Baguio and Auntie Perla

 We took the deluxe bus to Baguio, a very comfortable 5 hr ride with wifi and movies!

On the way, we passed many towns, this one was celebrating a fiesta, the banners were hung for at least a half a mile.

We climbed elevation and the scenery was magnificent.

We spent a night at the Retreat Center, headed by Auntie(Sister) Perla

Auntie Perla and Anna in the Japanese tea house built by General Yamashita for his daughter during the occupation of WW2.

The grounds also include besides the retreat center and tea house, the original headquarters of the Japanese command with secret escape tunnel. (He tried to escape but was caught by the Americans)




Tea garden and pond.

Auntie Perla is Anna's father's sister

The igorots, one of the tribes of the mountain province.

Doing our part for east west relations

 Baguio was developed in 1905 as a hill station by the American army during its campaign for dominance in the Philippines. Many families from Manila have summered in Baguio over the years including Anna's family. It used to be pristine with the scent of pine trees but now, it is incredibly congested and polluted, especially downtown.
Quirino Hill, (right) is steep and covered with small houses.

View from the top of Quirino Hill, highest point in Baguio, best spot for drying clothes.

Watch out,  be careful that your parking brake is set!

 Woman weaving traditional cloth

 Here are the cooks, who make fresh home made breads, cookies, jams and scrumptious food. They feed the all the retreatants and guests. We were the only guests that day.







Nestor, the resident gardner and maintenance man
also just happens to be a healer, a master of the
Filipino tradition of massage called hilot.
He graciously worked on us and it really took away our aches and pains.

Auntie Perla is a very sweet and vivacious 80 yr old Sister who is teaching others including sisters and priests, the new Church doctrine of integrating science and God.
She touched us deeply.