Re-Experiencing Baguio, Summer Capital of the Philippines
My Observation about Baguio's Artist Villages (Ililikha and Tam-Awan), the newly built Igorot Kingdom, Mirador Park, Night Market, Good Shepherd and Botanical Garden
Baguio is known as the summer capital of the Philippines. I’ve gone to Baguio several times when I was younger and it elicited joyful memories. Does it still have its magic touch? My friends and I rode Victory Liner’s sleeper bus and stayed in the nearby Microtel to find out.
Unexpected Warmth
It was hot in Baguio! It was supposed to be cool during February but it was not. Let me clarify what I meant: I was wearing a thin hoodie over my light shirt but I was forced to take it off several times after going up and down the different sites. Even the jeepney driver commented that daytime in Baguio is now warmer. Thankfully, it was cooler during the night and I had to put on my light hoodie. My friends, who were not used to winter, had to use thicker coats.
Where is Session Road?
When we were younger, we used to get off the bus then see Session Road after a short walk. For those who are not familiar with Session Road, it is the main commercial street in Baguio that leads to the marketplace and several transportation terminals. Because we stayed near the bus terminal, we assumed Session Road is near. Wrong! We had to ask for directions before we found it. Later, we realized that the bus station was moved and an SM Mall was constructed in the area. We were confused because our starting point is now different.
Creative versus Man-Made
I was not impressed with the Igorot Stone Kingdom which, according to their Facebook page is, “A modern recreation of a fantasy Igorot Kingdom that was lost thousands of years ago.” It seems soulless compared to the artist villages we stumbled upon. Tam-awan Artist Village , which was a short walk from the stony kingdom, was more refreshing and integrated with nature.
Ililikha Artist’s Watering Hole showcased more creativity. I especially enjoyed exploring their unique theater where rough materials and native wood exuded mystery and excitement even though the place was empty.
Nature Showcased
We climbed a lot of stone stairs when we visited the Mirador Heritage and Eco-Spirituality Park. We were looking for the bamboo grove but was led to other gardens. We had to ask the gardeners and other tourists to find the grove before stumbling into it. Belatedly, I saw a QR Code and downloaded the map below.
We also visited Baguio Botanical Garden which showcased nature by themes. I like the Mirador gardens better.
Marketplaces
A bunch of Baguio pedestrians tried to stop us from crossing the street towards Good Shepherd Mountain Maid Training Center. They were begging us to buy some ube jam for them to sell. You see, Good Shepherd is famous for their ube jams. Many wanted to resell it so they limited the number of jars a person can buy. We ignored the would-be resellers and bought some. I got the ube flakes for 350 pesos, which looked liked violet home-made cookies. Later, we went to the local market to buy goodies to take home and waited for the Harrison Road Midnight Market to start at 9:00 PM. It was only 7:00 PM so we waited at Burnham Park where they were constantly asking us to either ride the boats on the man-made lake or get a massage on the benches. My feet ached so I got some foot massages for less than 500 pesos. We went back to our hotel before midnight to get ready for our night trip back to Manila. Actually, we were able to tour a lot of places even though we only booked one night at the hotel by traveling at night. All in all, the Baguio we knew before is very different from what it is today but it is surprisingly enjoyable and a feast for our eyes. Next, I’ll share our experience with a Baguio restaurant using robots versus ordinary waiters.
Note: My Philippine travel posts continue up to end of 2024. Afterwards, I will switch my focus to educational issues based on my dissertation and classroom experiences.
I will follow a book-in-progress style with some posts exclusively for paid subscribers only. My goals are:
to highlight the Filipino-American relationship in education, specifically about the establishment of special education in the Philippines
to share historical details that I discovered in the DC area that are relatively unknown in the Philippines and the USA which might shed light on why there is a special relationship between the two countries
to introduce Delia Delight Rice, who established the first SPED school in the Philippines, to more educators
to see parallel educational strategies that Ms. Rice did and what resourceful Filipino teachers in the USA are doing to survive in the classroom
My goals might change through time depending on your feedback. If you are not an educator, please refer this online newsletter to others who would be interested in this topic. Thank you for reading and supporting Pilipinas Info.
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