The Birth of Budget Biyahera…

I started my travels when I was about 7 years old. My father, a former NHA employee, would always bring me and my brother to his travel escapades. He took us to several family reunions in Pangasinan and in some parts of Zambales. But the one trip that I will never forget was the one in Baguio. I remember it as one of the most memorable of all the trips that I've been to.


Spending a few days in this pleasantly cold place was an adventure on its own. And traveling as a kid by land, on an approximately 6 to 7 hour trip was pure bliss. Except for those two times that I had to bawl my brains out, I still enjoyed the long bus trip. Drinking Sprite actually helped me to feel less light-headed during the trip. 

Experiencing Baguio as a kid made quite an impressive memory. I remember photos taken of my father driving the bicycle with my then 3 year old brother, somewhere in Burnham Park; and posing in front of a film camera, while my knees jittered by the overlooking area of Mines View. I also recall what may have been a hundred steps, going all the way up to the Baguio Cathedral; and enjoying lunch at Barrio Fiesta with family friends.

Since then, I’ve made five more trips to Baguio throughout my years. Then again, those trips have their own stories to tell. But through that first real adventure, will I always thank my father. For he helped me embrace the wanderluster in me.

And even in memory, Daddy will always continue to be a part of my journeys…

[In loving memory of Tom Flores --- February 02, 1960 - February 19, 1995]

Explore & Be Free!
Always,
Mai

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