The Drenched Humor of Baguio City, Philippines

Friday, June 10, 2016

Raindrops resonated over the panoramic view of Igorot stairs as the sun was slowly peeking through the clouded mountains. Breathing in buoyant cold Baguio air, I stood on the balcony of our hotel contemplating whether to grab a quick breakfast or go back inside our room and cocoon myself in between soft feather-like-pillows.

My tummy growled and prevailed so I went off for a quick hot shower, then slipped into my androgynous ensemble for my very first stroll at the City of Pines.
We hailed a cab from our hotel, being unfamiliar to the place, we actually had no place in mind to go to. We even had to ask the cab driver for the most recommended restaurants in the vicinity of Camp John Hay. When we stepped out of the cab, we couldn't bring ourselves to consider the nearly empty restaurant. If it were any better, more than two people would have been there, right? "Cut the crap! Don't judge a book by its cover!" my friend scolded me. Reluctantly, I agreed to give it a whirl.
We entered Choco-Late De Batirol. The staff welcomed us and ushered us to our dainty nook. The menu revealed the only local selection of dishes. I asked them to serve us their best-seller breakfast meal: Hot chocolate, Champorado with Tuyo(sweet chocolate rice porridge with salted dried fish), Lugaw (gruel) and Bibingka (rice cake).
 After 20 minutes, our orders were served. The aroma of the hot chocolate when it was laid on the table was promising. I succumb to the rich flavor of our food and finished them in an instant. Raising my white flag, I told my friend "Right, don't judge a book by its cover." He just laughed at me as if I wasn't being sulky a few minutes back.
Though we were tempted to stay and relax a bit longer, we knew our sojourn will be short so we were determined to seize each moment. We left the café and walked through calm, towering pine trees. We really didn't know where to go, so we just kept on walking and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. Then, it drizzled just when I had the chance of taking my OOTD shots.





The city skies were fickle. Weather changes fast, as fast as our footsteps as we walked towards The Manor Hotel. By the time we reached the Manor, the sun was shining brightly and it made me uncomfortable with my outfit. I wanted to take off my blazer, but you know, tiis porma (enduring discomfort for beauty) Ha-ha!
What I was not expecting was the excitement and happiness I felt while standing in the middle of The Manor Hotel. I was like an excited little kid, running around every corner and repeatedly saying "Oh my God!" with my mouth opened in amazement. (Now I remember my chicken dance when we finally reached the Bomod-ok falls after a quite challenging trekking)


The ferocious sun glowered from above which made us crave for ice cream.




Just when we came up to a new plan of exploring more of Camp John Hay, the grey clouds hovered. At first it was just showers but eventually it rained cats and dogs. I thought of walking through the rain, since it had been a while, but we couldn't bear risking our gadgets in a plastic bag. Hence, with much reluctance we returned to our hotel drenched in the weird humor of the City of Pines.




What the!? The second I stepped out of the cab the rain stopped. Really? There were other stuff to see in Camp John Hay which we hadn't had the chance because of the rain. And now it just stopped.

Well, I didn't let that consume my enthusiasm so I changed into something more comfortable then went out to visit Mt. Cloud book shop.




My mood changed right away upon entering the bookshop. It was small, but every nook and cranny was filled with books and small but intricate handicrafts and artwork. The ambiance was classic and simple - my preference for  everything. It is well-curated and relevant like Fully Booked. They have cool stuff like bottle-cap-book mark, paper-bill-wallet, etc. The bookshop is a treasure trove!




After indulging myself in the shop's unique beauty, I decided to call it a day.




On my way back to the hotel, the glory of the sunset crimsoned the sky. The brilliance deepened to glowing purple red, then slowly faded to hazy violet.









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39 comments

  1. I miss Baguio because of this. I am a Filipino and was just back for two weeks last year but did not get the chance to go to Baguio. Last time was 2009!

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    1. Hi Carol! Thank you for reading. :) I had a wonderful time in Baguio. I live in Manila and it was my first sojourn in Baguio, I'm definitely going back! :)

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  2. That breakfast looked so yummy!

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    1. It was Lauren! All Filipino classic dish. :)

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  3. The food looked so yummy and interesting! I would love to try that hot chocolate! What was the consistency like? thick and creamy or watery?

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    1. It may look a bit odd but it really was delicious. The hot chocolate was purely made of cocoa and sugar only, it was thick, the taste was overwhelming though. Thanks for reading Sarah. Xoxo.

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  5. Baguio - what a good place to come back to even if it's not during summer. :) Great photos!

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    1. TRUE!! Thanks for stopping by Odyssa! Xoxo..

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  6. Missing the weather of Baguio. When I come back, I better check the Choco-Late De Batirol.

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    1. The bipolar weather of Manila had me missing my sojourn in Baguio City.

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  7. Nice looking place! I love the random photo of the guys on horses riding by lol. Never heard of Baguio City before, but I hope to visit the Philippines one day, so maybe I'll get to visit!

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    1. I hope you get the chance to visit the Philippines, Carly :)

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  8. The food!! ***drooling*** it made me miss baguio. ����

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    1. Now I miss their hot chocolate. xD Thanks for stopping by Wandercez!

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  9. wow - haven't been to baguio yet but it looks like a wonderful place!

    Sher
    www.shershegoes.com

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  10. Damn it, your shots are too amazing. I live here in Baguio and I never got to appreciate these. So thank you! :D

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  11. Ha-ha! Thanks Jeffrey! Go out more often to appreciate its beauty. I even told my friend that I wanna have my own house in Baguio.

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  12. The food looks delicious! I've never been to Baguio City - one day!

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    1. Don't forget to try it when you get to visit Baguio City. Thanks for reading Ashley!

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  13. What fabulous pictures you've captured! (the cat was my fave!) I was so busy admiring the photos that the article was just a backdrop for them. Looks like a fabulous trip.

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  14. Nice photos, do you mind if I borrow them? I'll always leave a link to your blog. Baguio is really nice, since I've been here all my life :D good people, good places, and most of all good weather.

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    1. Thank you! Yeah, sure! Borrow them and leave credits. :)

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  15. Never been to Baguio but your pictures are telling me to visit soon! Nice post.

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    1. You should, Mike! Thanks for reading :)

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  16. This made me want try the Choco-Late de Batirol and visit the Bookshop next time I visit Baguio.

    I love your photos! <3

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  17. I haven't been in Baguio in years. Truly, reading this makes me think about going back there for a weekend and having a cup of hot chocolate for myself.

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    1. Yeah, the place to be when you just wanna chill and let the good times roll.Thanks for reading Kat :)

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  18. I have awesome memories in Baguio, I travel solo there, and experience traveling with friends.. but what I like the most ---- Food! They have it all and your photos made me want to jump into the plane and go!

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    1. Yes! Food is great and cheap in Baguio. Definitely in my come-back list! :)

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  19. Baguio seems like such a good idea right about now! Manila is too much to handle for me! I have never even been to Baguio, but I can imagine how wonderful and refreshing it must feel! Just a hassle to drive there, but maybe I grt to eat strawberries there why not. Hahaha!

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    1. Maybe you should take a bus instead, so you could relax and sleep while on the road. Once in Baguio, taxi is relatively cheap so you could go around the town easily. :)

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  20. Baguio never loses its beauty. As a local of the City, i'm proud that you've delivered a good read, kuya! :)

    P.S.: What camera did you use? The shots are great! <3

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    1. Thank you, Aldrick! I used a Canon dslr. :)

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  21. I've been to Baguio many times but I have yet to try the batirol. I've been curious about it for the longest time but for some reason, I didn't get a chance to check it out.

    And how come I missed Mt. Cloud. I went to Camp John Hay last time. But then again there are many things that are left unexplored in Baguio so we always a reason to go back.

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    1. I like that, we always have a reason to go back. Thanks Marjorie! :)

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