La Trinidad

Before the summer starts raising blood pressures, I thought it would be good to go to the coldest
region of the country and have an excuse not to take baths. Baguio would be tacky. With the crowd, I couldn't feel the cool air. Sagada would be too far and I'm not in the mood for camping. So, I called a friend in La Trinidad, Benguet, and asked if I could crash his place for two nights.

La Trinidad is about 30 minutes from Baguio, and besides the cool climate, it's got its own share of beautiful sites to visit. Unlike Baguio, La Trinidad is not crowded, though the smell of diesel coming from the vehicles is still hard to ignore. 

I visited the strawberry farm, which is just a walk away from where I was staying. I could pick strawberries like the rest, but I would rather take pictures. Around the farm, is a flea market where you could buy picked strawberries, handicrafts from the region, ukay-ukay, and of course, strawberry ice cream. 

I tried looking for the hydropower plant but no one there knew where it was, not even the people at the tourism office. It must be old information I got about the nice trek going there, so I decided to check Mt. Kalugong instead. I took a cab going to the saddle of the mountain and hiked all the way to the peak. The top of the mountain offers a great 360-view of the misty city. At sunset, the view is spectacular! The rocks at the peak also make a good spot for pictorials. I stayed there a bit just the savor the view and the cool wind.

I had lunch at Arca's yard in Baguio. This was along the steep and winding Ambuklao road in Baguio, which took the cab about 40 minutes to get to. And since it is far from the city center, the air is fresh and smells of pines. From the veranda, you could see the nearby mountains and the valley below, filled with pine trees. It's perfect with the salad you would have or the pasta, and most especially, coffee.

Night in La Trinidad was cold, but my friend told me that the one before I arrived had been the
coldest this year. He had had to wear three layers of clothing to sleep plus a thick fleece blanket. I couldn't say whether it was a good thing that when I was there it wasn't as cold. But as he was telling me this, I still could not get myself to touch water, so it was fine.

I kept exploring places to a minimum this time. I just wanted the cool air, the boredom of doing nothing, and food. I wanted a break. And part of taking a break is visiting the market for stuff I need at home. So, I passed by the flea market to get fleece blankets and potted plants- silver pines, marigolds, chrysanthemum and cacti. It would be difficult keeping them alive till they get home after a six-hour bus ride, but I would take the chance.

La Trinidad was a break. The rest I got there was more than enough. even when I didn't sleep, worrying over my plants on the bus ride back home. I cooled off and simmered sufficiently well ready to take on the cruelest months of summer. To that, bring it on!