Baguio Insider

Here we go again! First they want to set up a flea market, albeit a temporary one, to ‘uglify’ Burnham Park and give the street hawkers and itinerant vendors a ‘home’ using an area of the park considered ‘idle land.’ Helloooo — parks are supposed to be idle. Like nothing on them except benches, and the occasional activity. That’s the reason for their existence — to give us some peace and quiet and allow us to breathe. Why are our government officials so eager to stuff crappy-looking businesses into it? As if the eateries there, including the restaurants on either side are not decrepit enough.

(more…)

We had a guest over the Easter weekend who wanted to go to Kabayan, Benguet and explore Baguio City before attending a seminar in San Fernando, La Union. When Ian showed me his Lonely Planet map, I immediately noticed that it was near the highest point of the Philippine Highway System on Halsema Road in the Cordillera Mountain Range. So I knew it was just a few hours away from Baguio and that a day trip was possible. What I did not know was that it is the location of the Fire Mummies of the Philippines. (more…)

Although visitor volume figures aren’t in yet, judging from the bumper-to-bumper traffic on almost all major roads in Baguio, especially Leonard Wood Road (connecting Session Road to Mine’s View Park — with Wright Park, the Mansion, Botanical Garden, Teachers Camp, Baguio Country Club and Camp John Hay, etc. in between), all I can say is that Baguio is back as the favorite Holy Week destination in Luzon.

And the weather cooperated very nicely, too! April showers were just right: two minute drizzles enough to cool the city down by a few degrees and get rid of the dust but light enought not to make Baguio muddy (important for the horseback riding areas). It was cool enough at night to light up the fireplaces for that “total Baguio experience.”

(more…)

Visitors to Baguio’s premier horseback riding area, Wright Park Riding Circle, are usually surprised to see a white pony with a shock of pink hair, or sometimes a brown one with a bright orange mane. In recent years, the Pony Boys, experts in giving little kids their most memorable first pony ride, have learned that children prefer white horses (thinking they’re “nicer,” i.e. “more mabait,” than the brown ones) and to make them even more attractive, have taken to dying their hair or puttiing a little pink paper flower on their hair. Don’t worry, the hair dye does no damage to the horse.

(more…)