Navigating Baguio's Tourist Trail

Going to Baguio for the first time twelve years ago as a high school student felt visiting a foreign country. I have never been abroad, though (even to this day) but I never traveled a lot as a kid and to my limited experience the Philippines is Manila and Manila is about the heat, the jeepneys, air pollution, trash and mayhem at night. Baguio, with its uneven topography, pine trees, houses built on mountain slopes, the cold temperature, less jeepneys, less air pollution, less trash and less crime, was someplace else. When I got into mountaineering as an adult, I would visit Baguio only as en entry point to Benguet. And having seen the Mount Pulag and Kibungan, places which had more than just pine trees, Baguio became boring and pale all of sudden. I never thought that Baguio would one day become my main destination until I agreed to join a group of friends who will be spending the long weekend. I was hoping to rekindle the fascination I had with the city more than a decade ago.

Here's a rundown of my Baguio experience:

1. Food tripping can be quite expensive.

Cafe by the Ruins is only a short walking distance from Burnham Park. Ambiance-wise the place is very serene and somewhat bourgeois. The place probably wouldn't be famous for nothing, but unfortunately we missed the good items on the menu and tried the, err,  not-so-good ones instead.

An old stove.

Another interesting piece - a ceiling decor consisting of traditional Cordillera cloth.

Here's what we ordered. A non-salty danggit - so-so. Bread with kesong puti - the bread was too herby. And a plate of fried cassava chips and an oil-drenched bread-ish concoction. For the price we paid, none of these were good. The oil-drenched bread was particularly horrible.

Yet another slightly upscale resto with a similar rugged ambiance as Cafe by the Ruins (pebbled floor, bamboo walls, wooden chairs and tables) is Choco-Late de Batirol, which is nestled somewhere in Camp John Hay. We only tried the hot choco drink I can imagine enjoying it by taking tiny sips on a really cold day. It was hot when we got there.

Choco "dash" late de Batirol.

A beautiful moss-covered concrete structure near Choco-late de Batirol.

Choco-late de Batirol's Choco-late de Batirol, traditional blend, with my notebook and glasses for added effect. The drink was so-so. 

My personal favorite is Green Pepper, a small resto inside a compound of other restos called Ketchup Food Community near Wright Park. I ordered rosemary chicken and every bite of it was heaven.

Second in the list of the dining places I also enjoyed was Kaffeeklatsch, a two-storey bar that serves coffee. Several live band also play throughout the evening. The first floor has your traditional tables and couches and is ideal for large groups. What sets the place apart from other coffee places is its second floor. Its low ceiling and quirky chairs and tables invite an intimate chat between you and your friends.

No, this photo is not inverted. This upside-down cup is actually a lamp. Fancy! 

2. Camp John Hay is the place to be in Baguio. It's no doubt the most manicured portion of the city (there's a golf course and high-end hotel inside), but still rugged enough for the adventure seeker. There's a trail where you can go on a short hike and imagine yourself lost in the middle of a pine tree forest. With the right filter on your camera the place can look Lord of the Rings-ish.

The Manor.

3. Taxis (FX-looking cabs with open windows and NO airconditioning except Baguio's own air) are more ubiquitous than jeepneys. If you're not travelling with a Baguio resident, this may be the only way to go around places. But fear not, for the drivers are honest and will give you  the exact change. Compare that with Manila's taxi drivers who will charge you by the next hundred. Baguio can be hot during noon, which may leave you wanting an actual airconditioning. Good luck if you're behind a smoke-belching vehicle, such as the truck below.

4. There are many parks in Baguio.

Burnham Park in the morning is bursting with activity, with people jogging around the perimeter and simultaneous group exercises (from taebo and zumba to taichi and aerobics).

The guy operating the speakers is steaming ...

... and the bark of this tree, too. I wonder what explains these.

Mines View Park is actually a small viewing deck overlooking Baguio's mountains. I have no idea if the mines are still there.

The Botanical Gardens features different kind of flowering plants and themed structures. It appears that they have been purposely constructed for selfies.

Igorot elderly whom you can pose a picture with for a fee.

A vine-covered walkway.

"Korea"

The Mansion, a short walking distance from the Baguio Botanical Gardens

5. The number one requirement, it seems, for every tourist visiting Baguio is to never leave without buying pasalubong. The best place to shop for ube jam, peanut brittle and lengua de gato is Good Shepherd ... erhm ... Good Shepherd. The prices are supposedly lower than elsewhere in Baguio and part of the proceeds go to charity.

These painted footsteps will surely get you to your destination.

All the stores are pretty organized.

Some stalls and shops (probably not affiliated with Good Shepherd) sell coffee and turmeric.

6. At the Philippine Military Academy, sandos and slippers are of the devil. Don't even think about going there with your toenails and armpits exposed.

7. Don't be the pitiful chance passenger. If you're going to Baguio on a holiday and leaving Baguio on the nearest work day after that holiday, make sure to buy tickets three to five days in advance.

8. If you're the artsy-type, make sure to visit BenCab Museum.

I didn't want to spoil the experience for anyone who wants to visit the museum in the future, so I won't be posting pictures of the displays here. BenCab, is of course, a legendary figure in Philippine contemporary art - probably the most decorated, the highest earning, most famous among any Filipino painter alive today.  If you're an art fan, then the BenCab museum is one place you definitely shouldn't miss. If you'll be visiting the place by cab, expect to be asked for an additional charge because the place is a bit detached from the city proper. According to the museum's website, you can also take a "jeep to Asin from jeepney terminal near Baguio market." BenCab himself was there during our visit, but we were too chicken to ask for a photo with him. And oh, the museum is closed on Mondays.

Back when everybody didn't have a camera, people probably visited museums to "experience" art and conversed about it. At BenCab (and in other museums I've visited), almost everyone is taking selfies and whole shots of individual artworks. The sight of throngs of people inside a small enclosed space, each with cameras focused on an artkwork strikes me as bizarre.

If there is anything that I truly appreciated at the museum, it would be the traditional Cordillera artworks that were also on display. There were also separate galleries for works not by BenCab. I bet few of them would ever reach the God-like stature that BenCab achieved, even if some of them clearly had both vision and talent, perhaps more than BenCab's. While looking at the multi-story museum that bears his name, one can only imagine the good fortune that the practice of art has bestowed upon him - is BenCab's experience an exception among Filipino artists?  In a world where reputation played a crucial role in an artist's profitability, and standards of beauty defied any definition, I will forever look at arts with both interest, bewilderment and skepticism. I came there as an art skeptic, and if I may be honest, I found BenCab's works rather underwhelming. I left the museum with as much skepticism as when I entered. I still found myself asking, what makes art good and what makes a painter good? But that's another story.

9. If you're an Isko/Iska who likes visiting UP campuses like a sort of pilgrimage, be sure to drop by UP Baguio.

UP Baguio's Oble is, err, shinier than that of Diliman.

Outside the Tourist Trail

While on our way home from a failed attempt to visit PMA, I spotted the peak of what looked like Mt. Sto Tomas, with its iconic satellite dishes. Our cab driver offered an P800 trip, but my friends weren't really in the mood to do any hiking, even as I assured them that the trek would only be a short walk (30 minutes, in fact, according to our cab driver). While I certainly can't blame my friends for their lack of enthusiasm to my suggestion, I believe Mt. Sto Tomas offers what most tourist destinations in Baguio don't. Despite the satellite dishes (apparently, there were also cell towers at the peak), Mt. Sto Tomas, being the highest peak in Baguio, offers the most breathtaking view of the city. If you're coming to Baguio and wouldn't mind taking a 30 minute hike, I suggest including this overlooked destination into your itinerary. You can also try kayaking, fishing and rapelling in Ambuklao Dam or visit a gold mine in Itogon, Benguet. I will definitely try all these on my next trip to Baguio.