I heart Baguio!

The number one reason I love Baguio is because it's probably full on 20-40 degrees cooler than Manila. For that reason it's called the "summer capital of the Philippines." It gets so cool at night you even need a hat and jacket. It's not unusual seeing people over compensate (well in my opinion anyway) with full winter coats on. At about 70 degrees all of Lena's family was complaining about how cold it was.

Nina in her hat and jacket

Baguio sits about 5000 feet above sea level. It looks and feels higher though. Baguio's population is about 300,000 according to a 2007 census, so while traffic is still congested it's not nearly as bad as Manila. Most people catch a taxi to where they want to go. The altitude and steep hills are problematic for the famous jeepneys that populate Manila so they are not as prominent. It's also called the ghost capital of the Philippines. Man I love this place! I asked if Lena's family could move there. Then I found out it was practically destroyed by an earthquake in 1990. Yikes! That makes me a little less enthused but still hard not to fall  in love with the place. After leaving the mountains it didn't take long for the muggy, hot and humid temps to return. Ahhh Baguio how I miss thee.