Road Trip to Baguio

The road trip to Baguio is just as pleasurable as the destination itself, particularly upon entering La Union province where the rolling plains present a pleasant array of shades of green and yellow. The gently sloping hills are thick with foliage from trees of great variety – a perfect site for any Hollywood movie that needs a jungle setting. Clear rivers and bubbling streams offer a welcome distraction and so do quaint little woodcarving shops on the roadsides. These stores have an interesting display of eagle statuettes, life-size native braves, wood benches of unique shapes, and even wooden Buddha statues with smiling face and arms raised. As the bus takes no higher altitudes, a sweeping view of the lowlands that gets more and more breathless by the minute. The hills have turned to mountains, the flora slightly different and if the windows are open, the air lightly nippy. On a clear day, one can actually have a magnificent view of the South China Sea with the shores of La Union, the western tip of Pangasinan, and the curve of the Lingayen Gulf very prominent on the horizon. Lucky are those who can stop for a while to stretch their legs and marvel at such scenery. Then the bus makes one turn and you're surrounded by mountains, mountains, and more mountains with other vehicles further down the road nothing more than mere dots against a huge wall of green with occasional slashes of white that indicate the presence of waterfalls. There are fewer tropical plants and more evergreens in this area. The clouds are much closer and the mountain tops seem to kiss the sky. On rainy days, the scenery disappears as the entire surroundings are blanketed by thick fog down to zero visibility. First-time visitors are torn between silent fear and excitement. When the bus does a slow steep climb, it is the signal that the City of Pines is less than 10 minutes away. You notice the other passengers starting to gather and secure their luggage, fix their hair, and some put on warmer clothing. Then the conductor announces, “BGH! BGH!”, which stands for Baguio General Hospital, where many passengers get off instead of at the terminal. A sign greets you with “Welcome to Baguio City! City of Pines, City of Flowers and the City of Lights” Well, indeed, Welcome! And whatever you do, log on to Bluemaroon.com for the most practical information about Baguio City – hotels, restaurants, events, activities and many other things. Enjoy your stay!