The restaurants I mentioned are relatively cheap. OMK still has the all you can eat Mongolian at Php199 per person, while LJ’s average check probably lower.

I believe I have met your dad twice and know your sister from high school. Your names all start with the letter C then? Small, small, small world. When your stepmom came for a week-long vacation and saw what has happened to her beautiful Baguio she was literally in tears and I told her there were some folks working to bring the charm back.

40 Navy is a hobby, a way to make visitors FEEL Baguio. I did the same once for a place in Quezon Hill so I know the route you want to take towards Tam-awan Village.

I appreciate your candidness, I think I have a fair idea about how the deterioration there went as there were a few sign already particularly in the Nevada Square area. I hope that the old charm of Baguio can be restored because aside from the actual fresh air, the attitude of Baguio residents was always a revelation to jaded Metro residents like me.

Thank you very much for the recommendations too, I miss Omaikan, Cafe by the Ruins, Star and Rose Bowl – with a party of 6 though, I will have to choose just 2

Its really a small world though. During my last vacation in Baguio around 2001 I stayed in 40 Navy Road which I believe you now operate as the Atenara House. That house is quite full of good memories for me having stayed there so many times in the years from 1990 to 2000. In fact my stepmom had mentioned your name to me before but it only rang a bell when I saw the Atenara site You have my email on file – perhaps we can just email direct as it might not be a good idea to post too many personal details on a blog

I’ll definitely going to be able to see Baguio for myself early next week and in the meantime, I’ll be printing out your recommendations so I can make the most of my 2 weeks there.

Thanks again and Godspeed in your endeavor to lift Baguio up once again.

Am talking to some such folk in Baguio City who are forming such a group. Hope to contact you when they have firmer plans. Will keep your email on file and desire in mind.

Please continue adding your thoughts to the different posts here so folks will feel empowered to analyze and voice their opinions, too.

Thanks

Biscotti is no more… bring the kids to Little John’s they’ll enjoy it, also O Mai Khan — make sure to try the cheap choco fondue at LJ and the desserts at OMK. Nevada Square is all about a rowdy night life nowadays, which is why I happily closed down my restaurants there (after I left, my customers would ask, “Where are you moving to?” I’d say, “But you stopped coming — thought you hated my food” To a man they replied, “We loved your restaurant, the crowds at your location are what turned us off”).

As for gracious living, it’s no more, with Baguio City embracing the “highly urbanized title” that was bestowed upon it by Marcos in the late 1970s when it was a sleepy little town still. We have to consciously move to a “slow” city where life, the environment and the economy is better for all residents. Right now, it’s just relatively cheap living but no safer than the rest of the country because of all the young people allowed by the city and their parents to run wild. Also Baguio has been consciously attracting all sorts of strangers to come live here so faces are unfamiliar already.

Safe to walk around the areas you mentioned — Camp John Hay, Country Club, Quezon Hill to Tacay. It’s the city center and the crowded neighborhoods where safety even during the day can be a concern.

I used to refer to Baguio City, until 2003, as my virtual heaven on earth. You will not find those words in my sites anymore. The spirit of the city has changed to greed and desperation. Few of us cling to the idea of gracious living.

Don’t mean to be negative, just realistic, so you come up with eyes wide open. If you were single, game! But the kids are the most important concern now…

Lastly, given the areas you are planning to visit, I would say these are still Baguio classics and I am sure your kids will have lots of memories to last a lifetime.

I just have a couple of questions, you mentioned in one of your posts that the reason you moved to baguio was the gracious living.. could you sort of expound on that a bit? Does it sort of imply that one can make a decent living there without the hectic pace?

The other question is about the peace and order situation there. How safe is Baguio nowadays? Is it still safe to walk around the outlook drive going to john hay and baguio country club? What about Session road and the Quezon Hill Road area? I was a little concerned when I saw the dedication for the basketball player who was stabbed on Session. After all I will be there will all 4 of my kids with ages ranging from 6 to 14 and I was hoping to do a lot of walking around with them like from Quezon Hill to Tacay to visit Tamawan and I would really getting feedback from those in the know

By the way, my eldest son received his very first tip in Biscotti in Nevada Square. He was only 7 or 8 then (he’s 14 now) and was making believe he was a waiter there and he ended up serving a customer and getting a tip. It was a fun experience for him which he remembers to this day. We will be swinging by Nevada Square as well so he can reminisce on the spot.

Thanks again for a great set of sites / blogs / articles. Because of you I can hardly wait to be back there.

Thats all,.

Missed blogging so much I decided to put wavatar images for all commenters who do not yet have a gravatar. You get to wear cool shades every time you place a comment!