The Ben Cab Museum is a wonderful new discovery in Baguio, and I was very pleased to spend a good part of a day there. If you love art or just simply appreciate beauty, if you enjoy culture, history and artifacts and want to know more about the life of the Ifugao of past centuries, If you love the outdoors, fresh air and walking on varied terrain from rice and flower fields to hills and enjoy a bit of physical exertion while having visual nature treats, or if you simply enjoy a good Filipino signature dish with a twist, then the BenCab museum is a top place for you to go.
I'm a veteran of many visits to Baguio, having gone often with my Dad, Mom and siblings as a kid, then with friends, then later with my wife and very young kids at least once a year the whole time they were growing up. So we've been to almost every well-spoken-of place in Baguio. This was a staple, aside from vacations to other places.
Then for the 3-over years that our family was based in Singapore, we did the typical for those based there - go to Bintan, Bali, Langkawi, etc. and when visiting Manila from Singapore, one would scarcely plan a trip to Baguio. It was during this time the BenCab museum was opened. And what a pleasant surprise!
These Bulols or rice granary gods, hand carved from hardwoods abundant in the Cordillera - the highland region of the northern Philippines, are part of the extensive collection of the museum.
Why so much vacations? It's intentional - it's an investment. Almost anything physically valuable that you give your child, in time could get lost, stolen, or lose importance and worth. But cherished memories from fun vacations, they will carry for a lifetime! And you will treasure those yourself especially when you become an empty nester! Fun vacations help lay a foundation for good family relations. And they give you more opportunities for "Golden Moments" where you can obey God and teach your children God's Word [And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 11:19 AMP)].
We went to Baguio earlier this year to catch the cold spell that was sweeping the U.S. and Manila, and that we did! Temperatures would reach 13C at 8PM, and 11C in the early morning. Very chilly for the Philippines! Wearing two jackets just to keep warm while taking a walk at night? Almost unbelievable!
The Manor at Camp John Hay is a favored place to stay while in Baguio. This nostalgic view of mountains and clouds was taken from The Manor at CJH.
Going to the BenCab Museum.
The BenCab Museum is on Asin Road, Km. 6, Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet. Now if you use Google Maps, you'll find it.
Driving there, it feels much farther than 6 km from the main road! It even feels like you're going down to sea level, on the way to Manila! But... just follow the signs and you're okay. If not driving, better to arrange a hired taxi to bring you and wait for you. We saw many do this while we were there. It's a good idea since public transport is hard to come by in that area. Plan to be there by 3PM at the latest. Mondays, it's closed. My RECO, go in the morning, then plan to enjoy lunch or afternoon coffee at Cafe Sabel as part of the experience.
Take your time. Lots to see!
There are many galleries, with much to see. And each gallery is filled with many individual pieces that can draw your attention. Don't get lost in the forest! Study the individual trees.
There are galleries for Ifugao and Igorot artifacts. I admire the effort of National Artist Ben Cabrera to preserve these cultural treasures, and so I gladly patronize and promote the museum. There are galleries for modern and contemporary paintings. There's also a gallery specifically for sensual artifacts and paintings, which often drew animated comments from visitors.
The collection of bulols or rice granary gods pervaded the museum. Their somber, blank expressions casting an air of melancholy around them. Seeing these, and also learning of the Ifugao tribe's background of having head hunters, reminded me of my wonderful trip to the fierce Bugkalot tribe of the Sierra Madre mountains of Nueva Viscaya. This tribe had only relatively recently given up head hunting, after having embraced the light of salvation through knowing Jesus Christ.
The lives of the Bugkalot were starkly transformed from rampant violence, darkness and fear of the spirit world, to peacefulness, cooperation and true joy from a vibrant relationship with God. What a transformation! And I witnessed it first hand! What a great God we have!
BenCab Masterpieces
There is also a gallery for original works of BenCab. Be sure to allow ample time for this display.
"Churchgoers", and "Woman With Fan".
"Sabel", and "Palayok" or clay jar, balanced on the head in traditional fashion. Not for display, but as a normal way of carrying heavy jars. Gazing at these paintings, one can only more deeply appreciate the genius that has made Ben Cabrera a recognized Philippine National Artist. And one recognizes that it is indeed a privilege to visit these art halls. There is much more to say and show on the BenCab Museum, so I will leave that for Part 2 of this blog. Suffice it to say if you are in Baguio, plan to visit the Museum! If you've enjoyed the BenCab Museum, write a comment to let me know. What piece particularly attracted you?
Bye for now.
---------------------------
BMW TRIVIA
Driving to Baguio and back was indeed a pleasure in the new BMW 3Series with very powerful and quiet (and efficient!) twin-turbo Diesel engines. Plus the added comfort and security of knowing that all the leading-edge active and passive safety features are engaged and constantly monitoring my drive to help ensure a safe trip. Thank God, and only by His Grace!
Temperature display of 13.5C on the BMW dashboard. Note distance travelled from the full tank, at 356 km, and range for the remaining fuel at 421 km.
When I was buying the new car, one of the items hailed by my agent was that "I could drive to Baguio and back on one tank of fuel, with lots to spare". I was quite eager to validate this, so being a techie, I used the car's journey computer to monitor the vehicle performance with real-time graphs and stats. On my previous vehicles - various Toyota Corollas, a Toyota Revo 1.8 GLX gas automatic, a Honda CRV 2.0 gas automatic, a Toyota Fortuner 3.0 4WD diesel automatic, a Toyota Fortuner 2.7 gas automatic (Praise God for these!!!), I'd always have to refill my tank several times on the journey. Especially for the long stretches where I wasn't sure I'd find a gasoline station. On my new BMW 318d, whose engine power and pick-up speed are even greater than a gasoline 2.7 engine but way more efficient, I was never worried about having to refuel along the way. I travelled more than 600 km from the Alabang area to Baguio and back, with a journey average consumption of 6.0 liters per 100 km! That's more than 16 km per liter on a full-sized car! And that included very spirited and fun driving especially along the SCTEX and TPLEX (but responsible and NOT reckless driving), not going on ECO PRO mode and trying to eke out the most from every liter. And that also included a lot of idling at traffic at Urdaneta with all the road expansion projects. So, I just utilized about 36 liters for my journey, just about the 3/4ths mark on my fuel gage. Therefore - claim Validated! It's not an urban legend!
If you're in Manila and want help in getting the best deal on a new BMW, let me know by leaving a comment, and I'd be glad to help!
---------------------------
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I'm a veteran of many visits to Baguio, having gone often with my Dad, Mom and siblings as a kid, then with friends, then later with my wife and very young kids at least once a year the whole time they were growing up. So we've been to almost every well-spoken-of place in Baguio. This was a staple, aside from vacations to other places.
Then for the 3-over years that our family was based in Singapore, we did the typical for those based there - go to Bintan, Bali, Langkawi, etc. and when visiting Manila from Singapore, one would scarcely plan a trip to Baguio. It was during this time the BenCab museum was opened. And what a pleasant surprise!
These Bulols or rice granary gods, hand carved from hardwoods abundant in the Cordillera - the highland region of the northern Philippines, are part of the extensive collection of the museum.
Why so much vacations? It's intentional - it's an investment. Almost anything physically valuable that you give your child, in time could get lost, stolen, or lose importance and worth. But cherished memories from fun vacations, they will carry for a lifetime! And you will treasure those yourself especially when you become an empty nester! Fun vacations help lay a foundation for good family relations. And they give you more opportunities for "Golden Moments" where you can obey God and teach your children God's Word [And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 11:19 AMP)].
We went to Baguio earlier this year to catch the cold spell that was sweeping the U.S. and Manila, and that we did! Temperatures would reach 13C at 8PM, and 11C in the early morning. Very chilly for the Philippines! Wearing two jackets just to keep warm while taking a walk at night? Almost unbelievable!
The Manor at Camp John Hay is a favored place to stay while in Baguio. This nostalgic view of mountains and clouds was taken from The Manor at CJH.
Going to the BenCab Museum.
The BenCab Museum is on Asin Road, Km. 6, Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet. Now if you use Google Maps, you'll find it.
Driving there, it feels much farther than 6 km from the main road! It even feels like you're going down to sea level, on the way to Manila! But... just follow the signs and you're okay. If not driving, better to arrange a hired taxi to bring you and wait for you. We saw many do this while we were there. It's a good idea since public transport is hard to come by in that area. Plan to be there by 3PM at the latest. Mondays, it's closed. My RECO, go in the morning, then plan to enjoy lunch or afternoon coffee at Cafe Sabel as part of the experience.
Take your time. Lots to see!
There are many galleries, with much to see. And each gallery is filled with many individual pieces that can draw your attention. Don't get lost in the forest! Study the individual trees.
There are galleries for Ifugao and Igorot artifacts. I admire the effort of National Artist Ben Cabrera to preserve these cultural treasures, and so I gladly patronize and promote the museum. There are galleries for modern and contemporary paintings. There's also a gallery specifically for sensual artifacts and paintings, which often drew animated comments from visitors.
The collection of bulols or rice granary gods pervaded the museum. Their somber, blank expressions casting an air of melancholy around them. Seeing these, and also learning of the Ifugao tribe's background of having head hunters, reminded me of my wonderful trip to the fierce Bugkalot tribe of the Sierra Madre mountains of Nueva Viscaya. This tribe had only relatively recently given up head hunting, after having embraced the light of salvation through knowing Jesus Christ.
The lives of the Bugkalot were starkly transformed from rampant violence, darkness and fear of the spirit world, to peacefulness, cooperation and true joy from a vibrant relationship with God. What a transformation! And I witnessed it first hand! What a great God we have!
BenCab Masterpieces
There is also a gallery for original works of BenCab. Be sure to allow ample time for this display.
"Churchgoers", and "Woman With Fan".
"Sabel", and "Palayok" or clay jar, balanced on the head in traditional fashion. Not for display, but as a normal way of carrying heavy jars. Gazing at these paintings, one can only more deeply appreciate the genius that has made Ben Cabrera a recognized Philippine National Artist. And one recognizes that it is indeed a privilege to visit these art halls. There is much more to say and show on the BenCab Museum, so I will leave that for Part 2 of this blog. Suffice it to say if you are in Baguio, plan to visit the Museum! If you've enjoyed the BenCab Museum, write a comment to let me know. What piece particularly attracted you?
Bye for now.
---------------------------
BMW TRIVIA
Driving to Baguio and back was indeed a pleasure in the new BMW 3Series with very powerful and quiet (and efficient!) twin-turbo Diesel engines. Plus the added comfort and security of knowing that all the leading-edge active and passive safety features are engaged and constantly monitoring my drive to help ensure a safe trip. Thank God, and only by His Grace!
Temperature display of 13.5C on the BMW dashboard. Note distance travelled from the full tank, at 356 km, and range for the remaining fuel at 421 km.
When I was buying the new car, one of the items hailed by my agent was that "I could drive to Baguio and back on one tank of fuel, with lots to spare". I was quite eager to validate this, so being a techie, I used the car's journey computer to monitor the vehicle performance with real-time graphs and stats. On my previous vehicles - various Toyota Corollas, a Toyota Revo 1.8 GLX gas automatic, a Honda CRV 2.0 gas automatic, a Toyota Fortuner 3.0 4WD diesel automatic, a Toyota Fortuner 2.7 gas automatic (Praise God for these!!!), I'd always have to refill my tank several times on the journey. Especially for the long stretches where I wasn't sure I'd find a gasoline station. On my new BMW 318d, whose engine power and pick-up speed are even greater than a gasoline 2.7 engine but way more efficient, I was never worried about having to refuel along the way. I travelled more than 600 km from the Alabang area to Baguio and back, with a journey average consumption of 6.0 liters per 100 km! That's more than 16 km per liter on a full-sized car! And that included very spirited and fun driving especially along the SCTEX and TPLEX (but responsible and NOT reckless driving), not going on ECO PRO mode and trying to eke out the most from every liter. And that also included a lot of idling at traffic at Urdaneta with all the road expansion projects. So, I just utilized about 36 liters for my journey, just about the 3/4ths mark on my fuel gage. Therefore - claim Validated! It's not an urban legend!
If you're in Manila and want help in getting the best deal on a new BMW, let me know by leaving a comment, and I'd be glad to help!
---------------------------
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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