Finding Ferragamo // Our Afternoon at the Baguio Public Market

My birthday weekend in Baguio began with the entire family showing Anthony around Burnham Park, which we ended up calling BARNHAM, just because it's more annoying to say it that way. Lol!

As Cristina and I asked around for directions to the ukay-ukay shops (of course), Anthony found himself fascinated by these leis of "everlasting," which can be very itchy when worn around the neck (Just trust me on this one).

This being our first time to step into an ukay-ukay (vintage) store, we realized that the two things one must remember to bring are hand sanitizer and an extra dose of patience.

Cristina approached these shelves of shoes and within seconds, fished out the one and only pair of Ferragamos in the group. What can I say… The girl's got talent!

As Cristina and I excitedly combed the racks for anything fun and frilly, I noticed the guys — my dad, Anthony and our assistant Nonoy — being, well, "guys." Lol!

Unimpressed with the ukay-ukay items, we headed back to the market center, but not before stopping for some binatog, which in Baguio, is proudly marketed as "milky."

The kernels of native corn were served creamy, sweet and warm — Perfect for the cool mountain weather! "And don't forget to ask for some extra grated coconut," my mom suggested.

Immediately upon stepping into the market proper, I found myself smiling at how it has changed, and how it hasn't, from my last visit two decades ago. It's definitely a lot cleaner and the floor is now cemented.

Cristina and I started laughing as my mom and dad excitedly launched into Tour Guide Mode, pointing out this and that to Anthony, sometimes even competing for air time. Hahaha!

Baguio is best known for its super fresh produce, and even has a variety of string beans (another fave of mine) named in its honor.

While my mom explained how no trip to Baguio would be complete without a purchase of a "walis tambo," all I could think of were fabulous headdresses for next year's mardi gras. Hahaha!

What a beautiful display of strawberries! Of course, this fruit is now special to me, ever since my loving sister christened me with the pet name, STRO-BRY, after my fondness for strawberry gelato.

Strawberries always remind me of my Grandpa Aris, who used to crush them in cold milk and sugar for a delightful afternoon dessert.

We came across a food cart selling these fried chicks, which kinda made my heart sink a little.

Mini-fried chicken is best enjoyed with senorita banana ketchup. LOL!

Okay… Time for a little game. Can you guess which rice variety we ended up getting?

That one! Yey! Game over. Hahaha!

Anthony was busy "Instagramming" away that he didn't notice the stares and smiles from the surrounding fish vendors.

We were thrilled to come across the coffee stall that our good friend Michelle was telling us about.

Here we came face-to-face with the much-talked about civet coffee, leaving me excited and slightly nauseous at the same time.

I would love to meet the person who came up with the brilliant idea of brewing beans from the civet cat's poop. And while we're at it, might as well invite the guy who ate the first egg too. Lol!

As the afternoon progressed, it got easier and easier to spot the caucasian.

The streets around the market were equally crazy, as we dodged jeeps, chicken and donkeys in between photos. (Okay, fine. I made up the donkey part.)

Lo and behold… The glorious Kulangot! As you can imagine, soon I was happily "picking away." (On second thought, don't imagine. Hahaha!)

After an afternoon at the market, this chap's shirt says it all — "UPSET STOMACH." Lol!