The Christmas Manor
The Manor Hotel, Camp John Hay, Baguio City
The five-hour ride to Baguio from Quezon City felt daunting given our temperamental weather as of late. But my family was determined to make this pilgrimage. We wanted to retrace familiar places in our minds before the new SCTEX and TPLEX roads made travel efficient but now devoid of sentimentality. We used to travel to the North when we were kids and had markets and schools as landmarks, a fodder for interesting conversations, a little reminiscing, and a lot of distractions. But, well, progress happens.
We left Quezon City at six in the morning on a sunny day and made our way to the Manaoag Church with an intent to both say thanks and have our new prayers heard. On a Saturday morning, a lot of devotees were already in the church, getting their rosaries and religious images blessed, lighting candles for special intentions, getting their cars blessed, and lining up to touch the miraculous Our Lady of Manaoag. We were part of the crowd, sweating, waiting, and getting drenched with holy water. It was both a humbling and an exhilarating experience being there with my family. It felt like being with one with an entire humanity who keeps their faith for better things.
The trip to Manaoag took around three hours and the trip from there to go to the town of Rosario where we spent our childhood took another two hours. We had to take a detour to be able to see the old town market of Rosario, the tree house that’s just beside the national highway and the small road leading to Inabaan before the ascent to the mountain province. The market, the tree house, the barrio called Inabaan are the gist of my childhood.
We took the safer Marcos Highway route to go up to Baguio. Kennon Road was closed and will probably be closed for a long time. But Marcos Highway was a breeze even with some brazen drivers overtaking trucks and vans in a chilly, foggy and treacherous mountain highway.
We arrived in The Manor, Camp John Hay early in the afternoon, exhausted and famished. But the sight that welcomed us was totally unexpected. October has just begun but The Manor was already bedecked in all its Christmas glory. The lobby was breathtaking with its giant snowmen guarding the doors and the shimmering lights and garlands that make it a full-sized Christmas village. The fog descending and the drizzle doing its thing, it was a complete Christmas wonderland.
Of course, nothing beats the warm service of The Manor, the staff in their perfect brown uniform was on their toes and we were ushered to check in seamlessly. We asked for a room with a balcony but it was a fully-booked weekend so we just settled with a view of the beautifully manicured garden.
We booked rooms in both The Manor and The Forest Lodge and both hotels were connected so it was an easy walk to either hotels.
But, since The Manor was really breathtaking, let me talk about the things that would make it worth going back and cocooning during Christmas.
A Full-On Christmas Village. Jon of the front desk, amused with my expression, told me that they haven’t gone halfway with their Christmas decorations. The Santa welcoming guests, that’s just a preview of the things to come. They had wreaths and unicorns and more Christmas wreathes. The fog and the drizzle add to the ambience.
Free Sauna and Jacuzzi and a 30% off their massage. They say a trip to The Manor is never complete without a massage. I missed it this time but will make sure to get one the next time. The lure of good weather and all the pine trees outside were just too much to pass on so I spent most of my time walking outside with the pine trees.
The Batirol Cafe a ten-minute walk. We walked from our hotel to the Batirol Cafe which was crowded on a Sunday but all ours on a Monday. We had their traditional hot chocolate which they make fresh. We had breakfast of all kinds: adobo, longganiza, bibingka, arroz caldo.
Guava Jam from Hill Station inside Camp John Hay. A ten minute walk from The Manor is a hub of restaurants. We headed straight to Hill Station and secured a staple in our childhood- guava jelly. Guava jams and jellies were plentiful in our village in Rosario and every mom used to make them during guava season but somehow, guava jams are no longer popular. Thankfully, Hill Stations makes good versions of these.
Our trip to Baguio was short but allowed for much reflection. We grew up, went to make lives in different places but the backdrop of our childhood was still there to remind us of who were were and how far we’ve gone.
Thank you, Baguio, the magical Christmas wonderland of our hearts. We will be back.
xoxo,
B
