Panagbenga Festival: Vacation With Friends in Baguio (Day 2)

The second day of our Baguio trip was more productive. Almost everyone, except for Anna and Raf, got up early to watch the Parade of Floats and Bands, which was the main highlight of the Panagbenga Festival.

For the unacquainted, Panagbenga is an annual flower festival celebrated every February in Baguio City. The term is of Kankanaey origin, meaning "season of blooming". The event was created as a tribute to the city's flowers and as a way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake.

The parade started at 8am and lasted until 2pm. I wasn’t able to take good pictures because Meng and I chose a not-so-good spot in front of Tiong San. The street along Burnham was overcrowded. Nevertheless, we’re still able to see some creative flower floats in the parade, marching bands, and even celebrities from Kapamilya and Kapuso networks such as Gerald Anderson, Kim Chui, Angelica Panganiban, Alfred Vargas and Izza Calzado.

Afterwards, Meng and I had our breakfast-slash-lunch in Ganza Restaurant (Burnham Park, 2600 Baguio City, Phone: (074) 442-4875). I ordered chicken curry with rice. Meng had beef with broccoli. I felt like I had an upset stomache after that late breakfast so we immediately returned home. We were surprised to see Anna’s parents when we got there. She and Raf were asked to pack their things and return to Manila early with them. The keys were left in our possession.

Our next stop was the popular Mines View Park. Nothing’s really special about the site except for an observation deck where people can have a panoramic view of Benguet’s former gold and copper mines. The park is also a shopping central with stalls selling native handicrafts, jams, jewelry and many others. We got the chance to see Douglas, the gigantic St. Bernard and tasted strawberry taho for the very first time.

We then went to Good Shepherd to buy their famous ube jam but unable to do so. Meng and I didn’t bother to wait in line as we saw tons of customers patiently lining up there. We returned to Session Road and ate our lunch at Don Henrico’s (G/F Puso ng Baguio Building Session Road, Baguio City) before returning home.

We took a little nap then headed again to Session Road to meet Eicky and Jeamie in a restaurant at the 2nd floor of La Azotea, an old building along Session Road. We then climbed to the fifth level and had our dinner at the popular restaurant-cum-art-gallery, “Oh My Gulay!” It’s truly an artist paradise. Sculptures, paintings, and installation arts are displayed in every corner and there’s even a little art gallery at the second floor of the structure.

Right next to OMG is a performance stage called “Vocas.” No band, however, played that night. We ordered the sumptuous OMG Clubhouse Sandwich with vinaigrette vegie salad on the side. Their serving is not only cheap but also enough for two people.

After eating our dinner, we rode a taxi and looked for Nevada Square along Loakan Road just across Camp John Hay. It’s a popular hangout place among teens, students and yuppies in Baguio with a number of bars, clubs and restaurants. Entering the square costed us 50 bucks each. We chose this cozy drinking spot called “Beach House.