A Perfect Day
Written last 04 March 2007
Today was a perfect Baguio day! It rained just a little, right after high noon, just enough to water the gardens. All the residents are in town for the last day of Session in Bloom, and our guests have left so it’s pretty quiet here at Navy Road. I love the rain, it greens Baguio even more.
The rain may never fall till after sundown.
By eight, the morning fog must disappear.
In short, there’s simply not
A more congenial spot
For happily-ever-aftering than here
In Camelot.
Lyrics from “Camelot”
Maybe they preferred for it to rain at night in Camelot because: (1) They had no umbrellas (2) The horses would be stabled by then (3) There was not much to do at night but eat drink and sleep. Imagine if the Philippines experienced a 10-minute light rainfall everyday right after lunch just to cool everything down, irrigate our agricultural lands without damaging crops, lowering the temperature by at least 1 degree — perfect!
In Baguio, the fog does lift before 8:00 in the morning and comes back at 5:00 in the afternoon, especially after rainfall. In densely forested areas, even early afternoons are misty. Those passing through Marcos Highway pass through heavy fog from sundown to midnight. Kennon Road is hardly ever foggy and has some marvelous waterfalls.
Every afternoon, the residents would rake fallen pine needles and smoke up the gardens. That’s what gives off the smell of pine trees nowadays because so many trees have fallen by natural causes (like earthquakes and landslides) or have been felled through man’s own fault (excessive mining, tree-cutting, building subdivisions with tiny lots). It used to be that the strong smell of pine greeted travelers upon entering Kennon Road.
An 8-year old guest today, Santino, asked his dad why we kept burning the leaves all weekend. I joked and said we do that to (1) make them smell Baguio (2) to drive away the mosquitos that hitched a ride all the way from Manila (3) that it makes the garden more lush.
Baguio before the devastating 1990 earthquake was a virtual heaven on earth. The Philippines’ No. 1 tourist spot, Little America amidst an Igorot Village, beautiful Camp John Hay, quality schools, lots of pine trees, honeymoon town, quaint Session Road promenade, Clean & Green, Cafe Amapola, Romance in the Air.
Today, Baguio is still one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines but it’s definitely not what it was before. But then again, neither is life on earth. The world is so “busy making a living” that we forget the good things in life: family, home, books, friends, honesty, industry, dreams. We plunge into all the latest amusements: mobile phone models, Kris Aquino’s shallow life, electronic games, celebrity gossip.
Yes, Camelot, my boy!
Where once it never rained till after sundown,
By eight a.m. the morning fog had flown…
Don’t let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment that was known
As Camelot.
Lyrics from “Camelot (Reprise)”
Author’s Notes:
I was just reviewing my unpublished posts and found this one, which was heretofore untitled, and maybe that’s why I missed it. But I publish it now because, although the three typhoons have not come as predicted in July, the short thunderstorms we’ve been experiencing recently made me remember how God kept answering my very specific prayers for light showers on Holy Week “. . . just enough to cool Baguio by a few degrees over lunch but not too strong to make Wright Park muddy . . .”
I love Baguio when the sun shines, I love it when it rains, I just love Baguio!
oh how i miss you.
welcome back lisa! enjoyed reading this post from the previous ones that tackle your everyday problems in the NOW BAGUIO. sure next thing you know they have approve the 400M budget for Burnham Park. curfew for adolescents because of rival gangs & frats? …that was unheard of before. times they are a-changing alright. but…like you said Baguio still is a beautiful (foggy)place and i would love to go home to even for just a little while. laters.
hi rose, baguio and i miss you horribly and I’m sorry we lost you to manila — but when you’re 21, intelligent and beautiful, the city of pines does not have much to offer, except marriage and babies. hahaha!
hello joe, you’re welcoming back the lisa who writes only features, not opinion-editorials. hahaha. if you want that side of me, then please visit Go Baguio! instead.
it seems you haven’t come home for quite some time now, when you see what they’re doing to my virtual heaven on earth, you will take to blogging this way, too! in fact, i’m calling on all baguio natives (the ones who know the old baguio) — come home NOW, take charge, see what’s happening today! it’s not too late! the ones here now just know that it’s still RELATIVELY more beautiful than other highly urbanized cities, but as my friend C says, “these people just don’t know any better.”
You know Ate Lisa when we have perfect days here(temperature and humidity), I’d say it’s like Baguio. When strawberries are in season, it’s like Baguio.
As long you know where you are going in Baguio, it’s still beautiful. There are alot of things that have changed but it’s will still feel like home to me.
I love Baguio after the drizzle. Even the air seems fresher, the plants and trees greener. I’m so homesick! I purposely chose my header in my blog because it so reminded me of rainy days in Baguio.
On the contrary Lisa, please do your op-eds on a regular basis. I’m a fan of yours
I’ve seen some effect through the Baguio Web International (yahoo site) … members copying and posting it there. Your friend LP keeps posting them. Reactions? i would love you to join this group and touch base with folks who love Baguio, who still breath Baguio and someday come home to Baguio to retire. Count me in. btw, last time we went home was ‘97…tagal na noh!
17 degrees c at 5am today from 13 degrees maybe two weeks back. summertime but the living ain’t easy. enjoy the summer!
Tina and Chat and Joe,
Sorry I missed out on answering your comments to this post for about 9 months!
Baguio does have weather like no other in the Philippines and I thank God there’s such a place in this tropical country.
For the three of you who once day plan to come home, Resty and I will try to bring the beauty back. Napasubo na si Resty. Hahaha.
Resty,
It is starting to get warmer now. And I do remember having my prayers answered last year for the Perfect Noontime Light Rain.
This year, instead of praying for perfect rain, to lower the temperatures, I think I will pray that all illegally operated jeepneys and taxis disappear from Baguio so it will be cooler and there will be less pollution for all of us to enjoy the Summer Capital of the Philippines better.
Please do that Lisa…our city officials always say they’ll do something about the colorum jeeps and taxis but up to now the situation remains the same.