Sunday, April 13, 2014

Travel Journals from the Past: Baguio

November 2000
13 years old


I watched in awe as we drove by the majestic mountains, hairy with the numerous greens rooted on their scalp.  And as I gazed up, fog blanketed the summit.  It was Christmas Eve at Baguio City, a city in Northern Luzon, Benguet Province.  Baguio, known as the City of Pines is the chief mountain resort and the summer capital of the Philippines.  The car stopped and I realized that we had already arrived at our accommodation.  As I stepped out of the car, I could feel needles of cold piercing my skin.  Shivering slightly at the coolness of the atmosphere, I breathe in the beauty of this place, its serenity.  As I stepped into one of the finely-built log cabins, I admired the blooming flowers that exquisitely colored the landscape.

My empty stomach groaned as my eyes drifted on the table of mouth-watering foods from Baguio.  Normally, I would never eat dishes such as carrots, lettuce and other vegetables.  However, vegetables of Baguio were different.  They tasted scrumptious.  From strawberries to asparagus to home-made preserves.....these food from Baguio were incredibly tasty.

Although I could hardly find a mall or a place to shop in Baguio, I never found myself bored.  Every morning, we trotted along the peaceful street and enjoyed the zephyr that gusts by.  Then, during mid-afternoon, after horseback riding, we would just drive around the mountains and pleasure ourselves with the breath-taking landscape.  When evening comes, we either warmed ourselves near the fireplace or sat outside the patio.  The fresh atmosphere and clean earth of Baguio never did fail to amaze me.