It was six
long years before I got this rare opportunity to return to the Philippines. To
make the most of it, I revisited the Baguio of my youth to once again whiff
that distinct pine scent and breathe that cool Philippine mountain air.
Fortunately, there were two days between the President’s Dinner for UPAA
Awardees on Aug. 14 and the formal Awards Ceremony on Aug. 17.
It’s now so
accessible with just 3.5 hours of driving after the TLEX (Tarlac, Pangasinan,
La Union Expressway) was added to the old NLEX (Norther Luzon Expressway) from QC
to Pampanga. Five BFFs joined my daughter, my eight-year-old grandson, and me.
We rented a 12-seater van cum driver for a little over $300.
The
Trip Up/First Dinner
The
predominantly senior group prioritized food-tripping. Just an hour into our
trip, we stopped at Lakeshore, the last gas stop at the end of NLEX. For only
P299 ( $5) per person, one BFF treated us to a breakfast buffet of Filipino favorites. (see headline photo)
An hour before
Baguio, we stopped at the foothills of the Cordillera Mountain Range. Naguilian,
La Union, was my father’s hometown and is the entrance to the zigzaggy Kennon
Road. Later, the canyon waterfalls gushed for us. But we didn’t stop at the iconic
Lion’s Head, which was swarming with tourists.
We reached
Baguio at lunchtime, so we went straight to the popular Fil-Chinese institution
of good affordable food: Good Taste. We binged on the not-so-crispy pata, a
great lomi, and their bestseller buttered chicken, the treat of another BFF.
Next, we
checked in at the Forest Lodge, the midscale option of Camp John Hay, a
military base for the US Armed Forces until its turnover to the Philippine
government in 1991. The sprawling camp has become a tourist destination with
lodging, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.
The day
ended with a fine dining experience at Hill Station, courtesy of a third BFF. The
popular restaurant is in Casa Vallejo, a pre-WWII structure with a log cabin
interior. We ordered appetizers to start but the combination of paella,
sangria, and canonigo at the end will be long remembered. Â
The
Big Baguio Day
We started
our Big Baguio Day with Filipino favorites and the legendary thick cup of
chocolate at Chocolate de Batirol. It was my turn to treat everyone to this popular
garden-type eatery within the Camp, which is very near our hotel.
After breakfast
we made a nostalgic trip to nearby Teachers’ Camp, a teacher training center
and events venue established in 1907 by Americans and turned over to the
Philippine government in 1988. We inspected a select cottage reserved for upper
management since a BFF’s son is now Undersecretary of the Department of Education.Â
It brought back fond memories of our family summer vacations when my mother was
the Principal of the government-owned Philippine School for the Deaf and the
Blind. She had a week’s use of a standard cottage every year.
The next
stop was Mirador Hill where the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto was established in
the early 1900s. Without a car, my mother always had us climb the 200+ steps to
reach it. This time, however, our van took us up the hill via a narrow zigzag
road. The views of Baguio City from the Grotto are exceptional.
My daughter took
my grandson to Mines View Park to shop for souvenirs and a photo-op with the
Giant Dog. It surprised us to find another Giant Dog at the junction of Wright
Park and the Mansion House. The huge St. Bernard is a nice addition to these
two standard first stops for every Baguio visitor.
Five
kilometers away at the entry to La Trinidad, Benguet where we used to pick
strawberries from the farms is the now famous StoBoSa Valley of Colors. Built-in 2016 by the Tam-awa Villagers, the area of about 150-200 houses has been
transformed into a small version of the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro. StoBoSa is short
for three sitios: Stonehill, Botiwtiw, and Sadjap.
SM Baguio is
part of the SM national chain of supermalls. Although it was opened in 2003, I didn’t
have the chance to see it before I left in mid-2004. It’s located at the upper end
of the main artery of the city Session Road. With its floor-to-ceiling glass
windows overlooking the legendary Burnham Park, Vizco’s was a good place for a
late-light lunch. The Park was where, as a young girl, I helped my father
paddle the swan boats on its man-made lake and rode the play bikes around its
perimeter!
Baguio
Country Club was our next stop to feel its upscale surroundings and bring home
its bakeshop’s famous raisin bread.  Back
at Camp John Hay, we met up with my daughter and grandson who had gone
horseback riding around the Lodge.
Our farewell
dinner was at the Camp John Hay Clubhouse courtesy of a former BIR Commissioner
and friend whose husband was playing in a Camp golf tournament. It was Friday
evening, so there was a band. That occasioned singing and dancing, a great way
to end our short nostalgic stay in Baguio. Â
Last
Breakfast/The Trip Down
The morning
after, the last BFF treated us to a hefty breakfast at Le Chef, the Lodge Diner.
But we had to hurry to leave since we all had to be at the Awards Ceremony at 4
pm. We made it back by 1 pm, with a short burger stop, giving us plenty of
time.Â
I love this trip
I got to do with my BFFs and part of my family. We got to eat a lot of great
food. We didn’t encounter the horrendous traffic I had read about, and
nostalgia was everywhere. The new additions did not distract us from the Baguio
of my youth. Â