is Baguio City.

In a few hours time, I will be on a bus bound to Baguio: clutching my pink backpack and smiling, looking outside the trails which will forever be familiar to my eyes, tracing the impression of the mountains on the bus window as I recall every single time I shivered in the cold of Baguio, my favorite street lights, and the traffic intersection I used to sit by.

Baguio owns my heart. While I may confuse myself of love for the city, while my love affair for Ortigas is becoming a constant in my life, no place has ever staked my heart the way Baguio does.

I'm coming home for the weekend.

period.



I swear, I prefer being flat broke than being dead beat for time. I've been told that in law school, your currency is time. The more you have of it, the richer you feel. Or something to that effect. I was too duck-waiting-to-be-shot that moment, I forgot the rest of the analogy.

( Not that you don't know it yet: BUT THERE ARE NOW 11 PLANETS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM!! )

I wish I am not missing out on life so much, though. Too many flowers in Session rd in Baguio city, I can't even stop and smell even one of them.

Oh yes, you read that right.

Because surely, that season will steal you heart away. You might argue otherwise, that Panagbenga weekends mean having to walk around Baguio because of the sudden shortage of taxi cabs, or being flat broke because of all those booths in Session Road because of the market encounter, or having the city trashed by mindless tourists who don't know the value of trash cans even if it hit them in the face.

I've been avoiding Panagbenga season ("Panagbehnga"--it's "Pa-nag-buh-nga"! kasjay. ) thanks, chocnut for this one. , that I shun away from multiply albums with photos from that celebration, that i refuse to watch the news talking about the event, because it's heartbreaking to see and know I am missing another Panagbenga season. And I miss Baguio even more knowing this.

Who can forget that during Session road in bloom you learn the direct proportion of crowds, the rain and romance. That during these times, you gain three or four pounds of weight because you pretty much stuff your face with tacos, shawarma, hotdogs and pretty much every street food that God gave to men, yet you are still happy! During these times you wear you heart on your sleeve or your back or your where have yous and understand that henna tattoos are more than just the statement of the week, or during Panagbenga weekends it is nearing my bestfriend's birthday, and two years ago--during Panagbenga weekend--we shared a taxi cab to hurry to UP to pick up good friends because we're celebrating her birthday over pancit and chicken.

Oh, Panagbenga, to me you are perfect.

Today, I know I miss Baguio more than before: all the city streets that never antagonize even in the wee small hours of the morning, the overflowing warm cups of Benguet coffee, the cold and sometimes sharp air, and the warmth of the city that always seem to tell you: you're always welcome here.

I have fallen in love with an entire city. You may not believe it when I tell you. But I do.

Just this evening, on my way home from school, I wondered how it is up there. Is it still as cold? Are the street lights still brighter just after midnight? Has the night sky grown darker still?

How will I know if I'm anywhere near Baguio? A friend replied, It's when you can see the stars.

I can see the stars from where I am now, but I feel small and helpless and far from my beloved city.

(because I might not be able to update as often in the following weeks)

My favorite "tunnel" is featured in the front cover of the Philippine Sunday Inquirer. hooray! And it makes me miss my beloved heart's hometown! and the caption read:

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED. Streams of sunlight between the pillars of the two-lane tunnel on the Marcos Highway create intriguing geometric patterns on the pavement. Constructed and carved out of a mountain slope, the Marcos Highway is one of the three routes that lead to Baguio City. Though it's the longer way, it's more scenic and travel friendly in that it doesn't have the dangerous curves and the sharper zigzags of Kennon and Naguilian Roads.

And as you may already know, I love Baguio City. No matter how far away, or how small, or how cold the city can sometimes get. And, yes, I plan to live there and be one of the best litigation lawyers the region has ever seen. Maybe.

I wish I can go to Baguio one of these days. To see one of my best friends, because Baguio recharges me in a way no other place can do. Maybe I'd include that in my itinerary for sem-break, including Bolinao and Pagudpud?

In other news, I found out today that my crush--one of my biggest crush actually--is a very big geek! A very pretty and smart and wonderful geek! I love geeks! She collects printers as a hobby, got a laminating machine for her high school graduation, scours the National Bookstore, got a professional librarian to catalog her books according to the Dewey Decimal System and studies in Manchester. I LOVE HER! *throws confetti*

(sabi sa inyo may swimming sa Baguio e. technically not in Baguio City though)

Welcome to Palm Grove, Asin Hot Springs. Na hindi naman talaga hot considering na mejo maginaw duon sa lugar.

sobrang hayok na talaga akong lumangoy, since like forever, at ito na ang katuparan ng excitement ko.

Plano na talaga namin ito for a very long time. At considering na mainit na rin naman kasi, it's about time we officially open our (read: his and mine)  summer season.

So we (the boy i hearts) planned to go there one Wednesday morning. Nag-baon kami ng Linguine at marinara sauce (or spaghetti sauce), at mga damit, at 4 liters of water. siyempe, swimsuit at sunblock na din. tapos, chadaaan! hello, swimming. excited na kami!

Walang katao-tao dun sa resort, so we practically had the resort to ourselves. Private pool namin ito. Walang tao, as in, puwera sa very friendly attendants and the like.

Mejo malayo nga lang ang lugar at super barrio ito! 20p ang fare at hanggang 3pm(on weekdays) at 5pm (on weekends) lang ang mga jeep. The jeepney ride is about 35-45 minutes, considering how fast or slow the manong jeepney driver makes his jeepney fly. You had to be passing by several weak-looking bridges, and two long tunnels. PLus the road is very, very dusty. So how do you get there? you take the jeepney from Baguio City (which is parked in front of the Pristine Hardware in Kayang Street), the fare is 20p. Or by private car you take the asin road, and go straight, straight, straight until you pass by two long tunnels, and you won't miss it, it's a practically a barren place and only a few establisments are up.

If you are planning to go there, prepare to spend:
100p/person ang entrance,
200p ang shed, which is good for 10-12 people (or 100p on not-so busy days like that time we went there),
100p ang lock ng mga lockers to protect your belongings, pero refundable naman iyon.
20p ang fare one way (40p round trip).

siyempre hindi pa kasama ang mga pagkain diyan. May coffee shop din duon at store. na mura ang mga tinda parang sa iyong suking tindahan, considering na hindi sila over pricing at resort na sila sa lagay na iyon.

It was one of the best Wednesdays I had in my entire life. Kahit na nag-away kami over sa isang maliit na bagay (read his orgmate and my friend who used to be seeing each other). E, nagbati naman kami. Dahil we hearts each other, ngarud.

So, tara, punta tayo dun!

MORE PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND HERE:


***I'd like to thank our sponsors:
i2i for our eyewear, alanna for folded and hung for Kath's swimwear, eman (his brother) for Abel's swimwear, that pink spf50 sunblock for our sunblock, mr. and ms. quintos for allowing their son to be kidnapped by his girlfriend and Abels' funds, mr and ms leomo for Kath's funds and the like, San Remo and DelMonte for the lunch, and all those we forgot to thank. This wouldn't have been possible without you. *waves like a beauty queen*

parang napaka-rming chlorine ang nainom ko nung tinatype ko itong entry na ito.