Lakad Pilipinas

No, I will not ride that little surfboard thing. I told my friends as we watched C and M balance above the artificial waves created by Crown Regency Resort’s Wave Rider. Hollering and laughing as they did, they look like they were all having so much fun that after a few more prodding, I myself was riding on the board, wobbly legs and all.

LOVE THE MODERN TROPICAL ARCHITECTURE OF CROWN REGENCY RESORT

It was the weekend, and after the much expected delays at Manila’s airport, we were soon heading through the lonely evening roads of Aklan and on to a speedboat en route to the Philippines’ party island, Boracay. Our lodging of choice this time, Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center.

The rain poured as we alighted from our van, transferring from the nearby Cocoon Boutique Hotel to Hive, their sister hotel. We were on the second day of our QC staycation and the latter was gonna be hosting our stay for the next 24 hours. The two are actually just walking distance away but they were very generous and insistent on providing a van for us and our bags—we willingly obliged, of course, lol.

HIVE HOTEL’S FUNKY LOBBY ~ PHOTO BY BLISSFULGURO

Hive Hotel’s lobby is a mix of contemporary modernism interspersed with funky adornments. On one corner stands a tall bookcase painted in bright oranges and filled with travel books. On another, bare white walls are made more interesting with old wooden planks and circular metal flourishes. And finally, the furniture; over-the-top retro with its seventies inspired forms and colors. Coolness!

Baguio City has been called a lot of things; the City of Pines, the Summer Capital of the Philippines. But what it is, really, is my favorite city in the Philippines.

It is arguably the hub of tourism in Luzon, especially during the month-long festivities of the Panagbenga Festival. It has the best thrift shopping places with its ukay-ukay stores. A food trip paradise with its numerous restaurants. And a weekend-getaway haven, with its numerous tourist spots and general accessibility from Metro Manila. Its year-round cool and temperate weather only adds to its charm as a tourist destination.

I know I’m not alone in nominating Baguio City as their favorite city, but if you’re still unconvinced, here’s a travel guide to convert you to become a certified Baguio Junkie.

One of the things I make sure I never miss during my Baguio travels is their delicious garlic longganisa. I dream about it during the six-hour bus ride. I make a breakfast of it when I arrive. I eat it on cheap carinderia for lunch. I dine on it on posh restaurants for dinner. And more importantly, I bring it back home with me after the trip.

BAGUIO’S DE RECADO AND JAMONADO LONGGANISA

Apparently, Baguio’s very own longganisa has two versions. Most people are aware of the garlic one, the de recado type as they refer to it, but they also have a sweet one, the jamonado version. While I prefer the former, I haven’t really tried the latter that much.

Boom. The force of an exploding dynamite inside a dark and claustrophobic old gold mine isn’t really what you wanted to experience during a tour. But there it was, its strong shockwave still reverberating through our whole being as we removed our hands from our ear and checked our limbs if they were still complete.

A SCULPTURE DEDICATED TO THE MINERS OF BALATOC

Our day started mundanely enough. From our suite at the Azalea Residences Baguio, we went down to the restaurant for the requisite buffet breakfast—Baguio longganisa, check—before boarding a van to the nearby town of Itogon, still in the province of Benguet.

Baguio City has the perfect weather for al fresco dining. But it’s even more perfect for outdoor drinking. Before discovering 108 Session Road Café, Bohemian Café was our go to place when we wanted a bucket of beer in the City of Pines.

BOHEMIAN CAFE’S AL FRESCO AREA

Located at the corner of Lower Assumption and Session Road, its setting is perfect for people watching. We’d usually sit ourselves on its outermost wooden table, almost kissing the sidewalk, before ordering our favorite drink. The street intersecting Session Road is busy enough for an entertaining afternoon session. And yes, we usually frequent this place during the daytime, 108 Session Road Café being still closed during those hours.

During one of our trips to Baguio about a couple of years back, we hunted the city for a budget hotel we could crash into after going through the mountains of Banaue and Sagada. We checked the net en route to the City of Pines but we really need not have looked far, as right across SM Baguio, along one of the main thoroughfares of the city, is Hotel 45.

The hotel is quite prominent along Baguio’s chaotic skyline. You can easily see its billboard when going to Session Road. I have long since read about this place’s affordability, but haven’t really tried their rooms since they almost always were fully booked. I guess that’s a testament to how cheap their lodgings really area.

Session Road has always been special to me. I love walking along its covered chilly sidewalk, dodging both locals and tourists garbed in sweaters, boots and bonnets. I love the many shops and restaurants inside both new and old buildings. I love how during rainy Baguio days, we’d hole up on a second floor veranda of a certain bar and simply watch the passing cars along its slick roadways, beer in hand, stories passed around.

That certain bar, 108 Session Road Café, is located at the old La Azotea building, the same one where celebrated filmmaker, Kidlat Tahimik’s quirky Oh My Gulay! can be found. But we go here, not for OMG’s leafy offerings, but for a few hours of beer and acoustic music.