Day 13
Left Baguio for Sagada at 8 am after breakfast of 2 cups rice, 4 toast and 2 teaspoons of jam ;-) courtesy of the hotel. We added our own fruits.
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Monday, March 6, 2006
Day 12
We spent the day looking for alternate lodging and decided to stay at Benguet Pine Tourist Inn as this is our last night in Baguio. Next time we come, we will stay at Starwood Hotel as it is very clean and dorm bed is only PhP 250. Ole carried Shant’s laptop all day and finally got connected with Shant in the evening. We went to Katrin’s place and got her to authograph her book “Kapwa” which we will give to Rebecca when we get to Bacolod.
Today we simply enjoyed strolling and people watching around Baguio City and more gorging on tropical fruits. The photo shows pineapple, mango, guayabano, fragrant bananas, papaya, and the round green one is star apple. That made up our desert after a lunch of noodles and veggies.
Right across from the hotel is Baguio City's orchidarium and it is a nice collection of both orchids and other pretty flowers and greenery, including many familiar varieties like roses, hydrangeas, amaryllis, fuschias, and cacti.
We had hoped to take advantage of the full body massages offered by the local association of blind masseurs today. They spend 90 minutes and it costs $4. Unfortunately, we just did not have time due to the preparing for tomorrow's trip to Sagada. These massages are, however, offered all over the country so we hope to do one later.
RE: Filipino transportation via jeepney (see photo): Jeepneys are locally made privately owned jeeps with a long passenger area in the rear where passengers face each other during transport. It is the quintessential filipino transport mode and we are continually using them. They will stop just about anywhere for discharge or pick up. Usually they are brightly painted and decorated with ornaments and have popular music blaring continuously.
We spent the day looking for alternate lodging and decided to stay at Benguet Pine Tourist Inn as this is our last night in Baguio. Next time we come, we will stay at Starwood Hotel as it is very clean and dorm bed is only PhP 250. Ole carried Shant’s laptop all day and finally got connected with Shant in the evening. We went to Katrin’s place and got her to authograph her book “Kapwa” which we will give to Rebecca when we get to Bacolod.
Today we simply enjoyed strolling and people watching around Baguio City and more gorging on tropical fruits. The photo shows pineapple, mango, guayabano, fragrant bananas, papaya, and the round green one is star apple. That made up our desert after a lunch of noodles and veggies.
Right across from the hotel is Baguio City's orchidarium and it is a nice collection of both orchids and other pretty flowers and greenery, including many familiar varieties like roses, hydrangeas, amaryllis, fuschias, and cacti.
We had hoped to take advantage of the full body massages offered by the local association of blind masseurs today. They spend 90 minutes and it costs $4. Unfortunately, we just did not have time due to the preparing for tomorrow's trip to Sagada. These massages are, however, offered all over the country so we hope to do one later.
RE: Filipino transportation via jeepney (see photo): Jeepneys are locally made privately owned jeeps with a long passenger area in the rear where passengers face each other during transport. It is the quintessential filipino transport mode and we are continually using them. They will stop just about anywhere for discharge or pick up. Usually they are brightly painted and decorated with ornaments and have popular music blaring continuously.
Sunday, March 5, 2006
Day 11
It seems like we've been gone forever, but it's only day 10 of this fantastic journey. We are now lodged at the Benguet Pine Tourist Inn which is right in front of the Burnham Park, the center of Baguio city. It's clean and quiet. It includes breakfast but we're expecting virtually nothing for us vegans because they reportedly serve eggs, ham, sausage and rice only. No veggies or fruits. Before deciding on this place, we had fun checking all kinds of cheap lodgings and came upon some really seedy places, including several where patrons pay by the hour.
Our previous lodging here in Baguio was the loft of the 5th floor of a building called Vocas. The owners have a son who is an artist and you can see in one of the pictures how artful he is. We stayed here free as Shant knows the owner, but we couldn't stay the whole time. We set up a tent in a small space above a restaurant. This place had the balcony overlooking the city center.
Baguio is pretty much the same as any big city here in the Philippines -- crowded. But it is very pleasant as it is pretty high up in the mountains. Ole has been gorging on guayabano (also known as sour sop, a tart fruit like a cross between peaches, guavas and strawberries which cost 15 cents a pound) and pineapple segments, which are 10 cents each. I've been really enjoying papayas, the many different kinds of bananas, chicos and local pastries mainly made of sticky rice, coconut, brown sugar and sesame seeds and rice cakes. Our lunch or dinner would mostly be rice and very lightly stir-fried greens, such as sayote or water cress. We sometimes bring fruits for dessert and the carinderia's (food stall) management does not mind. People here are very accommodating.
Ole has been spending time with Shant teaching him how to use a laptop which we brought for him. Shant is learning fast and they have covered quite a bit including how to do email, browse websites, download programs, etc. We installed open source programs for email, sound recording and editing (Shant is a musician), and chess, Shant's hobby.
We probably will stay in Baguio one more day and then move on deeper into the interior, where the native tribes live. We hope to see some rice terraces and experience village life. I am looking forward to visiting a weaving shop. In the guide book, it says that one can watch the women weave table cloths and napkins, jackets, purses, etc.
It seems like we've been gone forever, but it's only day 10 of this fantastic journey. We are now lodged at the Benguet Pine Tourist Inn which is right in front of the Burnham Park, the center of Baguio city. It's clean and quiet. It includes breakfast but we're expecting virtually nothing for us vegans because they reportedly serve eggs, ham, sausage and rice only. No veggies or fruits. Before deciding on this place, we had fun checking all kinds of cheap lodgings and came upon some really seedy places, including several where patrons pay by the hour.
Our previous lodging here in Baguio was the loft of the 5th floor of a building called Vocas. The owners have a son who is an artist and you can see in one of the pictures how artful he is. We stayed here free as Shant knows the owner, but we couldn't stay the whole time. We set up a tent in a small space above a restaurant. This place had the balcony overlooking the city center.
Baguio is pretty much the same as any big city here in the Philippines -- crowded. But it is very pleasant as it is pretty high up in the mountains. Ole has been gorging on guayabano (also known as sour sop, a tart fruit like a cross between peaches, guavas and strawberries which cost 15 cents a pound) and pineapple segments, which are 10 cents each. I've been really enjoying papayas, the many different kinds of bananas, chicos and local pastries mainly made of sticky rice, coconut, brown sugar and sesame seeds and rice cakes. Our lunch or dinner would mostly be rice and very lightly stir-fried greens, such as sayote or water cress. We sometimes bring fruits for dessert and the carinderia's (food stall) management does not mind. People here are very accommodating.
Ole has been spending time with Shant teaching him how to use a laptop which we brought for him. Shant is learning fast and they have covered quite a bit including how to do email, browse websites, download programs, etc. We installed open source programs for email, sound recording and editing (Shant is a musician), and chess, Shant's hobby.
We probably will stay in Baguio one more day and then move on deeper into the interior, where the native tribes live. We hope to see some rice terraces and experience village life. I am looking forward to visiting a weaving shop. In the guide book, it says that one can watch the women weave table cloths and napkins, jackets, purses, etc.
Saturday, March 4, 2006
Friday, March 3, 2006
Thursday, March 2, 2006
Day 8
We arrived yesterday afternoon in Manila after a one and a half hour flight from Hong Kong. It was really hot after the cold, rainy days we spent in HK. We both shed multiple layers of clothing that we needed there, and were still sweating! I had to put my head band on to catch the sweat.
We immediately proceeded to the bus station and caught a 7 hour ride to Baguio, a small city in the mountains. We met Shant, Maitri's brother, who is a musician and artist there. Here in Baguio, due to the higher elevation, it is quite pleasant. He is working with a group who owns a tall building right in the heart of the city overlooking an amazing view. We stayed in the top floor in a commodious tent in a spare area. However, since we were sleeping on the floor, it was not as comfortable as we would have liked. Today we will get a mattress to make it more comfortable.
We are now just about ready to go visit Shant's friends and have a shower at their place which is nearby.
We have been really fortunate with internet connections on this trip. Hong Kong, which is so high tech and connected, did not surprise us. There we had broadband in the park and on the balcony of all three hotels we stayed at. Here I was not expecting such luck. However, our balcony here overlooks an even more favorable area and our WiFi speed is relatively fast.
We plan to stay here several days before going deeper into the Mountain Province where entire valleys have been terraced with rice paddies, what some have called one of the wonders of the world. Then we will head back to the lowlands and go to the middle of the country to the Visayas to see Maitri's family. Philippines has 7000+ islands so we will be spending a lot of time near the sea and on beaches. With the many mountains, volcanoes, beaches, and warm tropical weather, we hope to have a pleasant and interesting holiday here. The only thing that's a struggle for Maitri is the heavy pollution -- car and cigarettes. As she stepped out of the bus last night, she quickly got a full-blown hay fever. Baguio is having a flower festival and there were festivities on the street with loud music and street vendors.
We will be returning home via San Francisco on April 11 where we have booked a few days in the Green Tortoise hostel downtown. We will be back in Portland on 4/16. I have to be back to work in Portland April 20.
We arrived yesterday afternoon in Manila after a one and a half hour flight from Hong Kong. It was really hot after the cold, rainy days we spent in HK. We both shed multiple layers of clothing that we needed there, and were still sweating! I had to put my head band on to catch the sweat.
We immediately proceeded to the bus station and caught a 7 hour ride to Baguio, a small city in the mountains. We met Shant, Maitri's brother, who is a musician and artist there. Here in Baguio, due to the higher elevation, it is quite pleasant. He is working with a group who owns a tall building right in the heart of the city overlooking an amazing view. We stayed in the top floor in a commodious tent in a spare area. However, since we were sleeping on the floor, it was not as comfortable as we would have liked. Today we will get a mattress to make it more comfortable.
We are now just about ready to go visit Shant's friends and have a shower at their place which is nearby.
We have been really fortunate with internet connections on this trip. Hong Kong, which is so high tech and connected, did not surprise us. There we had broadband in the park and on the balcony of all three hotels we stayed at. Here I was not expecting such luck. However, our balcony here overlooks an even more favorable area and our WiFi speed is relatively fast.
We plan to stay here several days before going deeper into the Mountain Province where entire valleys have been terraced with rice paddies, what some have called one of the wonders of the world. Then we will head back to the lowlands and go to the middle of the country to the Visayas to see Maitri's family. Philippines has 7000+ islands so we will be spending a lot of time near the sea and on beaches. With the many mountains, volcanoes, beaches, and warm tropical weather, we hope to have a pleasant and interesting holiday here. The only thing that's a struggle for Maitri is the heavy pollution -- car and cigarettes. As she stepped out of the bus last night, she quickly got a full-blown hay fever. Baguio is having a flower festival and there were festivities on the street with loud music and street vendors.
We will be returning home via San Francisco on April 11 where we have booked a few days in the Green Tortoise hostel downtown. We will be back in Portland on 4/16. I have to be back to work in Portland April 20.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)