h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Baguio is really an incredible city -- a cool respite from the incredible heat, and I mean incredible -- of the Philippines.
What struck me about Baguio the wealth of the apparent musical talent in the local watering holes.
In one bar, for example, we heard a different band just about every couple hours, for the entire evening. Each band played a different style of music, and each was most capable.
No wonder Filipinos travel the world as entertainers.
I also remember Camp John Hay, a former U.S. R&R base, with its own golf course and pine trees. I found out it was bombed at the same time that Pearl Harbour was hit. It was a communications base then, and the Japanese had to take it out simultaneously. A little known fact, I guess.
I also found a really amazing shop with crafts made my local natives, sold at reasonable prices. We spent hours there browsing these amazing souvenirs, which were really more like artifacts.
Of course, it's not all good memories -- one instance in particular, stays with me. A small child, sleeping on a blanket on mains street, with her grandmother. I gave her some chance, as I hurried to a bar, she answered very politely.
Afterward, I thought, I should have given her more. Ten bucks would have gone a long way to help that child. So much poverty.
I also saw an office building on its side, a victim of an earthquake that did a lot of damage in the city. Unfortunately, Baguio is prone to that type of activity.
There was a great chess match played in Baguio, between a Soviet chessplayer, and a challenger, I can't recall his name right now, but this was many years ago.
My last memory of Baguio, was actually on the way back. We stopped at a huge statue of Ferdinand Marcos, several stories tall, on a twisty highway. We bought heaps of mangoes at a small stand, in fact, we boght the entire store's worth! Small pleasures, but they added up to an amazing experience.

Maverick707

Yeah, it's a real city of contrasts, isn't it?

Woo-hoo, just one more week till my flight out there. Er, excuse me for getting overexcited! Anyway, I'll be building up this entry once I'm there.

Do you want the name of that ultra-cool native craft store??

Sure.. I'll be with loads of locals who know the place well, but a good tip's always handy.. So what's it called and generally where is it (in relation to Session Rd)?