Baguio

I've been to Baguio a couple times before especially when I was a kid and I could clearly remember the moment when my cousins and I were ecstatically blowing deep breathes to the air as to produce that foggy breath you see in the movies - especially snowy winters. Hilarious.

I took this photo one afternoon while my friends and I were touring the city. The streets were literally crowded. Tourists along with the citizens filled the cool city wandering around like there's no other place anymore. You can really feel the fiesta drawing nearer with the suggesting ambiance the place had. Afer all, it's the annual Panagbenga Festival.

Finally, after years, I've returned to Baguio. Since I'm already mature (?), I have greatly appreciated the place. Unlike before, I wasn't really free to do the things I wanna do in the city because I was with the whole family or I was still young to be alone in an unfamiliar city. Another thing, I also realized that strawberries can't/shouldn't be carried around for too long because they are easily squished. No wonder why they don't reach other places in the country. And they're expensive.

Here is a small list about why I love Baguio:

(1) As we all know it, the Philippines is a tropical country and there are only a few places here wherein the temperature isn't warm, or lukewarm, or hot. Therefore, I love Baguio because it's cool there. The coolness is just right. Enough to keep you cool when there's sunlight or if it's noon and not too cold to make you freeze. Well, I think night time's an exception because if you're not used to cold weather like me, you'll freeze to death if you loiter at Camp John Hay at night.

(2) The place is rich in culture and tradition. Even if it's a highly urbanized city, you can still feel the culture that they uphold. The Ifugao culture is present almost everywhere.

(3) There are so many talented people in Baguio. I discovered that there are a lot of artists in the city. My friends and I went to this park I forgot the name, and there's this wide exhibit of different artworks. They're awesome. The masterpieces reflect Baguio's way of life and natural creativity.

(4) The food is great. I have tried a lot of corn (the real corn, not the processed ones) snacks in malls and all that but those huge corns sold at the sidewalks of Baguio are really delicious. They're the biggest corns I have ever eaten, with butter and salt, I can eat a whole corn field. And of course, uniquely Baguio, they have Strawberry taho. I don't really eat taho but with strawberries and strawberry syrup, it's just something you don't wanna miss.

(5) The scenery is awesome. My photograph above is just one of the so many examples. It's like when you see them, you just want yourself stuck there, wishing that the setting would never change. It's just overwhelming in itself. Not only does the scenery make you feel amazed, it also makes you realize that so many wonderful things in life does not come in a silver platter. It usually comes naturally.

(6) There are many things that you just won't experience if you're not there. A few examples would be fresh strawberries, fresh cauliflowers, constant coolness, extensively cheap garments, pink horses, houses built on a steep mountain with a "wow-ing" view, and I can go on forever.

Perhaps the reason why I love the cold so much is because when it is, I feel cold. And if I feel cold, I want somebody to make me feel warm. For me, feeling warm when it's cold is one of the best feelings in life. Especially when you know somebody else is doing it for you.