Six hours on the road, stuck in a car full of people and bags, uncomfortable and odd positions, on my way to Baguio. I stepped out of the car, finally being able to stretch my sore and stiff legs, and I felt the surprising cold. 16℃ was an astonishing temperature for the Philippines that is not foreign to Baguio, despite the fact that it was the middle of summer vacation.
First stop, our camping grounds, a coffee farm owned by a mutual friend, a small clearing on a mountain, cold, green, and beautiful. I see many of our family friends already setting up camp, younger kids running around, and food cooking over the fire. It was quite chilly and the scenery was cozy. Although the daylight hours were great, including a tour of the farm, witnessing the stages of coffee bean harvesting, and a great lunch, the outdoor overnight was amazing. We stayed up for hours, close to the fire, warming ourselves up from the cold, playing cards and telling stories, until one by one, we fell asleep from exhaustion.
The next day, we’re on the move again, on our way to another friend’s house. It was a dream house, its backyard, a paradise for young kids, which included a mini zipline, a large trampoline, a volleyball net, and two really large slides. The interior of the house was something to behold, a place you could find a gym, a pool table, plenty of food, and more than enough space to house over 50 people. Although our time here, with our friends, was short, it was fruitful, joyful, and an experience to remember.
An hour or so away was our hotel, located in Camp John Hay. Once we get to our rooms, we leave our bags, and we’re getting ready to go out once again. We step out of our hotel and see a sight to remember. Fog, stretching out across the entire area, covering homes and structure, trees and hills, beautiful and cold. We decided to leave a little later, delaying our departure to our next destination in order to admire the beauty that comes with the fog, then we are on our way again.
We spend the next few hours at a mini amusement park, where we split into teams and fight each other using Nerf Guns, ride go karts around the area, and learn how to use bows and arrows, just like in the movies. It was all quite new to me, to be able to learn new skills, such as how to aim a bow, and experience new things, such as riding a go kart. The next day, sadly, would be our final departure.
On the last day, we ate at the buffet for breakfast, and then prepared our stuff, said our goodbyes, and then left. The experience was one that would stay with me, one that brought me to new places, and one that burned itself into my memory. Although we left Baguio behind, we hold the experience in our memories, as a place that means something to us.
A Glimpse of the World 