Baguio And Manila Trip

July 30, 2011
Wednesday morning, Brother Farbros, a past stake president in the San Pablo mission area, that Ganirs and Bringhursts had both known, picked us up in his van and after fueling the gas tank and filling our mouths with doughnuts purchased at the first 7-11 we had seen in the Philippines, we were off. We stopped for lunch at Subic Bay, a strategic spot during WWII. It was a picturesque area. We decided against purchasing tickets for an aquatic show, feeling we would rather see the natural life and surroundings of the Philippines. At the dive center of the local resort, we tossed bread crumbs into the ocean water and gathered our own show of acrobatic fish. We ate lunch at the resort restaurant and afterwards decided we would keep traveling to Baguio rather than stopping there for the night. We saw a large family of monkeys playing at the side of the road and stopped to take pictures, tossing bread and finally an orange to them so they wouldn’t run away. The “grandfather” grabbed the orange, peeled it and would not share with any of the others. A mother monkey held her darling baby in her arms as if to protect him from the white giants. I couldn’t help but notice how adept they were with their fingers, in eating, climbing and holding each other.
At one of our comfort stops, I went into the CR at a gas station. A young eleven year old girl in her crisp white blouse and plaid jumper school uniform was there and I talked to her. She was very conversant and wanted to know why I was in the Philippines. I told her I was a missionary, but that I had taught 6th grade. I told her about my family and ended up giving her an Articles of Faith card and getting her name and address so I could refer her to the missionaries.
WE passed through Urdenetta where the next Philippines temple will be built. Apparently the authorities are considering four different sites but have not decided on the perfect one.
When we stopped again for gas, street sellers plied us with their Filipino food goods. I haven’t been brave enough to try the street food, not knowing where it was made or what it was made from. Surprisingly, even the very poor in this area seemed to speak English. I talked to one toothless old woman and she asked me how old I was. When I told her I was 68, she was surprised and said she was 57. A hard life had aged her dramatically. She told me she was raising three of her grandchildren. Brother Bringhurst handed her some coins but didn’t buy her goods. The younger woman who was selling right beside her looked anxiously at Brother Bringhurst. I asked Larry if he had any change. He gave it to me and I handed it to her. I felt we could not give to one and not to the other.
As the road started to climb and twist, we noticed the air cooling considerably. That road should receive international recognition for its hairpin turns. After about an hour we arrived in Baguio which reminded me a lot of Park City 30 years ago. Houses and businesses were built right into the side of the mountain. Baguio is in the mountains and is famous for its beautiful vegetables and strawberries. We did not have reservations for Wednesday in Baguio and worried that the hotels might be full. It was dark, we were hungry and tired and crossed our fingers that we could find a decent hotel for the night. Finally after a few stops, we found the Microtel where we had Thursday reservations, and they did have rooms for us! We settled in our lovely, clean and nicely decorated rooms then went back downstairs to the commons area and ordered pizza to be delivered.
The hotel served a complimentary breakfast of omelet with mushrooms and cheese, cereal, toast, fresh fruit and of course, rice, fish and a Filipino soup. We stuck with the omelets, toast and fruit. Brother Farbros had arranged for a Filipino member from Baguio to be our guide during the day. She took us first to the Botanical Gardens. We could have spent all day there. A large variety of flowers bloomed in a profusion of color, the greenery was lush. Then we discovered the souvenir booths! That kept us shopping another two hours. One of the young women who sold me individual wooden salad bowls, told me she had gone to Church last Sunday and really liked it and planned to go again.
One of the planned stops was the Filipino Military Academy Museum but the road was so torn up that it was impassable. We drove to a look-out point over Baguio and had to walk through dozens of vendors stalls. We were told to hold onto our purses tightly. Brother Asher had his wallet stolen in this area when he was here a few months ago. An old couple stood at the base of the steps by the look-out point with native costumes, spears, and shields, advertising that pictures could be taken in this garb for 10 pesos a person and that proceeds would go to the senior citizen fund. I grabbed Larry’s arm and we let the elderly woman dress us. I felt like I was walking back into Book of Mormon times; the weave of the material and the style of the headpieces reminded me for all the world of Central American Indians native dress. When Ganirs and Bringhursts saw us dressed up they wanted to be part of the fun. We had a half hour of laughter and teasing. The other onlookers enjoyed our silliness and flocked to have pictures taken too. Before that, business had been slow. Allan Bringhurst, at my suggestion, laid on the stone table, our altar, and we prepared to “sacrifice” him. We thought we should email the pictures to President Mortimer who is visiting with his family in Idaho for our two week break, saying “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” or “You’d better get back here quick or there won’t be any missionaries left to serve” or “The natives are restless.”
Our stop at the strawberry fields enticed Larry to walk out into the farm area to inspect the plants. Heavy netting covered the strawberries—whether to keep birds out or to act as a sun screen we don’t know. Larry bought 1 kilo of fresh strawberries which I later washed, cut and served to the others that evening for a treat. The broccoli heads were huge as were the cabbage and lettuce and onions. Two vehicles, one a jeepney that was loaded inside and then piled on top, and the other a dump truck filled to overflowing with loose heads of Chinese Cabbage, left the farm area for delivery somewhere. Many other large trucks left carrying other vegetable of various kinds.
As we were driving through Baguio we saw a truck that looked as though it had been jacked up and then fallen off the jack. A man was pinned under it, an arm was lying in the street and there was blood everywhere. An ambulance was there with another on the way. What a horrible, unforgettable sight. A hospital was just across the street and nurses were hurrying to help. Whether more than one person was involved we could not tell.
Sister Bringhurst had seen a small restaurant, The 50’s Diner, that she thought would be a fun place to eat. When we tried to find it again we drove all over Baguio but finally succeeded. The atmosphere was nostalgic with black and white tile squares on the floor, the waitresses in pink dresses with white piping, black booths or soda fountain counter seats, posters from 50’s movies on the walls, and 50’s music playing. The mood was better than the food but it was fun.
After a good night’s rest and another good breakfast, we traveled back to Manila Friday with no unnecessary stops. Brother Farbros was anxious to get home to his family, the Ganirs to see their friends from Oregon and the Bringhursts to get their rental car so they could travel to their old mission area to visit.
When we got back Larry tried to arrange for us to visit Corrigedor Saturday but discovered there were no seats on the ferry to the island available for the morning, and the afternoon trip was out of the question if we wanted to catch our flight back to Cebu. We were disappointed; several had told us Corrigedor was the highlight of their trip, but nothing else could be done. So we made alternate plans. We called Lea Garcia’s daughters Ria and Edleanne to see if they would like to spend the day with us. Lea had mentioned that they would love to see us. They were excited and arranged their schedules so they could. We attended the temple Friday evening, again serving as the witness couple.
Saturday, we attended our fourth session at the temple, arriving back at our apartment just minutes after 9am when we were to meet the Garcia sisters. They were there, patiently waiting. Edleanne had made arrangements with her professor to miss an appointment to go through her thesis for graduation. They had brought us a gift of special Filipino food—a sweetened rice dessert with cheese sprinkled on it and a wooden foot massager. We caught a taxi to the Ayala Museum in Makati; neither girl had been there. They commented that this was the rich section of Manila, and I believed them. The streets were clean, the people looked like they could have been walking down 5th Avenue in New York City, the store window mannequins were elegantly dressed. The Ayala Museum was a modern, sophisticated, glass fronted building with a late 20th century sculpture in front of a spectacular fountain. Entrance fees were 125 pesos per person, and that was senior citizen/missionary rate for us and student rate for the girls; that in and of itself told me this was a high class venture—other museums we have visited have charged maybe 10-40 pesos! Some families live on 125 pesos a week! The regular entrance fee was 250 pesos.
Larry and I loved the museum’s displays. Maybe the museum experience was as valuable as going to Corregidor. We started on the fourth floor with the Filipino gold artifacts made before the Spanish came in the 1500’s. The jewelry was beautifully detailed; I would have happily worn many of the pieces today. Larry was intrigued with the gold death masks used to cover openings in the body so evil spirits could not enter the dead body. I also loved the Filipino clothing section which highlighted the intricate embroidery done in past generations. There were wonderful miniature models of Filipino boats as they have evolved through the years. Three famous Filipino painters had their works on display, and I would gladly have hung a few of their paintings in our home. The section that showcased pottery and china from all over Asia was fascinating and lovely. But my favorite floor of the museum housed sixty authentically and artistically done dioramas portraying Filipino history from prehistoric times to the Philippines independence. They were so well done. Even the finest museums would be proud to display such works of art and information. We took a break in the middle for lunch, but couldn’t see any restaurants close by so decided to try the museum café. It was a little pricey, but we figured if we had to pay for a taxi that would cost too. The presentation of their gourmet dishes was art itself. Again, I have to admit, it was prettier to look at than to eat, but it was good. Ria and Edleanne said several times, “This is so expensive.” I’m sure they were a little uncomfortable with the prices and even the food; they might have enjoyed a hamburger or fried chicken more, but I think they enjoyed the unique experience. I do know they loved spending the day with us, and they shed a few tears when we gave them money for their transportation home and said goodbye. Edleanne will graduate in October and hopes to go on to law school. Ria has been working until Edleanne finishes this year and then hopes to get back into school where she will study nursing as a prerequisite for becoming a doctor. They are both such lovely, sweet, hardworking and intelligent girls.
We packed and left for the airport giving ourselves plenty of time. Our taxi made it to the airport in 30 minutes! So we ended up sitting for better than 3 hours waiting for our flight. I had a good book so the time passed quickly. When we got on the plane our Filipino seat mate noticed how tightly Larry’s knees were pressed against the seat in front of him and called to the flight attendant saying, “If you don’t passengers in the front row, why don’t you move this gentleman and his wife to that row so he has more room”, and that is just what happened. What an enjoyable flight home. We decided to sit in our seats while everyone rushed by to get off the plane; we figured we would just have to wait at the baggage claim anyway. We counted 15 different people carrying Krispie Kreem doughnut boxes off the plane—some had two or three, and we didn’t start counting until many had already disembarked. If I had money I would invest in a franchise for Krispie Kreem in Cebu. The Filipinos love doughnuts! And even if they can’t afford shoes, they will buy doughnuts and loads for their cell phones!
The next week the Manila area suffered from flooding and storms caused by a typhoon; 35 people were killed and 600,000 were evacuated from their homes. We had good weather while we traveled except for late Saturday afternoon’s heavy rains. We were glad to be home safe and sound.