Manila, I/m back
Slight chill wind blows my face as I’d realized that I’m in heaven called Baguio with my beloved Kim, Baguio, a little city on top of the hills in northern Philippines in the Benguet District is very marvelous city to go in the beautiful Phillipines.
Looking back, we’re planned this trip on April 2008, when we realize that something wrong with our relationship and we decided this trip is to find something meaningful through this journey.
And now here I am, sitting on the jet plane flying back to Manila on July 2th midnight, after passing some custom clearance, looking for the meeting point where we can meet up, in my wallet, I have enough Peso for my trip this time, not like the last trip that I’ve got bullied by Philippines Policeman (see manila..Oh…manila, on October 2007), now, I’m ready to challenge them, hehe.
Thanks to My Cell phone Excelcom that have (now) roaming services in Phillipines, I can text Kim outside the Airport.
As I waiting, a policemen approach me
“What can I do for u sir? Are u in trouble?” he asked me
“Oh no, no problem. I’ve got a lift right away”
this guy maybe want to bully me again, my paranoid thought of this policemen raises my wallet defense system, (to all readers, not all Phillipines policemen were corrupt like that, don’t get carried away and be paranoid of them if you guys go to Phillipines)
So then, I meet with Kim in the front of the arrival gate and we both go to her apartment.
Manila changed a lot since I visited this country last year, I see some highway development around, but still the poverty and this country’s oil problems creates highest inflation rate since 14 years, this 11,4 percent inflation in June causes high prices for rice and other materials, the most important things is rice, its average about 30-50 peso per kilos and that make this country suffered because Phillipines is importing rice from overseas.
Well well, this government have a lot to do for this country’s people.
I take a rest first, and we go to Baguio city the first day in the morning, we’re using Victory Liners, one of the major bus services in Manila or maybe Phillipines, just like Big Bird in Indonesia, this bus has a nice services, its 24 hours services, cleanliness, on schedule and fast, and a nice amount of money for about 440 Peso per person (1 peso = 230 rupiah) we can directly go to Baguio, it takes about 5-6 hours and 3 times rest for the journey to Baguio city. As we suggest that an amount of 5000 – 10000 Pesos is enough for the trip, but to you backpackers, about 3000-5000 peso will be all right for a short trip.
“We Move People Better Safer” is the slogan of this company, this red, yellow and white colored bus originally name is Victory Joe, founded in 1945 when a pre war mechanic name Jose I, Hernandez collected bits and pieces of machinery, metals and spare parts abandoned from US Military vehicles and build delivery truck for his family’s business. He is surprised that these vehicles turned to be more like a bus than a delivery truck when he finished one.
This discovery leads to wonderful 700 or more busses nowadays that currently are serving provincial operation.
There are several bus lines linking Baguio with Manila and Central Luzon, and provinces such as Pangasinan, La Union, and those in the Ilocos region. Most transportation companies also offer express and air-conditioned buses at a much higher fare, though some minibuses offer cheaper fares.
Bus services that ply Baguio include Philippine Rabbit, Dangwa Tranco, Dagupan Bus, Victory Liner, Partas, Genesis, Saulog Transit,and Greenland, as well as minibuses that come from other provinces.
The first thing that me and Kimmy suggest that if you want to go to Baguio is don’t sleep, most people sleep during a long journey, but if you are patient enough, you can see the beautiful mountain scenery of Baguio city, I think Puncak in West Java is a little bit crowded and not well organized than Baguio city.
The City of is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines.in the provice of Benguet she is also the seat of government of the Cordillera Administrative Region, Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway. Baguio City was designated by the Philippine Commission as the Summer Capital of the Philippines on June 1, 1903 and incorporated as a city by the Philippine Assembly on September 1,
According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 252,386 in 52,302 households (wikipedia)
You can also use plane to travel here, for about 50 minutes fly from Manila using Asian Spirit, you can land in Loakan Airport in the south of the city, 20 minutes by car, this airport serve only small aircraft only and have Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday to and from Manila, scheduled only in the morning, as visibility approaches zero in afternoons when fog starts to form.
We travel thorough Kennon road from Manila, as I mention before, its about 6 hours travel and 3 stops (250 Km distance)
We arrived about 3 PM in the afternoon, this city reminds me of Bandung, capital city of west java, development everywhere around here, and they have major investment from South Korea, no wonder you’ll find many people from Korea here, as Kim told me, they came to Phillipines to study English because it’s a lot cheaper in here besides investment, of course.
In the bus station, a man with white hair (I just remember pak Boko in Jakarta when I see this guy) approach us and we asked him where is the best room for staying around. And this guy, later on we know his name is Mario (just like Nintendo game) drive us to this place called TUVERA inn
We’re staying at TUVERA inn near DPS Compound near Baguio bus station, and for about 600 Peso per night, we stay in a standard, no TV and hot/cold shower because a price of 800 Peso might not too economic for us, we can still use a hot water for bathing anyway, because the toilets is just in front of our room.
This guy, Mario offered his service to take us around for 1700 Peso, so we deal with this guy because we don’t know this place much, later on we find that it’s cheaper when we travel using taxi than using this guy.
We going to SM (major often found malls in Baguio City to take a walk and photo of a wonderful sunset, we experienced a light earthquake in this place.
Oh yeah, try some of the Phillipines snacks such as Takuyaki Balls, a meat,vegetables wrapped in such balls like meatball, but its not meat just like a wheat made balls..
After we buy some bottled water to save cost, we had dinner in Buddha vegetarian stalls near SM market on the basement mall. Preparing for a chill, cold night we might handle.
Session Street, Session Street might be the most crowded street in Baguio City. Most of the trade and store activities
When we’re finished and pay the bills (on us, of course), some parade is held here in Session street, I think its Phillipines – American Friendship days, we all know that Americans once build military base here in Baguio, after the war this military base change to a resort named Camp John Hay, named after an American soldiers who invest here in Baguio
First we go to Lourdes Grotto and Mirador Hill, I think its like a sacred place for Catholic believers, it located on top of the hills with aa big Mother Marry and Jesus statue, we’d also see some of the Igorots old lady waiting for a tourist to be photograph with them, it cost about 10 peso for a shot with those lady, Kim takes a video of me dancing with those lady, funny enough to see it, but its not funny when some of the old lady is already exhausted when we are dancing
After that, we go to Tam Awam, a local tourist site for The Igorots Culture, u can see their Carvings, Houses, culture, beautiful paintings, and else
We also bought some CD that contain Igorots Reggae music, its very interesting though also some rice wine, Strawberry wine and other traditional alcohol drink that makes me remind of tuak in Indonesia,
After taking a tour around in the Baguio, don’t miss some Chinese Influence in the land. We go to the Bell Church Temple , Bell Church? Yes… it’s Chinese temple with the name Bell Church on it
Although there’s no Church Bell, but the place is similar to a Church, there’s many chair like u found one In the church but the difference is I see a Kwan Im statue in the front, a mixed culture between Chinese, Tao and Christianism.
There’s also 2 large pond of Blossomed lotus in the front of the temple, we want to climb to the top of Bell Church Temple’s hill, but its closed, so better next time.. if we had a chance to go here again
End of part one..



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