This was the last time I went to Baguio the summer capital of the Philippines. It has a cool 16°C weather. Around May of 2015. I've been there several times. A change of surroundings is always healthy when you are stressed. However you check out the food carefully when you travel. Trust me you don't want diarrhea in an unfamiliar place. With the up and down roads of the Baguio mountains, you can really lose weight. Maybe this the reason I never seen an obese person there.
1. Travel light. Okay this I think you should bring - three shirts, three underwear, 1 pair of socks, a shorts and a long pants. Your shirts and underwear you can wash them everyday. Don't be lazy. I actually brought 5 shirts which is irritating because of the weight and have to purchase underwear cause I forgot to bring some. The point and shoot camera or your mobile phone is okay unless you shoot photos for a living, you bring the dslr.
2. Book early. So I went to Victory liner in Cubao which is nearest my place so I was in there before six a.m. Little did I know that buses were full already because of bookings. I was able to take the 8am ride to Baguio. I admit I am afraid of heights so looking at the ravines and not knowing if the driver is capable enough I was uncomfortable. I was like no, no, no when the driver overtakes a couple of slow-moving trucks. I mean the rule for overtaking is do it on a straight road and you have visibility of vehicles going on the two directions. Not a good idea on a dangerous curves or bends.
3. Taxi is for lazy people. Having boarded out of the bus, this guy gave me a brochure for a hotel costing Php 2,200/day which is way beyond my budget. So I asked where Sessions road is and asked for the jeepneys going there. I saw people scampering for taxis. On second thought, they might not be lazy but rather they can afford it and wanted their children to be comfortable.
3. Renting a lodge. I know from the internet that Sessions road is the place to be so that must be the center area of the Baguio. As is my guide, you have to go away from the center to find inexpensive hotels. About three to four blocks away after several inquiries, I found the Diamond Inn. I could have taken the 500-single room but I prefer to have a bathroom inside my room so I have to pay 800 pesos a day.
4. Reconnaissance. The first 2 days is like feeling out the place so when you have estimate of what to do and where to go, you also now know when to go home. So knowing this on the second day I reserved a bus ride for Cubao. Turns out this is unnecessary cause the bus ride back home has plenty of seats and so I went home earlier than booked. Nonetheless do this for precaution.
5. Buy fruits. These are like your snacks so you don't have to overspend. I end up overspending nonetheless having bought more fruits than I can consume. And the inconvenience of bringing it home.
6. Burnham park. This gets old in no time but what is important is the jeepneys around Burnham park which gets you to many places. So in the third day, I saw this Camp John Hay signboard and said to myself why not. Its a mountain trek maybe 45 degrees in steepness. Go at your own pace and take selfies if you want. Okay I am be boasting a little here but I actually drived up and down on a 75 degree inclined hill. Hahaha okay maybe 65 degress but it is really steep and going up you have to move on excruciating slow pace on the first gear.
7. Cemetery of Negativism. This is a parody of burying negativity so they have provided tombs for negative thinking. There are so many pictures so I will have to upload them in photobucket for those interested. And other pictures for that matter.
8. The bell house. Named after Major General James Franklin bell who designed the structures in Camp John Hay. As customary I snapped photos into the rooms and toilets and closets and cabinets. When I look into the mirror, I felt a hair-raising presence and ran back towards people. I still have goosebumps from the place. That is the price of acting cool and all.
9. Malls. You went up the Sessions road and you can find SM Baguio on the summit. I have been inside there maybe 3 or 4 times in the past days. There's also Robinson's Mall somewhere on the ascent and you can ride the escalators there on to the top to enter the Baguio cathedral.
10. Mines view park. I was there around 8am. the next day and I met a two-year old St. Bernard there. His name is Moshu. Man if you can see his size, only two years old and already about one meter in length. I passed a wishing well and flicked a five-peso coin. On to the main attraction, the mountains and clouds and trees and the miniature houses are something to behold. Add the cool weather and the sun to recharge the body. According to what I read, the rays of the sun are beneficial to the body but up to only 10a.m. when the harmful rays will be intense.
11. Luisa's cafe. Its a chinese restaurant somewhere along the base of Session's road and you can easily miss or dismiss it cause of nondescript signage and appearance. But you want to have a hearty meal in Baguio, you go there and eat anything with chinese tea. The vegetables are cooked fresh, the meat tastes good and the tea cleanses your body. Had I known this place earlier, I would not have gone to the diners and eateries there.
There you go. I may have forgotten to write some places I went to and of course, there are more places to explore there cause of time constraints like the Botanical garden, the Baguio museum and the strawberry farms for a start.
Baguio is I think the center of education in the North part of the country because people from neighboring provinces go to the universities like UP Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, St. Louis University and University of Baguio to name a few. I also think the government must give special support to this area cause its like the university belt in Manila. This place suffered so much in the earthquake before and having rebuilt to today they have diamonds in the rough there.
But I guess I was looking for more authenticity and it can't be helped. Roads are needed for development and trade and commerce. Commercialization reigned in the cities and I have been to many cities and they look sound and feel the same. Nah not being negative here, just telling the reality. We need this centers of education, learning and development in every region. I guess there has to be a balance between the old and the new culture. There's twelve regions so I hope the Department of Education is up to the challenge. Of course the main problem is in the Mindanao region. Education, sports and entertainment are the weapons we needed in order for people to have unity there.
1. Travel light. Okay this I think you should bring - three shirts, three underwear, 1 pair of socks, a shorts and a long pants. Your shirts and underwear you can wash them everyday. Don't be lazy. I actually brought 5 shirts which is irritating because of the weight and have to purchase underwear cause I forgot to bring some. The point and shoot camera or your mobile phone is okay unless you shoot photos for a living, you bring the dslr.
2. Book early. So I went to Victory liner in Cubao which is nearest my place so I was in there before six a.m. Little did I know that buses were full already because of bookings. I was able to take the 8am ride to Baguio. I admit I am afraid of heights so looking at the ravines and not knowing if the driver is capable enough I was uncomfortable. I was like no, no, no when the driver overtakes a couple of slow-moving trucks. I mean the rule for overtaking is do it on a straight road and you have visibility of vehicles going on the two directions. Not a good idea on a dangerous curves or bends.
3. Taxi is for lazy people. Having boarded out of the bus, this guy gave me a brochure for a hotel costing Php 2,200/day which is way beyond my budget. So I asked where Sessions road is and asked for the jeepneys going there. I saw people scampering for taxis. On second thought, they might not be lazy but rather they can afford it and wanted their children to be comfortable.
3. Renting a lodge. I know from the internet that Sessions road is the place to be so that must be the center area of the Baguio. As is my guide, you have to go away from the center to find inexpensive hotels. About three to four blocks away after several inquiries, I found the Diamond Inn. I could have taken the 500-single room but I prefer to have a bathroom inside my room so I have to pay 800 pesos a day.
4. Reconnaissance. The first 2 days is like feeling out the place so when you have estimate of what to do and where to go, you also now know when to go home. So knowing this on the second day I reserved a bus ride for Cubao. Turns out this is unnecessary cause the bus ride back home has plenty of seats and so I went home earlier than booked. Nonetheless do this for precaution.
5. Buy fruits. These are like your snacks so you don't have to overspend. I end up overspending nonetheless having bought more fruits than I can consume. And the inconvenience of bringing it home.
6. Burnham park. This gets old in no time but what is important is the jeepneys around Burnham park which gets you to many places. So in the third day, I saw this Camp John Hay signboard and said to myself why not. Its a mountain trek maybe 45 degrees in steepness. Go at your own pace and take selfies if you want. Okay I am be boasting a little here but I actually drived up and down on a 75 degree inclined hill. Hahaha okay maybe 65 degress but it is really steep and going up you have to move on excruciating slow pace on the first gear.
7. Cemetery of Negativism. This is a parody of burying negativity so they have provided tombs for negative thinking. There are so many pictures so I will have to upload them in photobucket for those interested. And other pictures for that matter.
8. The bell house. Named after Major General James Franklin bell who designed the structures in Camp John Hay. As customary I snapped photos into the rooms and toilets and closets and cabinets. When I look into the mirror, I felt a hair-raising presence and ran back towards people. I still have goosebumps from the place. That is the price of acting cool and all.
9. Malls. You went up the Sessions road and you can find SM Baguio on the summit. I have been inside there maybe 3 or 4 times in the past days. There's also Robinson's Mall somewhere on the ascent and you can ride the escalators there on to the top to enter the Baguio cathedral.
10. Mines view park. I was there around 8am. the next day and I met a two-year old St. Bernard there. His name is Moshu. Man if you can see his size, only two years old and already about one meter in length. I passed a wishing well and flicked a five-peso coin. On to the main attraction, the mountains and clouds and trees and the miniature houses are something to behold. Add the cool weather and the sun to recharge the body. According to what I read, the rays of the sun are beneficial to the body but up to only 10a.m. when the harmful rays will be intense.
11. Luisa's cafe. Its a chinese restaurant somewhere along the base of Session's road and you can easily miss or dismiss it cause of nondescript signage and appearance. But you want to have a hearty meal in Baguio, you go there and eat anything with chinese tea. The vegetables are cooked fresh, the meat tastes good and the tea cleanses your body. Had I known this place earlier, I would not have gone to the diners and eateries there.
There you go. I may have forgotten to write some places I went to and of course, there are more places to explore there cause of time constraints like the Botanical garden, the Baguio museum and the strawberry farms for a start.
Baguio is I think the center of education in the North part of the country because people from neighboring provinces go to the universities like UP Baguio, University of the Cordilleras, St. Louis University and University of Baguio to name a few. I also think the government must give special support to this area cause its like the university belt in Manila. This place suffered so much in the earthquake before and having rebuilt to today they have diamonds in the rough there.
But I guess I was looking for more authenticity and it can't be helped. Roads are needed for development and trade and commerce. Commercialization reigned in the cities and I have been to many cities and they look sound and feel the same. Nah not being negative here, just telling the reality. We need this centers of education, learning and development in every region. I guess there has to be a balance between the old and the new culture. There's twelve regions so I hope the Department of Education is up to the challenge. Of course the main problem is in the Mindanao region. Education, sports and entertainment are the weapons we needed in order for people to have unity there.
