Baguio has lost its appeal to me over the years that I was growing up. That it has become polluted and too crowded as a tourist destination, and with nothing new to offer aside from the cool weather, a trip to the valley does not a spark excitement in my belly. But lately, the company of very good friends (and more :D) makes me all gilly to look forward to pack my warm clothes and savor the taste of strawberries as we traverse the 6-hour long climb to the destination that is known as the City of Pines.
Ascend to HeavenTravelling on a 6-hour bus trip when you haven't had sleep for almost 48 hours is never comfy. Migraine starts to escalate when I haven't even packed yet, totally impairing my judgement on what to bring and how to fit everything in my luggage. Being a woman, I have the implied right to overpack and exaggerate my wardrobe *teehee*. We planned to board the 2pm bus trip, but due to unforeseen circumstances (other word for OVERTIME), I finished packing and stealing a 30-minute nap at past 4pm. So we arrived at the terminal shortly before 5pm, and we were informed that the next comfy seats are available at the 6pm trip. So we snatched ourselves to a quickie at timezone G4 for an hour before we boarded the bus. About 3 hours later we were having dinner at Tarlac. 2 hours after that and our ears were starting to pop as we put on our jackets and endure the cool air seeping into our skin. An hour more and we set our foot on the valley of Baguio.
Day 1: Sights and Sounds of Everlasting SustenanceWe went straight to the DENR cottage to spend the night as it was too late a time to hunt for lodging when we arrived. Penha wanted accomodations where we can cook, and we were supposed to stay at another DENR cottage. However, surprise surprise, the cottage did not look appealing and be infested with ghosts and other supernatural creatures God knows what, so we spent the whole morning hunting for an inn with a kitchen after we had our breakfast at Session Road. We found one along the tip of Marcos Highway just outside the skirt of Baguio City town proper for P1,650 per night for two days. Not bad. We don't need airconditioning at this part of the Philippines and at least there's hot water. Well, for a day we had hot water at least. Oh well, there's always a setback for every roadtrip. :)
We ate at a mongolian buffet at Hotel Veniz for lunch, and I had a strawberry milkshake that made my insides jiggle. 'twas sooooooo good! How come strawberries won't grow in abundance here in Manila? As I've said over and over again, life is not fair. *sob* Baguio was a bit crowded during this date since a holiday fell on a Monday making it a long weekend. Busy bees usually take this opportunity to escape from the hazards to the body and the sanity brought by the busy life in Manila, and they would take great lengths to leave it as far as possible. Baguio is the only commercialized cool tourist destination there is, thus they bring some of the pollution here from where they came. Pfffft.
We rushed to the botanical garden and mines view park after our late lunch. The usual stuff is there: the Igorot huts, the flowers, the vendors and their wares confusingly displayed in their shops, the rip-off Igorots that'll kill you with their spears if you don't hand over money for taking a picture with them, and of course...the food! Taho (which now comes in chocolate and strawberry flavors), grilled and boiled corn on the cob, grilled dried pusit, and more strawberries. It feels so nice to enjoy good food on a cool weather, so we were filling our bellies while enjoying the colors of Baguio's diverse fora. In a kikay collegiala voice, I'd say "me likey the sunflowers!" and tick off penha to the highest level. God, that sounded so gay didn't it?
After hoarding on pasalubongs of lengua de gato and chocolate flakes, we went straight to the wet market to do some shopping on food. I feel like I'm walking in fairland as I feast my eyes on the contrast of colors of trays and trays of fresh vegetables, fish, meat, and whatever it is you need. You will not find their wet and dry market wanting, and the cheap tags on the vegetables will make you want to live your dying days there to prolong your life even more. The plump cherry tomatoes and miniature versions of the
pechay baguio and the green of brocollis and legumes and cabbages, ah my eyes popped out of their sockets!
Day 2: Cooler Loving
The food fest we had the night before went straight to our feet we couldn't step out of the room to do more sightseeing. Add to that the hefty breakfast of
longganisa vigan, salted egg with cherry tomatoes, and fried rice that we had earlier in the day. We slept all day and woke up at 3 in the afternoon, afterwhich we rushed to Good Shepherd to buy fruit jams hoping that we'd get there on time because the store closes at 5pm.
Good Shepherd Convent makes the most wicked fruit jams, preserves and chutneys famous not only in Baguio but all over the Philippines, and it sits on one of the highest peaks in Baguio. Thank God we made it, and we brought our loot back to the inn before heading to Camp John Hay to have a taste of
everything nice's cassava cake. Too bad the bakery ran out of cassava cakes for the day, and we had to go all the way there only to find out that the main bakery was just sitting about half a kilometer away from the inn we were staying!
We left Camp John Hay and went to Burnham Park. We gobbled on
isaw (grilled chicken intestines) before hopping on to a boat in the park's man-made lake. After that we rented a pair of bikes for an hour, and by the end of it we were starving so we rushed to this restaurant in Burnham which sadly is already closed by the time we got there (around 9pm). So we have to settle for a resto along Session Road and treated ourselves to a pot of
Sinigang na Baboy (pork stew in tamarind broth).
On the way there we stumbled across vendors displaying their wares on the cold tiles of the street, laughing our asses out on the hideous toys they were selling. More ridiculing, and what do you know! We found treasures for P25 each! I got myself two tarepanda miniatures and he got a Domokun! Haha, we were having a hard time finding cheap versions of them here in Manila and we found them in Baguio. Chunky Farflung sells Domokuns for eight freaking hundred bucks each.
The following day was Penha's birthday, so as he was taking a bath that afternoon before going to Good Shepherd I snatched away to
everything nice to buy him a surprise Sans Rival cake. When the clock striked 12mn I brought out the cake and lighted the candle to Penha's surprise. He made his wish, and we gobbled on a few slices before hitting the sack. :D
Descent to the Mortal WorldWe went home after dinner, got up the next morning for breakfast, and dressed up for our trip
back to Manila. About six and a half hours later, we were back in Makati. The dream is over, and we are back to endure the excruciating summer heat and pollution that is Manila. We ate an early dinner, and went to timezone (again) to cap the day.
Each episode of wanderlust with Penha keeps getting better and better. In Baguio we would just cuddle up beneath the sheets, enjoy the cold crisp air and feast on the sights and sounds of the valley, and moving around as if we are not bound by time...it's definitely one of my best Baguio trips ever. :)
See more of our cam-whoring
here.Labels: wanderlust
