Morning walks around Baguio
Since my discharge from the hospital after a mild stroke in April 2021, walking has become my daily chore and morning routine.
With a few interventions at first by a therapist who coached me on basic recovery steps like working out with a stationary bike and stretching rubber cords, I convinced myself to do daily morning walks, with a few minutes of yoga postures to calm down.
It’s my third year of storming our neighborhood streets as early as 5:30 a.m., reaching different places around Baguio’s Central Business District. I’ve also gone on walks on the beaches of Boracay and La Union, and also Kolkata, India, and New Zealand during my recent travels.
Then came the defining moment: I thought of snapping images of the places that I reached and morning events that I attended, complete with selfies, for sharing on my Facebook account to encourage other stroke survivors like me to make the best of our recovery exercises.
Retired
After working as a government information officer for 35 years, I retired from public service in 2021. Daily walking makes me feel good, especially because I no longer have to rush to any appointments or meetings like I used to.
As an erstwhile newsman and photojournalist, I no longer beat deadlines and can now afford to kill my own time.
I’m a nature observer and guide for Baguio’s Eco-walk Program, and somehow, the moss and ferns always end up in my images. I believe they serve as a barometer of a balanced ecosystem.
My fascination with ferns dates back to even before I went to New Zealand, which banners the fern as their national symbol.
This nitrogen-fixing plant to me is a natural indicator that the place where ferns are found is ideal for healthy living. In fact, it naturally grows among my potted plants on my rooftop.
From places near my neighborhood like Happy Glenn Loop, Baguio Cathedral, Brent International School and Burnham Park, to farther spots like the Japanese Peace Tower, Botanical Garden, Wright Park, Slaughter House and Sewage Treatment Plant, I was able to explore most places in Baguio following what I call the “sunflower radius” pattern.
After chasing bees at parks and neighborhood gardens, I also traversed our backstreets, passing by Yangco and Brent Roads toward Leonard Wood and down to Jungle Town.
Forest bathing
The Baguio Arboretum beside the Botanical Garden is dedicated to trees and other herbaceous plants of scientific and educational interest. There’s a walkway under the canopy of trees where one can experience forest bathing that the Japanese call shinrin-yoku. The development of the area is still ongoing, but one can already explore part of it.
When the Baguio Midland Courier released its last issue on July 21, I walked to the printers, bought a dozen copies and sold them on Session Road just to experience something that I didn’t get to do when I was a kid, because I opted to be a shoe shine boy.
Back in the day, newsboys would go to Hamada Publishing on Kisad Road with their earnings, buy copies at a discounted rate and sell it at the city proper with a little mark-up, assuring them of ticket money for movies and for snacks when in school.
I can now say that I am a true, and perhaps the oldest, newsboy at 63.
Walking was something I did even before my recovery walks. In the field of news publication; photojournalists cannot be late, so if I cannot wait for a ride, I start walking early. This was the kind of self-discipline that allowed me to reach my destination before something important happened. I had to be in the right spot when the activity or the event unfolded. It’s a matter of legwork—literally.
