Eurotel Event: Baguio Bliss 2011 Part 2

... and I almost forgot about this! Remember two months ago when I was raving about a blissful Baguio weekend care of Eurotel? I ended my post promising to write about our karaoke session which the hotel management arranged for us. Obviously, I haven't written about it yet nor about the tour they organized for us the day after. Now's the time I do so, while I dreamily browse through hundreds of photos taken in Baguio way back when we resided there.

So what happened evening of day one?

Me workin' the mic. My first song, "My Humps". Thanks to Jen of Marriage and Beyond for this paparazzi shot. Is that Melo's hand gesturing one more song or was he dancing?
Karaoke madness (we're true-blue Pinoys!) backed up by bottles of beer and wine. But before I spill the beans, here's what we did when we were all still sane.

We were lead by Eurotel's marketing to the hotel's function halls. They divided one big hall which takes up the entire floor into different segments. We were showed three different types of set up for conferences and one set up for banquets.

Conference set up.
Banquet set up for wedding receptions and birthday parties.
Our dinner was served at the banquet hall. Pinikpikan was one of the dishes! Eurotel Baguio's the only branch that has it on their resto menu, for an obvious reason.

Right after we finished our meals, the clubbin' lights were turned on. The makeshift bar was filled with beer and wine and the buffet table was replenished with hors d'oeuvres. The song list was finally snatched by everyone passed around. No one escaped the mighty microphone (Iris of Pinay Ads was the only one who tried to pass anyway).

Claire of Lakwatsera De Primera and Joseph Raymundo strutting their stuff for laughs.
In between songs Joseph Raymundo, Eurotel's marketing staff, dropped punchlines like a pro stand up comedian. We did icebreakers, plus a singing challenge wherein Melo of Out Of Town and I won flash drives. We called it a night a little past 12.

I awoke the next day with a slight hangover, though I only had a few bottles of booze. Good thing I have recuperated when we were taken to some of Baguio's top tourist destinations. We went to the Chinese Temple, Tam-Awan Village, and strawberry farm in La Trinidad.

Eurotel's marketing team also invited the hubby and Luna to join the city tour!
It was such an action-packed day and our hosts made sure we were well fed. We had buffet brekkie at Eurotel, lunch at Oh My Gulay and dinner at Barrio Fiesta. In the evening we went to D' Kamalig comedy bar and around midnight... we were treated to a free massage at Spa De Soleil!

Spa De Soleil, my fave part of the event!
And as if what I've mentioned ain't enough... They gave us a package of Baguio goodies before we all left the hotel on the third day.

Goody bags' got ube jam and strawberry wine among others.
Now ain't that fantastic? Did I not tell you guys it was a bliss-ful weekend?!

TweetShare


This page was viewed times.

Eurotel Event: Baguio Bliss 2011

February was bustling, a P78.38 electric bill should prove our nomadism for this month. When March came, I thought I could finally stay put for a while and recharge my weary muscles... Until I received a surprising email from Eurotel. It was an invitation for their Baguio Bliss Bloggers Event.

Eurotel Baguio along Abanao Extension.
2011 just got better! After escaping mummyhood duties, with vacations spent in Batanes and India, I was then offered a free hotel stay in Eurotel's Baguio branch (inclusive of a spa session) plus a tour around the city.

It got me excited. I have never checked in a decent hotel since our honeymoon night fifteen months ago. Poshness ain't really my thing.

The participants were to meet up at Eurotel North Edsa. We still currently reside in Baguio so I informed the group I will head straight to the hotel. And I embarrassingly got there late. I sent a text message to Claire of Lakwatsera De Primera asking where I should go next. She told me to come up to their room.

I rang the doorbell of room 618. Claire opened the door and greeted me with a big smile. It was awesome to finally meet her. She introduced me to her roommate Jennifer of Marriage and Beyond. They told me there were eight of us. Most of whom I haven't met yet.

After about an hour of kikay and geeky conversations in their suite room, we proceeded downstairs to the in-house resto where I met the rest of the gang: Melo of Out of Town Blog, Jonel of Let's Go Sago, Iris of Pinay Ads, and Montsch Yipee Media. Jen Adams of The Sexy Nomad was to join us in the evening.

I also met Ivan Aoki, Eurotel's Marketing Assistant who sent me the invitation.

Seafood delight!
We were served with their specialties and best-sellers for lunch. Sinigang na sugpo, bulalo, and crispy pata to name a few. The head chef described some of the dishes he prepared for us but I was too famished to pay attention. We finally ate after snapping tons of shots and a discussion on white balance. I capped off my meal with fruit salad. Its serving, enough for two people.

There was an itinerary initially set for us, but they asked us what we wanted to do in the afternoon. It was the last weekend of Panagbenga and there were still shops lined along Session Road. We all agreed on checking it out.

Eurotel's service dropped us off in front of Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral, more popularly known as Baguio Cathedral.

Believe it or not, it was my first time to take a photo of it.
Next we went to SM for a panoramic view of downtown Baguio, then to Oh My Gulay where we had tea and coffee... the drinks were on Melo. Hurrah to post-birthday celebs!

At almost 4:00 PM, we strolled back to Eurotel from Session Road. When we arrived, I was finally given a room, which I'll be sharing with Jen.

My pseudo-home for two days.
Like I've mentioned, I don't usually check in such pricey hotels (though I'm sure a lot of people will find P2,126 for a standard room very affordable). My usual budget range for accommodation is P150-300. So our room not only provided me creature comfort - it brought me a feeling of royalness. I don't mind getting used to such at all!

And oh, the room's not entirely the highlight of the day. Will soon let you guys know. Well... it's got something to do with karaoke!


TweetShare


This page was viewed times.

PNKY Travel Cafe Baguio: A Travel Back In Time

I slogged up the driveway of PNKY (pronounced as pinky) Home Bed and Breakfast. My hubby Shervin, laboriously carrying our heavier than normal 5-month old daughter, panted as he tried to keep up with my already slow pace. It wasn't even a steep climb, nor a long walk. We're just so darn unfit.

A non-manic Monday.Or old.

And how befitting it is to mention that because today is Shervin's Big 3-0 today. No big celebration though. I'd love to say we have gone past the stage of having insane I-dunno-how-I-got-home-last-night parties... but the truth is, we're just far from our friends. There's no one to party with.

Plus with an infant around, heading to a smoky bar is out of the question.

I have been eyeing PNKY Travel Cafe for ages. Four months of residing in Baguio, we only went this noon because I was saving it for a special occasion.

Back in early 2000, it was still Q Bar. A quaint watering hole which hosted folk performances every weekend. Its interior showcased interesting pieces from chairs to lamps, made by Baguio artists. Some of it were for sale. We never dined there so I don't have an idea if they served good food, but we did sample their to die for chocolate cake.

Top: Old dining area of PNKY Home. Bottom: One of the spacious, sparsely furnished rooms. Click here to see how the house looks like now!
PNKY Home Bed and Breakfast on the other hand, was just another house with rooms rented by vacationers. We frequented this place during that time, three to four times a year in fact. I remember the rooms were very basic and rates varied according to size. Guests can cook in the kitchen, something our family mostly did because we were too cheap to eat out.

Our fave spot in the house was by the fireplace... Where my aunts, cousins and I would catch up on each other's love life (or lack of) and future plans. Slurry at that, due to the booze treat by whoever had the highest paying job.

There were times we braved the arctic outdoors and lit bonfires beside Q Bar. And once one of us accepted the dare of entering the Laperal House's gates, across the property. The caretaker caught her and said she was trespassing. We laughed our arses off. In case you haven't heard, this house is known to be haunted. Some members of the family who lived here were brutally murdered by Japanese soldiers during World War II.

It's uninhabited now, and hasn't changed ever since. Unlike PNKY Home whose face and interiors have been revamped (the original structure still intact). I miss the old house with the chipping white paint. But hey, it has turned into one of the loveliest acommodations in the city, designed by owner Pynky Magsino and her daughters. How can I complain?

Left: Cozy corner. Right: Travel depicted everywhere.
I smiled as I entered the cafe. No one was there except for the staff who warmly welcomed us. My eyes excitedly shifted from one decor to another. From old suitcases, to framed postcards, to lomo photos. All of which were collected by the Magsino family.

Left: Homey dining area. Right: Cute camera tissue holder!
Pynky opened her daughters' eyes to the world of traveling when they were young. Something I know I'll be doing to Luna as she grows. And boy, I imagined our future house (wherever it will be) looking like the cafe - with trinkets gathered across the globe!

The menu, looking like a coffee table book.
Okay, so the ambiance rocks, but how about the food?

Our selection: Le Louvre P120 (spinach, mushrooms and tofu on rice) for me and El Prado P240 (pork ribs with tomato and pineapple sauce with rice and veggies). I'm pretty sure my dish will score a thumbs up from vegetarians (meat-eaters won't find it outstanding), while Shervin's ribs were uber tender and tasty. What made me jump up and down was dessert. We ordered Message in a Bottle P75, PNKY's homemade ube crepe. It's filled with grated kamoteng ube and cream. We also ordered Organic Lemon Grass Juice P60 (yum!) and Strawberry Smoothie P95.

Clockwise: La Tomatina Soup, Le Louvre, Message in a Bottle and El Prado.
By the way, you may dine al fresco. Food will get cold however in a couple of minutes. So better gobble it down quick.

Perfect nook for reading and sipping a piping hot cup of Chocolate de Tablea.
It was an awesome, hearty lunch. I am no food critic, so pardon my puny adjectives. Hopefully, the photos are enough to entice. Too bad our baby's not taking solid food yet. She would have gone nuts over the dessert list.


PNKY Travel Café
13 Leonard Wood (a short stroll from Session Road)
Baguio City
Visit their website at: www.pnkyhome.com



TweetShare


This page was viewed times.