The siren call of Baguio

1.The "sweater weather" and nippy air, where pullovers and warm woolen scarves, gloves and beret complete the snazzy picture.

2.The thick fog makes inhaling and exhaling a fun solo game as I watch the patterns that my breath makes.

3.The heady scent of pine trees wafting around - believe it or not, there are still huge patches and long stretches of pine stands in Baguio - reminds me of the beautiful Christmas season.

4.Oh, the endearing spectacular flowers of Baguio that bloom year round everywhere and are not limited only to parks, public and private gardens or even nurseries. The flora are bigger and  have more vibrant hues.

5.The walking trails in Camp John Hay, Teachers Camp, the Baguio Botanical Gardens to name but a few, allow me to contemplate many of life's mysteries.

6. Consciously follow your heart and head towards the peaceful monasteries and convents where one may meditate and perhaps find oneself.

7.The Baguio Country Club with its Old World patina. Seemingly frozen in time, it draws us in like a magnet and has remained a home away from home. Its iconic verandah is an idyllic place to bond with family and friends. The raisin bread and the banana loaf are delicacies we never seem to tire of and are also much awaited pasalubongs.

8.Camp John Hay, the former US Air Force rest and recreation facility, features a world-class competition golf course as well as hotels, shopping and convention centers. Much has changed but its pine tree-lined roads, lovely landscape, quaint cottages and wide open spaces have remained. It is still the best place to walk and drive around in, as it still gives more than a distinct sensation of how Baguio used to be.

9.Camp John Hay Manor Hotel. A stately resort where one experiences the serenity of being cocooned in a vast preserve that also replicates the feel of the familiar. The welcoming lobby with its fireplace and intimate piano bar, easily makes one forget the city and all its stressors. The food is excellent and service is beyond reproach. The bakeshop with its wide range of breads, cookies, cakes, dips and other products is another must visit before heading back home.

10.Le Chef at The Manor bears the unmistakable stamp of the Billy King who has successfully developed its menu that includes a whole range from continental fare to classic favorites. I am proud to be his friend, and he never fails with yet another obra maestro from his busy kitchen. People I know drive up to Baguio just to savor his meals. Try to meet him, for this can really be one of the highlights of your trip.

11. When you visit Hill Station at the historic Casa Vallejo, have a chat with its charming and vivacious Chef-patron Mitos Benitez Yñiguez.  Its homey vibe belies the painstaking effort she has put into what Hill Station is all about. Blending the flavors of Asia's hill stations with the tastes of Old World Europe and New World America, the menu includes never-tried-before  tapas, a spinach and mushroom ravioli on a bed of pumpkin puree and Malagos blue cheese, and crispy duck flakes with laing sa gata accompanied by mountain rice. My favorite desserts include the unforgettable Death by Chocolate and homemade ice cream in the following flavors: Benguet Coffee with Chocolate Chips, Vanilla Cinnamon and Avocado with Jalapeno.

12.Vicky Tinio Clemente's Mama's Table is the ideal place to celebrate milestones, especially when one has the time, as she spares no effort to grant guests that singular experience—a degustacion like no other in her beautiful home surrounded by mountains. Reservations are a must with a desired minimum number of diners.

13. The Ketchup Food Community is a unique fun, al fresco food stop that has grown into five distinct restos, which allow customers to hop from one to the next, to sample various dishes and yet have the purchases totaled in one bill and presented at the last stop. The outlets are the Happy Tummy with Thai food and vegetarian fare; Green Pepper, whose specialties are salads, pastas and steaks; Rumah Sate, serves up a smattering of Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine; Canto, which offers tender, juicy lomo ribs; and Rancho Norte, traditional Filipino comfort food.

14.The Philippine Military Academy at Fort Gregorio del Pilar. Get a glimpse of the training of the future leaders of the various branches of the Armed Forces and its time-honored rites.  Explore the PMA grounds, the vintage tanks and other historical military weapons. Watch the cadets at their drills in precise formation marching to a rhythm that has remained unchanged since it was founded in 1936. Don't miss the PMA Museum for interesting arcana and perhaps find answers to such interesting questions like: How big are the rooms shared by the cadets? What are mealtimes like? How many graduates has it produced? Who has earned the most decorations? Where have the class barons gone? And who is the class goat who became a Chief of Staff?

15.The Bencab Museum, with its vast and fascinating terrain, is certainly one of my favorites. It houses not only the National Artist's works but also his very extensive collection of installation art, the works of Filipino masters and contemporary artists, as well as those of upcoming painters and sculptors. It also features his vast collection of indigenous Cordillera art. The place proudly speaks volumes about this versatile, multi-faceted and talented man.

Take a respite at Café Sabel, enjoy the garden with a duck pond, the organic farm with an aviary of local and imported fowl, plus a mini-forest with an eco-trail. Souvenir items, art books, paper products, wood carvings and textiles are on sale at the museum shop. They make desirable gifts for any occasion.

16.Greg Sabado. If you have to beg, steal or borrow, by all means try to wrangle an invitation to this furniture designer and antique collector's home filled with a wide array of priceless carvings and baskets. Don't forget to peek into the shop nearby.  Even with the ban on logging, he continues to produce  such treasures from pieces that would usually be deemed as useless, say, to be thrown away, those that have been "marred" by nature or "ravaged" by time and yet artistically transformed by his deft hands.

17.Narda Capuyan's shop. This gifted Bontoc weaver revived the tradition of ikat weaving and her new line emphasizes on ecological sensitivity by including natural materials such as maguey, abaca, buri and raffia. The feel and beauty of these fibers provide a new world of textures that somehow nurtures and heals.

18.Philippine Treasures. Though the showroom is a treasure trove of items the visitor would like to take home as pasalubongs, make pa-charming with the amiable owners and get invited to the firm's manufacturing site where you will be dazzled by all things handcrafted:  home decorations and ornaments, silver contemporary jewelry, baskets and flower arrangements and a selection of Christmas décor. A real wonderland!

19.The Lost Cemetery of Negativism, a tiny knoll at the historical core of Camp John Hay, gives an impression of a pet cemetery with several small tombstones complete with animal figures. Each epitaph has a witty statement that is meant to dispel consuming negative thoughts and inner feelings which a departing visitor hopes to leave behind.

20.Strawberry taho. The melt-in-your-mouth goodness of this favorite snack that is actually made from the standard old-fashioned soya beans, is liberally drizzled with strawberry syrup. And, if one is lucky, some fresh strawberries might just be underneath it all.

21.Troop to La Trinidad in Benguet, a short 30 minute ride from Baguio, to pick luscious berries —as fresh as you can get them—right off the crawling vines. The strawberry farms are open from November to May each year.

22.The jars of the incomparable and never-get-tired of strawberry jam from the Benguet State University Food Products. 

23.The Good Shepherd Convent. The place to get those much appreciated pasalubongs that bring smiles to the recipients: peanut brittle, lengua de gato  and ube jam. Purchase of these products likewise supports the works of the good sisters in their various far-flung missions.

24. The Baguio Public Market, one of the cleanest and most organized in our islands, has the biggest, plumpest, juciest and freshest vegetables. Organic markets have likewise sprouted all over the city promoting vegetables, fruits and other healthy foodstuffs. We buy them not by the kilo, but by the sack, for health conscious friends, true believers of the world of wellness.

25.The Panagbenga Festival. This annual celebration showcases the city's can-do spirit and the very best it has to offer in a million different ways.  It culminates in a Grand Parade with wave upon wave of schoolchildren and other students performing choreographed numbers to the thumping of hundreds of drums, cymbals and lyres. They are joined by cadets, movie stars and celebrities. Then the floats - clearly most awaited by spectators - made of flowers, plants, seeds, barks, twigs, branches inch their way down Session Road all the way to the Baguio Grandstand, where they are displayed to be further appreciated.

As a plus, let's not forget the admirable people of Baguio, who readily break into a radiant smile and always willing to help and assist. Yes, through all my "return of the comeback trips," I have never met anyone in and from Baguio who I didn't like.

So  there goes my list.  Hope you can come up with yours.