THIRD TIME (I THINK?) IN BAGUIO
just so this entry is also recorded in my LJ.
also, pics (i've already forgotten how to make links here) :
https://www.facebook.com/alexander.fria/media_set?set=a.4866928328829.1073741831.1765934298&type=3
[EDIT]
well shit it became a link on its own :))
---
BAGUIO : 11222014 - 11242014
***
first off, i pirated the last 17 photos in this album from Dale Cortez, because i have a habit of not taking pictures of myself or the people i'm with. i've never taken a selfie, and i never will. what's the point, anyway? :))
***
ARRIVAL
- the trip itself, though it lasted seven hours, wasn't as bad as i imagined. my biggest fear was that i might hear the 'call of nature' - if you know what i mean - somewhere in the middle of two bus stops, or that the restrooms of the bus stops would be so dirty that even if i did hear the said 'call', i wouldn't be able to 'go'. my first fear didn't materialize, so there really was nothing that spoiled the journey for me. also, the two movies that were shown during the 7-hour bus ride made the time fly : 'Bruce Almighty', (one of my all-time favorites), and 'Black Eagle' (a Korean film starring 'my name is Rain'-guy himself, Rain), which was so cheesy and stupid, it was fun.
- glimpsed UP Baguio. i regret not going there, a little.
- the temperature was actually kind of warm, which was puzzling.
- a really nice walk from the bus station to get our bearings.
- ate at a japanese restaurant with passable ramen because we couldn't get into 50's Diner.
- right after, we went to a bamboo instruments museum housed in what looked like a really, really haunted house. i stayed outside... but looking at my friends' photos of the interior made me regret not going in. looked like genuine high-end american colonial period residential interiors in pristine condition!
- after the fairly short jeepney ride, we were stuck for quite a long time at a waiting shed because of the very sudden and very heavy downpour. this was our first real taste of the coldness of baguio - the water was ICE COLD.
- after waiting for what seemed like an eternity (mostly because of the people who were smoking, the obnoxious fuckers), the rain finally started to ease off, so we finally were able to walk to our hotel.
MINESVIEW PARK HOTEL
- ...was nice. no complaints whatsoever, aside from the leaky bidet spray
- at first i was wondering why in hell was there no air conditioning, forgetting, and perhaps underestimating, the fact that i was in the summer capital of the philippines - and it's called that for a reason. i have to say that nights in baguio are about as cold as nights in southern california. which for me is really, really cold, especially because i'm a city person used to the typical urban NCR heat. i had a cold as a result... which eventually worsened to coughing and fever immediately after leaving behind the cool, fresh Baguio air for the polluted environment of Manila.
- good food
- really, really good service!
COOL CARVED DEAD TREE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE HOTEL
- ...was amazing to look at. plus the area around it (and of course the hotel as well) had a nice view.
- also, a dog, who at first seemed to be in the middle of an epic journey as he was trotting along at a good pace, passed us by. it looked weird - it was like a typical pinoy askal, but it was covered with relatively thick fur. could it be that that dog was a representative of the native dog breed of the cordilleras?! anyway, it was cute.
MINESVIEW PARK
- what a letdown. the place is so overrun by stores and vendors that you can barely appreciate the views. plus, the first thing you see when you enter is a huge, very ugly wall painted with a very ugly mural showing what seems to be mountains and trees. the said wall, by the way, conceals a public restroom.
- on the other hand, having lots of stores to go to made canvassing for goods to bring home a whole lot easier.
50's DINER
- ...for dinner. i had a Classic 50's Diner Burger, and it was one of the best i've ever had - very soft, large, nice sesame bun with a thick, perfectly seasoned beef patty - ALL FOR ONE HUNDRED PESOS ONLY!!! FUCK! WHAT A BARGAIN! no wonder the lines were as long as they were. i have to say, i would gladly go back to Baguio just to have another one of those gloriously delicious, unbelievably affordable, near-perfect sandwiches. i actually shed a tear writing this paragraph.
SM BAGUIO
- ah, yes. the much-maligned SM Baguio.
- probably one of the only malls in the country where not having air conditioning actually makes sense
- bought supplies and lots of water. supplies being california maki.
STRAWBERRY FARM
- first thing for the second day
- THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP FOR ME.
- i actually had a cold when i woke up. i found that i was shivering - quite violently at times - because the extra bed i got for myself was provided with only a small, very thin blanket which barely covered me from the chest down to my toes. thankfully i was able to borrow a comforter the next night. anyway...
- just an 11-peso jeepney ride from the city
- while walking from the jeepney stop to the entrance of the farm itself, we came across a sorbetero, who of course promptly offered us his sorbetes. i admit that i hesitated a bit, partly because i was taught in school not to buy street food in urban areas because of the usual assumption that they are unsafe to eat (i should know; i caught UTI from eating kwek-kwek and isaw during my UP days), partly because of the slightly elitist mindset i was exposed to when i was in Ateneo. then i remembered, a) we were in a rural area (plus, i bought mango sorbetes during my three-week stay in marinduque, and it turned out to be the best ice cream i've ever had), and b) only a select few were elitists in Ateneo (i won't mention names; suffice to say, they were what made my life in Ateneo very, very difficult and depressing - and the reason why i was glad when i was forced to leave due to financial reasons. thankfully, i never met any of them again after i left :)) ), and i've never considered myself a true Atenean anyway. also, c) i realized that i was probably wasting my time pondering deep shit triggered by ice cream, which might lead me to ponder even deeper shit, when i could instead enjoy some cool refreshments, right then and there. so i did. ... my goodness. THE BEST ICE CREAM IN THE UNIVERSE. RIGHT UP THERE WITH MARINDUQUE MANGO SORBETES. my second reason for going back to Baguio, i thought, was on a cone in my hands. i had two more.
- strawberry taho. enough said. wait : also, they provide a straw instead of a spoon, which to me was ingenious.
- i also bought three pieces of 'sagada oranges' to give myself a much-needed vitamin c boost. i suspect that that orange vendor ripped me off; i didn't mind because just one piece blasted through my clogged nose, leaving me completely cold-free for the rest of the day.
- it's called 'strawberry farm', but it also had lots of lettuce.
- the strawberries weren't yet in season. i found just a handful in the entire field.
- despite the lack of strawberries, i still had a lot of fun. i just love walking through and looking at and experiencing farms. there's something about rural places that make me feel more alive. i could have probably spent the entirety of our stay in Baguio there and i would still have been contented.
- also, THE AIR. one lungful of that deliciously clean, cool air was enough to completely banish any feeling of weakness or illness. having a small house there is now one of my life-goals.
BAGUIO CITY HALL
- i'm not used to seeing a reasonably clean city hall; here in NCR government buildings are usually covered with dirt and stained with smog. also, the landscaping is genuinely nice, especially because of the sheer variety of the plants used.
CREEPY DOMINICAN MISSION ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN / HILL
- ...was very creepy. the nun and priest cut-outs (which i imagine was put there for fun picture-taking purposes) only made it worse. plus knowing about how it was the base of a certain faith-healer. this, i don't want to see ever again.
- nice views though.
LOURDES GROTTO
- we walked down from the mission to the foot of the stairs leading up to lourdes grotto.
- when we reached the foot of the stairs, me and Gen actually LOL'd. i said, "seryoso? ito lang yung mataas na hagdan?!", foolishly assuming that the first flight of the stair was all of it. in my defense, the rest of it wasn't visible when we were standing there. if only i knew what i was in for...
- probably one of the hardest tests of my cardio-vascular endurance. good thing i'm actually in relatively good shape because of all the exercise i've been doing for the past one and a half months or so (trying to lose a little weight at least... hopefully not in vain :)) ); or else i might have seriously passed out, especially with the thin baguio air and extremely impromptu nature of it.
- luckily, the gate leading into the convent / retreat at the top of the hill / mountain just above the grotto itself was left open for some reason, so we were able to spend some time there. really, really well-kept, pleasant grounds. i liked it so much that i almost wished we were staying there instead of at our hotel.
BURNHAM PARK + IFUGAO PARK (?) + BAGUIO CITY CENTER
- the last time i went here, i was in first-year highschool. that was so long ago, i don't think i even had facial hair back then.
- i remember the road between the park and the soccer field being closed to automobiles before; i rented a bicycle back then. i also remember the place being a whole lot prettier.
- boating was fun, if a bit hazardous because of the instability of the boat itself. can't they have outriggers at least?
- i also remembered that somebody drowned in the park just this year because their boat capsized. this didn't inspire much confidence.
- after that, we walked around in circles. haha!
- oh, and we ate at Volante (pizzeria?). utterly forgettable, except for the place itself, which was relaxing.
GOOD SHEPHERD
- the next day, we woke up early to line up at the gate of Good Shepherd. since most of the pasalubong items seemed to have their logo, we might as well buy the said items at the place where they were manufactured, right?
- obligatory ube jam of course. i also got some strawberry jam and cashew cookies. also, exotic coffee for Pops, a miniature walis for Ma (she asked for it).
- seriously disappointed that the choco-walnut was out of stock!!! even a very sad-face face from me didn't compel the saleslady to uncover her secret stash. I WAS PLANNING ON BUYING A LOT FOR MY OWN PERSONAL CONSUMPTION YOU SHITS!!! :(( dejected would be the right word for what i felt momentarily after i learned that my favorite pasalubong from Baguio was not going home with me.
- settled for 'torta del rey', which is some kind of bread or mamon with lots of cheese on top, and toasted to crunchy-soft, savory-sweet perfection. I REGRET THAT I DIDN'T BUY AT LEAST TEN OF THOSE THINGS!!!
- on the other hand, the grounds of Good Shepherd were so well kept, and so pleasurable to experience and behold, that i think it's actually an attraction all by itself even without the merchandise they're selling. it's far better-looking than the convent on top of Lourdes Grotto. i really wish they'd start offering some form of hostel service. i'd definitely grab the chance to stay there, even with spartan accommodations. the nuns would probably kick me out after the first night after hearing one of my blasphemous jokes, though. :))
THE WAY BACK
- ...was a lot more of a chore than the way to Baguio, even if it lasted an hour LESS. i suddenly remembered all the reasons why i didn't like riding buses for longer than 2 hours, haha!
- seriously, horror movies?! i wanted to punch the driver and bus conductor for being so inconsiderate to old people and people who didn't like scary movies, like me.
- on the bright side, they showed an entire Michael Jackson concert, which was the first time i've ever watched a Michael Jackson concert, which was, surprisingly, AWESOME. weird; very, very weird. but awesome. i loved and LOL'd at the golden hybrid upper-body-tights -plus -T-back-panty that the King of Pop was wearing.
- also, footage showing fans present in the concert who were a) fainting, b) crying, c) going absolutely batshit crazy, EVERY FEW SECONDS OR SO, was a blast :))
---
in short, it was way more fun than i expected. :))
also, pics (i've already forgotten how to make links here) :
https://www.facebook.com/alexander.fria/media_set?set=a.4866928328829.1073741831.1765934298&type=3
[EDIT]
well shit it became a link on its own :))
---
BAGUIO : 11222014 - 11242014
***
first off, i pirated the last 17 photos in this album from Dale Cortez, because i have a habit of not taking pictures of myself or the people i'm with. i've never taken a selfie, and i never will. what's the point, anyway? :))
***
ARRIVAL
- the trip itself, though it lasted seven hours, wasn't as bad as i imagined. my biggest fear was that i might hear the 'call of nature' - if you know what i mean - somewhere in the middle of two bus stops, or that the restrooms of the bus stops would be so dirty that even if i did hear the said 'call', i wouldn't be able to 'go'. my first fear didn't materialize, so there really was nothing that spoiled the journey for me. also, the two movies that were shown during the 7-hour bus ride made the time fly : 'Bruce Almighty', (one of my all-time favorites), and 'Black Eagle' (a Korean film starring 'my name is Rain'-guy himself, Rain), which was so cheesy and stupid, it was fun.
- glimpsed UP Baguio. i regret not going there, a little.
- the temperature was actually kind of warm, which was puzzling.
- a really nice walk from the bus station to get our bearings.
- ate at a japanese restaurant with passable ramen because we couldn't get into 50's Diner.
- right after, we went to a bamboo instruments museum housed in what looked like a really, really haunted house. i stayed outside... but looking at my friends' photos of the interior made me regret not going in. looked like genuine high-end american colonial period residential interiors in pristine condition!
- after the fairly short jeepney ride, we were stuck for quite a long time at a waiting shed because of the very sudden and very heavy downpour. this was our first real taste of the coldness of baguio - the water was ICE COLD.
- after waiting for what seemed like an eternity (mostly because of the people who were smoking, the obnoxious fuckers), the rain finally started to ease off, so we finally were able to walk to our hotel.
MINESVIEW PARK HOTEL
- ...was nice. no complaints whatsoever, aside from the leaky bidet spray
- at first i was wondering why in hell was there no air conditioning, forgetting, and perhaps underestimating, the fact that i was in the summer capital of the philippines - and it's called that for a reason. i have to say that nights in baguio are about as cold as nights in southern california. which for me is really, really cold, especially because i'm a city person used to the typical urban NCR heat. i had a cold as a result... which eventually worsened to coughing and fever immediately after leaving behind the cool, fresh Baguio air for the polluted environment of Manila.
- good food
- really, really good service!
COOL CARVED DEAD TREE RIGHT OUTSIDE THE HOTEL
- ...was amazing to look at. plus the area around it (and of course the hotel as well) had a nice view.
- also, a dog, who at first seemed to be in the middle of an epic journey as he was trotting along at a good pace, passed us by. it looked weird - it was like a typical pinoy askal, but it was covered with relatively thick fur. could it be that that dog was a representative of the native dog breed of the cordilleras?! anyway, it was cute.
MINESVIEW PARK
- what a letdown. the place is so overrun by stores and vendors that you can barely appreciate the views. plus, the first thing you see when you enter is a huge, very ugly wall painted with a very ugly mural showing what seems to be mountains and trees. the said wall, by the way, conceals a public restroom.
- on the other hand, having lots of stores to go to made canvassing for goods to bring home a whole lot easier.
50's DINER
- ...for dinner. i had a Classic 50's Diner Burger, and it was one of the best i've ever had - very soft, large, nice sesame bun with a thick, perfectly seasoned beef patty - ALL FOR ONE HUNDRED PESOS ONLY!!! FUCK! WHAT A BARGAIN! no wonder the lines were as long as they were. i have to say, i would gladly go back to Baguio just to have another one of those gloriously delicious, unbelievably affordable, near-perfect sandwiches. i actually shed a tear writing this paragraph.
SM BAGUIO
- ah, yes. the much-maligned SM Baguio.
- probably one of the only malls in the country where not having air conditioning actually makes sense
- bought supplies and lots of water. supplies being california maki.
STRAWBERRY FARM
- first thing for the second day
- THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP FOR ME.
- i actually had a cold when i woke up. i found that i was shivering - quite violently at times - because the extra bed i got for myself was provided with only a small, very thin blanket which barely covered me from the chest down to my toes. thankfully i was able to borrow a comforter the next night. anyway...
- just an 11-peso jeepney ride from the city
- while walking from the jeepney stop to the entrance of the farm itself, we came across a sorbetero, who of course promptly offered us his sorbetes. i admit that i hesitated a bit, partly because i was taught in school not to buy street food in urban areas because of the usual assumption that they are unsafe to eat (i should know; i caught UTI from eating kwek-kwek and isaw during my UP days), partly because of the slightly elitist mindset i was exposed to when i was in Ateneo. then i remembered, a) we were in a rural area (plus, i bought mango sorbetes during my three-week stay in marinduque, and it turned out to be the best ice cream i've ever had), and b) only a select few were elitists in Ateneo (i won't mention names; suffice to say, they were what made my life in Ateneo very, very difficult and depressing - and the reason why i was glad when i was forced to leave due to financial reasons. thankfully, i never met any of them again after i left :)) ), and i've never considered myself a true Atenean anyway. also, c) i realized that i was probably wasting my time pondering deep shit triggered by ice cream, which might lead me to ponder even deeper shit, when i could instead enjoy some cool refreshments, right then and there. so i did. ... my goodness. THE BEST ICE CREAM IN THE UNIVERSE. RIGHT UP THERE WITH MARINDUQUE MANGO SORBETES. my second reason for going back to Baguio, i thought, was on a cone in my hands. i had two more.
- strawberry taho. enough said. wait : also, they provide a straw instead of a spoon, which to me was ingenious.
- i also bought three pieces of 'sagada oranges' to give myself a much-needed vitamin c boost. i suspect that that orange vendor ripped me off; i didn't mind because just one piece blasted through my clogged nose, leaving me completely cold-free for the rest of the day.
- it's called 'strawberry farm', but it also had lots of lettuce.
- the strawberries weren't yet in season. i found just a handful in the entire field.
- despite the lack of strawberries, i still had a lot of fun. i just love walking through and looking at and experiencing farms. there's something about rural places that make me feel more alive. i could have probably spent the entirety of our stay in Baguio there and i would still have been contented.
- also, THE AIR. one lungful of that deliciously clean, cool air was enough to completely banish any feeling of weakness or illness. having a small house there is now one of my life-goals.
BAGUIO CITY HALL
- i'm not used to seeing a reasonably clean city hall; here in NCR government buildings are usually covered with dirt and stained with smog. also, the landscaping is genuinely nice, especially because of the sheer variety of the plants used.
CREEPY DOMINICAN MISSION ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN / HILL
- ...was very creepy. the nun and priest cut-outs (which i imagine was put there for fun picture-taking purposes) only made it worse. plus knowing about how it was the base of a certain faith-healer. this, i don't want to see ever again.
- nice views though.
LOURDES GROTTO
- we walked down from the mission to the foot of the stairs leading up to lourdes grotto.
- when we reached the foot of the stairs, me and Gen actually LOL'd. i said, "seryoso? ito lang yung mataas na hagdan?!", foolishly assuming that the first flight of the stair was all of it. in my defense, the rest of it wasn't visible when we were standing there. if only i knew what i was in for...
- probably one of the hardest tests of my cardio-vascular endurance. good thing i'm actually in relatively good shape because of all the exercise i've been doing for the past one and a half months or so (trying to lose a little weight at least... hopefully not in vain :)) ); or else i might have seriously passed out, especially with the thin baguio air and extremely impromptu nature of it.
- luckily, the gate leading into the convent / retreat at the top of the hill / mountain just above the grotto itself was left open for some reason, so we were able to spend some time there. really, really well-kept, pleasant grounds. i liked it so much that i almost wished we were staying there instead of at our hotel.
BURNHAM PARK + IFUGAO PARK (?) + BAGUIO CITY CENTER
- the last time i went here, i was in first-year highschool. that was so long ago, i don't think i even had facial hair back then.
- i remember the road between the park and the soccer field being closed to automobiles before; i rented a bicycle back then. i also remember the place being a whole lot prettier.
- boating was fun, if a bit hazardous because of the instability of the boat itself. can't they have outriggers at least?
- i also remembered that somebody drowned in the park just this year because their boat capsized. this didn't inspire much confidence.
- after that, we walked around in circles. haha!
- oh, and we ate at Volante (pizzeria?). utterly forgettable, except for the place itself, which was relaxing.
GOOD SHEPHERD
- the next day, we woke up early to line up at the gate of Good Shepherd. since most of the pasalubong items seemed to have their logo, we might as well buy the said items at the place where they were manufactured, right?
- obligatory ube jam of course. i also got some strawberry jam and cashew cookies. also, exotic coffee for Pops, a miniature walis for Ma (she asked for it).
- seriously disappointed that the choco-walnut was out of stock!!! even a very sad-face face from me didn't compel the saleslady to uncover her secret stash. I WAS PLANNING ON BUYING A LOT FOR MY OWN PERSONAL CONSUMPTION YOU SHITS!!! :(( dejected would be the right word for what i felt momentarily after i learned that my favorite pasalubong from Baguio was not going home with me.
- settled for 'torta del rey', which is some kind of bread or mamon with lots of cheese on top, and toasted to crunchy-soft, savory-sweet perfection. I REGRET THAT I DIDN'T BUY AT LEAST TEN OF THOSE THINGS!!!
- on the other hand, the grounds of Good Shepherd were so well kept, and so pleasurable to experience and behold, that i think it's actually an attraction all by itself even without the merchandise they're selling. it's far better-looking than the convent on top of Lourdes Grotto. i really wish they'd start offering some form of hostel service. i'd definitely grab the chance to stay there, even with spartan accommodations. the nuns would probably kick me out after the first night after hearing one of my blasphemous jokes, though. :))
THE WAY BACK
- ...was a lot more of a chore than the way to Baguio, even if it lasted an hour LESS. i suddenly remembered all the reasons why i didn't like riding buses for longer than 2 hours, haha!
- seriously, horror movies?! i wanted to punch the driver and bus conductor for being so inconsiderate to old people and people who didn't like scary movies, like me.
- on the bright side, they showed an entire Michael Jackson concert, which was the first time i've ever watched a Michael Jackson concert, which was, surprisingly, AWESOME. weird; very, very weird. but awesome. i loved and LOL'd at the golden hybrid upper-body-tights -plus -T-back-panty that the King of Pop was wearing.
- also, footage showing fans present in the concert who were a) fainting, b) crying, c) going absolutely batshit crazy, EVERY FEW SECONDS OR SO, was a blast :))
---
in short, it was way more fun than i expected. :))