Ice cracker solo trip to Baguio

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 The passing of Filipino activist-comedian Tado and other adventurers in the northern Philippine mountains of Bontoc brings a wave of hush and stillness among travelers and other seekers of happiness and life purpose. Those bitten by the travel bug know that any journey comes with the risk of losing a limb, or life. Travels are about arrivals, but they’re also about departures, whether from a place, a comfort zone, a former self, or physical existence. Accidents, however, could be avoided if bus companies such as Florida Transport respect the business of going places and crossing zones, of arriving and departing, through extreme safety measures.

I was in Baguio when the cold reached 11 degrees at night, something I hadn’t experienced, so my voice was shaking when I was telling a cab driver to bring me to Baguio Village Inn at 10pm; my hands were trembling when I picked up a can of pineapple juice, bananas, an apple, and a chocolate bar at a nearby store for my midnight snack, and my body was resisting any fantasy of heat I was fooling my mind to imagine.

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Felt like a wanderer in the woods, stopping by a charming inn, with my horse and pack of clothes

A few friends understand my need to be alone and away once in a while, for this is one of my mechanisms to regain the equilibrium I lose when upset. Upset with the grand scheme of the universe, upset with the system of karmic flow, upset with strange behaviors.

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When I stepped out of Victory Liner, exhaling the fumes I inhaled from Cubao, I felt like hopping on the next bus home, but thought, that’s not cool. It was funny, going solo, trying to be brave, and not being able to bear the cold in the mountains when I got there. It’s like throwing self in Siberia. Or Elsa belting out “Let it go” ending with, the cold frakking bothered me all the way.

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View from second floor lobby, in front of the shared comfort rooms

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Upon entry to the Papemelroti-inspired Inn, I was thankful that the guard opened the door for me and a staff greeted me at the desk – any sign of warmth was welcome, yes.

I paid 350 pesos, took my key, and climbed up the stairs to find my room in a dark alley. It was midnight and only the sound from the highway was ripping the silence. I found a lonely desk, a single bed, and an open window, which seems to have let all heat escape. A perfect prison cell for a writer, I thought, if only there were books. Oh hello, too, I said to the teeny bar of bath soap.

The room was a box of invisible icicles and the bed was a block of ice with mattress. Sleep itself couldn’t stay long so I shifted and rolled and coiled all night, only championing Me vs Cold at around 4am.

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Baguio Village Inn dining area

IMG_6390Because of that evening, my plans to stay for a week melted. I checked out, rode a jeep for 8 pesos, had a hearty breakfast uptown, bought half a kilo of strawberries in the market (P100/kg) in the afternoon, and went back to Quezon City for my daily dose of warm hugs and cheek squeeze.

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breakfast of waffles, soup, garlic bread and hot chocolate at Volante
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Voila, Volante

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The travel down the zigzag was nauseating for sleepless, restless me, but as soon as the bus descended to La Union and I had a fill of steaming noodle soup with generous serving of chicken, egg, and onion springs, I burped all the cold in my body and mind.

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All photos taken using iPhone 4s. Most are post-processed with Lightroom.

The tragedy will certainly not stop the traveler from picking up his backpack, studying his itinerary, and hopping onto a bus. No. The traveler will go on making paths away from the road always taken.

And what of the dead travelers? They will live on, their soul lingering in the mountains, in the winds passing through cracks, sweeping the sea of grasses, while the negligent bus operators suffer law suits.

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Pheebz
Pheebz
8 years ago

Thanks for this! I’d love to stay at this inn!

Cheers!

Chachu
Chachu
8 years ago
Reply to  Ai

Hi how much po lahat nagastos mo? I mean magkano po recommend mong budget for this? hehe been to Baguio last Nov 16, 2014 kaya lang 2 hours lang kami nag stay Sagada trip kasi kami nag focus. thanks! God bless 🙂

Danilo Royol
Danilo Royol
7 years ago

Hi there, I was able to stay at Baguio Village Inn on 2 occasions last year after reading your blog. First was on August 21 Friday after a relaxing 4 hour non-stop trip on Victory Liner First Class but the weather conditions on that day was atrocious due to Typhoon Ineng, after securing my ticket for return trip was able find the place however when I got there power was down as the city was on a blackout but managed to check in, it now costs 400 from 350 but still within the budget. Managed to go around the city… Read more »

Danilo Royol
Danilo Royol
7 years ago
Reply to  Ai

Hi there, I was able to come again to Baguio on the last weekend of August, the weather this time was cloudy with occasional rain and fog but not stormy and its pleasantly cool. The travel time was further cut to 4hrs due to the newly opened exit of TPLEX in Binalonan. Was able to stay again at Baguio Village Inn for 2 nights, it seems that the staff there already knows me and I’ve growned accustomed to them on my 3rd stay there, it has now become a home away from in Baguio. I look forward to return there… Read more »


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