THREE DAYS AT PEREDOS I was lucky to have found Peredos Vacation House while searching the internet for a place to stay during our three day Christmas escapade in Baguio City. The 99 year old house is nestled in a quiet neighborhood surrounded by pine trees along Claro M. Recto St., only a few steps away from the main road Leonard Wood. Jeepneys ply this route day and night. While the house does not exactly stand right at the heart of the city proper the payback is having peace and quiet while being safely away from the crowded and noisy downtown streets. More than a month before the trip, I had booked three rooms for our group of seven people which included my wife Arlene, my 86 year old Nanay Luming and the kids Ulan, Sining, Alon and Laya. Peredos pension house has a lot of history. I had learned it was built by Japanese workers who settled in Baguio City more than a century ago, and put up a community together with the locals, which is why many houses on the block share some obvious similarities in the way they look and the materials from which they were built mostly timber found in Baguios forested mountains. With a house this old, people, especially the children tend to imagine all sorts of things. The first thing they asked when I showed them the pictures is are there ghosts in it? But it wasnt difficult at all explaining to them that we could not have found a better place to stay. Old houses have that homey feel, which is what Im looking for, a sort of character that can only develop with the passage of time. You cant have that in those well-kept modern hotels which boast all the amenities but without character. I was almost tempted to sing that line from a song ... a house is not a home... Besides, if you come to a house bringing nothing but spite and anger and negative thoughts, surely some unpleasant things would follow, and it doesnt matter if that house is old or new. But if you come in peace and with joy in your heart, any house would welcome you just as happily as the people who once called it home. The fact that real people have actually lived in it, dined and slept together, cuddled each other when its cold and celebrated birthdays in that house should be a truly comforting thought. I was happy to be proven right. Peredos radiates with nothing but happiness and positive energy. Every part of the house is scrubbed, polished and spruced up to a radiant glow. You almost hate letting your feet touch the floor because the place is just too impeccably clean. I personally love every part of the house especially the kitchen area where my wife and I had the most pleasant conversations while preparing our meals. On the second night, we cooked pork sinigang while the kids played cards at the dining area. Suddenly, it felt like being home again, with all the laughter and banter going around, and I thank the staff for bearing with these noisy guests. I must say that Ate Pauline, Grace and Lian were very good hosts. They would show up at the right time almost as if they anticipate that we need something then disappear quietly to give us space. When dinner was finally ready, we gathered around the huge round table to say grace. We may have shared a million meals like this already as a family but this tradition of families breaking bread and sharing the bounty of the earth is a unique human activity that transcends beyond the need to be fed and nourished partaking of an almost spiritual meaning,and constantly reinforcing the bond that connects families for the rest of their lives. Dinner time must have lasted for hours. The food was delicious even without any special ingredients or preparation, and long after we have finished our meal and coffee, everyone lingered at the dining table just talking and laughing and having a good time, as if nobody wanted the evening to end. The kids surprised us by taking their turn at the dishes and cleaning up. That night, in the warmth and comfort of Peredos ancestral house underneath the pine trees and starlight, with my wife in my arms and the whole world freezing outside, I slept and snored the night away. This vacation is everything I wished it would be... Three Days at Peredos 26 December 2014 7:00 am At home
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 22:55:37 +0000