CEBU: The Gym @ Radisson Blu

CEBU: The Gym @ Radisson Blu

Not all hotel gyms are created equal, even if the hotel is a 5-star hotel. The gym at Radisson Blu Cebu has the following features that I love which makes going to the gym something to look forward to, even while on vacation.

Why I Love the Gym at Radisson Blu

It is spacious, with plenty of equipment.

Info from the hotel website:  

Available equipment includes: 

Cardio: four treadmills, two cross trainers and four stationary bikes 

Free weights: dumbbells (five to 50 pounds), flat bench and stability balls 

Weight resistance: TRX, Smith machine, multiple adjustable pulley machine, lat machine, chest-shoulder machine press, leg curl and leg extension machine 

They have a high-end treadmill that measures distance, gradient, speed.
It also monitors heart rate by holding on to the rails where the sensors are located.

You only need to bring headphones.
You can watch cable TV in the monitor with plenty of channels to choose from

They provide towels.

They provide water

They provide snacks like apples.

You can make your own dalandan juice with honey.

They provide hand towels and a hand sanitizer.

There's a first aid box near the entrance.

The gym is on P2 level and has direct access to the pool 

so you can swim at the pool after a workout.

Operating Hours: 6:00 AM - 11:00 PM

CHECK OUT THE BEST RATES OF RADISSON BLU CEBU HERE

BAGUIO: What You Will See When You Visit Mansion House

BAGUIO: What You Will See When You Visit Mansion House

These are the things you can see when you visit Mansion House:

1. The building from afar

When you enter the gate,  you can only enter the grounds up to this point.

2. The grounds

People  can only explore the grounds up to the front

3. The gate

The gate, the arched entrances and the stone wall facade are the ORIGINAL ones that survived the bombings during World War II. The Mansion house building itself was damaged and was rehabilitated in 1947. 

(source: http://www.gov.ph/2011/01/03/the-mansion-house-baguio-city/)

4. The markers

" On December 30, 2008, the Mansion House marked its centenary with the unveiling of two historical markers (one in English, and the other containing the text translated in Filipino) detailing its history. On January 16, 2009, the board of the National Historical Institute, through Resolution No. 1, series of 2009, declared the Mansion House a National Historical Landmark."

(source: http://www.gov.ph/2011/01/03/the-mansion-house-baguio-city/) 

My reasons why you should visit Mansion house:

1. To see the summer home of the President of the Philippines. 

This place has been the summer home of the Governor-General of the Philippines since 1908 and now the summer home of the President of the Philippines. But the structure you see now was  built in 1947 because the old one was destroyed by the war.

2. To see where the summer home of the President of the Philippines is located.

Before it was built, the choice was to place the summer home of the Governor-General in the midst of official activities, where Baguio General Hospital is currently located, or to place it far from government activities, at Pacdal Plateau, called Outlook Point. 

(source: http://malacanang.gov.ph/about/malacanang/mansion-house/) 

When you actually see this place, you can understand why the builders chose Outlook Point. 

3. You can make a quick stop at the Mansion house, even if you don't have a lot of time.

You do not need to schedule it during their open hours (which is 9:00 AM - 5:00 pm) because the only difference in visiting it during open hours is that you can enter the gate and take an unobstructed photo of the house.

PHOTO FROM THE OUTSIDE

PHOTO FROM THE INSIDE

Click the photo above to see the panoramic view

Click the photo above to see the panoramic view

3. Admission is FREE!

FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE HISTORY OF THE MANSION HOUSE:

See: http://malacanang.gov.ph/about/malacanang/mansion-house/

BAGUIO: The Mansion Oval: The Best Place to Jog

BAGUIO: The Mansion Oval: The Best Place to Jog When we went on vacation in Baguio, Iwas following a 41-day run streak initiated by Runner's World . I was determined not to miss a day of my run streak while on vacation so I researched the best place to run/jog. If I didn't find any place that suited my needs, my default place would have been the gym at SM City. I do not like to visit malls while on vacation, encounter crowds and traffic, so I was glad to find the Mansion Oval, which perfectly suited my needs. Where is the Mansion Oval located:  The term Mansion Oval is actually a misnomer. The Mansion Oval is actually part of Wright Park. It is known as the Mansion Oval because it is located across the gate of the Mansion House, the summer home of the President of the Philippines. It's actually a paved road surrounding the Pool of Pines at Wright Park where locals run/walk/jog in the morning. Why the Mansion Oval is the Best Place to Walk/Run/Jog:  1. It is relatively safe compared to other areas. Since the Mansion oval is across the Mansion House, there are guards present in the area. There's greater probability you'll be safe jogging in this area compared to other areas. The Mansion House is seen from one end of the Pool of Pines. 2. The oval is paved.  This is the entrance of the Mansion Oval across Mansion house 3. It is near food, particularly the strawberry taho.  The strawberry taho vendor is stationed near the gate of the Mansion house. In case you need a snack after your exercise, you can buy strawberry taho nearby. Check out my post: BAGUIO: Where to Find the Best Strawberry Taho 4. It is near a clean comfort room. Look for this sign along the oval to find the comfort room. The comfort room is where the red mark is pointing to. 5. It is near two (2) popular tourist spots in Baguio: The Mansion House and Wright Park This means you can go sightseeing after you exercise.

BAGUIO: Where to find the Best Strawberry Taho

 

BAGUIO: Where to find the Best Strawberry Taho

Taho is a Filipino snack in a cup composed of slices of soft soya bean curd or tofu and tapioca pearls, topped with sweet brown syrup. In Baguio, they made a variation of the ordinary taho and used strawberry syrup and called it strawberry taho. 

I encountered two kinds of strawberry taho being sold in Baguio. The more common one is simply made with strawberry syrup instead of brown syrup. We found it being sold at Mines View Park and Pink Sisters Convent. 

This the strawberry taho we ate at Mines View Park.

The other kind of strawberry taho had chunks of strawberry in it. I found it being sold in front of Mansion house after a run at the Mansion oval.

This is what a real strawberry taho should be, with chunks of strawberry in it and not just strawberry syrup.

This costs 20 pesos, the same as the other one. 

Where is the best strawberry taho located?

It is sold in front of Mansion House
(see the vendor on the left side of the "No Littering" sign)

Hours the vendors are there: 6:00 AM-12:00 PM, 1:00 PM
Note: I was able to see at least one of them at 6:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM.
 They disappear for lunch from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM.

This is me eating strawberry taho in front of the Mansion House.

BAGUIO: What to See at Bell House Museum and Bell Amphitheater, Camp John Hay

BAGUIO: What to See at Bell House Museum 
and Bell Amphitheater, Camp John Hay

ENTRANCE OF THE HISTORICAL CORE

The Historical Core of Camp John Hay includes the Bell House Museum, Bell Amphitheater, Cemetery of Negativism and Liberty Loop.

At the left of the entrance is the Cemetery of Negativism,
you walk along the path to reach Bell House.

You pay the following entrance fees to the Historical Core:

Standard - 60 pesos 

Residents - 40 pesos 

Senior Citizens/Students - 30 pesos 

Photoshoot fee - 1000 pesos

Bell House was named after Major General J. Franklin Bell "who lived in that house as the commanding General of the American Forces in the Philippines."

From 1911-1914, "General Bell transformed camp John Hay from 'essentially a small convalescent facility into a major molitary resort' (Robert Reed)"

The path to Bell House
On the right is the totem pole you will see below

The details about the totem pole

"Carved by Erneto Dul-ang, a succession of historical figures during the first half of the 20th century from a totem pole that once looked out over the top of scout hill."

The historical figures carved in the totem pole are those instrumental in the development of Baguio and Camp John Hay. Note that everyone of them are Americans. Only Emilio Aguinaldo is Filipino

The historical figures from the top: Admiral George Dewey, General Emilio Aguinaldo, President William Howard Taft, Secretary John Milton Hay, William Cameron Forbes, President Theodore Roosevelt, Major General Franklin Bell, Lt. Col. Lyman W. Kennon, Mayor James Halsema, General Douglas MacArthur.

ENTRANCE OF THE BELL HOUSE

Twin brass seals that used to adorn Camp John Hay's main gate
It's now seen at the entrance of Bell House

LIVING ROOM

The living room of Bell House (Click the photo to see the panoramic view

Programme of Camp John Hay Turnover Rites
(July 1, 1991)
National Anthem by Department of Tourism Chorale
Invocation by Bishop Gabriel Reyes
Welcome Remarks by Baguio City Mayor James Bugnosan
Remarks by DFA Secretary Raul Manglapus
Remarks by US Ambassador Nicholas Platt
Exchange of Diplomatic Notes by Hon. Maglapus and Platt
Closing Remarks by Tourism Acting Secretary Rafael Alunan

Another view of the living room

BEDROOMS

Click the photo to see a panaromic view

Click the photo to see a panaromic view

DINING ROOM

The terrace around Bell House

OUTSIDE BELL HOUSE

THE BELL AMPHITEATER

"Major General Bell took a personal hand in the design and supervised the construction of Italian Garden and the amphitheater beside the commanding general's summer residence. It was built using indigenous Ifugao terracing technology, he harnessed the acoustic properties of the natural amphitheater." (taken from the description of Major General shown above)

Click the photo to see a panaromic view of Bell Amphiteater

LOCATION