Baguio revisited day 2

This was our second day at the City of Pines, and this day was very special to us because this was my brother's birthday (1/11/11). While my brother was preparing their breakfast (which consisted of ripe mango, banana, yogurt and some ice cold drinks), I invited my parents for an early walk. We headed to the Good Shepherd convent but it was still closed, so we decided to go uphill and proceed to Mines View Park to, what else, view the park. I told my parents that it was good to visit the Mines View Park very early in the morning to catch the rising sun behind those beautiful mountains, and that is what really happened.

Then we headed again to the town to visit other tourist attractions; we went to the Grotto to pray. But going to the Grotto was not easy, because I forgot the right road leading to it, so we had to navigate the long "shortcut" and alas, we found the place just in time. Two of our companions chose to use the stairs leading to the Grotto, while the senior citizens (my parents) rode with me in the car on the way up to the Grotto. Again, ambulant vendors swarm on us selling all kinds of religious items, like fresh strawberries (?).

After praying and "tacsyapo-ing" in the Grotto, we had to return to the Baguio market because my brother wanted to buy some items in the market (and experience first hand how a pickpocket works). We dropped them there, and I told my parents that I will bring them to the Baguio slaughter house located at Brgy. Sto. Nino for our breakfast. This was literally a slaughter house, but some enterprising guys put up a restaurant where you can eat the newly slaughtered meat, cooked Filipino-style.

After that, we again returned to the market to fetch my brother and his companion. I then suggested to them that we visit the Tam-awan village, to which they all agreed. They all asked me about what we can expect of the Tam-awan village; I frankly told them that I had no idea. When we arrived at the village, everybody was amazed at the beautiful native huts and works of art by resident artists; I learned from one of the staff of the village that you can't rent the huts. Another attraction of the village was the "sketch artist" who, for a minimal fee, will draw your portrait "live".

Next on our itinerary was the strawberry farms, but when we asked some locals on how to get there, a guy told us that it was about 8 kilometers from where we are (Tam-awan), so the idea was scratched. Someone then suggested that we should eat our lunch and, in my mind, I know it was SM Baguio time again. So off we went at Gerry's Grill.