Christmas 2018 Wish List

It's my favorite time of the year again! There's just something about Christmas that makes me so happy and full of joy. Hearing Christmas songs at random times of the day makes me all giddy and excited. Lol.

Anyway, (almost) every year, I post a list of random things I like. One of the reasons I want to keep this tradition going is because it's interesting to see how my preferences change as I get older. I'm so surprised that most of the things on my list now are wellness-, or home-related. I never thought this would happen-- shopping for home stuff used to be my worst nightmare. Oh well, I guess I really am getting older! Lol.

Mt. Pinatubo Trekking Adventure

A couple of months ago, I had invited my family to go on a hiking trip with me, and early this year, the plan finally came through! I've climbed Mt Pulag with friends several years back but my family doesn't have any hiking experience at all. Mt. Pinatubo was our first choice-- it's close to Manila and it's highly recommended for first-timers. I started my research online and based on the reviews, the best strategy was to stay in Tarlac for the night and start the hike early in the morning. There were limited options on where to stay and among the accommodations, Allan Bognot's guesthouse has the best reviews. It doesn't have a lot of amenities but the cozy, relaxing vibe of the place pretty much made up for it.

For the trekking, we asked our host Allan to arrange it for us. If I remember correctly, we paid Php1200 per person for the trekking, including a sumptuous lunch! Seriously, I would never forget our meal of sinigang and chicken adobo.

The view of the lake crater was amazing! Too bad the lake isn't safe for swimming-- it would've been awesome to take a dip there after a long trek under the sun. After taking a few photos by the lake, we headed back, rode the 4x4, and made it back to the house at around 1pm. The trekking in general was quite easy, great for families!