And to be reminded what snow was all about...
A few weeks after returning, we bought some maps and a guidebook...
had the motorbike checked, and packed our tiny side bags for a tour of North Luzon - starting with the summer capital of the Philippines: Baguio.
Passing this old lion statue means the long, zigzagging uphill road will soon come to an end, and people with motion sickness can finally rest easy.
Baguio is huge, and getting bigger each day. A friend recommended a resthouse in the outskirts of the city, where it's quiet and less polluted. Our room was very neat, with big windows opening up to a nice view, and the caretaker prepared a good breakfast everyday; but the best thing about being there for almost a week was the weather. As refugees from the heat in Manila, the temperature in Baguio offered us welcome relief. It never got higher than 28 degrees, and at night it went down to about 16 degrees.
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| Outside our window in the morning. |
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| The same view before nightfall. |
We reconnected with a few friends who preferred life up in the clouds.
And we went to the Bencab Museum, which showcased some of the best highland art and artifacts, and interestingly - a room dedicated to erotic art.
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| Ooh la la. |
The museum is tucked next to a nondescript road dotted with unremarkable houses, but behind it was this lush landscape. We kept wishing that Manila had spots like this, havens we could retreat to anytime we were afflicted with the primordial need to disappear into the wild (or be able to sit in the grass, at least). But Mandaluyong (where we lived at the time) has nary a patch of garden, nor two sticks it can bunch together and call a public park. Quel dommage.
And Baguio is a place of imagination. It's no wonder there are more artists here per square meter than any other place in the Philippines. We ate our spaghetti next to a boat in the middle of the busiest city street. Art is everywhere, on walls and under your feet.
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And there is nature, the ultimate work of art. We woke up one morning and rode up the highest point in Baguio to watch the city stir from under its blanket of clouds, while the rays of the sun thrummed through the crags.
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| Good thing we got some coffee from a store nearby. |
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| Her mom gave us some hot water. |
While tourists were taking in the sights at Mines View or Burnham Park, the bike took us to hidden parts of Baguio.
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| Vegetable steps. |
Like the cow farm/seismology lab.
Where we had to jump over some limestone rocks.
So we can have a solitary picnic over a cliff.
Henri first came here in 2008. Let's revisit that...
Much sunnier this time around.
On our next entry, we'll go on the road to our favorite mountain refuge: Sagada.
Love,
Marj and Henri
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