Exploring Philippines 104 - Baguio City (Post 2 - Botanical Garden, Wright Park)

For several occasions I’ve been here, nothing much had changed on this park.  Except for the landscape and the plants, I could say that the rest of the park remains idle through time. 

Aside from the locals who sell key chains and the stalls in the middle of the park that sells different goodies and souvenir items, we encountered some things which we failed to notice before.  There’s a shop inside the park that sells paintings made by local artists.  I was not allowed to take pictures of their work because according to them, other artists had copied their works before and they prohibit taking pictures inside the shop to protect their work.  Aside from the paintings, we happened to meet another artist whose work is done through engraving the wood material with the heat of the sun using a magnifying glass.  He would patiently wait for the sun to show up because that time clouds would cover the sun from time to time.  I watched him with awe because he has steady hands, good concentration, and his skill is great.  He said that it would take him several days to finish his work and he can sell his art for some hundreds of pesos.

As we continue to scan the park, we happened to encounter some locals who made this park their own haven.  They said that inside the park, they find peace and they are undisturbed when they read their favorite books.  They further added that the place is free and they feel comfortable with their favorite nook.

After the botanical garden, we walked towards the Wright park.  Wright park is a cowboy’s haven where one can rent a horse and have a stroll inside the park.  I was amused to see horses with pink hairs in their crest and extending towards their head.  But I was not able to look closely if those horses with pink hairs are indeed mares.  We spent some idle time watching those people who enjoyed their ride in the park circle.

The moment I finished my picture taking activity, Jay took us to The Mansion – the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines here in Baguio city.  Instead of taking the highway, he directed us to the “shortcut” but it was a test of stamina actually.  I thought it was just a walk in the park taking the steps towards the upper ground but in a high altitude like this place, it was a good challenge on my end.  I ended up resting for a couple of minutes within the steps just to catch my breath.  It’s really a challenge when you are aging and by not having any form of rigorous activities.