When I was searching through my old Blogs I found this one I wrote in 2015 about Baguio which I visited in 2011...
Did I tell you I was scared of heights? Did I tell you I do not like rain?
So imagine my fear when a few days before my trip by Victory Liner coach to one of the highest towns in the Philippines, Baguio, there was torrential rain and part of the road (and the local waste tip) was washed away with several people killed. The only thing in my favour was that I did not have a window seat and it was dark as we made the slow journey up to Baguio! It was even scarier when we came back down a few days later and it was in daylight!
However the fact that I have included it as one of my travel blogs is testament to how much I enjoyed my time there, and why it is a very popular destination among Filipinos, especially the young. They call it the “Summer Capital” as when it is very hot and humid in Manila the air is cool in Baguio due to the altitude. When I was planning my trip I asked my friend Coco, who is from Baguio, where was the best place to stay bearing in mind I was traveling by coach and he recommended the Microtel, which is right above the Coach station.
My Kuya Coco from Baguio and Vin from Vigan , in Bahrain at Seef Mall
I have used Microtel ever since for my trips to the Philippines in Boracay and Palawan and I am delighted to see the chain won an award this year for the best budget chain in the world- very well deserved!
Baguio market
For those of you who do not know the city here is the Background from Wikipedia:
“Baguio, officially the City of Baguio and often referred to as Baguio City, is a highly urbanized city located in the province of Benguet in northern Luzon island of the Philippines. The city has become the center of business and commerce as well as the center of education in the entire Northern Luzon thereby becoming the seat of government of the Cordillera Administrative Region (C.A.R.). According to the 2010 census, Baguio City has a population of 318,676. Furthermore, The city of Baguio is rich in natural geosciences materials such as platinum, molybdenum, and quintorium
Baguio City was established by the Americans as a hill station in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway. It was the United States' only hill station in Asia. The name of the city is derived from the Ibaloi word bagiw meaning 'moss.' The Ibaloi is the indigenous language in the Benguet Region,. The city is situated at an altitude of approximately 1,540 meters (5,050 feet) in the Luzon tropical pine forests ecoregion conducive for the growth of mossy plants and orchids.
Because of its cool climate, Baguio City was designated by the Philippine Commission as the "Summer Capital" of the Philippines on June 1, 1903 wherein the government was transferred to city to escape the lowland heat during summer.
Walking back to Baguio from Camp John Haigh
The lovely thing about Baguio is it is easy to walk around and there are many beautiful gardens, forests, golf courses and the American Hill Station (Camp John Haigh) to visit. This is now a Hotel and conference centre but you still see old Americans riding around on horseback and it’s easy to imagine how it was “back in the day!”
Wikipedia tells us that “When the United States took possession of the Philippines after the Spanish–American War, Baguio was selected to become the summer capital of the Philippine Islands. Governor-General William Taft on his first visit in 1901, noted the "air as bracing as Adirondacks or Murray Bay ... temperature this hottest month in the Philippines on my cottage porch at three in the afternoon sixty-eight."
In 1903, Filipino, Japanese and Chinese workers were hired to build Kennon Road, the first road directly connecting Baguio with the lowlands of Pangasinan. Before this, the only road to Benguet was Marcos Highway, and it was largely a horse trail at higher elevations.
The Americans declared Baguio the "Winter Capital of the Philippines" on July 1, 1903. Every year between March and June, the entire American government transferred operations to Baguio to escape Manila's summer heat, a practice abolished in 1913 when Governor-General Francis B. Harrison took office. Mansion House was built to become the residence of the Governor-General, while in 1904 the rest of the city was planned out by the American architect Daniel Burnham, one of the earliest successful modern city planners. On September 1, 1909 Baguio was declared a chartered city, the second after the City of Manila, and the period after saw further development of Baguio with the construction of Wright Park in honor of Governor-General Luke E. Wright, Burnham Park in honour of Burnham, Governor Pack Road, and Session Road.”
Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baguio
I have great memories of Burnham Park which I visited during the rain- there is a boating lake and a man tried to persuade me to hire a boat- I declined on the basis that I was already wet enough! We found shelter in the indoor market and it was amazing to see the Jeepneys loaded with vegetables and other produce. I managed to get a great picture of the brightly coloured family run buses which I had enlarged and canvas mounted and it hangs on my wall at home as a happy memory of my many trips to the Philippines.( see the top of this blog)
When the sun came out we had a taxi to Camp John Haigh and walked back across the Burnham golf course to the town the scenery and views were stunning. The walk from the steps of the City Hall is also very energizing! Another highlight was the variety of bins for Recycling and the many paths and walkways around the city, most of which involve climbing steps- you certainly keep fit in Baguio! (Maybe that’s why Coco is so slim!). When I was in Baguio I saw Manny Pacquiao training, running up and down the roads with his entourage. There are many places to look out on the beautiful countryside around the City. There are many beautiful and historic buildings to visit like the Cathedral.
I hope you enjoyed the Blog from Baguio- and if you have not been before it is well worth a visit. You can get a luxury Victory Liner coach there which travels nonstop down the highway as there is a toilet and hostess serving drinks and snacks ( Sky Flakes!) on board. It is also a good way to see the countryside . If, unlike me , you can keep your eyes open on the way to and from Baguio you will see some fantastic views!
Until the next time this is the British Kabayan signing out
Baguio Cathedral, in the distance
Ingat Palagi, Mahal Kita, Kita Kits....
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Hello, I am The British Kabayan! Feel free to read my stories.
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