One of my earliest visits to Baguio was not a pleasant one. I was a young cub reporter covering the aftermath of the disastrous July 1990 earthquake where more than 400 people died. I remembered that it took forever to reach the city because the major highways were closed. Session Road looked like a picture of devastation and most pitiful of all was the Hyatt Hotel ( also the site of a casino) which crumbled like dominoes and buried scores of people. The stench of death was clearly palpable above ground where we were and heard stories of who tried to escape, who died and who lived. I did have a picture but I was too sad to keep it.
It’s now nearly 20 years and there’s no longer a sign of that tragedy in Baguio, except horrific memories perhaps. Visiting Baguio this first week of January with my loved ones, I felt safe in the arms of Mother Nature. The Baguio climate in January is just lovely. Erase that: it is the best. For those of us who are tired of the humidity in Manila, the cool weather (below 20 degrees Celsius) provides a welcome respite.
We devoted a full day in the lovely confines of Camp John Hay with its tall pine trees and greenery. A portion of it is absolutely posh (because the rich have vacation houses inside the camp). However, Camp John Hay is also one great public park and you could while your time away here having a picnic and renting a table for just P100, going for bikes and games at the arcade, outlet shopping, hiking, eating and doing a sundry other things.
Chocolate de Batirol is a nature-inspired coffeeshop inside Camp John Hay’s Scout Hill Area. A must-try is of course their native cups of hot chocolate in different flavors. Mr. Z and I had the traditional blend and the Baguio blend which tastes more like strawberry. Too bad we had a full lunch so we weren’t able to try their native desserts like the bibingka, turron de langka and suman sa lihia. Still, Chocolate Batirol proved to be a cozy chill out place even though it is small, with plants, vines and artworks all over. Other hang outs in John Hay include Cantinetta, the House of Waffles, Mile Hi Diner, Starbucks, Carlo’s Pizza, Dencio’s, Hotshots, Brothers Burger and the outstanding Le Chef at the Manor.
There’s a mini Statue of Liberty in John Hay…you just have to know where to find it!, originally uploaded by annalyn.
One can’t go to Baguio and not visit the public market! This place boasts of fresh veggies from Benguet, handicrafts galore for tourists, and other interesting items for foodies. Popular pasalubongs include strawberry jam, lengua de gato, and chocolate flakes., originally uploaded by annalyn.
My first trip to Baguio was in 1989 when we went up Mt. Sto Tomas. I remember feeling some magic in the air, going to the market looking at jewelry, flowers, etc. My next and last trip up was in 2001 and I was awed by how much development has happened. There were a lot of stores selling ukay ukay. Mines View Park seemed crowded at the time. I’d like to go back and explore John Hay, eat some of the raisin bread, savor the cool mountain air.
Hi Em. It has been a long time since your last visit pala – about time you go there again. Mines View is still crowded, but there are many things to be explored in the city now.