Celebrating our gifts of life in Baguio (Day 3)

Hearty breakfast at the Le Chef

When I woke up today, I turned 40. Well…technically I was born early in the evening. But that didn’t stop me from going on an early food binge at the Le Chef. I had promised myself that when I had the available (financial) resources I would treat my family at this fancy restaurant at the Manor. With God’s grace, that I did!

It was a smorgasbord of gastronomic delight!

Caution was thrown to the wind as transfat and cholesterol was everywhere I looked. Flowing bacon, cold cuts, sunny side up eggs and butter was top priority in my breakfast agenda. In my eating frenzy, I also have some vague memories of taking some healthy food like greens and some fruits.

A sunny ambiance complements the great food

After the smoke cleared, we were so full that it was obvious a substantial amount of calorie had to be burned. We decided to take a stroll across the Manor’s garden and appreciate the beauty around us. The weather had been relatively sunny that morning which made the promenade extra pleasant around the Manor grounds.

Morning stroll through the romantic Friendship Garden

The grand gazebo overlooks the mountainous terrain of the Cordillera

From the garden we took a hike up the nearby mountainside. At its peek we discovered there was a “living museum”, the so called Camp John Hay Historical Core. Evidently, we had taken a different route up that didn’t pass through the entrance gate which charged a fee for visitors. We promptly paid our fees to avoid any problem and proceeded to look around. Among its attractions that we visited included a different kind of burial ground called the “Cemetery of Negativism”. An American official during the colonial period came up with the idea of burying one’s negative thoughts and attitudes in this forest graveyard.

Visiting an unusual graveyard: The Cemetery of Negativism

Another attraction was the Bell House which high ranking American generals used as residence in Baguio. The structure gave a picture of the relative opulence the colonials enjoyed in Camp John Hay during the early part of the 20th century.

The Bell House used to be the residence of the military generals during the
American colonial period…

…and this would be one of their bedrooms

An amphitheater and an eco-trail were close by but because we didn’t have much time anymore we decided to spend the rest of the morning at the old playground of the Camp.

Camp John Hay Forest Cabins area has now been closed to the public. This was the area before you reached the U.S. Ambassador’s residence which was off-limits too from the start.

Thankfully, the old playground is still there.

Mini-golf anyone?

The kids and I tried out the Mini-golf course for the very first time. It was actually a duel between Joshua and Sonny with me as scorer. However, the mini-golf area as well as most of this decrepit side of the Camp requires a much needed face lift if it wants to survive the threatening commercialization inside Camp John Hay.

My wife couldn’t pass on the opportunity to give a chocolaty treat at the Batirol but I had already set my sights on the bump car ride at the adjacent Amusement Center. So while they were drinking chocolate, Joshua and I were “burning rubber” so to speak.

I remember Joshua crying his heart out last night, not wanting to leave Baguio anymore. He probably thought we could live in this unit inside the Manor, that his parents could work in the city and he and his brothers could transfer school somewhere. Of course if we had the financial means, it was quite possible but considering our circumstances, highly improbable.

As we later took the 2:00 p.m. Victory Bus back to Manila, Joshua had to be contented with the promise that we will be back to this memorable place. Everyone had to be. Our trips to Baguio are slowly but surely becoming a part of family tradition. The hope that we’ll be back in the future is always something greatly to look forward to.

A very memorable stay in Baguio

I may have spent a fortune on this vacation but my family’s joy, laughter and the memories we bring home far outweigh its value in gold.

Thank you Lord for the blissful experiences and the new memories…

Thank you Lord for the gift of our lives!