Baguio Xmas 1: Up in the Clouds (BenCab Museum)

Dec. 19, 2009: Several poets of LIRA went up to Baguio for a chilly pre-Christmas vacation. Highlight of the trip: Being enveloped by mist and art in the svelte BenCab Museum, up high along Asin Road, Tuba, Benguet.

This was my 4th time in Baguio in the previous half-year or so (1st: Dapitdilim founding, 2nd: post-Ati-Atihan excursion, 3rd: UP National Writers Workshop), and my 2nd time in the National Artist's place (1st time was also during the UP NWW, but because that was in summer, it didn't have the up-high-in-heaven effect).

Madaling araw kami bumiyahe mula Cubao. Halos tanghali na ata nang nakarating kami ng Baguio. After taking a brunch at my favorite haunt, Cafe by the Ruins, we proceeded to check-in to our accommodations. Tapos, punta na sa may palengke para sumakay ng jeep papuntang Asin Road.

Ginusto ko talagang dalhin ang mga katropa ko sa BenCab Museum dahil sa magandang karanasan ko dito a few months prior. Pero ang di ko inasahan, mas maganda pa pala ang experience the 2nd time around -- due in no small part to it being in December. It literally felt like being up in the clouds: chillax kung chillax ang lugar, lango ka sa sining, at lumalangoy ka sa hamog. And as a person who prefers cold days over summer, heben talaga.

We spent what, three? four? hours just hanging out in the museum and by its pond. Bago bumaba ang araw, bumalik na kami ng Baguio para mamalengke at tumoma kasama ang Baguio writers...at nasa susunod na album na 'yun.