After a heavy breakfast, we headed out to exchange cars at Jomar's brother's house because we needed a four-wheel drive for the next destination. On the way there, we enjoyed even more mountain views, passing by local trading posts, and seeing houses built on the side of the mountain, I mean houses with 3,4, or more floor levels!
Then, we had a healthy lunch at Health 101. It was a bit "high-end" for us because we travel on a budget, but the quality of food and their appeal to our palate deserve five Michelin stars! It is also a good time for us to have some freedom to choose our style when it comes to food choices. Our selection reflected our individuality and that, for our family, is priceless! I had a vegetarian burger, Cesar had Chicken Pesto Melt, James had chicken fingers, and Adam had a mushroom burger. We had crispy sweet potato fries and some blueberry and strawberry yogurt too!
Winaca Eco Village was our last stop in Benguet before going home and we can say we saved the best for last. We had a short bathroom break and then walked to a playground where we explored two model houses, an Ifugao house and a Sagada House. All four of us enjoyed the obstacle course, giving us more endorphin, making the trip more enjoyable. James and Adam tried wall climbing for the first time and I thought I should take the challenge as well, so I tried the "High Ropes" or canopy walk, learning about my fear of heights. I just felt like I have the responsibility to show my kids that it is good, even fun, to take tasks that scare the hell out of us, actually not just good or fun, but NECESSARY.
Then, we had a healthy lunch at Health 101. It was a bit "high-end" for us because we travel on a budget, but the quality of food and their appeal to our palate deserve five Michelin stars! It is also a good time for us to have some freedom to choose our style when it comes to food choices. Our selection reflected our individuality and that, for our family, is priceless! I had a vegetarian burger, Cesar had Chicken Pesto Melt, James had chicken fingers, and Adam had a mushroom burger. We had crispy sweet potato fries and some blueberry and strawberry yogurt too!
We still had half a day to suck in as much Benguet as we can and we're happy that there's nothing in our schedule. James and Adam played with toys and drew pictures while Cesar and I tried to relax with a book and a cup of coffee. Cesar took a short nap and I took the boys to a nearby store where they picked a snack of soda and chocolates, I know, these are junk, but I gave them money with no strings attached, they have the freedom to choose and that's where they wanted to spend it on. I believe that with more practice and mistakes along the way, they'll be able to make better choices, but I strongly believe it will happen not because of restrictions but because of better education through freedom.
For dinner, we bought some veggies for our fresh salad and Adam bought some wooden key chains, carved as swords, for his friends at home. We also bought some woven mats and strawberries and took time just seeing what's there that might interest us. Then we went straight to a computer shop and spent an hour there, James and Adam playing games while interacting with local children while I tried to upload some pictures. It's amazing to see how the kids converse with our boys, trying to give them tips in Tagalog while helping each other to translate some Ilocano/Ibaloy so that James and Adam would understand. This is what common interest does, it promotes an emergent community.
When the sun started to set, we went out again to buy roasted chicken and mayonnaise for the salad dressing. It's just our small way of saying thank you for our hosts' hospitality. Auntie Mary, with her very thoughtful nature, bought a black forest cake that we enjoyed after dinner. We then shared some thoughts, personal stories and said how grateful we were to them for opening their homes. Without their hospitality and generosity, this trip might not be possible.
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