28 March Baguio (northern Luzon)
A strange sound came at first light, and
that turned out to be the first rainfall I had experienced on this visit to the
Philippines! The airport taxi driver showed up at 6 a.m., though I had to wait
awhile for a couple also going to the airport to get their things together. A
20-kilometer meandering drive northwest brought us to Basuanga’s Francisco B.
Reyes Airport, where I easily checked in for the 8:55 a.m. PAL Express Flight PR
2962 to Manila. I had gone for the cheapest fare, which included 10kg for my bag
and 7kg for the carry-on daypack plus an optional fee of 250 php to score a
window seat on the front left to take in the views. It’s rare for me to fly a
turboprop plane, and this was my first time on a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400.
We took off over the coast, climbed through clouds, then turned north over the
vast blue Mindoro Strait. Two tiny Apo Islands came into view along with their
vast coral reefs, said to have some of the best diving in the Philippines and a
popular destination for liveaboards. Next the plane flew over the northwest
corner of Mindoro Island with views of Lubang, Golo, and Ambil Islands farther
northwest. Lastly the route went over farmlands, hills, wetlands, and the coast
of Luzon. The air became hazier as we neared Manila, but I could see Corregidor
Island—the famed American World War II fortress—out in Manila Bay, then the
skyscrapers of Manila. The scenic flight took one hour and reached an altitude
of about 6,160 meters and a top speed of about 640 kilometers per hour.
At Manila’s airport, my checked bag soon arrived and I got a metered taxi for
the short, though traffic-clogged, expressway ride to the Victory Lines bus
terminal in Pasay. A bus to Baguio would be leaving in just 30 minutes at 11
a.m., and I got a ticket with senior discount at 504 php for a seat in front.
This was a regular air-conditioned bus with 2x2 seating, though there are also
luxury buses with 2x1 seating and more legroom, but I didn’t wish to wait for
one of these. Before leaving I got a pair of donuts at a Mister Donut stand, an
incredibly popular institution in the Philippines. A terribly violent movie
began playing on the bus just before departure, and I pointed this out to the
driver, who changed the program to a silly variety show. Our route north took
expressways and soon we left Manila behind and rolled across the plains. The bus
made three 15-minute stops, which felt just right. The last leg of the journey
began a long slow climb into the mountains, and the bus often got stuck behind
barely creeping trucks. Rain began falling in the heights, then the sun came out
on the twisting highway as we crested the ridge and descended to central Baguio.
The huge city spreads out across the hills, giving it the nicknames “Summer
Capital of the Philippines” and “City of Pines.” Average elevation is 1,540
meters with lots of ups and downs when traveling around town. The Spanish
established a rancheria here in the 19th century, then the town took off in the
early 1900s when the Americans occupied the Philippines after the
Spanish-American War and made Baguio their summer capital. Today one sees lots
of young people because of the several universities here.
After arrival
at about 5 p.m., I caught a taxi for the short ride to my Airbnb accommodations
in the Dangwa Terminal Building. My modest apartment cost a bargain $27.34 for
two nights and had three small bedrooms upstairs then the bathroom and kitchen
downstairs. It’s in the heart of Baguio with many restaurants, the greenery of
Burnham Park, and several museums within walking distance. Vans and buses to
destinations farther north use Dangwa Terminal Building, so I can get onward
transportation here. There’s a restaurant just across the hall from my
apartment, but I went outside to the nearby and very popular Chinese-Filipino
Good Taste Restaurant for a tofu and vegetables with rice dish plus a Lipton
tea. As last night, I squeezed three calamansi fruits on my food and tea.
29 March Baguio (northern Luzon)
Clouds filled the sky all day, but no rain
fell. I took it easy in the morning and had a chop suey breakfast—similar to
last night’s dinner—at the restaurant across the hall from my room. After
catching up on journal writing, I headed through the busy central market area
packed with restaurants, fruit stalls, and shops of all kinds. This brought me
to Burnham Park for a wander among the rose garden’s small blooms, then along
the lake where people venture out on swan and dinosaur pedal boats. A short
climb led to Baguio Museum, where the main floor has extensive exhibits on life
of the mountain tribes including detailed dioramas, gods, guardians, crafts, and
even a mummy lying in a wooden coffin. Upstairs exhibits illustrate the history
of Baguio with many old photos and stories about notable people. I also enjoyed
a textile exhibition in a nearby tourist office building; women do most of the
weaving in the mountain villages and mostly use backstrap looms to create
attractive designs for blankets and festive clothing.
I then headed to
SM Baguio Mall, set high on a ridge, and took escalators to the terrace on the
top floor for a fine panorama of town. After grocery shopping at the
supermarket, I headed to Session Road for the unusual vegetarian restaurant Oh
My Gulay, an impressively large and wacky art project with wooden sculptures of
mountain peoples and paintings by local artists. Food is very good too, and I
went with a Bandiland Pula (mountain rice, vegetables, tofu, and Mongolian sauce
topped by an omelet) plus a Caesar salad and a lemonade. A short walk took me
back to my Airbnb.
30 March KM 47 Paoay, Atok, Bonglo (northern Luzon)
Partly cloudy skies let in a lot of sunshine, especially at midday. In the
morning I bought a bus ticket downstairs at Dangwa Terminal Building for a ride
into the hills north of Baguio to visit Vivian, my pen pal since my first visit
in the Philippines way back in January 1982. I was cycling the tough hill climbs
north of Baguio, then stopped at a village and asked about a place to stay. No
guesthouses were in the area, but a family invited me to stay the night. A young
woman of the family began corresponding with me—we used pens back in those
days—and we have kept in touch ever since! I again met up with Vivian in 2019
when I returned to the Philippines for an extensive tour of the country on
Bessie Too the Bicycle,
www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/PhilippinesRide2019. We also got together in
March 2020, just before the Philippines closed down due to Covid-19. And today I
was headed to her mountain home for another visit.
I swung by Good Taste
Restaurant for their tasty tofu and vegetables plus rice, one of the few
vegetarian items on the menu. After a bit of grocery shopping for Vivian I
packed up, then boarded the bus, conveniently leaving from Dangwa Terminal
Building. The bus ticket cost just 105 php, but seats are packed with 3x2
seating and barely enough legroom, though OK for this short ride. The bus fired
up and left shortly after 10:30 a.m., then made a slow crawl through heavy
traffic of Baguio and neighboring administration town of Trinidad. Finally the
bus reached the green countryside and began a long climb up a ridge. I enjoyed
the scenery from my window seat as the bus rolled up and down the ridges with
ever more dramatic views.
I got off at Vivian’s village of Bonglo, set
high on a hillside at an elevation of 2,100 meters, and found my way to her
home. We caught up on life while the noise of power tools rang out from the back
terrace. Men were busily crafting a pine-wood coffin in preparation for a
funeral service that would begin tomorrow. Vivian has a daughter and grandkids
in the U.S.A. and now is single. She lives with her elderly parents, both very
frail and requiring considerable care. And she is very active with her church,
community, and extended family. Vivian is also a good cook and fixed lunch and
dinner, first a special diet for her parents, then food for us. Most of the
people here are Igarot, and farmers grow vegetables and flowers in terraced
fields as the elevation is too high for rice. In the afternoon I went for a walk
along the highway, enjoying views across the vast haze-filled valley below and
high green mountains all around. Clouds atmospherically curled over the ridge
above. Vivian enjoys watching health and other videos on her phone, but has to
be patient with the erratic wi-fi that frequently cuts out. I couldn’t get any
internet on my phone, which had worked well in other parts of the Philippines.
Another inconvenience is weak water pressure, too low today to take a shower.
31 March KM 47 Paoay, Atok, Bonglo (northern Luzon)
Bright sunshine
poured in during the morning, but the lights went out for a pig. A group of men
butchered the animal on a terrace behind the houses, then laid it atop a bed of
large leaves to carve it into large chunks. Most of the flesh went into a huge
pan over a wood fire. Some of the pork went on a grill while the cleaned
intestines got stuffed to make sausage. Family members of all ages gathered for
a big lunch of rice and pork, plus a cucumber-tomato salad made by Vivian.
Additional pig meat called “watwat” went into bags for guests to bring home.
This was actually the two-year death anniversary for the deceased man, who
had been cremated and kept in an urn in a temporary concrete shrine behind the
family houses. Today his family set up the newly made coffin, put in a cloth
liner, carefully spread the ashes on the cloth, laid a shirt and pants on top of
the ashes, folded the cloth over, added more clothing, then fastened the coffin
lid with two wooden pegs. Next men placed the coffin in an above-ground concrete
tomb on a terrace just behind the houses and sealed the door. Some of the family
kept a vigil for hours afterward with two candles burning in front of the tomb.
The shrine, no longer needed, got knocked down.
I took it easy during
the afternoon and went for a short walk. The scenery and challenge of the
mountains attract cyclists, and I saw two road cyclists speed past. A little
bakery “Painted House” next to the church makes great Choco Oatbars, and I
bought three packages during my stay. Vivian fixed my favorite meal, locally
grown mixed veggies over rice. More friends and family of the deceased man
arrived in the afternoon to attend tomorrow’s memorial service.
1 April
KM 47 Paoay, Atok, Bonglo (northern Luzon)
A brilliant sun rose over the
distant mountain range. As usual, clouds built up over the day as moisture-laden
air moved over the mountains from the sea to the west. Loud squeals rang out in
the early morning air as three more pigs successively met their demise. The men
say a prayer and try kill the pigs as painlessly as possible, but I felt sorry
for the animals. As yesterday, the men efficiently carved up the pigs and put
big chunks of flesh into boiling cauldrons of water on a terrace behind the
houses, then grilled small slices for breakfast. Sausage-makers got to work as
well.
The deceased man had converted to Catholicism, so a priest came to
lead a service and communion in a room of a house, though it was too small for
everyone to come inside. The service had a mix of languages— the national
Tagalog, the regional Ilocano, the local language Kankana-ey, plus a few hymns
sung in English. A fellow on guitar provided accompaniment. The service
concluded outside in front of the tomb with the priest sprinkling holy water on
it.
I joined Vivian and several other women for lunch of pancit (noodles
with bits of vegetables) plus rice and huge pieces of pork, though most of the
meat went into bags to take home. Oddly I do nearly all my chatting here with
the women, who are more outgoing than the men, perhaps because the woman are
more comfortable speaking English. The men are friendly but mostly keep to
themselves, then often engage in drinking sessions toward the end of the day
that I definitely wouldn’t wish to join. Today the men kept drinking, talking,
and playing cards until around midnight, though Vivian strongly disapproves of
gambling.
2 April KM 47 Paoay, Atok, Bonglo (northern Luzon) (Palm
Sunday)
On this sunny Sunday morning I fixed my own breakfast with things I
had brought from Baguio—granola, yogurt, bread with Vivian’s strawberry jam, and
hot chocolate. I wished to visit the village’s new sight—Liyang Rustic Upcycle
Eco Park—a huge garden bursting with colorful flowers of many kinds along with
decorative plants. (The ‘Upcycle’ in the name refers to old vehicles that have
been incorporated into the landscaping and trails.) A young woman signed me in
(100 php adult, 80 php senior, 50 php children), then led me along the
flowerbeds, as tours are compulsory for safety. She knew names of most of the
plants, some familiar to me and many new. Visitors get free tastings of ripe
fruit such as strawberries, tomatillos, and passion fruit. I asked to take the
optional trail that climbs a steep rough path into pine trees in the highest
part of the park, where many of the plants—including orchids and a pitcher
plant—have been growing before establishment of the Eco Park. This upper part
also has fine panoramas of the village, fields, the huge valley below, and
distant mountains. Back in the lower area we passed a potato field, which I
assume helps pay for garden maintenance. Along the way I met a group of
Filipinos who had attended the funeral. The gardens—more info on its Facebook
page—have great beauty and I recommend a visit if you come this way!
I
stepped inside the church, which had a Sunday school in progress. The pastor
came over to say hello and invited me to the “divine church service” that begins
at 10:30 a.m. and I attended. Vivian was too busy this morning to attend church,
but the pastor and two other church members came to the house to offer communion
to Vivian’s parents, who are too infirm to attend regular services.
Vivian and others commented that they had their fill of pork during the funeral,
so we dined on chicken drumsticks, kale, and rice for lunch, then in the evening
for dinner she whipped up a smooth potato salad. As a child, Vivian said she had
learned cooking and other homemaking skills from her mother.
3 April
Baguio (Holy Monday)
Haze—said to be from forest fires—filled the valleys
below Bonglo on this partly cloudy day. I didn’t encounter any precipitation,
but Vivian reported a hard rain, which made the farmers happy as they are
planting seeds. Sadly the time to depart the village had arrived, and after
breakfast I took photos of the family and said final goodbyes. Vivian waited
with me at the bus stop across the road until a van headed for Baguio stopped
and I got on. Vans tend to go faster than buses and cost more (200 php), but I
was glad to get a ride despite the lack of legroom. Again I enjoyed the
spectacular mountain scenery of this vertical world until we reached the
outskirts of Baguio and traffic slowed to the usual crawl. Unlike a bus, the van
went all the way to the center of Baguio and conveniently dropped me off near
Burnham Park. I walked uphill to Session Road and climbed the many stairs to Oh
My Gulay restaurant, where I went with a Tandang Sora Parmigiana (breaded
eggplant in red sauce over whole wheat bread) followed by a Manggang Sariwa
(crepe stuffed with ripe mango and topped with vanilla ice cream). Attempts to
find a room on Airbnb didn’t work out, nor was anything especially promising on
Booking.com and Agoda. Instead I walked to Hotel 45 Extension near the upper end
of Session Road and got a simple and inexpensive room (1250 php) for two
nights—just what I was looking for—and the rate includes a simple breakfast.
Getting online with my phone and computer felt great after the very poor
connections in Bonglo. I caught up on e-mails, news, and planning the weeks
ahead. Now I’m booked for a few nights in Bangkok, a bus and boat to Koh Tao in
South Thailand for a week of scuba diving, a hotel in Koh Tao, 26 nights in
Bangkok, then on May 16 a ticket to Paris for a cycling adventure in France!
4 April Baguio (Holy Tuesday)
On a partly cloudy day I started with the
hotel’s free breakfast, to which I added a yogurt and hot chocolate, then went
for a walk around the center. I dropped off my laundry, then headed to the
Victory Liner bus station to get a ticket for the trip to Manila tomorrow. I had
hoped to visit Museo Kordilyera, but the museum had closed for inventory. I took
a taxi across town to SLU Museum of Igorot Cultures & Arts, but it had closed
for the big Easter Week holiday. (I had visited both museums three years ago and
liked the collections.) I swung by Ili-Likha Artists Village—a group of small
cafes with wacky décor, wood carvings, and colorful tile floors—and had a snack
of cheese sticks and a lassi. Next I walked to Burham Park, busy with people
relaxing for a picnic, boating on the lake, or renting a variety of pedal cycles
for a spin around car-free roads in the park. I had a look at the colorful
Orchidarium—a group of commercial nurseries—to see the colorful flowers and
plants of many kinds. Lastly I did a bit of shopping and picked up laundry
before retiring to my hotel room. Instead of going out for dinner I had snacks
including four mangosteens—my favorite fruit—that had come from the far south of
the Philippines.