It began in Baguio

My family spent the last 2 days of 2005 in Baguio, and welcomed 2006 at the New Year's Eve party at Camp John Hay's The Manor, where we were billeted. Auntie Nene, my mom's best friend from high school, was with us, and she made for great company on the long car ride to and from (it's a testament to how chatty she is that pathological sleeper that I am, I didn't fall asleep once in all those hours on the road). This trip to Baguio was much more memorable than when we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there last year, probably because we got to do more normal touristy stuff like eating at Cafe by the Ruins, going to the Strawberry Farm, and buying brooms, veggies and choco flakes. But of course like the true Chinese entrepreneurs we are, we also visited our Arrow store in SM Baguio all 3 days we were there. :p

The 3-day, 2-night trip was a fitting punctuation mark to a year that saw us having our best times together as a family (but of course, not without the occasional tiffs and spats-- we're not that Brady :p), and hopefully this vacation is also a harbinger of more good times to come.

Dinner at The Manor's top-class restaurant
(the chef who runs the place used to be with Le Souffle)

My folks, who never seem to look older with each passing year

View of the golf greens from The Suites at Camp John Hay

The Lims at the Strawberry Farm

If you squint, you'll see the shy strawberry I'm presenting

New Year's Eve buffet dinner at The Manor
Everyone wants to pose with my favorite Baguio dessert:
strawberries and cream with hot fudge sauce (yum!)Posted this pic at someone's special request ;pCheers to the new year!Auntie Nene making a racket, as usual ;p

Ma and Pa in party mode
Best buds
Fantastic fireworks that had the crowd oohing and aahing

Revelers in red (except Hanks)

Back in Manila, dinner with Guama at Shang Palace