A Short Trip Down Memory Lane: Baguio City

It was six long years before I got this rare opportunity to return to the Philippines. To make the most of it, I revisited the Baguio of my youth to once again whiff that distinct pine scent and breathe that cool Philippine mountain air. Fortunately, there were two days between the President’s Dinner for UPAA Awardees on Aug. 14 and the formal Awards Ceremony on Aug. 17.

It’s now so accessible with just 3.5 hours of driving after the TLEX (Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union Expressway) was added to the old NLEX (Norther Luzon Expressway) from QC to Pampanga. Five BFFs joined my daughter, my eight-year-old grandson, and me. We rented a 12-seater van cum driver for a little over $300.

The Trip Up/First Dinner

The predominantly senior group prioritized food-tripping. Just an hour into our trip, we stopped at Lakeshore, the last gas stop at the end of NLEX. For only P299 ( $5) per person, one BFF treated us to a breakfast buffet of Filipino favorites. (see headline photo)

An hour before Baguio, we stopped at the foothills of the Cordillera Mountain Range. Naguilian, La Union, was my father’s hometown and is the entrance to the zigzaggy Kennon Road. Later, the canyon waterfalls gushed for us. But we didn’t stop at the iconic Lion’s Head, which was swarming with tourists.

We reached Baguio at lunchtime, so we went straight to the popular Fil-Chinese institution of good affordable food: Good Taste. We binged on the not-so-crispy pata, a great lomi, and their bestseller buttered chicken, the treat of another BFF.

Next, we checked in at the Forest Lodge, the midscale option of Camp John Hay, a military base for the US Armed Forces until its turnover to the Philippine government in 1991. The sprawling camp has become a tourist destination with lodging, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.

The day ended with a fine dining experience at Hill Station, courtesy of a third BFF. The popular restaurant is in Casa Vallejo, a pre-WWII structure with a log cabin interior. We ordered appetizers to start but the combination of paella, sangria, and canonigo at the end will be long remembered.  

The Big Baguio Day

We started our Big Baguio Day with Filipino favorites and the legendary thick cup of chocolate at Chocolate de Batirol. It was my turn to treat everyone to this popular garden-type eatery within the Camp, which is very near our hotel.

After breakfast we made a nostalgic trip to nearby Teachers’ Camp, a teacher training center and events venue established in 1907 by Americans and turned over to the Philippine government in 1988. We inspected a select cottage reserved for upper management since a BFF’s son is now Undersecretary of the Department of Education. 

It brought back fond memories of our family summer vacations when my mother was the Principal of the government-owned Philippine School for the Deaf and the Blind. She had a week’s use of a standard cottage every year.

The next stop was Mirador Hill where the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto was established in the early 1900s. Without a car, my mother always had us climb the 200+ steps to reach it. This time, however, our van took us up the hill via a narrow zigzag road. The views of Baguio City from the Grotto are exceptional.

My daughter took my grandson to Mines View Park to shop for souvenirs and a photo-op with the Giant Dog. It surprised us to find another Giant Dog at the junction of Wright Park and the Mansion House. The huge St. Bernard is a nice addition to these two standard first stops for every Baguio visitor.

Five kilometers away at the entry to La Trinidad, Benguet where we used to pick strawberries from the farms is the now famous StoBoSa Valley of Colors. Built-in 2016 by the Tam-awa Villagers, the area of about 150-200 houses has been transformed into a small version of the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro. StoBoSa is short for three sitios: Stonehill, Botiwtiw, and Sadjap.

SM Baguio is part of the SM national chain of supermalls. Although it was opened in 2003, I didn’t have the chance to see it before I left in mid-2004. It’s located at the upper end of the main artery of the city Session Road. With its floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the legendary Burnham Park, Vizco’s was a good place for a late-light lunch. The Park was where, as a young girl, I helped my father paddle the swan boats on its man-made lake and rode the play bikes around its perimeter!

Baguio Country Club was our next stop to feel its upscale surroundings and bring home its bakeshop’s famous raisin bread.  Back at Camp John Hay, we met up with my daughter and grandson who had gone horseback riding around the Lodge.

Our farewell dinner was at the Camp John Hay Clubhouse courtesy of a former BIR Commissioner and friend whose husband was playing in a Camp golf tournament. It was Friday evening, so there was a band. That occasioned singing and dancing, a great way to end our short nostalgic stay in Baguio.  

Last Breakfast/The Trip Down

The morning after, the last BFF treated us to a hefty breakfast at Le Chef, the Lodge Diner. But we had to hurry to leave since we all had to be at the Awards Ceremony at 4 pm. We made it back by 1 pm, with a short burger stop, giving us plenty of time. 

I love this trip I got to do with my BFFs and part of my family. We got to eat a lot of great food. We didn’t encounter the horrendous traffic I had read about, and nostalgia was everywhere. The new additions did not distract us from the Baguio of my youth.  

Do You Want to Know the Secret to My Traveler's Soul?

Why do I travel so much? The secret comes from “somewhere in my youth and childhood.” It was something that deep because this passion is unstoppable. It was not magic. It was not chicken soup. But it has something to do with chicken.

How Much I Travel

We are currently in Honolulu, Hawaii. At 75, I am still on the go although no longer as constantly. When we started traveling, we were gone all twelve months of the year. We were full-time RVing across North America, as chronicled in my book, Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream. When we settled in Phoenix, it went down to just 60%. We left the desert in winter when it was cold and in summer when it was hot. Nowadays, it has settled at 40%.  

This is still a lot of traveling. What pushed me? There was a time when my job had me going to various countries to gain knowledge about how they pioneered IT applications so I could apply them in the Philippines. Much earlier, global companies I joined sent me to various countries for training. I was thrilled to get such awesome trips for free but that is not what pushed me.

It could not have been just that because when I retired and found my travel/lifetime partner, something powerful was unleashed. When I was no longer confined to trips defined by jobs, my exploration of the world became unhinged. I began to go all over the world…literally!

My Mother’s Influence

To answer the question, I had to go farther back in time. It must have been how I saw my mother who also journeyed across the globe. She was sent everywhere, starting from winning the Philippine government’s scholarship to the US to study how the deaf receive education and how they are taught to speak so she could apply it to the Philippines.

During her year in the US, she wrote us letters about how her studies were proceeding. One of the most life-altering moments of my life. She sent us a letter enclosed dry gold, yellow, orange, and red maple leaves that had fallen from trees during autumn. I was so fascinated I thought, “I wonder if she can send us snow!”

Yes, my mother had this outsized influence on my life. More than work and her travels, she fed me tons of chicken wings. She believed, like many in the Philippines during her time, that this would give me the “wings” with which to “fly” the world. I remember eating all kinds of chicken wing dishes: adobo, nilaga, tinola, afritada, steak, curry, inasal, arroz caldo, and, of course, fried. I grew to love anything made from chicken wings.

My Own Discovery

The Philippines was also greatly influenced by the Chinese, aside from the Spanish and Americans who colonized us. They also settled in my home country in droves. The first-ever Chinatown in the world is in a district called Divisoria in Binondo, Manila. At its dim sum places, I discovered Phoenix Claws (is it any wonder then that I ended up in Phoenix?).

This Chinese delicacy of chicken feet became my all-time favorite over the more popular siopao, chow mien, egg rolls, etc. It’s difficult to make (and source) so I order it every time I am at a dim sum place. Before you cringe, you have to give it a try. It’s a gelatinous, sugar and soy sauce-infused and spice-enhanced dish.

Chicken wings gave me the “means” to fly. Chicken feet gave me a reason to “roam” the lands. But now they are no longer high on my list of “Foods to Eat” as part of my largely plant-based Longevity Diet. It’s no wonder I am traveling less.

How to Stay Young As Long As Possible: The Longevity Diet Part 1

There are currently several billionaires bent on reversing their age. But we ordinary folks don’t have to have big money to do it. This first part will try to establish the case for adopting the longevity diet so that we can approximae our body’s potential of 120 years. Part 2 will describe its ten principles and how we implemented them at home.

It isn’t a diet per se. It’s a paradigm of nourishment so that we can stay young as long as possible. In other words, we should not only seek to increase our life span but also our health span. Studies have shown that, on average, in the last nine or so years of our lives we get an increasing host of health issues. We shouldn’t suffer in those years.

Why am I so into this? I retired at 55 when I was diagnosed with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). At 60 came mild hypertension and at 65 came mild hypothyroidism. Last year, when I was about to turn 75, my a1c registered 6.6. Whoa, I had crossed the diabetes Rubicon of 6.5! I had to do something.

Theories of Aging
Dan Buettner’s “Live to 100,” the hit Netflix documentary, has shown us what people do in Blue Zones, where centenarians make up a big percent of the population. It urges us to follow four principles:

1   Living with purpose.

2.    Connecting with others.

3.    Moving naturally.

4.    Eating a modified plant-based diet.

So I wanted to understand the aging process. The book Harnessing the Nine Hallmarks of Aging by Greg Macpherson helped me do that. A discussion of the nine hallmarks may be too densely scientific but let me share what I took away from the book. There are two views of aging. The first is that aging is built into our DNA: evolutionary or programmed aging. The evolutionary view says that our bodies are built to procreate and when we are done with our basic function, we die to give way to the next generation.

Programmed aging refers to the fact that certain things in our bodies are limited in quantity. Telomeres, which protect the ends of our chromosomes become shorter and shorter, as cells divide. They become senescent when they reach the Hay Flick Limit of 40-60. In addition, stem cells are already drastically reduced by the time we are toddlers. They are just meant to bolster our growth as babies.

There is also the theory that aging occurs due to damage to our cells, as in the case of misfolded proteins and mitochondrial decline. Proteins are our body’s building blocks. There are 20,000 types in the body, and each type is built from 20 different amino acids. There can be many random errors in this highly complex process.

The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, producing energy for cell health and survival. However, as they do this, they also produce free radicals that damage cells. As we age, the rate at which they produce free radicals increases. We must remember that these free radicals are also introduced to our bodies by chemicals in the environment.

With these complex processes, damaged and dead cells accumulate in our bodies; even DNA can be damaged. And when there are enough cells damaged, the immune system is weakened which can lead to more damage. The processes meant for the repair (cell repair pathways) and recycling (autophagy) of such cells must be supported.

Why Diet Matters

Healthy fats and proteins bolster our cellular walls and membranes. Vitamins and minerals help protect our cells from, and repair, damage. Carbohydrates give us energy. The food we eat matters in nurturing, protecting, and repairing cells. And how and when we eat also influences how our damaged and dead cells are repaired and/or recycled.

The Longevity Diet

It was the book Harnessing the Nine Hallmarks of Aging that led me to the ground-breaking book, The Longevity Diet by Dr. Volter Longo, Director of the Longevity Institute of the University of Southern California. He studied the centenarians of his roots in Italy and together with the five pillars of juventology (youth and longevity) research, epidemiological, clinical, centenarian, and complex systems studies, he developed the ten principles of the Longevity Diet.

Next Week: The Longevity Diet Part 2 

7 Must-Do Activities: the Best of Venice Beach on a Weekend

If you want to see the best of Venice Beach on a weekend, strap yourself in. You haven’t seen anything like this before.

Its reputation. Huge. The muscles. Huge. The personalities. Huge.

But, in terms of size, it’s actually relatively small. Stretching just three miles along the Los Angeles coastline, Venice Beach packs in about as much fun as it could possibly fit.

Yes, it’s touristy. But you’ve just got to accept that.

In return, you’ll enjoy one of California’s most energy-boosting and eccentric attractions. And if you only have a weekend in which to see it all, you should check out these seven activities.

1. People-watch on the Boardwalk

Let’s get it out the way first. You have to stroll the Boardwalk. Nay-sayers might object, saying it’s too tourist-heavy. And, yes, there are many, many tourists there.

But there are also gravity-defying acrobats, impossibly athletic break dancers, fantastic (and some not-so-fantastic) musicians, almost-unwatchable glass walkers, and future-predicting fortune tellers. And lots of eccentric bystanders.

It doesn’t cost anything to walk the mile-and-a-half paved route. But you might want to bring some loose change to reward the performers. Additionally, if you’re looking for something to bring home, there are plenty of shops vying for your tourist bucks. My advice would be to surprise someone with a tacky-yet-fun souvenir or two.

2. Go thrift shopping

Venice Beach is a Mecca for the alt-fashionistas. Hit the boardwalk and you’ll see what I mean. You can’t move for glittering piercings, full-sleeve tats, and clothes that are so bad they’re good. Yup, the Boardwalk is really a catwalk.

But, if you’re anything like me, you might need to raid a few clothes stores first to not look completely out of place. Now, there are plenty of high-end boutiques in Venice. But bargains can be found in the local thrift stores. Expect to find vintage pieces, quirky cut-offs, and super stylish accessories at reasonable prices.

3. Watch the skaters

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a journeyed skater or can’t tell your kick-flips from your pop shove-its. You must visit the iconic skate park on Venice Beach. There you’ll find an undulating concrete course filled with stylishly tattooed adrenaline junkies. Admittedly, that doesn’t sound too different from every other skate park.

But what separates Venice Skate Park’s offering is the stunning setting right on the sands. Join the throngs at sunset when the glorious rays cast a magical light over the action. What’s more, you’ll be part of history. Skateboarding was invented in California in the 1950s by bored surfers looking to get pumped while the waves were flat. It was and still is, the true home of skateboarding.

4. Admire the bodybuilders

Muscle Beach Venice. The home of ripped bros and bulging biceps. During your trip to Venice, set some time aside to watch the bodybuilders do what they do best: lifting something heavy and then putting it back down again. Of course, I’m just messing around. Those Herculean guys and gals are seriously impressive athletes.

Will you feel guilty about your unused gym membership? Probably. But shove those feelings deep in the closet where your gym card lies. Because Muscle BeachMuscle Beach is an icon of LA. At one point or another, it’s been the home gym of the world’s most famous bodybuilders, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno. And you can work out where they once flexed. It’ll only set you back around $10.

5. Ride the waves with Californian surfers

Can you really come to California and not hit the waves? Answer: No. Luckily, Venice Beach is good for beginners and experienced riders alike. Breakwater, found at the center of the Boardwalk, is Venice’s most popular surf spot. Which means lots of people. Both a good and bad thing.

It’s good because you can seek lots of advice if you’re a newbie. But bad because you’ll probably get in someone’s way. A big no-no in the surfing world. If you want to feel comfortable and progress quickly, hire a surf instructor. You’ll be conquering the waves in no time. If you don’t fancy taking the plunge, an enjoyable morning can be spent watching the pros from the safety of the shore.

6. Relax on the canals

Venice Beach is bold, brash, and full of life. But at one point during your weekend, you’ll want to take it easy. And, for that, you should take a leisurely stroll along the Venice Canals. A far cry from the fire breathers and street performers of The Boardwalk, the canals were modeled on the waterways of Venice, Italy.

They’re obviously nowhere near as extensive but they do have a wonderfully European charm. Simply go with the plan to relax, admire the reflections, and ogle the (very) expensive houses that sit on the banks. And, once you’re done, you can dive straight back into the eccentricity that is Venice Beach – fully refreshed.

7. Eat on AK Boulevard

To keep up with the whirlwind that is Venice Beach, you’ll need sustenance. And when it’s time to eat, you should head straight for Abbot Kinney Boulevard. The mile-long street is lined with trendy boutiques, colorful murals, and edgy salons. It’s also a haven for foodies.

There are many, many restaurants to choose from. But for healthy, hipster cuisine, head to The Butcher's Daughter. The plant-based restaurant (or “vegetable slaughterhouse” as they call it) offers exquisite dishes without the guilt. And when you’ve got to walk past Muscle Beach every day that – for some reason – becomes important.

And there you have it: the mysterious and magical Venice Beach on a weekend. In part, maximizing your experience in Venice Beach is about wandering and seeing where your adventure takes you. So don’t be afraid of following your gut instincts and going with the flow.

But when you want more of a structure, enjoy these seven activities and you won’t go wrong. Oh, and remember to take your camera. There are lots and lots of incredible things to see in Venice. And you’ll need some physical evidence.

***This is a guest post.

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Would You Like to Know the Real Secret to Mexican Cooking?

We have been in the El Cid Resorts of Mazatlan, Mexico for six weeks now. Even if there are 9 restaurants of different cuisines (Argentinian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Mazatleca and four International), we have had a lot of Mexican food. Aside from La Cascada dedicated to Mexican food and Dona Sol dedicated to local dishes of Mazatlan, Mexican dishes are included in every buffet and special days are dedicated to Mexican cuisine in the international restaurants.

tinga de res

Desayuno, the Mexican Breakfast

chilaquiles

For breakfast, we have gotten to know staples like molletes, sopes, chilaquiles (verde o rojo), and huevos rancheros. There are American options: tocino (bacon), salchichas (sausages), pancakes, French toasts, waffles, papa bibil (hash browns), cereals, crepes, omelets, and huevos a gusto (eggs of your choice). I like it that they always have a pot of avena (oats) with amaranto, pasas (raisins), coconut shreds, granola, and cinnamon always available for sprinkling. Varieties of pan (bread) can be grilled or toasted with all kinds of queso, mantequilla y margarina, and peanut butter and jam for spreads. Frutas tropicales are all sliced up with cottage cheese or yogurt for toppings and all colors of gelatin on the side. Hot chocolate, coffee, tea, agua con hielo, and all kinds of jugos are always ready.

Comida o Cena, All-Day Mexican Food

sopa de mariscos

chile relleno

There are a great variety of main dishes for lunch (comida) or dinner (cena). Most of us already know the following from our Tex-Mex cuisine: enchiladas, burritos, tacos, gorditas, tostadas, and fajitas. But our six weeks in Mazatlan, Mexico has exposed us to so much more: carnitas, mole, barbacoa, pibil, tinga, cochinitas, asada, birria, menudo, campechanga, chamorro, and other dishes you rarely find in Mexican restaurants in the US. Apperitivos include all preparations of nachos with different types of salsa, guacamole, and frijoles. Carbs are either arroz (rice), tortillas (but mostly maiz and not harina), papas (potatoes), and all kinds of pan (bread). The soups we have come to love are pozole, mariscos, albondigas, elotes de crema, or sopa de ajo. Of course, we cannot resist the postres (desserts) like varieties of flan, churros, pasteles (cakes and pastries), and candied bananas or sweet potatoes. Bebidas are horchata, cebada, or tequila-based ones.

El Cid's Cooking Class

Activities provided for free have created a lot of value for our stay in El Cid. Enrique, the Activities leader, has done a great job of promoting the cooking class every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 pm, for example, for about 16-20 of us, eager students. We gather at La Concha which a lot of the hotel guests consider the best restaurant. In the class, we have learned how to cook international food like pasta marinara, paella Valenciana, sushi, Caesar’s salad, ceviche, fajitas, and sopa de mariscos. Next ones slated are pozole, enchilada, tacos, chicken tortilla soup, and so much more.

our cooking class by the sea

Chef Luis Villa

Interview with the Chef

I interviewed one of our very personable chefs/instructors, Senor Luis Villa. In spite of the fact that he knows very little English, he was always able to convey to us the ingredients, the steps, and the secrets of a dish, with Enrique at his side. I conducted this interview without an interpreter. After all, another activity I consider very valuable is the Spanish classes I am also taking. 

Senor Luis is forty-eight years old and has two boys, Luis Angel, fourteen and Eric, seven. Our featured chef learned how to cook at a very young age right at his home in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. His mother, Maria de la Luz, and grandmother, Felicitas, are both passionate cooks who made everything painstakingly from scratch. But when they were away, Luis cooked for himself. Now, after cooking assignments for eighteen years, he considers seafood and Mexican cooking his specialty

pescado zarandeado

His favorite Mexican dish is mole. It is also one of Bill’s favorites. When I asked him why he said it is because it is a complex dish made from a lot of ingredients that can number up to thirty. Thus, a creative cook can come up with many different flavors, using different types of chiles, for instance. And when I asked him what dish he would prepare for a special someone, he said he often prepares carne en su jugo (meat in its juice) for his wife, Erica. Actually, it reminds me of the popular sous vide cooking.

Mexican-style paella

tequila, sangria, y limon

When I wanted to find out the secret to Mexican cooking, he immediately said tiempo. It means time. In other words, the cook must have a lot of patience because it takes time for the flavors to come out, to fuse, and to intensify. He says it would be easy to take two, three, or four hours to prepare dinner, depending on the dishes one wants to prepare for the family.

For the last question, I asked him what advice he can give those of us who want to enjoy eating and cooking Mexican food. Just as easily, he said we have to learn to watch the chiles. Mexican cuisine utilizes them heavily and consistently. And there are many kinds of different colors, various flavors, and increasing degrees of spiciness. There is the jalapeno (green), poblano (green), guajillo (red), and wero (pale yellow) for flavoring, coloring, and mild spiciness. Then there is the small serrano for more spiciness. Finally, if you dare, there is the habanero, the hottest of them all. Of course, there are also Mexican spices.  

We have six more weeks to go. I will surely learn more. And I am so happy El Cid offers cooking classes with great chefs like Senor Luis and organizers like Enrique.

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