6 Week Gap Year

The South China Sea at Pagudpud

Thursday 7th June 2007
We all wake early and take a stroll down to the beach which is almost white and lapped gently by a calm and greeny blue sea. So, t-shirts off and we run into the South China Sea which is as warm as a bath. I look around me and as I’m facing out to sea I see I am in a wide bay reaching further out and round to the right of me. But when looking out to sea the cloud line way over to the horizon is almost touching the sea giving the effect of the sky meeting the sea. Check the photo and you will see what I mean. Also, the under the tall cloud, if you look closely you can see it is raining. After messing about and having a sand and seawater skin exfoliation we head off to the hotel pool and swim around in water as hot as a bath. We have breakfast and another swim in the pool followed by a short sunbathe then we check out and head for Baguio. Baguio is in the mountain province of North Luzon and known as the Summer Capital of the North. We drive back part of the way we came to Pagudpud and then head up the mountain road known as Marcos Highway to Baguio. During the journey up the mountain we witness a spectacular lightning storm which circle the hills around us for some hours. We can’t make out if it actually brings any rain or not. There is a little concern at the moment in Philippines that the true monsoon rains have not yet arrived. Usually they start beginning of May and essential day wear is shorts, t-shirt and umbrella. This is borne out by the fact we pass many rice fields that are bone dry and the rice seedling plants are dead. It takes us 9 hours with only 2 short breaks to get there. It was actually only 81/2 but a car got stuck in the road works trying to drive (unsuccessfully the first time) up a ramp of stones as we reached the outskirts of the city. He was rescued by other drivers and passers by and we carried on to Baguio town centre. As we ascended the mountains the air got cooler and cleaner and the humidity reduced. We found a hotel that was fully booked but one next to it, Hotel 45 was able to accommodate us. We booked a family room consisting of a lounge/dining area with sofa bed, small kitchen and 2 bedrooms both with ensuite. The showers are powered and have hot water as the Filipinos who visit find Baguio cold! We paid the princely sum of Peso 2700 to include breakfast. £30. Air con is not really necessary here as the evening temperatures are very comfortable at around 20C. After checking in we walked down to the town past a roundabout with a pine tree decorated for Christmas and decide to eat in a Japanese and Korean restaurant called Hodori. I’m trying to experience as many different eating pleasures as I can. I have Tempura prawns, fried rice and mido soup and all 5 of us eat for peso 1700. When we get back to the hotel we arrange to wake up at 6 so we can go to a traditional Filipino market early and see it at it’s best.