This is 2023’s final travel entry. Our 3D2N family trip in Baguio went amazing, and on the last day, we checked out the Mirador Ecopark and the Lourdes Grotto, offering our prayers of thanksgiving and hope for the eternal repose of my grandmother’s soul. I had a great, although very short, time in the Philippines, spending time with my relatives and eating some of the local foods that I missed and craved for over the past years. Then, after 12 days, it was time to go home to good, old, cold, Norway.

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It was cold in Baguio when we woke up on the third day. We packed up our stuff and enjoyed the included breakfast before heading out. It was going to be a continuous trip – from the Mirador Hill, and back to our place of residence in Laguna.

Mirador Heritage and Eco-spirituality Park is a 5-hectare eco-park sitting on a hill, easily accessible via driving on top, getting off at the foot of the hill, or by hiking through stairsteps or trails. It was opened in 2021. We had kids with us (and a senior citizen ;-)), so we opted to be driven on the way to the top. Looking at the map right now, I’m a bit sad that we missed many of the attractions in the park. Map available here: https://www.miradorjesuitvilla.com/mirador-heritage-and-eco-spirituality-park/, and at the entrance. I noticed that in the places we’ve been to in Baguio, it was a bit hard to navigate because we were not given any mobile or paper map. So, we were left guessing where we were, what we should do/see, or how much we’ve seen/missed.

Anyway, we saw the Mirador Peace Memorial with its well-recognized traditional Japanese gate (torii). According to the Jesuits who founded and keep the area, the bell on the gate is one of the two that survived a bombing during WWII. It symbolizes peace. There was a queue for picture-taking when we arrived, so we lined up and waited for our turn. It was okay to wait though, thanks to the lovely areal view right before us.

We also checked out the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, built in 1913 and carved by Isabel Tampingco. Colorful candle bundles can be bought there, so we offered our prayers before descending.

Mirador Hill was a very refreshing place, I’d say “perfect” for retreats or soul-searching. One could spend an entire day there. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the whole day. We met our tourguide a few staircases down, and we were asked if we wanted to see the bamboo forest. But the entire party thought that we had seen enough. So we braced ourselves for the 6 hour or so drive back home.

On the way, we had lunch and souvenir stop-overs.

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I feel really blessed and grateful that my family could now afford travels like that, and even international ones. It was tough during my childhood, but life has had great things in store for us. I said farewell to my grandma once more, had food trips with my family, bonded with my sisters, and then, took the 17-hour flight back to frozen cold Norway. Of course, I remembered to buy pasalubong for my kitts, Missy & Maxx.

As mentioned, the food with Emirates was better to, than the food during the return flights. I didn’t even manage to finish the food because they tasted not-good. Funny thing, upon landing in Dubai, I realized that my boarding pass got wet by the wetwipes in my bag, and was torn apart. XD I had to go to Gate B to print out a new one, then take the mini-tram to Gate A, where the plane to Norway took off.

I hope to visit Dubai one day. I’ve had 4 layovers there now, but never really gotten the chance to go out and explore. After a while, I saw the familiar snow-covered land that is Norway. During the entire trip, I was pondering whether I belonged more to the Philippines or to Norway. PH was my birthplace, and it was familiar. However, the feeling was different every time I go back. It felt like it belonged to a past that created who I am, but that’s not who I am anymore. Norway is definitely my home now, but at the same time, I still feel a bit like a “foreigner”.

In Norway, there is a saying: Borte bra, men hjemme best. It’s literally translated as “it’s good to be away, but home is the best”. It refers to the feeling of appreciation once you’ve gone back home. It means so much more to me because Norway is somehow, a safety net. My husband picked me up from the airport, and just like that, I was back to my regular life with my little family.

A few days later, we celebrated Christmas with our traditional Swedish julbord and Christmas movies, like Die Hard, Love Actually, Home Alone, Grinch.. I wish we could celebrate with my parents and family next time.

This is all for now. Wishing the whole earth a wonderful 2024, with peace and prosperity and good will! And here are some pics from snowy Norway, taken during a day-trip to Sweden a week ago. 🙂 ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ARE MINE. Cheers! 🙂 #spreadloveandpositivevibes