#baguio photography

[joshleyson]

Life Update + Postcards from Mount Pulag

If there's one thing I'm particularly proud of that I did this year in the name of self-care, it is using my Apple Watch for what it was designed to do and being mindful of closing my rings on the Fitness App, which includes meeting my Move, Stand, and Exercise requirements for the day.

Last weekend, I went on my first major walk this year, to Mount Pulag in Benguet, the majestic and highest mountain in Luzon. For the first time ever, I was able to set a *drum roll please* record-breaking 42K steps, perhaps more because my watch died in the middle of the climb. It never occurred to me to go on this ALMOST 10-hour hike until J, who by the way was a famous OG Tumblr influencer during the peak Tumblr era circa 2012 (if you know him, mag-asawa ka na hahaha), introduced me to the idea of going to Baguio (I haven’t been to Baguio since forever) and eventually having to explore Mount Pulag after. J and I have known each other for over 12+ years, but it was only this year that we began to see each other more frequently; he is also the person who introduced and challenged me to finish my rings on the Fitness app. I began this "ring" journey at the end of March, but I wasn't fully committed until I started seeing some, hmm, what's the word, "changes" when I started monitoring my InBody results, which show my weight, BMI, muscle mass, and even body fat percentage decreasing. Long story short, I'm making some small progress with trying to make my BMI normal again. Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to paint the typical fitness buff image with raging, strong-looking muscles, because that's not who I am, but I wanted to give myself credit also for losing 10kgs in just 4 months, and I'm not even pulling my hair out about it, just that awareness of "Did I close my rings today?" moment. Like I told J, I never expected accountability to feel this good. So I'm quite delighted with that.

Enough of the fitness thingee and going back to Mount Pulag, I'm so happy that we were able to pull it off this year. We started by staying in Baguio for 2 days which by the way the weather was THE. BEST. Having to walk around the city in layered clothes without breaking a sweat as a pawisin was HEAVEN. It was something that I missed when I went back to Manila. After 2 days, we headed straight to Kabayan, Benguet, where our homestay was located, and by midnight started our trek to Pulag summit. The trek was surprisingly easy. The quiet and quaint landscapes while on our way to the summit were something that I enjoyed so much. It was tiring and yes, the weather was extremely cold. Miss Hypothermia is REAL especially on the summit but with the right amount of clothing, it's no biggie. Just do a little bit of research before signing up for the hike and you'll be just fine. On that trip, we met and bonded with new faces which I hope soon will become friends because they're nice to be with which made the hike bearable. Being the beach person that I am which is very OBVIOUS on this blogosphere, exploring the mountains and the countryside was very refreshing to see and I kinda wanted to make that commitment to at least do this at least once a year. Let's see!

(No Light Pollution? Here's the Milky Way captured in the default iPhone camera app.)

Overall, the Mountain Province trip including late-night walks in Baguio, wandering to places and cafés and bar hopping walking side to side because we’re drunk AF, and then Mount Pulag was something I'm so grateful for that I get to check them out this year. There were "unplanned" and "down" moments on that trip, sure, but I guess that's just normal, especially since I'm with the person I wanted to get to know more, and J, if you're reading this, thank you. I feel like all the things that happened on that trip have a reason and I just wanna say thank you for being…you. I will not be surprised if one day that rough idea of a psycho-thriller slasher movie we kind of created while sitting on a bus will soon come to life. Write that fucking screenplay. PLEASE.

So that's my not-so-quick life update that no one asked about. I think I mentioned before in this space that the more I have something "major" going on with my life whether professional or personal, I am less inclined to talk about it versus in my heyday, loud, teenage years and I think that's what really living is all about. Touch some grass they say, and literally, I did that in the mountains of Mount Pulag, and those memories which I hope I could bottle, and that seeing something so beautiful is enough to remind me that everything's gonna be alright.

Siri, play Gravity by Sara Bareilles, JOSHY

(Mountain Province, July 2024)

[873110]

[ecarg75]

[itssprocketscience]

"Cause if we don't leave this town, we might never make it out."

Bad memories. Beautiful photographs. Maybe I'll be able to share the story behind these photographs someday. But for now, these photographs would suffice.

[v01dbound]

high altitude living in baguio, philippines

[semsentidoap04]

[thislivsnjutare]

You will never be able to experience everything. So, please, do poetical justice to your soul and simply experience yourself. When you have once seen the glow of happiness on the face of a beloved person, you know that a man can have no vocation but to awaken that light on the faces surrounding him.

― Albert Camus, Notebooks: 1935-1951

[deleosdella]

[postcard-from-the-past]

View of Baguio, Philippines

American vintage postcard

[mapletreephotos]

Baguio, Philippines

Photo taken June 2017

[hasminnn]

📍baguio country club christmas village, 2023.

[bravesoulx]

Baguio City

Have you ever been to a place where you enjoyed the weather, the view, and the place where all the pine trees stand tall? If not, then Baguio is a place to where you can experience walking at night while embracing the cold air, the place that has a lot of best coffee shops, and an honest taxi drivers.

Wherever I'm in Baguio, I feel like I'm at peace. Strolling around the city help my mind to calm, to not think about my problems for a while. It is very therapeutic to walk around the streets, admiring the trees, and be embraced by the cold weather. The foggy road, the flowers that bloom on the sidewalk, the tourist spots, and the foods. These are all the reasons why my mind is at peace wherever I'm in this place. Indeed, Baguio is place to be. A place you keep coming back.

[873110]

[ataricha]

explore more

[belleame-alexie]

city of baguio~

[ashersphotos]

6/28/2023 - 75 photos on 80 pages. One camera with one lens. 2 months from one location. Luminous Solitude. My first draft of my very first photo book. It's not perfect but I am so happy with it! I would not be on this path of book making if not for the YouTube videos of Daniel Milnor, I send many thanks to him for his inspiration and direction. This is the first book of many more to come!