Baguio City: Burnham Park

On our first day, i really made it a point that we visit Burnham Park since i wanted Jaden to enjoy his first trip here in Baguio City. during the planning stage i really included things that i know my son Jaden will enjoy such as the Butterfly Farm, Wright Park, Kiddie Golf at CJH and of course boating and biking at Burnham Park.

The park was named after architect Daniel H. Burnham who built the park around which the city of Baguio was built. Ever wondered why when in Baguio we get to encounter quite a number of American names such as Wood, Wright, Kennon, Harrison and Hay to name the more known ones, well go to this link (http://www.gobaguio.com/americans-and-baguio.html) and you'll be given the short answers on who they are and what their contributions in what we now know as the City of Pines. we should be thankful somehow to them for making the city as beautiful as it now is.

"When Architect Burnham conceived a plan for the park, he saved the very best piece of real estate for a public park to serve the people and provide for their health and recreation." - www.i-baguio.com

i used to really take this park for granted, i remember coming here in my teens and thinking "so what's all the fuzz about this boring park". i thought it was so lame to paddle your way in an artificial lagoon. but family life changed all that, it gave me a different perspective to it. you don't think of your own interests as much anymore but that of the kids more oftenly (is this a word?) when you have your own family already .

so boating and biking were on the top of the list of the must-do here at Burnham Park. For only Php60 per 30 minutes, it is quite a bargain for paddling time around the man-made lake considering the experience with my son, as a credit card company puts it "priceless". you can actually over-extend your paddling time without them noticing but i guess the operators rely on a person's honesty for this.

biking was only P30 per hour.

you can do some shopping around the park...



from silver wear ...




to domestic pets.



food is not a problem as many carts and stalls offer a quick bite.



like this manang offering a fruity alternative of strawberries to the

cholesterol-filled oily fishball.

i took a stroll around the park and these are some of the scenes i encountered. now i realize how beautiful this park is and how envious i am of the people here for them to have a park like this.



burnham is where "still as beautiful as the old days happens"...



where mending a broken-hearted happens ...


where naindyan ng ka-date happens ...


where the excited little boys happens ...

where the excited BIG boys happens ...

where beauty is everywhere happens ...

where making friends happens ...

where did i say beauty everywhere happens ...

... and where BFF best friends forever happens ...

we were billeted at Burnham Hotel which was just a stone's throw away from the park. so after taking my morning shower, i went back to the park just curious on how it looks like at early morning. the park offers a a totally different atmosphere but the constant is the joy it brings to its visitors.

the health-conscious and the not-so-healthy visitors do their morning exercises. i saw two separate groups from each end with their own instructors. sighted even some hunks who participated in the exercises. you can sense their slight embarassment doing aerobics given their buff bodies. i guess for them health comes first so to hell with their pride.

going around some more, i chanced upon this coffe bag / cart. i thought it was interesting. when i took some close-up photos, this "interesting-clothed" man approached me. it turned out, he's the owner of the bag and also the head of some 50 coffee sellers around the park permitted by the local government.

he used to be a bartender and hearing him out of his plans for the coffee sellers around the park was quite amazing. he said he'd like for them to have the same interesting bag/cart and then have everyone don a more presentable uniform.

here's another view of the morning exercisers (again is that a word?). some came in appropriate get-ups, some came in shorts, others in jackets, while quite a few were in slippers.

only during this part of the morning can you find these duck-boats parked along side each other. they form one corner of the boat operators.

baguio as it transforms and welcomes another busy day ahead. i'm wearing the jacket i bought at the Wagwagan night market the previous night, an Adidas camouflage jacket with a tribal design on the chest portion. Quite a bargain at Php340.00.

as i leave the park, i really had the biggest respect for it. imagine the thousands of happy moments this park brings to locals and tourists alike. if i was to choose what the number 1 destination is in Baguio City, hands down my vote goes to Burnham Park. No park quite like it. Simply AMAZING. Burnham Park ... Where Amazing Happens....