Saturday, March 16, 2013

Panagbenga 2013 | Street Dance Parade | Grand Float Parade

After enjoying my Baguio experience last year during the same season, I decided to invite my girl friends to come with me this year for the Panagbenga festival. Knowing them, always on the go, we all decided to go but as it gets nearer, my family had plans of also going out of town that Panagbenga weekend and I won't be allowed join the Baguio instead of that out of town. My friends still pursued the trip and bought bus tickets ahead of time. But few days before that out of town weekend, plans were changed, the trip was cancelled and I will be able to join the Baguio trip! I immediately buy my bus ticket for Baguio and luckily I was able to get the same bus ride with my friends.

3:30am, we arrived in Baguio and went straight to Zola Resto for breakfast, met our high school batchmate, Jiggz who was also with me last year and also to watch the Street Dance Parade.

Oh Zola.
Di ko na mabilang ilang beses kami pumunta dito para tumambay, kumain at uminom. Haha.
Tao po.
 Watching the parade from this window of Zola Resto.
My favorite marching band!
They also performed last year!
Super bongga talaga nila!!

 Pasensya naman sa pictures, sagad na sagad na niyan ang zooming powers ng camera ko! Haha.

After the parade, we just took some rest and had lunch. Lunch-Burnham Park for Market Encounter and Landscape Exhibit-Botanical Garden-Wright Park-The Mansion. Looooong walks!! Traffic kahit saan, mas mabilis pa kung maglalakad. I told myself I won't visit those places anymore. Seeing it once is enough. But it was actually Majo's first time in Baguio! I felt it was necessary for me to bring her there. Kaya kahit late na kami umalis sa Burnham Park, nagtaxi pero dahil traffic sa bandang teacher's camp, naglakad na kami hanggang Botanical, Wright Park at Mansion. Speed walking ang drama! Kahit pauwi, traffic pa din! Lakad ulit!! Buti na lang malamig. Panalo sa sakit ng paa at binti.


Haggard moments!!

Wala nang energy from all those long walk!! Nagdinner sa Zola (yun kasi ang malapit) ng 11pm, Majo's friend and her friend's cousins came over and we had a few drinks. Dahil parteeeeh people sila, lumipat pa kami sa bar at di na namalayan na umaga na pala, oras na para manuod ng Grand Float Parade. Di pwedeng matulog! Yun ay ang dahilan bakit kami nasa Baguio. Haha.

From bar, tumambay lang saglit then we immediately looked for a good spot to watch. Grabe yung ibang tao, as early as 2am (papunta pa lang kami sa bar) nakapwesto na sila and they even slept along the street. Hardcore! Good thing, we saw a spot na may 2 rows ng reserved seats. Then dun na kami pumwesto sa likod nila, since sitting pretty na sila, they didn't dare to stand up just to take photos. Our spot was also just some meters away from the starting point of the parade.

Here are some of the floats I liked the most. Infairness, mas madami yung floats dati compare ngayon.
 Baguio Metamorphosis
 NLEX float
Cute float of Smart Telecommunications
 Wala nang pakielam sa itsura ng float ng nakita sa Bong Revilla with the casts of Indyo.
Forever young!
 Tapos si Robin Padilla naman with the casts of Kailangan Ko'y Ikaw.
 My fave, Globe Telecommunications Float.
 Tapos Gary V!
 Ang mala-transformers na float ng Bioderm!
Ang mga tao after parade.

 Rested after the parade, lunch, Mines View Park, tried our luck at Good Shepherd kaso ubos na Ube, stroll sa Camp John Hay, SM Baguio, Home.....
Balik sa Zola then Purple. Had a loooong night! 
 Sinwerte na sa 50's Diner! Finally!! Always jampacked kasi at ang haba ng waiting list, last time nasa 21st kami! 
Di pwedeng walang Good Shepherd Ube na maiuuwi! Limited to 2 bottles per person nga lang :(
 Session Road in Bloom. 
Session Road will be closed for a week.

See you soon, Baguio!

I remembered someone (di ko na maalala kung sino) told me na nagpunta pa daw ako Baguio para makakita ng artista. Di ako makikipagsapalaran sa ganito kadaming tao para lang masulyapan ang mga artista. Ang hirap iexplain but it's really more of the experience. Nakakapagod man, it's all worth it!

Chinx♥