raise “native” chickens anymore. When we want to eat chicken, we usually go to fast-food chains and order our crispy fried chicks heavily coated with stuffs that make them crispy. But here, we experienced eating tinola using a “native” chicken and the taste was oh so good!

After a hearty lunch, there’s no better way to kill time than to be under a huge mango tree and eat unripened mangoes!

One of the things that I miss doing is to be with friends encircling a bonfire. And here, I am going to experience it again.

11 April - Time for us to leave La Union and go to Baguio. I admit, I somewhat felt sad because I am going to leave the place that made me feel relaxed and very close to nature. But anyway, there will always be next time….and hello, Baguio!

While on an hour trip to Baguio, I was trying to recall when was the last time I went up here? And it brought me to the realization that it’s been more than 5 years already. But even though it’s been that long, the sights going there still have not failed to put me in awe!

After an hour of trip from La Union, we finally reached the summer capital of the Philippines - Baguio. We had a hard time in finding a place to stay. We wanted to stay in a transient house because we wanted to have that “homey” experience like we will cook our food and not just order from the kitchen of a hotel. But since it’s summer season, and many would prefer staying in transient houses rather than in some hotels, we were not able to find one. All either occupied already by tourists or have already been booked ahead of time.

Tired from the trip and maybe about another hour of looking for a place to stay, we finally decided to just check-in in a hotel. We found The Venus Hotel just in front of Burnham park.

We did not let this rare occasion pass by without going to some of the well-known tourist spots in Baguio. We went to Mines View Park, Burnham Park, The Chinese Temple, and The Strawberry Farm. We did not also forget to walk the stretch of Session Road to buy some “pasalubongs”.

In this vacation, I can say I really had a great time and I was able to rest. As they say, work without play makes a man dull that’s why I thought to myself, I have to try to go out of town every time there’s a chance. Not just for me to have some sort of relaxation but to witness also the beautiful spots in the Philippines. It’s a shame for me to say but I have travelled to other countries already but have not explored yet my own.

Before I end this post, I want to say ‘thank you’ to Mac and his family for taking us in their place while we were in La Union. Until next time Bro!

Thanks for reading guys!