History. In the mid-60s, Lucy finished college at UST and then took 2 years of French—preparing for the foreign service. Then she met Jean Paul for just a day—and, after 18 months of correspondence she left for France. About 3 decades and 2 children later, Lucy has returned with Jean Paul, and they have built a small get-away in Lucy’s native Bataan.
Little Paradise. Jill
and friends had the pleasure of sharing their paradise. Only for those who
love
nature, respect the ecology, 
appreciate French cuisine, like better living in an
up-scale sawali and cogon house (with French fittings in the bathroom), like to
walk, like to learn more about the many native plants and trees Jean Paul is
planting on their 17 hectares.
Getting There. We
left Manila early Friday evening, and battled the traffic north to the San
Fernando-Bataan exit, then crawled along the Bataan “expressway” to
the statues in Dinalupihan. About 7 km further, we
turned right onto a rough road of dirt, concrete, tar until we found the sign to
Little Baguio Resort. Here we turned into a driveway overflowing with red
hibiscus.
The Resort. We
were shown to our cottages—sawali-walled, cogon-roofed affairs with
four-poster rattan beds—the posts serving to support mosquito nets that
weren’t really needed, but were beautifully done. Elegant embroidery hangs
above the windows, and the ceiling is netting. The bathroom has all French
fittings. Lovely. Our group had booked all 5 of their cottages.
Gourmet Fare. Then—dinner.
Tanguingue (Spanish mackerel) with a great sauce and homemade bread—Lucy is an excellent
cook.
Mt. Natib. The
following morning, we were up before dawn for some breakfast—fried eggs,
bacon, and homemade bread with homemade guava jam—wow. The freshly brewed
coffee was excellent; 
it’s home grown. Then we prepared to climb Mt.
Natib, the highest peak within Bataan National
Park, its summit at 1,385 meters. A pony was packed with picnic
lunch, and the Bienvenue’s two children were
packed also—one on the pony and the other on her father’s back. We were off.
We wound uphill along a dirt road, past the
entrance to the park and several signs telling people not to cut the trees,
shoot the birds, etc. along the way. Jean Paul pointed out the flora, including
ground orchids, and various others—beautiful purple, red, yellow flowers, and
the flame trees were putting on a magnificent show in the valley below. Tin
Tin, Jean Paul’s dog, accompanied us all the way.
We passed a rudimentary shelter with an elderly couple and a very big
goat.
When we reached the turn-off for the way up the
mountain, Tiphaine, the children, the pony turned
back. The areas close to the mountain, and the ascent, were full of hungry
leeches, which we picked off and killed with salt. From here on, it was all
uphill. As we moved upwards, the 
clouds settled in and we had mostly clouds from
the top—with occasional glimpses of the beauty below, but not the hoped-for
panorama of Subic, Manila Bay,
Pinatubo, Arayat, and
beyond.
The clouds gathered and rain started, and we
moved down. By the time we were down, the rain had stopped and we were passed by
several groups going up, some in sandals, sliding about with big packs. One
group was from the UP Mountaineers, another from
Digitel.
When we returned to the two rudimentary houses,
the big goat had given birth to 3 kids which were struggling to their feet, the
placenta still hanging from their mother. The man noted she would likely deliver
one more, and she threatened Tin Tin, who was entirely too curious for her
comfort.
We walked on and were joined by an Aeta man who
appeared from the bushes. Later we found his wife, sitting on a wall, waiting
for him. We walked on together for a while, then eventually they stopped to
inspect some rattan, and we went on—to Little Baguio Resort and welcome
showers.
More Sustenance. After showers and changes we gathered on the porch of the main building for a wonderful meal of pain de poison (fish bread) and boeuf bourguignon (beef bourguignon)—after many beers—and a couple of bottles of good wine. Then bed. And one of the best sleeps I’ve had in some time—despite the serenade of some roosters.
Guided
Exploration—And More Great Food. Next morning, another delicious
breakfast of egg and bread and guava jam (also calamansi juice), then off
for a walk guided by Jean Paul—up the trail toward the mountain, then we moved
onto another trail that took us on a ridge that allowed magnificent views of the
resort below, and the ridges and mountains around. 2 hours later, we were back
enjoying a tour of Jean Paul’s extensive garden—he has carefully planted
numerous specimens of native Philippine plants. Then we embarked on the last
lunch—duck, pommes frites (fried potatoes), pain de vegetables
(vegetable bread), and last but not least, Charlotte for desert. After 9 hours
of walking one day and 2 the next—I had gained weight!
(P1,800/person per day, meals included. For reservations at Little Baguio, call Lucy at 0912-328-7200.)