Throwback: Baguio, June 2015

Four months of vacation can get really boring, but my unexpected Baguio adventure last June was definitely the icebreaker. It was crazy because my uncle invited my grandparents and I three days before the the actual date of travelling to come with him to the City of Pines because he had to go there for work-related things.

Baguio during June was truly quiet, not the eerie type of quiet but the relaxing type of quiet. Since summer for most people has ended by that time of the year, Baguio wasn't crowded anymore and I really loved my 3-day stay there. 

We checked-in at the very cozy The Manor hotel. Ever since I was a child, whenever we visit Baguio, I always look forward to staying at this hotel because I love the ambiance and it just makes my stay

a whole lot better when I'm here. Here are a few pictures of The Manor.

On day 1, we had a road trip and visited the Saint Joseph The Worker Parish. It was indeed one of the most majestic cathedrals I have ever been to and the altar was unbelievably stunning.

Afterwards, we tried to go to the Wood Carver's Village on Asin Road but failed anyway because most of the shops were closed during that time. But unexpectedly, we discovered that the famous BenCab Museum was on that exact same road so we didn't think twice on going there. Being at the museum feels surreal because the array of contemporary artworks and different collections was just overwhelming. Here are a few glimpses of what's inside the BenCab museum.

This painting was made by Mr. Ben Cab himself featuring Sabel, his  trademark in his paintings. The tour guide said that Sabel is a real-life scavenger.

The Ode to the Flag paintings were also made by BenCab. All the paintings feature  the Philippine flag that covers people in different ways.

A few paintings from the collections

Here were a few of the BenCab Bulul collection

On day 2, I became (sort of) an instant miner! I was given the chance by my uncle to tour at his workplace at the Philex Mining Corporation at Tuba, Benguet. I was in a complete miner outfit, for safety purposes, because I was toured underground. I was enlightened about how the miners work underground and how safe it was there.

This was me in the complete miner outfit.

This was my uncle and me about to enter the Philex Mines Block Caving Operation.

This was my uncle and me with a few of his colleagues.

This was me about to enter the control room.

This was what the control room looks like on the inside.

It was indeed a different kind of Baguio experience and it was truly one of the highlights of my 4-month vacation.