Rediscovering Baguio

1he City of Pines has lost some of its luster as our summer capital. But with a
sprawling condotel and a smattering of quaint restaurants, it's getting back its
charm.
By Heinz Bulos
December 2003

ae you been to Baguio lately
Session Road is dirty, polluted,
and crowded. Burnham Park is
in disrepair. Mines View Park is, well,
haen`t you gotten tired o it

I am a sel-described adopted son o
Baguio. My childhood -- at least once a
month - was spent in the summer capital.
1he Baguio o my youth was a dierent
world. 1he air was resher. 1he roads
were cleaner. And the parks were
beautiul.

\e`d stay at the posh lyatt 1erraces
lotel, Baguio Country Club, or Pines
lotel-or when budget constraints called
or it-three- or our-star inns. And or a
ew summers, we`d stay at our uncle`s
cozy summer house near the Grotto o
Our Lady o Lourdes Chapel. \e`d eat
breakast at Star Ca, lunch at Solibao,
merienda at the old Shakey`s ,back when it
still looked like a dark, musty, and
charming old Lnglish pub,, and dinner at
Sizzling Plate or Rose Bowl. \e`d take a
stroll in Camp John lay, play ideo
games and munch on oot-long American
hotdogs at the Mile-li recreation center,
and eat bacon-and-egg sandwiches at the
19
th
1ee.

Baguio has always had a special place in
my heart. But ater the killer earthquake
struck in 1990, the City o Pines was neer
the same again. Now that we`re all in
Manila, trips north hae come ew and ar
between.

A rediscovery
arly last year, on two occasions,
we had the chance to isit the city
o my youth. \e booked a room
at a small hotel, which turned out to be,
well, below expectations. Unlike some
tourists, where we`d stay is o utmost
importance to us. It`s not just a place to
sleep in. It`s part o the trael experience.
So we igured we`d look or a more
agreeable dwelling.

Ater checking a couple o hotels, we
ound our way inside Camp John lay,
itsel a mere ghost o its once glorious
past. 1he skating rink, mini-gol course,
and recreation hall are unkempt and need
a serious paint job.

\hile driing around, we ound an
enormous stone and wooden ediice
perched on a hilltop among gigantic pine
trees. Out o curiosity, we stepped out o
the car and entered what seemed at irst to
us a conention center.

It turned out to be the Camp John lay
Manor, a sprawling ten-acre estate
deeloped by the consortium o the lil-
Lstate Group ,which won John lay`s
lease contract in 199,. It was the site o
the ormer Main Club. \ith a stone
exterior, ir log walls, and shingled
rooing, the place eokes a grand, rustic
manor.

1he hotel lobby was enormous, with a
high ceiling and wooden walls. \ooden
urniture, artwork, and hand-woen
tapestries by Narda`s adorn the ground
loor. A huge ireplace ronting the
entrance beckons you to sit by and warm
l L
up. A ew more steps lead to the main
dining area sered by the upscale Le
Soul, which in turn opens out to the
wide lriendship Garden o old and a
breathtaking iew o the Cordillera
mountain range, the pine orests, and the
bright sky.

1here was no question that we just had to
stay there. And we were quite ortunate
because the hotel was only recently
opened and was oering introductory
discounted rates ,P2,500 or a studio unit
at that time,. 1here are 189 rooms at the
Manor. At that time, they were still
constructing one wing.

\e grabbed a studio unit right away and
as we entered, it elt like we were Rachel
Ashwell`s shabby chic bedroom - an airy
room with a creamy brown moti, paneled
walls, wooden urniture, and two huge,
sot beds with clean, resh, white linens.
1he bathroom was spacious and spic-and-
span. Best o all, we hae-as it turns out,
all rooms did hae-a iew o the garden
and the mountain range. It was loe at
irst sight, or make that second. 1his,
inally, was the Baguio o my youth!

1he second time we isited was in
December 2002 and it has been a long
time since I elt a truly Christmas
atmosphere. Our entire amily occupied a
couple o two-bedroom suites, which had
a large liing room and dining area that
can it a big amily like ours. 1here was a
kitchenette with a microwae oen and
kitchen cabinets. And it had two outdoor
patios to boot where you can just breathe
the mountain resh air when you wake up
or just beore you tuck in to bed. It was
reliing lie inside the condotel o our
beloed lyatt 1erraces lotel
,incidentally, it`s a pleasant surprise to
know that the old General Manager o the
old lyatt, leiner Maulbecker, is now the
GM o the Manor,.

Staying at the Manor is like being at home,
except it`s a lot cozier, cleaner,
resher.okay, it`s better than being at
home. In the aternoon, you can relax at
the Manor Delicatessen or reshly baked
pastries, cheese, and sausages. As the sun
goes down, you can chill out at the lobby
lounge and sip a cup o coee or a glass
o brandy while listening to lie music at
the Piano Bar. \hen you step ar out to
the garden on a chilly December eening,
with all the room lights on, you can bask
at the ull glory o the Manor and you`d
think you`re in Aspen. Larly in the
morning, you can stroll in the garden or a
leisurely walk or jog outside in the rolling
paement o Camp John lay in the cool,
oggy air, then eat a hearty breakast at the
nearby Country \ales. \ou`d neer
want to go back to Manila.

1he good news is that the Manor is only
the irst lodging inside Camp John lay. A
twin condotel called 1he Suites located on
the old 19
th
1ee will hae 289 rooms and
is scheduled or completion in 2004. Both
the Manor and 1he Suites operate on a
time-sharing ersion o a stock-sharing
scheme to help inance their construction.
Inestors are oered a renewable 15-year
proprietary lease at condominium rates.
1hen they agree to a buy-back lease
agreement that allows the Manor to rent
out the leased rooms to hotel guests such
as you and me.

1here are also residential clusters that you
can lease on a long-term basis. 1here`s the
Country lomes, three-storey three
bedroom units located near the Camp
John lay gol course, Country Log
lomes, single-detached two storey units
with an attic, Luxury Log lomes, three
bedroom units with a den and an attic,
maid`s quarters, and driers quarters,
lorest Cabins, located amidst the John
lay orest, designed as second homes or
amilies during short acations, and Camp
John lay Lstates, which consists o 5
prime lots on a 250-hectare priate estate,
in a nature presere under a canopy o
250,000 pine trees.

Quaint eateries
s has all cities in the country,
Baguio has been inaded by the
ast-ood chains. It breaks my
heart to see a Jollibee and a McDonald`s
right smack along Session Road, which
once had the look o small town America
,o course, today`s small town America
has its own ill o McDonald`s and 1aco
Bells, but that`s another story,.

So it was a joy to ind the old eateries.
Unortunately, they too hae lost some o
their charm. 1he old Sizzling Plate along
Session Road is a bit dilapidated and the
steaks are not as juicy as beore. 1he ood
at Star Ca is still good, but the place is
nondescript. Rose Bowl has not been as
satisying as beore. Shakey`s looks just
like all the other modern, renoated,
amily-oriented, and dull branches across
the country. And Solibao, well, we didn`t
een attempt to try it out once more. Ca
by the Ruins is still a great place to hang
out and eat, but we were looking or
something new. Barrio liesta remains a
tourist attraction, Don lenricos still
seres good pizza and pasta, and Mario`s
is still a nice place or lunch or dinner. But
you get them in Manila.

1he good thing is, new small, quaint cas
and restaurants hae sprang up.

At the oot o the Manor is a strip o
small shops and eateries called the Mile-li
Center. Despite the presence o Dencio`s
Grill, which spoils the small town eel, we
ound a small ca worthy o Baguio`s
charm. It`s called Little John's
Conenience Outpost, owned and
managed by Johnet llaier, I assume the
son or a relatie o my aorite senator
and doctor, Juan llaier.

Little's John`s seres tasty lamb and
other delectable dishes prepared by Johnet
himsel, who took up culinary arts in
Switzerland. 1here are meals, soups and
salads, pasta, sandwiches, desserts, and
good coee. 1he serings are generous
and you can`t go wrong with whateer you
order. It`s a bit tight inside, but it`s
brightly-lit and cozy. And you can draw
on the paper place mats with crayons on
each table ,some drawings made by kids
adorn the walls,.

Another joint we discoered was Carlos
Pizza which seres delicious pizza, such as
Capriccioso, the house specialty, Abruzzi,
meat loers` special, and Sardinia, sardines
with black olies. By the way, there`s
another pizzeria along Session Road that
caught our ancy-and taste buds-but
or the lie o me, I couldn`t remember
the name. It`s near the old moie house,
so try to check it out.

But i there`s one restaurant you really
must isit, it`s lorest louse Bistro and
Cae. It`s located Loakan Road on the way
to Camp John lay. It`s at the corner as
you turn let towards John lay.

lorest louse is like ski lodge and log
cabin with a chimney. It`s like entering a
magical and whimsical world. 1he
restaurant`s reception area welcomes you
with a huge hearth and comy soas. 1he
interiors are adorned with delightul
knick-knacks. 1he place smells like
reshly-baked bread.

But you really must go outside the porch,
which oerlooks the mountains, the tiny
houses scattered on the hills, and the
expanse o the sky. It`s like you`re in the
Swiss Alps, without the snow, o course,
but with the same majestic beauty.
A

lere, you can order their delicious pasta
and coee. 1he best time to be here is late
aternoon, when a ew pine leaes are
scattered on the loor and the air is a
loely breeze. And you can watch the sun
set. It`s certainly a romantic place or
couples and just a rereshing place to hang
out or riends and amily.

lotels like the Manor and cas like Little
John`s and lorest louse bring back ond
memories o Baguio`s charming and
glorious past. And perhaps it`s time to
stop reminiscing o old haunts. 1he old
Baguio may be gone but these new places
that are springing to lie are a breath o
resh air and will make you all in loe
with the City o Pines once again.