Bagawi and Co: Post-Valentine's: More fun in Baguio

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

HEART-SHAPED balloons and candies, long-stemmed roses, and sappy greeting cards painted the city red on Valentine's Day, hence warping one's view of what the city can offer for both couples and singles who wanted to celebrate that day. For those of us who want to celebrate love, or the lack of or desire for it, ex post facto to avoid the red and heart-shaped clichés that abound on the 14th, Baguio has plenty to offer. Here are some starters.

For the couples whose chemistry for each other is still as electrifying as it was on the first day they connected, the wet section of the Public Market is as promising as Le Chef at The Manor in John Hay. For them, Baguio itself is a metaphor for romance as long as they're together.

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As for the couples who regard their romance as exciting as doing the dishes on a Monday night, the first place they should consider the park--the very park famed for accommodating illicit love activities at night. It would be worth their while to walk seven times around the lake and count how many benches are occupied by cuddling couples. On their seventh lap, it would be a good challenge to try and find a bench or a shady spot to rest on. The shared experience of overcoming a challenge might reconnect them, if the awareness of all the loving around them (now legitimate acts of love because the park is now well-lighted) doesn't do so first.

If these couples are not comfortable in public spaces, they could instead take a walk off the beaten path-- Eco Trail, the narrow sidewalks of South Drive, or the one in Sto. Rosario leading to White Eagle, which is a crop of enormous rock formations. But if they'd rather have a less-strenuous celebration, they could try dining away from the bustle and banality of the CBD. Near the end of Legarda Road is Chaya, which serves "authentic Japanese cuisine." A few kilometers away from Mine's View is Chef's Home which specializes in Thai and Malay gastronomy. Farther away at Tiptop Road is Arca's Yard which is a café, museum, and library all in one place. The new experiences might afford them this pithy post in their social network pages: "Dining far from the city center: Php 700. Coming home in love again: priceless."

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Baguio is a place not only for couples, but for any type of singles as well--the broken-hearted, the single-ready-to-mingle, and the single-and-happy.

Going to the tourist hot spots can help the broken-hearted forget their exes. Though these spots are often full of couples, it's still a place to be in because they might find here another single looking for love, or another broken-hearted they can commiserate with. The rainy weather in Baguio could intensify the latter because it adds to their gloom, or the fog could cloud over their misery. If they'd rather have fun, John Hay has Tree Top Adventures that lend adrenaline rush that could momentarily wipe out their pain.

The single-and-ready-to-mingle, on the other hand, can go to Burnham Park to boat and then jump into the lake to catch the attention of others like them who are there for reasons of mingling. Or they could just jump in and mingle with the fish. At night, they can check out the happening spots in Nevada, of City Light Hotel, or those in Session and meet new people or simply have fun. The single-and-happy can do these too, whether alone or with friends. They can also try silly things like racing up the steps leading to Lourdes Grotto, or parading on horseback at Wright Park.

The list doesn't end here, but rather it continues as we explore Baguio with eyes out for the novel, or with the spirit of novelty guiding our eyes.