Baguio Excursion: Cemetery of Negativism

Camp John Hay was not exactly one my favorite spots in Baguio city. It's a vast land more suitable for long walks. It is also a good place if you want to go for a nice picnic or if you want to play badminton or even football. Well, I'm not really into sports or even running or brisk walks, I used to enjoy walking only, when I go shopping (go figure). 

These days though, I relish moments when I can go for some walk undisturbed and get to be alone with my thoughts. That's what prompted me to visit this place. I've never seen much of Camp John Hay except the Mile Hi Center, which is a shopping area. I'm most curious to see place called the Cemetery of Negativism, so one sunny afternoon while I was in Baguio City, I hired a cab to take me to this place and to wait for me while I was mulling over some matters. 

It's a nice and quiet spot where one can ponder some thoughts or exercise one's creativity (write or paint) while being surrounded by the beauty of nature. The tombstones are more amusing than scary and pausing for a moment to read the witty epitaphs will make you wonder about certain moments in your life.

Popularly known as the Lost Cemetery, there are no dead bodies in this place; rather it served as a burial ground for the fears and negative thoughts. One of the receptionists by the entrance told me that this place was erected by Major John Hightower. Known for having unusual and creative ideas, his soldiers supposedly conducted mock burials in this place to leave their fears and negative thoughts behind, before assuming their military duties. Hmmm... Pretty creative indeed! 

So there I was, enjoying the solitude, (there was no one else around) sitting in the middle of the tombstones, happily typing my thoughts down in my tablet. If I had been an artist, I would have sketch the scenery in front of me as it was beautiful. If one is looking for a symbolic place to bury all of those negativity, then this is the spot! 

A Merry Holiday at Piña Colina

Last Christmas, my family decided to go out of town and spent a quiet one at Tagaytay City. It was a rather last minute decision but as luck would have it we managed to find a suitable place. My brother found Piña Colina online and though, none of us had been familiar with it, the place seems lovely and we learned that its a popular venue for weddings so we decided to give it ago.

So after a very long drive, mainly because we had a bit of a detour and we had to go to Batangas first to visit the grave of my grandparents, we arrived at Piña Colina an hour pass the check-in time.The resort is easy enough to find but you have to drive through a very steep road to get inside since it is sitting on top of a hill, hence the name Piña Colina, a Spanish phrase which means 'Pineapple Hill."

The log cabin

The chilly air of Tagaytay immediately embraced me and its not exactly what I've expected, though, I immediately forgot about it when I got inside. I saw pine trees all over the lawn and that made me smile right away. The overlooking view of Tagaytay was simply amazing and the log cabin looked quite homey. I got so excited that I was practically hopping towards the cabin and left my family and the staff who were carrying our things behind.

Kitchen and dining area

We booked the lower ground of the cabin and it has an airy and a well-lit interior. There were 2 bedrooms with two double decks that could accommodate 6 persons and there's also another sofa bed at the living room which would make another comfy bed. There was also a TV and a refrigerator aside from the dining area and the semi-furnished kitchen. The cabin was spacious enough, although, I found the toilet/bathroom area to be a little small but it does have a fully functional water heater so it wasn't so bad. The thing that somehow put me off was the lighting system in the bedrooms because it was rather dark and I prefer a well lighted and bright room.

We brought some food with us and had to pay an additional 10% on top of our accommodation fee, so for those who doesn't want to incur any additional charges or if cooking is simply out of the question, then their restaurant will be a good option and I was told by one of the staff that there are some changes going on with the menu, to offer a more extensive variety.

 swimming pool and elevated Jacuzzi

Aside from the log cabin, other accommodations would be the quarter cabin, the casitas, the two bedroom and the studio cabin as well as the standard and the deluxe studio rooms. For the amenities, Piña Colina has a function room that could accommodate 20 persons. They also have picnic huts which stay-in guests could use for free. There is also a kiddie pool and a swimming pool which would be comfortable enough for a big family. The main highlight though, would be the elevated Jacuzzi which offers a 360° panoramic view of Tagaytay while one is relaxing and this can be availed for 1,200 per hour. Future vacationers could also look forward to a game of billiards or even sing their hearts away as a game room will be added soon to their amenities.

For those planning for a Tagaytay getaway, Piña Colina is definitely an ideal place. It offers a very quiet and relaxing atmosphere with an accommodation that is reasonably priced and a customer service that exemplifies the Filipino hospitality.

Weekend at Lima Park

A month ago, my friend and I found ourselves wandering around Batangas City for a relaxing weekend away from the bustling streets of Manila.

It was a real fun time for both of us and a bit of an educational trip as well (ironically). We’re both not used to going out of town through public transports and we were really clueless as to how much the fare would be or how to even read the bus ticket. Yes, I would admit that was a rather blonde moment for us, especially since it was just a simple thing, but well at least we learned something!

Anyway, going back to the real story, we decided to stay at Lima Park Hotel. This hotel can be found at the heart of the Lima Park Technology Center. Given that no public transport gets inside the techno park if you don’t have a car its best to call the front desk so they could have their shuttle service pick you up by the entrance of the Lima Park. Otherwise, if you feel like walking I gather that it would take you about 20 minutes to get to the hotel.

The Lima Park Technology Center is an Industrial Park situated between the boundaries of Lipa and Malvar City. Since we went there on a weekend we hardly saw any people around.  The view of Mt. Makiling and Mt. Malarayat and the well trimmed bushes all over greeted us upon setting foot at the place. Lima Park is quite vast and I could imagine that a biker would surely get a kick from the cool wind blowing on his face while taking in the scenery around him. We saw a restaurant right in front of the hotel called Ipponyari which mainly serves Japanese Cuisine. For those who are wondering if there are any entertainment facilities in this place well you’ll be disappointed because there are no malls or bars yet, (it is a Techno Park after all) though, it seems like they are in the process of putting up more amenities as we saw some construction being done for what seems like a boutique shopping mall and a spa.  

The hotel itself is not a typical high rise hotel. The lobby looks very stylish and modern and has a grand piano adorning a corner. The trimmed lawn offers a relaxing view especially if you’re chilling out with your friends at the veranda area. While the swimming pool isn’t huge, it’s seems big enough to accommodate around 10 persons and has a provision for a kiddie pool and a Jacuzzi. Asian Flavours, the hotel’s restaurant has a cozy and a Hindi inspired deco and right outside is the Patio Bar. The hotel also has a gym so you wouldn’t miss out on your routine while you’re on vacation.

We stayed in a Standard room and we loved it! The room was quite spacious and well ventilated. I’m not a big fan of dark and gloomy hotel rooms and what I like the most about our room is that it has a very vibrant atmosphere but the drapes are quite thick and one could opt to dim the lights or use the lamp shades for a darker room. We also a have a mini bar with 2 complimentary bottles of water, along with coffee, sugar and creamer sachets. The bathroom has a bathtub and a complete set of toiletries for 2 which had been neatly arranged on the sides of the dresser. Also, I would have to mention that our bed had been fantastic!  I’ve been to a bunch of hotels already but I seldom get to find a bed that feels just right - not too soft and not too hard. Another thing I’ve noticed is the cleanliness of our room. I did not see a speck of dust even on the unused drawers, and there are a lot of drawers in our room.

 
I would also have to commend the customer service of this hotel. I have a rather impatient nature at times and I really hate a slow service. I’d say that I’d totally give an A+ to their as they are very prompt and courteous in attending to the requests of their guests, I didn’t even see anyone cringing or frowning from any of my silly questions or from my numerous requests. They were all ever smiling and attentive! Their shuttle service is not just good for picking up their hotel guests. The shuttles can be use to to SM Lipa, to the Country Club or to Tagaytay City!

The hotel offers Spa services like facial and massage. A massage was supposedly included in our accommodation but as we learned it could only be availed from 6:00pm to 10:00pm, one person at a time as there is only one masseuse. Only one masseuse, why oh why? We didn’t get to avail this as we weren’t able to squeeze it in. (The Jacuzzi had been delightful and we soaked up for about 2 hours!) 
 
Another thing I have to mention would be the set of menu and bar drinks at the Restaurant. Given the name, Asian Flavours I was expecting a wide array of menu but I was disappointed to see common Asian dishes, though the food had been excellent and the serving was really huge! There was also a problem with their cable provider during our visit so TV was out during our stay.

So, will I come back to this hotel? Most definitely! Will I recommend it? Yes! This hotel is definitely a place to go to when you want to feel like you’re right at home while having a relaxed time, close to nature. I hope that the service of this hotel will not decline but will continue to excel and I’m looking forward to further improvements on their amenities on my next visit.