Oh Baguio!
6 February 2006, 10:15a
I wasn’t able to write sooner about the Baguio trip that Ben and I took a couple of weekends ago (26-29 Jan). We went with some friends of mine (Carrie, Erwin, Genie, Karen, and Terrie) and we stayed at Genie’s house in Brgy South Drive near Camp John Hay. I’ve stayed there before, many years ago, and I thought it was a great house then. Named Balay Turod, it used to be a vacation house of US soldiers from way, way back. Genie said his grandparents (I think) bought the house for something like 60,000 sacks of rice. Kind of weird to think that a house it bought by sacks of rice. But I digress…
Anyway, we left Manila on Thursday (26 Jan) night, around 10p and arrived in Baguio around 4a. Ben slept most of the way through, although there were times when he woke up and stayed up for a bit. Eventually, he fell sound asleep and stayed that way until Baguio . The moment we rolled down the windows, I got a whiff of that indescribable Baguio air that I didn’t realize I have missed for so long. I was so glad to be back.
We got kind of lost looking for the house, because Genie hasn’t been there in five years, and it was dark. The house was even nicer than I remembered it. Maybe because the first time, we spent most of our time going out. This time, we spent quite a bit of time in the house, in front of the fire. Which was nice because the nights were cold, and sitting by the fire just talking or having some drinks and pulutan was relaxing. The vacation was meant for relaxation anyway, and I think all of us pretty much got what we wanted out of that vacation.
We did just a bit of sightseeing. While the girls went shopping at the ukay-ukay, and the guys did their thing, Ben and I went bike riding (he fell off the bike just before our ride ended because he was eager to get off, and that resulted in a couple of gashes), then I let him run loose in the playground at Burnham Park. It’s like you let loose an animal which has been leashed for so long. Oh well, he doesn’t have much to move around in here at home, so whenever he gets to an open space, he just rips. Nice to see him having a lot of fun. He also got to go boating, which he enjoyed.
We had breakfast and dinner at John Hay Saturday. Then on Sunday, we visited Mines View Park (Ben’s ravine below, and his photo with the pinky horse) and Good Shepherd before taking the mandatory stop at the market for vegetables and pasalubong then it’s off to Manila.
So we had a great time, and so did Ben. In fact, he’s been asking me when we’re going to go back. Baguio has changed a lot since I first went there in 1991, and for some people I know, the change has been for the worse. But I guess since I’m not a Baguio regular, I still find the place interesting and enjoyable. The trees alone are enough to draw me back to there. Really. So, when Ben asked when we’re going back, I’m already thinking in my mind about the next trip. Soon, I hope.
