Summer Fever

"Winds may come and winds may blow, but there's no wind can cure me of my fever, summer fever." - Lyrics from the Donna Summer's      Song "Summer Fever"

People have different moods and some may vary depending on the season of the year. As what I have learned from my psychiatric nursing education, there's this disorder called SAD, an acronym for Seasonal Affective Disorder, where an individual experiences depressive moments during season changes, it may be during winter or summer, spring or autumn. But with the cases in tropical countries like the Philippines, it varies during the rainy or summer seasons. 

If you have this type of personality and you need a place where you can marvel at something for you to easily adapt to seasonal transitions, then my top 2 on the list would be the perfect place for you this summer. 

BAGUIO CITY - SUMMER CAPITAL, CITY OF PINES

 Baguio City is a great place for non-beach lovers during this hot summer days. The high altitude location and its mild climate are the main reasons why it’s well-known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. A 6- hour drive from Manila, travelers could reach the city either by public buses which ply the Manila-Baguio route or by private vehicles.  Baguio City has been considered as one of the top tourist spots here in the Philippines for it offers a variety of bravura places, which attract sightseers to visit over and over again. 

We took a bus while we headed to Baguio last year, a tourist bus specifically since we scheduled our trip through a travel agency. For those who are planning to visit Baguio, I advice that you should facilitate with one if you’ll be going with a group of thirty or more. It’s more economical and at the same time stress-free.  They also offer tour packages and they bring along their tour guides during the entire duration of the tour. With our case, luckily our TG’s were very entertaining and they even added spice to our boring bus trip.

Here are some of the must-see and must-experience tourist spots in Baguio.

THE MANSION.

The MANSION. The official summer residence of the president. This was built during the American Colonization here in the Philippines. This has been considered as one of the top attractions in Baguio because of its Spanish-inspired guesthouse architecture and the Buckingham palace-inspired main gate, which is the most photographed part of the place. Across this is the WRIGHT PARK with a pool surrounded with Pine trees. 

Wright Park long pool which reflected the pine trees surrounding the place.

. This photo was taken at the grounds of the Philippine Military Academy.

The mild climate of Baguio made it a perfect place for a wide variety of species of colorful and attractive flowering plants to grow.

A lot of tourists who are visiting Baguio City usually never missed to drop by the Philippine Military Academy campus. The environment inside the campus  should be set as an example to all universities and colleges here in the Philippines. With its humid atmosphere, colorful grounds and majestic pine trees surrounding the academy, these factors added to the interest of tourist to visit and discover the wonders of PMA.

I stroke a pose with one of the PMA cadets. :) Well-disciplined indeed!

I had the chance to taste the Bulalo or beef bone soup, the Baguio style. It was appetizing! :)

Bulalo or beef bone soup at Mines View Park.

If you are looking for affordable souvenirs and gift items, hit your shoes to Mines View Park. Shirts, delicacies, bags, and other items ideal for pasalubong or gifts for your loved ones can be bought and grabbed there at a much lesser price.

Souvenir and gift shops are located everywhere at Mines View Park.

My favorite part of our trip was during the time when we headed to the Strawberry Farm at La Trinidad, Benguet, a 30-minute ride from Baguio City. Since I am a strawberry lover by heart, I really grabbed the chance to walk and clearly view how the natives plant and harvest the fruit. It may look a bit sunny in the picture, but the temperature was very cool. 

Strawberry farm at La Trinidad, Benguet

Strawberries everywhere! I loved this!

I can't explain the feeling while looking at these bright red strawberries. It was like getting back to my childhood years where I used to imagine eating a lot of these. One small basket of berries costs at about seventy-five pesos (PhP 75.00). They also sell jams which could be bought by 3 bottles for a hundred.

Baguio City has a lot to offer for its tourists. If given another chance for a perfect getaway, I would surely visit the City of Pines again. Similar to our Vigan tour, we only had a short period of time to explore the wonders of the place. It was a hanging moment for all of us, since one day and a half is not enough to explore all the must-see spots of the city. Vacation in Baguio for a week would be the most suitable span of time to enjoy and to have the best summer ever that you'll never forget for the rest of your life. xoxo

Want more about Baguio City? Just click on their webpage :www.baguio.gov.ph/