Let's Go to Baguio (Part 6): Underwhelming Experience in Mines View Park

The Observation Deck of Mines View Park is one of the iconic spots in Baguio City. A Google search of “Baguio City” will surely show a result with the Observation Deck in it. The popularity of this spot prompted us to include Mines View Park to our Baguio tour itinerary. Sadly, the experience in that place is quite underwhelming.

How to Commute to Mines View Park

Going to Mines View Park from Burnham Park is easy. All we did was go to the jeepney terminal near Harrison Street corner Mabini Street. The jeepney terminal is located in front of Danes Bakery.

Vicinity map of jeepney terminal to Mines View Park (source: Google Maps)

The jeepney fare back then was just 10 pesos. I bet that the fare had already increased by now due to TRAIN Law and oil price increases.

Our Mines View Park Experience

What I immediately noticed when we reached Mines View Park was the crowd. The whole park is filled with people not only because of the number of tourists but also because the park is crowded by shops.

Of the many shops in Mines View Park, My Beloved Wife Lei’s favorites are those selling ornamental plants with their beautiful flowers.

Lei actually spent plenty of time at the flower shops. She searched for flowering plants that she can bring back home.

She bought a couple of ornamental plants. Unfortunately, none of the plants that she brought from Baguio survived. In fact, all of the plants that we brought from Baguio City, including the ones that we bought from the shops fronting Baguio Cathedral, died. I guess that these plants only thrive in the cool weather of Baguio and not the hot humid weather in our place in Laguna.

One weird flower (or plant) that I saw in Mines View Park is this purple chili.

I read in Rahi Seed Bank that this purple chili is edible and also spicy. I wonder if this purple chili is spicier than siling labuyo.

Aside from the beautiful flowers, Mines View Park is filled with tall pine trees.

These tall trees provided shade and natural protection from the sun.

We continued our walk to the Observation Deck after buying Lei’s flowering plants. Two horses stood along the way, and this time, it is our kids whose attention were caught. It was their first time to see a horse up close.

The horses was there for selfie-addicted tourists. The selfie with the fancily decorated horse has a fee of 50 pesos for a photo. Just like normal tourists do, we took the bait.

And the result is underwhelming.

We stood by the horse while the horse owner took our photo. The photo is no good and was taken hastily. He rushed us so that he can get another customer. It was a very disappointing experience for us.

I advice that you don’t waste your 50 pesos on that fancy horse so as not to be disappointed like we do.

Our next stop is the shop where tourists can rent Igorot traditional dress.

We paid 20 pesos per person for the Igorot traditional clothes.

Igorot clothing for rent in Mines View Park

The Igorot clothing is very colorful and is usually made through the traditional weaving process. These clothes reminded me of the traditional Thai clothes that I saw during my visit to Mae Sai in Thailand.

Igorot clothing is not just a simple cloth but has full of symbolism and meanings. Vice President Leni Robredo was embroiled in a controversy when some of her detractors claimed that she wore a Igorot funeral clothing during a Rizal Day ceremony in Luneta Park.

Donning the Igorot dress is the best part of our trip to Mines View Park. The colorful cloth and tribal accessories really gave us the Cordillera vibe. My Beloved Wife, of course, did not miss the opportunity to take our photos.

The colorful Igorot dress looks great on my little daughter. Samantha looked like an Igorota princess.

We finally went to the iconic Observation Deck.

The mines overlooking the Mines View Park was already closed years ago. This means that there's no mine to be seen from the park but only houses and vegetation. It was not that impressing. All we saw are multitude of houses and grasslands. Tagaytay’s People's Park in the Sky or Cebu City’s Tops Lookout or even Baras’ Punta de Fabian have better views.

Another reason for the thumbs down is the crowd. The Observation Deck is too crowded that we were not able to get a good family photo. There was always a photobomber in the shots that we took.

We went to Baguio City during regular work days but the crowd is already big. I bet that the Observation Deck is more crowded during long weekends, holidays, and Panagbenga Festival.

We did not stay long at the Observation Deck. We just took a few photos then left.

On our way out, we saw a “wishing well” placed at a bottom of hill. 

We ignored that “wishing well” because it was obviously a money trap.

Mines View Park is a good place to buy pasalubong. There are many stores inside and outside the park that sell pasalubong. Aside from this, Mines View Park is also near Good Shepherd Convent, which is known for its yummy ube jam.

Our visit to Mines View Park is underwhelming and I think that this is the worst part of our Baguio tour. So, if you are planning your Baguio City tour and you think that you have very limited time then I believe that you can drop Mines View Park from your itinerary.

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Read more about our adventures in Baguio City:

Let's Go to Baguio (Part 1): The Family Adventure Begins

Let's Go to Baguio (Part 2): Our AirBnB Experience in Wharton Condominium
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 3): Family Fun in Burnham Park
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 4): A Refreshing Stop at Baguio Cathedral

Let's Go to Baguio (Part 5): Picking Strawberries in La Trinidad, Benguet
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 6): Underwhelming Experience in Mines View Park
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 7): A Savory Lunch of Baguio Bulalo at Cinco Antonios Bistro
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 8): Buying Our Favorite Good Shepherd's Ube Jam

Let's Go to Baguio (Part 9): Strolling Right in Wright Park
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 10): The Mansion House - City of Pines' Most Historical House
Let's Go to Baguio (Part 11): Our Family Tour Finale in Botanical Garden
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Mourning for the Unborn One who We Lost

Of the many paintings in the National Museum, I was drawn to Dead Child by Simon Flores (1896). I just saw the serene face of the child as if she is just sleeping. The painting evoked so many emotions, particularly sadness. It is abnormal for a child to die before his parents.

Of the many scenes in movies or TV shows that affected me so are the scenes wherein a child dies and parents grieve. I imagined myself to be in those parents’ shoes and my heart breaks.

I never expected that that imagination will come true. My unborn child, three months in My Beloved Wife’s womb, lost his/her heartbeat and died.

The event reminded me of this scene in the Bible (2 Samuel 12:16-20):

David pleaded with Yahweh for the child; he kept a strict fast and went home and spent the night lying on the ground, covered with sacking. The officials of his household stood round him, intending to get him off the ground, but he refused, nor would he take food with them. 

On the seventh day the child died. David's retinue were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. 'Even when the child was alive', they thought, 'we reasoned with him and he would not listen to us. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do something desperate.' 

David, however, noticed that his retinue were whispering among themselves, and realized that the child was dead. 'Is the child dead?' he asked the officers. They replied, 'He is dead.' David got off the ground, bathed and anointed himself and put on fresh clothes. Then he went into Yahweh's sanctuary and prostrated himself. On returning to his house, he asked to be served with food and ate it.

I felt the same emotions that King David felt when he was pleading for the life of his child. I called upon the Lord the moment My Beloved Wife's Ob/Gyne told us that our unborn no longer has any heartbeat. I prayed and I prayed hard. I even asked the Lord to give me many sufferings in exchange for the life of our unborn child.

The Lord did not relent. Our child died in the end. 

Instead of eating and ending the fast like King David, my reaction was different when the death of our unborn child was confirmed by the Ob/Gyne. I felt disappointed and angry. My prayers were in vain and I thought that the Lord did not listen. I lost my faith in prayers.

Losing a child is very painful. We felt the pain even we haven't hold nor seen our child. My Beloved Wife pain is greater for she carried some guilt. She blamed herself for the death of our child because she was anemic and not enough nutrition goes to our baby.

Life goes on and we have to move forward for the sake of our son and daughter. What we can only do is to pick up the broken pieces and move on. 

My Beloved Wife and I find solace from the fact that our child is now in Heaven (or maybe in purgatory awaiting the eternal glory for the sinless souls) watching over us. We promised that we will strive to do our best so that we can also get to Heaven so that we can finally see our unborn child face to face.

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