Baguio is a mountain town located on the pine-dotted plateau of the Cordillera Administrative Region in northern Luzon, Philippines. I took a weekend jaunt to Baguio from Manila. After nearly six hours northbound, the bus started ascending through the mountain loops. Outside my bus window, the sun-drenched plains reeled away into ranks of tapering pines, and the sweltering heat dissipated into cooler mountain air. An Always Misty City The heavy afternoon downpour added an extra layer of mist to the already foggy streets. The visibility almost dropped to zero. In the evening, the rain reduced to light drizzle, and the mist lifted. Finally, hours after my arrival, Baguio slowly revealed itself to me. Up on the hill, the evening mass echoed from the Baguio Cathedral —an early 20th-century church in pastel pink and gray, flanked by twin spires looming in Neo-Gothic grandeur. Ili Likha Artists Village Photo: Teh Chin Liang A Whimsical Art Village Down a short staircase from the church sits Ili-Likha Artists Village. The whole village is cobbled together from recycled wood and metal scraps, twisting and welding into a chaotic work of art that runs from walls to walkways. At first glance, you would wonder how even to find your way around. Creepy carved figures stare back at you in the dim light—a scene straight out of a Guillermo del Toro movie. The place gives off a vibe like a labyrinth of dreams. For local artists, it is their “watering hole.” Local artists run everything from crafts and paintings to vegan cafés and knick-knack shops. Maze-like walkways zigzag into a quirky little cinema designed with a Stone Age vibe. Seats are carved from stone and wood. The cinema plays indie short films, but when not in use, sitting in darkness, surrounded by tangles of vines hanging down from a tree and a grotesque creature looming over you provides a gothic sensory treat. Girls break into a wild Line dance at the county fair Photo: Teh Chin Liang Country Fair in the Highlands I followed the sounds of the festival and came to the main street of Baguio - Session Road. A large stretch of the street was closed for a county fair. Old western props decked the street out for the occasion. Performances and competitions popped up from alleys to open squares. In the middle of the crowd, a group of young teenage girls in red plaid shirts and blue stomped and clapped their way through a western line dance. Behind them, arm‑wrestling and a beauty pageant were going head-to-head. Further down, a local singer belted out Neil Diamond's “Sweet Caroline” on a makeshift stage, and the audience, from toddlers to old people, seemed to know every word of the lyrics and sang along without missing a beat. Strawberries La Trinidad Photo: Teh Chin Liang Strawberry Capital of the Philippines The next morning, I braved the drizzle to La Trinidad, a nearby village dubbed the Strawberry Capital of the Philippines. A [...]