A Christmas Preamble

HAIKU FOR HOT CHOCOLATE

Snowy winter night.
Cups of sweet, hot chocolate
comfort like a hug.

(over8t's comment from Serious Eats)

This was for me the highlight of our Baguio tour.  I've read several well-written verses about it and if you google it, you'll find fascinating facts about it.   So when we planned getting there, I put it in my heart that I will search for this in Baguio and a must for a newbie, wannabe good food blogger to relish this.   Though Camp John Hay has lots to offer for a wonderland of  epicurean experience, a walk in the "neo-Cordillera" garden can not be exchanged with any picnic or seat-down dinners inside the camp or in any place in Baguio, should I say.

Right in the heart of Camp John Hay is a marvel to be discovered.   Chocolate aficionados would agree when I say that a Philippine treasure is just a sip away from a humbled cup and this might be the vice that would end all vices.   Choco-Late' de Batirol prides itself with the finest "tsokolate blend," prepared in a traditional Spanish way.

After a sumptuous Filipino lunch, we trekked the camp nearest the place we rented for three days.  The long and winding trip uphill made our stomach grumble and we prepped up for Baguio's cuisine.    A short visit gave way to a filling snack, and my Papa needed to have his regular afternoon coffee-break and so do we.   But no coffees for me this time, for I now know where to have mine.   This also gave way for me to practice with taking nature pictures such as macro shots with hard-to-find flowers.

When that day ended...

An enchanting evening waited for us after the Camp John Hay round up.   It was the opening, the second night actually, of the  Christmas Village which the people from the camp have put up for the hotels's guest and sight-seers.   What was so attracting was the fact that they pushed a very eco-friendly and environment friendly affair.   

The decorations were carefully hand-crafted from used bio-degradable materials.   Not a pine tree was harmed....Barks and birches were affixed together to form a withered-tree and coated with bubbly soap-suds which created a snow-cap effects.   No styro's that looked liked snows this time!  Haha...  But fresh laundry smell on the Snowman.

Christmas tree ornaments fascinated us all.  My kids were the one who recognized first, paper cups, used soft drink bottles, soda cans and paper mache'd houses and of course, acorns and tons of it,  All  turned into lovely work of arts.   This actually gave me ideas on our Christmas-themed arts and crafts at our Sunday school classes.

With a mere cost of P60  for adults and P30 for kids, cold semi-winter feel with all the Christmas lights and sounds can be such a sight not only for kids but more so for lovers.
Though it was still on the late days of November, the feel of December beckon here already.
What joy, truly a great preamble to our family's Christmas days.