Our Trip to Baguio

A few days ago, our family left the traffic, the crowded shopping centers, and the polluted city air of Manila behind to take a weekend trip to Baguio, which is a city in the mountainous region of the Philippines. Our weekend vacation not only gave us a chance to relax from the business of Manila, but it also gave us the chance to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.

We drove six hours to Baguio with four other Texas Instrument families: the Cliftons, the Espinosas, the Wades, and the Wangs. Car-pooling with everyone else allowed the time to pass quicker and added extra enjoyment to our trip since we could visit with the other families for six straight hours.:-)

On the drive up to Baguio, some of us decided to count the jeepneys along the way. Guess how many we saw? We counted approximately 890 jeepneys that were either on the road or parked along the streets. (actually, we probably saw more but so many times we forgot what number we were on and lost count a little bit!)

Also, on our way up there, we passed rice fields as well as small towns before we reached the mountainous region. Near the towns, vendors dotted the small two-lane highway trying to sell farm produce, crabs, and other food products. A few of them even tried waving at us to stop and buy something……Dad just decided to wave back.:-)


Like many of our other road trips back home, we packed our sack lunches to eat at a roadside park. But the only place we found to stop and eat on this trip was at a unique restaurant about halfway between Baguio and Manila. This restaurant sat on the water and had small open pavilions made from bamboo that were surrounded by ponds of gold fish and huge woodcarvings. We sat at some tables and unpacked our lunches about the same time the restauran handed us the menus. Yes, we felt a bit awkward, but we had no other place to eat our lunch! We did end up ordering some drinks and a few other small dishes.:-)


During our meal, singers approached our table and serenaded us for several minutes. Following that entertainment, some dancers put on a show for us in their traditional outfits. In the midst of our unique entertainment, we had a very persistent man who wanted to give Dad a massage.:-) We all laughed while Dad tried to communicate that he did not need one as the guy kept trying to massage Dad’s head, nose, and back. :-)


In Baguio, the vegetation is somewhat different than in Manila because of the climate change. Pine trees covered the mountains around Baguio, which explains why Baguio is call the City of the Pines. The trees created a canopy above, but beautiful flowers and tropical plants blanketed the ground below. It was a little odd at first seeing a pine tree and a palm tree side by side!


Our weekend trip included seeing the Tam-awan village (an old tribal village), shopping at local markets, and also some other short sightseeing. Because the temperature is so cool (60-70 degrees), all of the buildings and homes in Baguio are built without air conditioning so that the refreshing temperatures can be felt inside as well as outside.


After living in a busy, polluted city for several weeks, Baguio provided scenic views, fresh temperatures, and ...(yes!) clean air.:-) We all agree that no matter how magnificent, or amazing men’s creation of skyscrapers may be, God’s handiwork has a special beauty that no man can create. During our trip to Baguio, we experienced a taste of His magnificent and delicate beauty with the mountains and flowers.

Psalms 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.”