It was unlike any other waterfall I’ve seen. Gushing from a solid rock wall, the Bridal Veils Falls in the town of Tuba, cascades down from a great height before rumbling into a dark pool surrounded by craggy boulders that looked as though it has been carved eons ago. From afar, it indeed looks like a very long white veil, resting on a towering rock face.

When they said that there’s a waterfalls in the vicinity of Baguio City, it was wrong of me not to believe them.

THE VIEW FROM KENNON ROAD, EN ROUTE TO BRIDAL VEIL FALLS

Azalea Hotel introduced me to the Bridal Falls. It was part of our Baguio Itinerary, and it was my first time to visit a waterfall near the city. But near is really not quite the term for it. Located at the border of Camp 1 and 2 in Tuba—Barangay Twin Peaks—Benguet, it was a good hour of a drive along Kennon Road before we reached the hiking point to the falls.

► SEE: AZALEA HOTEL BAGUIO REVIEW

It was the same as my last visit, this time with the folks from Le Monet Hotel in Camp John Hay. Everyone was constantly asking if we’re there yet. No, we are not there just yet.

► CHECK: LE MONET HOTEL REVIEW

It was way past midnight and the moon was at its zenith, shining brightly against the deep blue heavens, illuminating the towering pine trees just a few feet from where we were sitting. It was the year’s coldest night yet, with temperature almost hitting the single digit mark. But there we were, struggling to fight off the cold at Le Monet Hotel’s restaurant deck, enjoying bottles of beer and swapping stories like there’s no tomorrow.

LE MONET HOTEL SPARKLES DURING THE EVENINGS

We arrived in Baguio City the previous night, backpacks in tow, ready for a weekend of nothing but leisure and luxury. And there’s nowhere else we’d rather stay than at Le Monet Hotel inside Camp John Hay. To its door, our feet led us.

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Warmth emanated from the hearth as its embers crackled and hissed. It was a cold December evening, and evenings doesn’t get much colder in the Philippines than in Baguio City. We were at a residence-turned café, found on a lonely road en route to Mines View. We were at Café Yagam and we’re here for two things, their coffee and Cordilleran cuisine.

CAFE YAGAM IN BAGUIO CITY

Away from the maddening crowd of Baguio City, Café Yagam sets its ambience right before you get there. Twisting and climbing our way across a pine-laden road, we turned left and followed a narrow path that seem to lead nowhere. We held our route until a small sign told us we’re finally at our dinner place.

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Please do not consider us gluttons if we were again at a restaurant somewhere in the vicinity of the Baguio City. It just so happens that D of Tracking Treasure was celebrating his birthday and we, of course, have to indulge him as he treated us for a little pre-dinner snack at Choco-Late de Batirol.

I first took notice of this little café when it was still located near the Historical Core of Camp John Hay. We always made it a point to visit the place when in Baguio City even though their dishes are a bit expensive (it ranges from Php160.00 to Php300.00). It was after all their tsokolate batirol, a rich, slightly bitter drink made by manually mixing a concoction of chocolate on a metal jar using a wooden stick, that we were really after.