It was only two? three? weeks ago that I wrote about wanting to be more on time with my posting, but here I am once again with an overdue post. Better late than never?

We set out really early because the drive is quite long. It's easy for me to fall asleep in trips like this but I'm glad I didn't. The foggy view of the mountains was worth it.

It was very cold and rainy as expected. It had been raining every day for the past few weeks at that point, so maybe I should have worn shoes that were easier to clean mud off of. Anyway, I was glad I could once again wear my cat hoodie which I haven't worn since Japan, since living in a tropical country doesn't present many chances for thick hoodie weather.

Our first stop was Bemwa Farm. It was actually our only target that day, but it was raining and strawberries weren't in season so there wasn't much to do besides take a few videos and photos. When we got there, there weren't many strawberries left, but I think my mom bought some vegetables. It's not entirely worth the trip on its own because it's literally just a farm, though I think it's a nice place considering we only went there for the express purpose of posting about it on Facebook.

(While I don't use Facebook anymore, my mom and my aunt are crazy about it.)

If you're planning on just passing through on your way to the resorts in the area, I recommend it! Not that I have any credibility to make my recommendations hold any weight, but there you go.

The people at Bemwa Farm helpfully directed us to some other places we could visit. The rain shower was intermittent, but finally we were forced to hop back to our vehicle and drive further into the muddy path that eventually lead us to Hills View Mountain Villa.

The view there was amazing. Take note: we were there at around 9-10am so I cannot guarantee what it looks like at any other time. Personally I wouldn't stay out there until nightfall because the road looks quite dangerous and it's a little too deep into the mountains than I'm comfortable with. A quiet house at the top of the mountains? In the morning it feels like you're in Heidi, Girl of the Alps, but I bet at night it's gonna look like the beginning of a horror movie.

Our last stop before lunch was Gethsemane Garden, where a cute little dog started following us around like a tourist guide. It seems like a nice place to spend a night at because it doesn't feel as secluded as Hills View. They have a small pool, an area with tables and benches perhaps for outdoor meals, and a really garden-y feel which I think would be good for retreats. Of course that's probably the entire point of the place anyway if the name wasn't already a big giveaway.

However, there's really not much to see if you're just passing through like we were. Maybe I would have taken a few more photos and walked up a bit more if the weather was more agreeable, but it really isn't a day tour kind of place so I doubt that I would have found anything more interesting.

Finally, lunch was at Seagull Steakhouse and Coffee Shop. The place was quaint, the food was decent, and for some strange reason there was a wooden table and a matching chair inside the women's bathroom next to the toilet. Maybe it's supposed to be a diaper changing station, but it certainly looked like you're gonna get interviewed while you're doing your business.

They have on their menu sikwate (a local version of hot chocolate made with locally produced pure cacao tablea) and suman (a type of rice cake). Look how fancy looking this suman is!

I am personally not into suman, which is weird because I remember growing up eating the ones my grandma used to make, but I suppose my tastes just changed after all these years. Can you believe that I, disliker of most condiments, now like mayonnaise??? I don't either! Maybe one day I will come to like mustard too or something.









I think the places we went to were good enough for half a day of adventuring. They're somewhere in the border between Davao and Bukidnon (apparently that's where the name "BUDA" came from?) so they weren't too far, although you really would need your own transportation to get to them. There weren't many other people too. I think the only other ones we ran into were the group that arrived at Bemwa Farm shortly after we did, the group on their way out of Hills View, and of course the other customers at Seagull Steakhouse. But I have a hunch that Seagull gets lots of customers throughout the day anyway because it's conveniently along the way if you're travelling between provinces and it also has a resort.

And that was our day! A very wet day. Overall it was pretty chill-- literally and figuratively.