Travelogue: Baguio

W e continue the road trip and this particular weekend was very fast paced. We left Manila with the intention of making it to Baguio before dinner.

Cecil has a house at Baguio where we indeed spent the night. I am particularly interested with Baguio for all the news about the landslides and how it was totally cut off from civilization post Ondoy.

The first picture to the (L) was not even Baguio proper. Nasa Kennon road pa lang kami & sites such as this was pretty common. There were a lot of one way roads for
marami talagang landslides. The picture to the (R) showed a portion of the mountains na talagang nag-erode.


I have to be quick with my camera since I would like to capture as many photos as possible. Mabilis din magmaneho si Jojo kaya sinasabayan ko na lang siya. Ahead is one of the pictures I was able to take - parang walang pupuntahan na daan diba? This is how it is because of the zigzag roads.


Here is another picture of the eroding mountains of Baguio. I am not so sure kung pwedeng magka-puno ang mga bundok na ito since these mountains are very rocky. Pero pagtitingnan na mabuti talagang nag-e-erode ang mga ito which could be contributing to those deadly landslides.

At sa wakas nakaabot kami sa tuktok - this is the proverbial "welcome Baguio" pitstop. I kind of felt glad na andito pa rin ang ulo ng lion na ito. This has been the Baguio trademark (aside of course from the parks the everlasting flowers) from way back when.

As we enter the City of Pines, one would notice the drop in temperature. The damp heat of Manila is gone. Naka-sweater na ang mga tao at visible na rin ang fog. Ma-traffic na rin at congested ang mga roads.

We tried to cover the city proper as much as possible before the sunset. We passed through the Panagbenga Park % the Camp John Hay. Parang turista talaga. But for me, this trip was a "look back" to the city which became a part of my adult years.

I've made a couple of trips to Baguio then - either on an official capacity or purely R & R. There is more to the strawberry wine & the palengke food that has caught my attention. Unfortunately, Baguio was cleaner then at hindi masyadong congested. Signs of the times - ika nga. I had a good friend UP days whose father was the governor then. Baguio was the voted #1 destination among us & she gladly shared her abode with us ( and all of its amenities).

The Mansion House ng Pangulo still stood elegantly - well maintained manicured lawns. I wonder how often Gloria frequents this place? Alam ko si Manny Pacquiao was in Baguio for his pre-Cotto training.

I will still be in Baguio on the next entry.