We started the day with the colorful ascending temples of the Bell Church, a complex of Chinese temples belonging to the Chinese Filipino indigenous religious group in Baguio. It was followed by a quick stopover to admire the colored houses of StoBoSa, designed by the Tam-awan villagers. Then, we went to one of the most-awaited acivity of the day – strawberry picking. We also tried tupig, and bought lots of pasalubong and souvenirs. The last stop was Camp John Hay, where we breathed in some crisp mountain air, and treated the kids and the kids-at-heart in the playground. We spent the rest of the afternoon in SM Baguio.

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The up-and-down mountainous terrain of Baguio reminded me of Norway. Its cold climate made it possible for pinetrees to thrive. We started the day in the Bell Church complex, located on a hillside. So yes, lots of stairs. It was founded in the 1960s by a group of Chinese immigrants from Canton (now Guangzhou), China. My aunt and I climbed the stairs to the Bell, while the rest of the party satisfied themselves in the lower levels.

An interesting fact about the Bell Church is the presence of five patron saints, representing different religious groups:  Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. The bell unites these groups. When I was in college, I’ve read articles and literary pieces about Buddhism – I’m thinking of learning more about it this coming year. Anyway, I couldn’t find information about the five saints (who they are), so if someone knows..

We decided to skip some attractions in the list, like the Igorot Stone Castle. I wanted to visit the Tam-awan village, but the tour guide said that it was small and not very child-friendly – so, we dropped it as well.

We had a quick stop over to admire the colorful houses created by the Tam-awan villagers, called the StoBoSa Hillside Homes Artwork. The name is a portmanteau of the smaller village groups: Stonehill, Botiwtiw, and Sadjap. Inspired by the favela paintings in Brazil, the local residents and volunteers teamed up for the project which consumed 2,800 gallons of paint in 2016.

Our next stop was something that everyone in the party was excited about – strawberry picking. My grandma had lovely pictures in the farm from a couple of years ago, so we reminisced on how she walked in the narrow field paths and picked the bright red berries.

The field consists of smaller private farms, so visitors can choose which farm. The activity itself cost around 700 pesos per kilogram. Ready-picked berries cost much cheaper, which was perfect for pasalubong.

Before leaving, we had some freshly cooked tupig. I liked the original flavor better than the ones with strawberry.

Satisfied with the experience, our tour guide took us to Camp John Hay, which was huge! It used to be a HQ of the US Armed Forces, but now, a forest watershed reservation. We had lunch before exploring the camp. We only saw a small part of it though – with playgrounds and picnic grounds.

One can use an entire day in the camp. There are plenty of stuff one can do and see. With our legs hurting from all the walking and climbing, we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon in SM Baguio, just relaxing (and shopping for the momsies). The mall also had balconies where one could get a glimpse of the city, which was starting to get foggy.

It was very nice to have the flexibility when visiting Baguio. More of it in the next entry. 🙂 ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ARE MINE. Cheers! 🙂 #spreadloveandpositivevibes