atin-atin lang

i’m brimming with joy today; flowing naturally within and through me. it really feels great! heck, i was even inspired to write again here, after a very long hiatus.

i just came back from a very relaxing, rewarding, and fun-filled weekend trip to Baguio City with friends from the office. i’d been toying with the idea of going there for several months already and thought it’d never come to fruition. some people were "tired" of the place saying it has nothing new to offer; nothing much to do there; there are cheaper alternatives…yadda, yadda, yadda. it had to take a little "marketing" on my part to convince my kaladkarin friends to choose Baguio over the other choices; though i never had to resort to coercion. =)

i’ve always been fond of Baguio ever since i first stepped on its cold soil 13 years ago to attend a convention of high school students. having stayed at the historic Teachers’ Camp further enamored me to the beauty and natural charm of this former hill station touted as America in the Philippines. being a history buff and nature-lover, staying at TC was like a walk in the past; where you can almost relive the days of old when Baguio was merely a recreation place for the colonial occupants. rain or shine, there are plenty of things one can do while vacationing in Baguio: walking to/from/around its parks, working out those leg muscles and your entire cardio-vascular system by jogging along its winding roads, or simply curling up in bed and relishing the cool temperature.

it’s perhaps been 3 or 4 years since my last visit to Baguio and i’ve been wanting to go back for the longest time. the long weekends this month prodded me to seriously consider planning a trip, and who better to invite than my office buds as this is the only group among my friends that i haven’t gone to Baguio with. although plans were "finalized" just a week before the scheduled departure, there were concerns of bad weather so we were all on standby mode up until the last minute. thank goodness for PAGASA’s website and actual updates from our contact in Baguio; so despite some qualms about the rainy weather forecast, 8 of us decided to get on the bus and head to the mountains of Cordillera. when we got there we were greeted with nice warm sunshine and a sweet cool breeze. then a sudden sense of happiness filled me and i was all-smiles the whole time. i was instantly reminded of why i fell in love with the city in the first place.

we booked ourselves and stayed at Teachers’ Camp (where else?) and got to enjoy some of its newly-renovated facilities. talk about timing; they’re celebrating their centennial this year so the atmosphere is quite festive and the place just had a spanking makeover (with some budget constraints - after all it’s a government facility, hehehe). we rented a 3-bedroom cottage located on the upper part of the camp closer to South Drive where it’s quieter and almost unpopulated. perfect for Metro Manilans seeking respite from the daily urban grind.

the accommodations were very simple, far from being luxurious, but it was good enough for our group of 8; the only setback was that there was only 1 bathroom so we had to queue and take turns in using it. and despite having 3 bedrooms, 6 of us chose to all stay in the biggest room for "tighter bonding" while our couple-companions chose the smallest room. alright, alright. it was because most were conscious of one of Baguio’s claim to fame - ghosts. so we moved the beds all into the other room (5 single beds that were later shared by 7 people; talk about tight!). fortunately (or is it?), there were no reported sightings or "feelings" during our stay. i can’t wait to see the pictures though, hehehehe.

since the cottage had a fireplace, we took advantage of it and bought some firewood from a charming local boy peddling the stuff. come to think of it, that was the first time i ever personally experienced a working fireplace; quite romantic and Christmassy - much like me. ehem ehem. the warmth emanating from the hearth was enjoyed by everyone who were gathered around the living room, each with his/her marshmallow skewers ready for roasting. don’t you just feel the love? haaaaaaaaaaay.

we also took advantage of the working kitchen of the house so most of our meals were prepared and taken right at home - another perfect opportunity for bonding, not to mention a great way to cut costs. i volunteered to cook our breakfasts which consisted of omelet, corned beef, and luncheon meat. sounds easy but try preparing it at 6am when the bed weather is at its finest. it was fun and fulfilling though, knowing that my companions appreciated the effort, and the food of course! there were also the designated dishwashers and cleaners; we were like an extended family on vacation. aaaaaawwwwww.

and the pictures! by golly, there must be hundreds of those if not a little over a thousand, thanks to digital technology…and our resident photographer. we documented almost every activity that we did, from cooking, eating, dishwashing, sightseeing, even sleeping! not a moment wasted talaga. i’ll try sharing some of these images later on. i’ll have to finish viewing them first. super dami!!!

we were all engrossed with our vacation that we actually missed some other popular places to visit and experience. it makes you think that 2 whole days are not really enough to completely experience what Baguio and its neighboring towns have to offer. it would also have been nice to just stay the whole day at the cottage doing nothing but relaxing, playing card games, sleeping, or simply swapping personal stories for bonding. maybe this merits a second visit in the immediate future? ay how time flies when you’re enjoying yourself in the company of friends!

oh yes, i’m really happy; or should i say…happier. as i always have said, happiness is a choice and i made that decision long ago. i’m really thankful for the people around me, the material things that i have, and the talents and skills lent to me by God; and for opportunities such as this that i may share these gifts to others especially those who matter to me. with this disposition, any situation can be manageable. how i look forward to our next "instant" adventure.

as we were descending to the lowlands yesterday morning, an advertisement was showing on the bus’s tv…Dakak resort in Zamboanga. apparently my friends took notice of it too. hmmmmm…

alas, the beach beckons.