Wright Park is famous for its long rectangular shallow pool known as the “Pool of Pines”. The access road on each side of the pool is lined with tall pine trees and street lights. Flowering plants also lined both sides of the pool framing it with assortment of colors. All these make the Wright Park perfect for picture taking, plus the fact that the park is just across the Mansion.
But it's not just the "Pool of Pines" that the park is famous for, because horseback riding became synonymous with Wright Park.
At the far left end of the park, there is a wide stairway made of stones leading down to the stables of horses for rent.
For Daniz, this birthday trip to Baguio would not be complete without riding a horse and racing with the wind. She may enjoy the paintings, old Ifugao houses and the many stairs of Tam-awan Village, she may love the Igorot costume and the photo op in Botanical Garden. She may have fun in choosing weaved bookmarks and coin purse and trying colorful bracelets at Easter Weaving, Inc. But still, there is nothing more exciting for her, in Baguio, than to be on a horse running fast along the appointed track.
And so, for the final league of our 2-day Baguio trip, even if we adults wanted to head for home, we had to stop at Wright Park for the “birthday girl”. We bargained with her that she should only ride for 30 minutes, the minimum, which means the horse can only use the inner oval. She did not like it at first, because she wants an hour ride on the outer oval…but she gave in eventually.
The rate is already fixed depending on the chosen route…so haggling is not applicable. Some horse handlers would just offer additional minutes, 15 at the most, but the price is the same.
As always, it should be a white pony with “pink” mane, with a strong request to the accompanying guide, she referred to as “Kuya”, to make the horse run…no walking.
Daniz loves speed. If she feels that the horse is slowing done, she would tell the “Kuya” to make it run fast or she would do it herself by lightly kicking the horse on its sides and say, tsk, tsk, tsk.
During that 30+ minutes ride, her face would light up …her laughter can be heard every time the horse run fast or would go into gallop.
And her 2 days in Baguio City is complete…
Footnote:
Footnote:
- Wright Park was named after Governor Luke E. Wright, the architect of this long, shallow reflecting pool. Mr. Wright was a United States political figure. He served as Governor-General of the Philippines between 1904 and 1906 and also as Secretary of War from 1908 to 1909. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Edward_Wright)
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