The Prequel to Exploring Christmas Around the World

"Christmas Around the World" is the theme of the newest attraction inside the Botanical Garden in Baguio City. It was opened for the very first time last 18 November 2022. Prior to this, Botanical Garden was just its name, a garden. It didn't have any Christmas lights tricks for I don't know how many years it has been there. It was also open to the public for free. Now with the Christmas lights, it requires entrance fees. For its opening promo, fee for grown-ups 12 years old and above is P10.00 (US$0.17), half of that for three to 11 years old and free for those younger. Many are saying that they will increase the grown-up fee to P150.00.

What? Christmas village in November? You asked. Yes, Christmas village that is already up for business in November. Saying has it that the Philippines celebrates Christmas the longest. The moment All Saints Day is over, people start putting up Christmas decors. There are even some who put up their decors as soon as -ber months start. That is, September.

My batchmate in elementary invited me and our other mates for meet-up last Sunday, 20 November. I had my errands after the mass celebration in the morning so I met them in the afternoon in a restaurant. I didn't know the location so I was in constant coordination with the organizer as I was on my way to them. He said "lizkez cafe above landbank along Marcos Highway." I searched for lizkez but no result. I told him and he sent me a photo that made me laugh. That must be his head peeping on the lower left corner.

I searched for lis kez and still cannot find it on the map. This is not good, I thought. If you have a business but is not on the map or on the internet then you're losing a lot. I searched for Landbank along Marcos Higway. The result showed a familiar building across Baguio General Hospital. Okay, I know where to go. I met them and has a chat for hours. When it was late in the afternoon we started talking about where to go next. Our target was one of the Christmas villages - at Baguio Country Club, at The Manor at Camp John Hay, at the Botanical Garden or at Benguet State University campus. The one at Botanical Garden is the newest so we agreed to go there and off we went.

The queue to the entrance was fairly long when we arrived at the garden.

At first my friends hesitated joining the line and suggested that we find a coffee shop nearby where we can just sit and chat. I didn't like the idea because I was so excited to see the lights but I did not say anything. I would have waited in line if I had to but my friends seem not as interested as I did. I looked sideways and found a pathway going in on the left side of the gate. I called out to the others for us to see what's in there.

It is a small space overlooking the inside of the garden but with fence so one cannot really get inside. It is like a view deck with few shops. To the left is a line of souvenir shops. The middle aisle between the shops was pretty quiet and empty. Apparently, people are not interested with souvenir items. They are interested with the lights.

To the right of the souvenir shops is a cafe. The right side of the cafe is the fence which we kind of lined up to watch what we can make-do from not being able to get inside.

This is the view right across the fence with the giraffes lined up. I cannot fully figure out the lights past them.

To the right is the side view of the lightings past the main entrance. It seemed lovely when we passed by and I really wished I can take a good look.

To our back is another souvenir shop which we can only take a photo of. I guess the attendant needed a break and left the shop which is a very good sign. Whoever the attendant is, he or she is confident that people are honest and will not steal the merchandise on display.

I looked at the queue and people were moving forward somehow so I asked my friends if we can be a little patient and join the line. They agreed so we went to find the end of the queue. They went ahead while I was still looking around. Then they suddenly came back. They were saying they didn't reach the end because it extends up to Pacdal. They meant Pacdal Circle, the next area past the garden and is pretty far. I thought the line was just up to where our eyes can see. Apparently not. I gave up and agreed that we just go somewhere else. I later checked the distance between the garden and Pacdal Circle. It is 250 meters. Indeed, it would have been long if we waited.

I asked them to wait a little while I take photos of what I can. They laughed at me and waited. I went to the main gate and took what I can get through the gate railings.

This is the view from the main gate.

A little bit close-up.

We took a group photo and went back to the central business district along Session Road without definite plan on where to go. Here are my friends figuring out where to go. One suggested 108 Session Road Cafe but it was full. The same guy suggested Oh My Gulay on the rooftop of the same building where 108 Session Cafe is. We started our way up but came to a board with the schedule of the Oh My Gulay. It was closed that time.

Another suggestion was that cake shop just below 108 cafe. Cake? For dinner? I didn't want tonsilitis in the morning so I asked if we can pick a place for a good dinner. Yes, we were like that; in the middle of Sunday evening crowd without any idea where to go and having the discussion along the road.

One suggested the restaurant at the rooftop of City Lights Hotel along Gen. Luna road and we agreed to give it a try. We walked up Session Road and down to Gen. Luna Road only to see the rooftop of the building dark. We still went to the reception and asked the securiry guard. He said it is closed on Sundays but will start Sunday operation on the 27th of November. What a timing we had!

We went back up to Upper Session Road still without any definite place to go. I was getting tired and hungrier. I was sure the rest of the gang felt the same.

We saw a restobar sign, which I forgot the name, on a building along Upper Session Road and thought we give it a try. It was on the third floor so we climbed and found a bar-to-its-true-sense with all the noise inspite of it almost empty. Only a couple of tables were occupied. I looked at one of my friends with unspoken question, "do you want it here?" She shook her head and started going down the stairway. We ended up in a fastfood restaurant on the second floor right below that bar. It was pretty empty when we got in. We took the time dining in like it wasn't a quick-service restaurant.

My friends initially planned of transferring to a bar to continue our chatting but they opted otherwise after our dinner. It was on my favor because even if I wanted to continue chatting, I don't drink. And I wonder if we would ever get lucky of getting a table that late when we know it is a busy Sunday night. We just called it a day after a long chat over dinner.

It was a fun Sunday afternoon and challenging evening. It is still a month to go before Christmas and the challenges of holiday rush is already around. We barely planned for our next meeting in December but I was sure, I will get inside that garden to see the Christmas lights!