Much needed Vacation before going to US (Baguio)

It has been 4 years since my family and I went to Baguio and my son, Rocky was only 5 then. We want him to experience Baguio now he is 9. He may be able to appreciate more the climate and the attractions in Baguio.

We stayed at Hotel Supreme along Magsaysay Road. I liked the hotel since it's new and our room was big and spacious. It's near Trinidad Valley where you can buy Baguio's very cheap vegetables.

Four years ago, SM wasn't built yet but now SM is one of the tourist attaractions in Baguio. The SM mall here is different since it doesn't require air conditioning and there is a balcony where you can see the beauty of Baguio City but the boutiques are the same as those in SM malls, Manila. I saw a lot of teenage Koreans when we were at SM..Koreans have invaded Baguio..whoaaa.

We went to Fort del Pilar or what we call the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). It is the only Philippine military school where our finest soldiers and generals studied. There are several places of interest here in PMA. After registering at the gateway, you shall pass by the Cadet's Circle where one can see a big rendition of the parade paraphernalia, symbol of a cadet officer. We stopped by the Relics Point where several tanks and cannons are displayed. Father and son had so much fun at the Relics Point as if they have used these tanks and cannons for real but they were only talking about the computer game Battle Field. After which we walked around and saw other relics of planes and guns. I liked the Sundial and am amused by sundials - how the shadow of the sun tells the time..based on the tradition in PMA, the cadets of Alpha company has the honor of keeping the brass parts of this sundial clean and shiny. I want to show my son that there is a special school for soldiers and that good soldiers went to school, too...he might consider in enrolling here in the future.

Next, we went to Camp John Hay which is originally an American base and was turned over to the Philippine government last July 1991. It has been improved since...well the Baguio government tried to improve it..they built the Manor hotel, maintained the golf course, the parks, Mile-Hi recreation center, the minigolf course..well I missed the 19th Tee restaurant, a famous restaurant where golfers dine after their 18th hole..My lola used to bring us here everytime we visit her in Baguio. Father and son played at the mini golf course while i tally their score for them.

"When in Baguio, one cannot miss Mines View," I said to Dennis, my husband. I believe it is a tradition to go to Mines View and pass by Wright Park, famous for the horse rides. You can still view the mountain ranges but one can ask where the trees have gone??? There are now numerous souvenir shops around the park selling items such as Baguio woodcarvings, Narda's woven cloths, the Baguio cardigans, famous ashtrays with phallic symbols, different brands of peanut brittle, famous Baguio "kulangot", trinkets, Baguio t-shirts, etc.

Burnham Park, famous for their lagoon where you can enjoy "boating" and famous for "biking," is our last stop before we retire for the evening. I liked the boat ride everytime we tried this. We had so much fun bumping to other boats, laughing together with other boat riders attempting to paddle around the man-made lagoon. Here is where one can have food trip on street food...grilled corn, indian mangoes, dirty ice cream, hot boiled peanuts, fish and squid balls,... Rocky also enjoyed the playground..

Another well-known long landmark that means Baguio is Kennon Road. We went back to Manila via Kennon Road where the big Lion head can be seen as you go down the lowland. It is not only the shortest route to and from Baguio but also most scenic. There is a point in Kennon Road where you can see the long and winding road down the lowland. I used to get dizzy going up and down Kennon Road but now I enjoy seeing the mountain ranges, small waterfalls, the fog, the shadow of the sun that slices the mountain from dark to light...And as you go near the path to the lowlands, you would miss Baguio immediately, its cool climate, the people, the tradition, the fun...

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