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Baguio
(North Luzon Via Dagupan)
Some people believe the guide books that say Baguio is a 4 to 6 hour trip out of Manila ... 8 long hours is closer to reality and its only in the last two hours that you get to see some interesting if not spectacular sceenery
An alternative method is proposed in the Dagupan section
below the Baguio information
WARNING
 LITA TUVERA TRANSIENT HOUSES
(The worst place to stay in Baguio ... Horrible rooms ... Horrible staff)
Torrents of rain greeted us on arrival in Baguio. Needing a place to spend the night we trusted the taxi driver to bring us somewhere nice ... instead he brought us to what must be the worst kip in Baguio. Be careful if you come to Baguio to avoid this place because it literally stinks. We picked up chest infections here that lasted us the whole duration of the vacation.
It must also be said that Mountain Folk can be pretty austere ... they do not have the sunny disposition of their lowland cousins. Smiling faces are few and far between up here.
THE FOREST INN
We were about to abandon Baguio when I remembered reading about
THE FOREST INN
 The Forest Inn
We went to see what it was like and were pleasantly surprised. For 600 pesos you get a tastefully furnished room with ensuite bathroom and hot water.
The staff at reception were very nice ... especially Charles who will go out of his way to help you enjoy your stay here.
 The Forest Inn, Legarda Road, Baguio
Theres a Bar and restraunts, grocery and liquor stores and a 24 hour petrol station store less than 100 meters from the Forest inn
We spent 5 nights here ... its a great place to stay and its only a 15 minute walk from Burnham Park
and the boating lake which forms the center of the commercial zone
  The boating lake at Burnham Park
Session Road is where its at these days in Baguio.
Theres lots of eaterys and stores, didnt notice any Bars but im sure theres one or two sonewhere along the stretch
 early morning Session Road
Near the top of Session Road theres a flight of steps that leads to Baguio Cathedral.
This is a very impressive sight in the early morning (Dawn) as it has a pink glow.
 Baguio Cathedral
During the liberation of Baguio in 1945 the local folk sought shelter from the violence by coming to the Cathedral.
 The gardens at the back of Baguio General Hospital
The Baguio General Hospital also has an interesting history it was here that Rogelio Roxas while excavating a tunnel at the rear of the hospital.
Found the legendary Golden Buddha and thousands of gold and silver bars that were hidden by the retreating Japanese Army in 1945
These were later stolen from him by Ferdinand Marcos. Rogelio was tortured and imprisoned but still refused to reveal the location of the tunnel entrance.
Marcos found it anyway and the bullion vanished into history again
  Perched on the edge of a valley
Gilberts
Back in the late 70's everybody who's anybody used to come to Gilberts. Gilberts was the place to be seen ....
Then in 1981 a devastating Earthuake hit Baguio and destroyed the place.
 They will come back
It was followed 6 weeks later by a typhoon that
caused landslides and the stairway to Gilberts fell to the valley floor below.
Today to get to Gilberts you got to negotiate a steep cliff swinging from tree to tree and holding on for dear life
.... Gilbert however remains optimistic and says
"They will come back"
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Dagupan City Stopover
An alternative way of getting to and from Baguio is to stop off at DAGUPAN CITY
 The Lenox Hotel Lobby
and rest the night or longer in the luxury of the
Lenox Hotel on Rizal Street in the city center.
Absolute cleanliness, aircon rooms and happy staff await you here
 A standard double room will cost you 1200php per night.
The rooms are of the highest standard with aircon and multi channel cable TV, ensuite bathroom with piping hot water 24hrs.
 The staff at the Lenox are very polite and will help ensure your stay here
is as enjoyable as possible
 Close by is Dagupan's City Market, selling all kinds of interesting stuff.
Next to the market theres a shopping mall with a very good
Shakeys Pizza.
 Beside the mall theres The Plaza.
This makes a nice stroll around, theres a fountain and a statue of Jose Rizal and a WW2 era locomotive on display
 Fountain at the Plaza in Dagupan City
The onward journey to Baguio will only take 2 hours from here and you will arrive feeling refreshed and reinvigorated ...
if youre leaving Baguio this helps to break up the long trip back to Manila.
Philippines Budget travel guide,Safe places to stay in
Manila, Puerto Galera, Boracay, Guimaras and Camiguin islands, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Sabang, Palawan, Baguio and Dagupan City
 Philippine Islands
2009
 Yamashita's Treasure
We took a risk and went sniffing around Pandora's box
Keyhole Artists Golden lily Investigation 2004
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