Baguio and Cordillera Travel

Micheal Learns to Rock (MLTR) Baguio concert cancelled

vinncan — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 03:19:43 +0000

Its a pitty this happened. I was so excited initially to learn that a Baguio promoter can do this achievement. However when I heard the venue was changed from Athletic Bowl (wow!) to UB Gym (duh?!!) I knews something was wrong so I didnt purchase the tickets I reserved. Poor marketing. That answers all. I think this will affect the already nice image of Baguio as a non-concert-selling venue. Hope not… But promoting another big event will be such an ordeal for the right people eventually. Yep, Im saying people involved in this mess now are NOT the RIGHT PEOPLE. Sorry…

MLTR’s Baguio concert cancelled

By Rimaliza Opiña

THE highly anticipated reunion concert of Danish band Michael Learns to Rock (MLTR) here Friday night was abruptly cancelled by its Baguio promoter after its Manila producers reportedly demanded for a higher contract price.

Overtones, the Baguio promoter, and JP Entertainment, MLTR’s agent, in Manila agreed to a P2.1 million contract price earlier.

JP Entertainment however asked for a higher price of P3.7 million on Thursday night, or one night before the band’s scheduled concert here, lawyer Rex Lampa told Sun.Star in a telephone interview.

“There was a unilateral cancellation of the contract. They were obviously in bad faith,” Lampa said, adding that his client, represented by Joanifer Abubo of Overtones Bar, is determined to go after the concert’s producers.

Overtones filed in Manila Saturday a petition for the issuance of a temporary restraining order. The petition was denied for lack of merit.

However, Lampa said his clients will pursue the complaint for breach of contract with damages.

In the meantime, Abubo said he and his partners are still hoping the concert will proceed.

Although a complaint was filed, they are still negotiating with the Manila agent. If this fails, he said, they will refund ticket payments.

The concert was supposed to be held at the Baguio Athletic Bowl, but the venue was transferred to the University of Baguio gym later. In anticipation of an upcoming typhoon, Abubo said, they decided to change venue.

Asked how many tickets were sold, Abubo said they could not yet account for the exact number of ticket sales at this time. Tickets for the concert were sold for P250-P1,800.

MLTR is scheduled to hold a concert at the Araneta Coliseum Saturday night.

The band, which was formed in 1988, became popular in 1993, when their first album Colours was released. The group is best remembered for the songs “Sleeping Child,” “25 Minutes,” “Out of the Blue,” “That’s Why You Go Away,” “Paint My Love,” and Nothing to Lose.

Members of the band are Jascha Richter (vocalist-keyboards), Kåre Wanscher (drummer), and Mikkel Lentz (guitarist).

(November 23, 2008 issue)

Published on Sun.Star Network Online

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/mltrs-baguio-concert-cancelled

Visit Baguio on Rainy Days

tarakimee — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:05:06 +0000

The Burnham Lake

Its rainy seasononce again! Rainy season usually starts by June and usually ends by September.When it rains in other parts of the country, its bad. Flood, heavy traffic, and other bad stuff happen especially in Manila. I personally am not comfortable when it rains in Manila. Baguio can give you a relaxing experience during this rainy season. Of course it still rains here in Baguio. But there is just an additional drama and excitement whenever it rains here. Here they are:

: The Mansion House

It gets COLDER. Temperature can do down to 15 degree Celsius, I love it. I can put my thick coats on and watch the rain by the window while drinking my barako coffee. This is also the best time to lit up the fireplace and bond with your family and friends over hot drinks. Some hotels and houses in Baguio do have fireplaces.

FOG also starts covering every part of the city that sometimes you cant see a person 3 meters away. I’m sure most of us love being in a foggy place. Feels like you’re in heaven! Fog adds additional drama to the hot spots in Baguio. Check the pictures here and be mesmerized.

: The Baguio Cathedral in Heaven

If you want to have that especial moment with someone, visit Baguio during rainy season. The cold weather will keep you closer and the fog will surely make you feel secured being with your special person.

For assistance in your Baguio trip, email me at tarakimee@yahoo.com. Have a great trip ahead…

“Pinikpikan” the best chicken soup

vinncan — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:17:01 +0000

Ever heard of pinikpikan? This is one of the most exotic food of the people from the highland provinces of the Philippines. Sometimes we call it the “killing-me-softly” recipe because of the way this is prepped before being cooked.

Ingredients:
1. A live Chicken (this is extremely important)
2. Chayote (Optional)
3. “Pechay”
4. one half kilo to one kilo “Innasin”Directions:
Necessary Knowledge:
You must know how to butcher fowls (the Ilocano way)

Preparing the Chicken, the Igorot way.
Tools needed for preparation:
1. Wood for fire.
2. A clean, flat surface, preferably smooth
3. A piece of stick for beating.

DO NOT DRESS THE CHICKEN. Start a fire. Now, put one wing of the chicken on the flat surface. Using the stick, beat the wing from the inside, not too soft, but not to hard that it will break the bones and the skin of the chicken. (Of course, the chicken will squawk and fight back so you have to hold the head, the other wing, and the legs in the other hand.) Beat it from the tip of the wing to the side, then back. Do it again. Now do the same to the other wing. After beating the wings, lay the neck of the chicken sideways on the flat surface. Beat the neck from end to end. (Ever heard of the song “killing me softly..” ). You may probably wonder why one has to beat the chicken.

Now KILL THE CHICKEN! To kill the chicken, hold the chicken by the feet and wings in one hand. Hit the back of the head with the stick, just below the comb. Not too hard, or the chicken will bleed, and not too soft either, or the chicken will get mad, and may peck at you. One well placed blow will do it without breaking the skin.

Afterwards, burn all of the feathers off the chicken on the fire you made. After a few more tries, you will learn how to burn off the feathers faster. You can use your gas range, but it will be very messy afterwards. Better burn the feathers off using an outside fire.

After the feathers are removed, remove excess charred feathers from the chicken. Remember, you should have removed the beak,tongue,crest,and feet coverings. Chances are, the chicken has also started to look like roast chicken. Now, butcher the chicken, slice it into manageable pieces, and put the slices into a cooking container. Cut the “Innasin” into pieces as large as the chicken pieces. Put them into the cooking container. Do not put the Chayote if there is very little “Innasin”. On the other hand, if you think it will be very salty, add Chayote to minimize the salty taste. Note: the Chayote will be very tasty when cooked. Clean the “Pechay” and separate the leaves. It is better to cook this over heavy heat. When the meat is done, Put the “Pechay” into the container, Remove from the fire/heat, and cover. Leave for two minutes. Stir, and serve. If you do not have, pechay, the next best leafy vegetable is watercress. If you do not have either lettuce or watercress, You can use the young shoots of the chayote. For lettuce, leave for 4 minutes. For Watercress, leave for 2 minutes. For the young shoots of the chayote, put it in while it is still being cooked, then leave for 4 minutes. Remove from the fire/heat, and serve. Servings depend on the size of the Chicken, the vegetables, and the Meat added.

Baguio for First Timers

vinncan — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:02:56 +0000

Visiting Baguio City soon? Here is your basic guide in exploring Baguio City.

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The Basics:
City Center:
* Burnham Park – go boating, ride a bike, stroll, buy souvenirs from street vendors; See the orchidarium with the pretty flowers/plants
* Session Road – walk, feel the city vibe; Try some of the local restaurants.
* Baguio Cathedral – At the heart of the city
* SM Baguio – Go to the view deck, see the city in afternoon or evening – nice view.
* Market – buy your pasalubongs on the last day
* Ukay-ukay! – nuf said

Off-center (1-3 kms out)
* Lourdes Grotto – A classic. See your grandparent’s old “ekskarsyon” photos in Baguio and you’ll see the Lourdes Grotto. Drive up the hill, say a prayer at the grotto, then walk down and count the hundreds of steps. (btw, it’s a ten minute drive to Tam-Awan Village)
* Cafe by the Ruins – quaint cafe across the Baguio City Hall
* O Mai Khan – mongolian barbecue, mix your own dinner; Sizzling plate – steaks, sizzling dishes

* Mines View – the classic “view”, lots of photo opportunities with the view, the horses, the manangs/manongs, the dressed up flower booths. Souvenir shopping galore.
* Good Shepherd – buy some of the most sought-after ube jam and other food products
* The Mansion – Official Presidential Residence in Baguio; Photo ops only, no sleeping over.
* Wright Park – Horse Back-riding
* Botanical Garden – pose with the manongs/manangs, see the flowers abloom (sometimes)
* Pink Sisters – Quaint church; Get their delicious angel wing cookies, guess what they’re made of. Catch the Pink Sisters singing their prayers.

Pacdal Area:

Intermediate:
The Posh Greens of Baguio:
* John Hay – picnic grounds, food stalls, paintball, zipline, rapelling, skating, biking, hiking, butterfly farm. Visit the Manor, if only to see the garden beyond the hotel lobby.
* PMA – For a good chance of seeing cadets marching in formation, go there by 11am before the cadets march to their mess hall for lunch. Photos with military relics, photos with the cadets, a visitor’s center.

Artist’s hub:
* Tam-awan Village – Genuine Ifugao huts brought to the city. An artist’s haven, visit their galleries. Get a caricature or portrait at a very good price. Drink some coffee. Catch the dance troupe on saturdays.
* Arko ni Apo – Right across Tam-awan Village, find a metal-works/wood-works art gallery by Benhur and Boom Villanueva. If you’re lucky, you might catch the artists at work, chat with them.

Advanced (a full-day!):
La Trinidad and more
* Strawberry Farms of La Trinidad — take a 30-45 minute ride to La Trinidad, go to the strawberry farms, pick strawberries for a fee. Try the strawberry wine
* Narda’s — a world-renowned exporter of woven textiles, their main branch is in Trinidad; (They have a branch near Victory Liner Bus station at the city center).
* Bell Tower – Buddhist temple, manicured garden, fountain. So zen.
* Easter School weaving – traditional cordilleran weaving. go straight to their weaving showroom where there are more than a dozen weavers at work. Chat with them, see how ingenious (and meticulous) weaving is! Once you’ve seen how they weave, THEN you come back up to see the end products — you’ll appreciate the end products more.
* (Tam-awan village is ten-minutes from Easter School by taxi or private vehicle)

Night life:
* Session road – various folk/R&B live music and bars, Videoke; Jazz bar between Session and UB; Various bars at La Azotea, maybe even a concert at Vocas.
* Legarda – Kaffe klatch for great acoustic music! Gilligans, 18BC and other bars
* Nevada Square – clubbing, rockers, lounging, alcohol

Tips on using the above destination ideas:
a.) For first timers, cover the basics first.
Morning: Tour the Mines view area.
Afternoon, go around the city center. End with coffee or dinner at Ruins, O Mai Khan, Session or nearby restos
b.) For second timers or for the second day of a first timer, Visit the Posh Greens.
Start in the morning with PMA which is farther from the city. Ordinary lunch at the cafeteria (or make your way back to John Hay for lunch).
Afternoon, come back towards the city to John Hay (30 mins drive between PMA-John Hay). Spend the afternoon in John Hay, have some light snacks or coffee at the commissary or the filling station.
c.) Third day:
Do the Advanced itinerary (Start with farthest = strawberry farm) + the artist’s hub.
From Artist’s hub, you could proceed to Lourdes Grotto + Off-center (Cafe by the Ruins) to wind down the afternoon.

Notes:
* This itinerary is light for a small group who’ll just go for picture taking without the activities.
* It’s a packed itinerary for a big group (a big group is slower going through the itinerary) or a group that will do the many activities available.
* Mix and match according to available time or preferred activities.
* The destination groups are within the same vicinity or route.
* Except for the city-center destination group, the destinations are arranged from farthest from city center going back towards the city center.

Transportation:
* Don’t bother driving around and wasting time searching for parking. Park then walk the city center, all within a 1.5km radius. If tired, get a taxi, city center is all within Php40 (de-metro).
* Off-center and MinesView area can be managed by taxi hired from point-to-point.
* For Posh Greens and Advanced (La Trinidad and more), it’s best to take private vehicle or day-hired-taxi. Commuting will add 15-45 mins each time you have to wait for a jeep/taxi.

Accommodations:
* For discounts and accommodation inquiries, please contact me.
* Book ahead, you don’t want to worry about accommodations.
* If getting a transient house, ask how long it takes to drive to session road. If it’s more than 15 minutes, you’re far outside the city center.

Last tip: Lighten up! You’re with family and/or friends. Enjoy the travel time!

Enjoy your summer trip!