Jolly John Hay

Everytime we're up in Baguio, Camp John Hay is always always part of our itinerary. It's actually only one of the few times I'd rather walk than take a car. The weather is always chilly (even during the summer). That is actually why we Filipinos call it the summer capital of the Philippines. People like going up to Baguio to getaway from all the heat else where. 

Apart from the beach, Baguio would be have to be part of my favourite Philippine getaway. :) 

Riding horses would be part of our itinerary as well as a kid, but we stopped doing it as teenagers. Mainly because, some horses looked sickly and we felt bad for them. 

The smelling of pine trees and just admiring all of natures beauty is one of the reasons why I love walking in Baguio so much. 

It's never a great trip without taking cheesy photos like these that will make you just laugh in the future. ;)

I always find myself to be extremely lucky with butterflies when taking photos at The Manor! This was third time I caught such a photo. :)

What I had for lunch at The Manor! Baby back ribs, my favourite!! Which by the way, I had everyday this whole trip. First at Baguio Country Club, then The Manor, and The Forest House. I'd have to say out of the three, The Manor's was my favourite. :)

If staying at the Baguio Country Club wasn't such a tradition, I'd opt for The Manor. I've only stayed there twice, but each time I visit, I always leave with a smile. The people are all very pleasant and the place is just absolutely breath taking! :)

Every Christmas season, they adorn The Manor with all these perfect photo-op pieces. 

Like my favourite one from two years ago, the little candy house! 

I love how we're all colour coordinated and didn't even have to plan it! :")

My Outfit of the day:

Chiffon top, Shades & Brown Boots: Forever 21 - Denim shorts: American Eagle - High socks: Karl Edwards Bazaar - Brown belt: Armani Exchange - Gold necklace & Bangles: The Ramp

Forgive me for another cheesy shot. Ableit, you've got to admit jumping shots are the cutest! 

Ended our second day at Baguio by visiting some of Baguio's scariest places! First this cemetery, then the Hiatt Hotel (which is no longer existent due to the infamous Baguio earthquake.) I'm not just saying this, but we all really did feel eerie!!! But that might just be the nerves speaking. I mean, I'm not exactly known to be the bravest. So by visiting those places I tried conquering my fear a tad bit. 

My uncle told me once that I should do something that scared me every now and then so I could try and face my fears one step at a time. 

I'm not saying I'm not anymore scared of the dead and the dark, but I'm getting there... or at least, I think I am. :P

The New Years coming up, and I suggest you go and give it a try! ;) For whatever your fear may be. 

For a better glimpse on the whole trip, check out the video I made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT-fB9XPQhE

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Winter Wonderland

The holiday season is never complete without our annual family trip to Baguio. Sadly, I did not get to go up with my family last year, so I was extra excited to go up this year. Not only because I missed last year, but because my two neighbors (Clara and Claudia Pettersen) were coming to join us since they've never been to Baguio before!!

This year was the first time I took the bus up to Baguio. We didn't have enough space in our car to fit everyone so we opted for the Victory Liner Deluxe Bus instead. It was actually not at all bad! Who could complain when you had a big enough reclinable chair, great aircon, and free wifi! 

We chose the bus with no stop overs, so we got up in about four and a half hours. Not that bad a time! I was actually surprised. 

Forgive me for trying the colour accent out. It's been quite awhile since I've had a Canon camera. Super loving my new gadget addition! :") 

My very close friend Bai, was in Baguio too so I made sure to meet up with her before she left that same night. We went to the Baguio Country Club's little 'Winter Wonderland' and took all the touristy photos you could possibly imagine! HAHA. 

Like this photo for example. Haha!

I was elated when I saw how the photos turned out. Can you believe that a point and shoot took this! For all you readers wondering, all the photos were taken with my new Canon G15. It definitely is my favourite gadget at the moment! It's quite compact for all its capabilities. If you own a DSLR like me, and you're thinking of getting something more compact, I highly suggest the Canon G15! :)

Outfit of the day:

Knitted Sweater - Red Tank Top - Jeans - Brown Boots: Forever 21

We didn't exactly do much on our first day but go take touristy photos, play ping-pong and eat at my favourite Japanese restaurant located at the club, Hamada. I always look forward to eating there because it feels so authentic with the tepanyaki table and everything. Nonetheless, it was a fun day spent with these lovelies! 

For a better glimpse on the whole trip, check out the video I made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT-fB9XPQhE

INSTAGRAM: arellanoalyssa

TWITTER: @ArellanoAlyssa

TUMBLR: http://loveandotherdrugs.tumblr.com

E-MAIL: alyssalopezarellano@gmail.com 

Twenty Something

WOW. It's been quite a while since I've blogged. A lot of you have been wondering why perhaps? Well, I've just needed time off from the cyber world to focus on finals and such. Which by the way turned out just great! I won a silver medal for my Australian Finals which I'll probably expound on more in another entry. 

Anyway, I can't believe that I'm finally twenty! I still refuse to say it out loud. I can't call myself a "teen" anymore. It's crazy really how time flies... it's scary yet thrilling at the same time. 

Everybody's been asking me "So, how does it feel like to be twenty?" Honestly, I don't exactly know how I feel. I don't think I feel any different, I mean after all, age is just a number. All I know is that I'm excited to finally be graduating soon because I want nothing else but to travel and see the world!! 

So yesterdays celebration was simple but nice. I celebrated my birthday just chillin' with some of my favourite people followed by dinner in Cav with my family.

If you've read one of my entries months back on my brothers birthday: A Wonderful Turn of Events. You'll know why last nights dinner meant the world to me, so I'm glad that it happened. At least one of my birthday wishes came true. :) 

It was my first time at Cav last night, and just like every restaurant review so far in my blog, it was my mum who introduced me to this Wine Bar Cafe. 

Upon entering, you may feel a bit daunted by the dim-lighting that's quite popularized in fine dining restaurants, but I love how Cav feels formal yet not too formal that you'd have to suit up or anything. Smart casual would be just fine. 

This was the first time I ever got to mechanically have wine poured onto my glass! You can choose either: tasting (25 ml), half glass (75 ml), or full glass (125 ml). Being the easily amused girl that I am, I was definitely impressed. 

I'm not really one who enjoys the company of wine, but my mum's always trying to get me accustomed to it for future travels. 

I got the Beringer White Merlot. I usually loathe wine for the bitter taste it leaves in my mouth, but this was very light and fruity. :)

Last night's Amuse Bouche was composed of:

Green Pea Soup, Spanish Torilla, and Pickled Beetroot with Goat Cheese Panna Cotta.

All very good! The Green Pea Soup was surprisingly my favourite though. 

Crustacean Spaghettini with Lumpfish Caviar

My dad really enjoyed his order. It was "rich and creamy". Serving portion looked quite small but at the end he said it was just about right. 

Dry Aged U.S. Rib-Eye with Mushroom Ragu served with Spinach Gratin and Country Fries. 

Being the steak lover that I am, it was no surprise that this was the first thing in the menu that caught my eye. -- I had it cooked to medium-rare as usual. Cav's steak was definitely one for the books! It was presented beautifully and was melt-in-your-mouth yummy. :)

I'm not really a big fan of vegetables, but I love spinach. (Especially the spinach dip in Cibo. AHH, the best!) The gratin was perfect when paired with the steak. 

Angus Beef Short Ribs served with Cream Cannelili Beans, Kamote Curls and Burgundy Sauce.

My dad ordered this dish. I had a bit of it though, and I was quite jealous. The short ribs were really tender. The whole dish in itself had a great play of textures and of course, flavours. -- It's cooked for about 48-hours, explains why it's so tender!!

Duck Leg Confit with Truffle Macaroni, Red Cabbage, Capers, and Cranberry.

...Now my favourite part, the dessert!!!

Gold Chocolate Dome with Carrot Sherbet

This was pretty good! It was rich, not too sweet, and dense. 

Part of what made my Aubergine dining experience during my last birthday special was the complimentary Macarons. :") I was definitely surprised they served us some here, too!

White Chocolate Brûlée with Chocolate Tuile and Caramelized Bananas

I'm a big fan of Creme Brûlée! Any flavor whether it be plain, chocolate, or in this case my favourite! White chocolate. The delicate flan like texture with the sudden crunch of torched sugar leaves me in smiles. :)

They surprised me with a Valrhona Chocolate Souffle Cake with Grand Marnier, Ice Cream Melt on the Chocolate Tuile and Mixed Berries. :)

It was definitely one of the best birthday cakes I've had! Anything that screams Valrhona never disappoints. 

Outfit of the night:

Chiffon top: Cotton On - High Wasted Shorts with Belt and Nude Mary Janes: Forever 21 - Watch: Fossil - Gold Necklace: The Ramp - Quilted Clutch: Taipei

I apologize for the shaky photos! My camera wasn't set to it's usual setting and was too lazy to fix it. 

Last night was definitely one of the best birthday dinners I've had yet. Not only because of the company, but because the food was outstandingly great! It's quiet atmosphere is perfect for business meetings and intimate gatherings. I had no bad remarks on the service, too. I can't wait to go back and try the rest of what Cav has to offer!

Thanks to everyone who greeted me and made my birthday a happy one! I love you all. :)

INSTAGRAM: arellanoalyssa

TWITTER: @ArellanoAlyssa

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Cav Wine Shop and Café

Bonifacio High Street

G/F The Spa Building, Lot 5 Quadrant 8, 11th Ave.

Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

(02) 856-1798