must try: chocolate de batirol

Location: Camp John Hay, Baguio City

Getting there: The best way to get there is to simply hire taxi cab to take you. From Session Road, it will cost you about P50. Make sure that you get there before dark because when we went there around 730 in the evening, it was already closed.

One of the things I always look forward to when going to Baguio is having batirol in Camp John Hay. With the cool weather, the hot choco is twice as good!

The Chocolate de Batirol establishment is decorated with plants and flowers and use varnished wood parts for furniture, while the floor is littered with pebbles and small slabs of stone. The place is quite comfortable and homey, like being in your own garden.

The batirol is actually the clay mug where the chocolate is cooked. The chocolate mixture is composed of cocoa and peanut oil, thus a wooden whisk is used to emulsify the two together. Once mixed well and warm, they pour it in a white ceramic mug and served to the guests.

The last time we were there, they already have variations on the flavor, like Kahlua, Strawberry and Cinnamon. I ordered the original flavor because I could have flavored coffee anywhere, but not Baguio’s chocolate batirol. Prices range from P70 to P90.

You could also bring home your own chocolate de batirol. One jar of uncooked batirol costs P350 and comes with a free wooden whisk. I would say this would make a great gift to chocolate drinkers.

So when in Baguio, make sure to have a cup in Chocolate de Batirol. It’s like having a sip of gooey happiness in a mug!

must-go: Transfiguration

Location:
Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, approximately 15 minutes from downtown

Getting there:
There aren't any public transportation that takes you directly to the Church. Though there are multicabs that would pass the street that leads to it, but it is a very, very long walk. So it is advisable to hire a motorela (a bigger version of the motorcycle) if there are only a few of you or a multicab (a smaller version of the jeepney) if you are a big group.

Budget:
Negotiating skills are necessary to bargain with the drivers. But a budget of P100-150 ($2-3) would be more than enough. An additional P200 ($4.00) should you decide to have their second Sunday brunch

The Transfiguration located at the outskirts of Malaybalay City. It is a church being managed by the Benedictine Monks. It is not very accessible to public transportation, thus you would need to hire a public utility vehicle to get there, if you do not have your own.

From afar, the Transfiguration looks more like a pyramid than a church. But once you get to the top of the hill where it is located, you are greeted with a speactacular view of Bukidnon. On either side are the mountains of Bukidnon, the famous of which is Mt. Kitanglad. You are surrounded by a sea of green from the trees, the grass, the rice and corn fields. Around November to February, there are dots of yellow from the wild sunflower blossoms.

The inside and outside of the church is separate with glass panels so you still have an unobstructed view. Wooden pews and fixtured and the stone altar contribute to the feeling of oneness with nature.

Whether inside or outside of the Transfiguration, you get the feeling of serenity and tranquility.

Every second Sunday of the month, many out-of-town Churchgoers visit the Transfiguration to enjoy the brunch meal the Monks prepare. For a fee of P200 ($4.00), you can enjoy a buffet rice, fish, chicken and pork adobo, scrambled eggs, tocino and vegetables. There is also bottomless coffee and juice.

So should you plan to visit, make sure its a second Sunday!