---
title: "First Weekend at Pines Academy in Baguio - Exploring Camp John Hay 1/10 weeks"
description: "A travelogue of my first weekend studying at Baguio Pines Academy, visiting the former US military resort Camp John Hay and experiencing horseback riding for the first time."
canonical_url: "https://blog.markkulab.net/en/post/camp-john-hay"
author: "Mark Ku"
author_url: "https://blog.markkulab.net/en/author/mark-ku"
site: "Mark Ku's Tech Notes"
date_published: "2025-02-16 01:01:02 +0800"
category: "Travel"
tags: ["travel", "baguio", "philippines", "camp-john-hay", "language-school"]
language: "en"
license: "CC BY 4.0"
license_url: "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
attribution: "when reusing or quoting, credit the author and link back to the original"
---

# First Weekend at Pines Academy in Baguio - Exploring Camp John Hay 1/10 weeks

Camp John Hay used to be an American camp in Baguio, but it has since been turned into a resort.
![Starbucks cafe with outdoor seating and customers at Camp John Hay](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/camp-john-hay-2.jpg)

![Paved path through Camp John Hay pine forest with visitors](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/camp-john-hay-3.jpg)

And another important thing: the food is amazing!
Thank God! The food is delicious!
![Delicious burrito, fries, ketchup, and iced tea on a metal table](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/food-2.jpg)

I really wanted to try horseback riding since it’s very affordable. It costs just 300 PHP for 30 minutes.

![Saddled brown horse with Chocolate pad ready for riding](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/chocolate.jpg)
This was my first time riding a horse. My horse’s name was Chocolate.
He was very gentle!
I rode Chocolate up the hill for 60 minutes. During the ride, he pooped once and peed twice—a lot!
This was a very special and unforgettable experience!
![Man riding brown horse Chocolate on a forest trail](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/horse-riding.jpg)
<video style="width:100%" controls src="horse-riding.mp4" type="video/mp4"/>
As I continued to ride, I felt like the horse was obeying me.

At one point, I asked, "Why are we stopping here?"

The horse trainer said, "He is wee wee," and then I heard the sound.

That’s when I truly understood what "wee-wee" and "poop-poop" meant.

I was worried it might get on me!

Luckily, everything was fine. Nothing happened.

After that, I visited the Camp John Hay cabins (the former soldiers' houses).

![White and green Bell House at Camp John Hay with people on porch](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/camp-john-hay-cabin-1.jpg)

![Portrait of John Milton Hay, Camp John Hay's namesake](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/camp-john-hay-cabin-2.jpg)

![Interior of Camp John Hay cabin with plaid sofas and grand piano](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/camp-john-hay-cabin-3.jpg)

![Winding brick path through a pine forest at Camp John Hay](https://blog.markkulab.net/content/markku/posts/camp-john-hay/images/camp-john-hay-cabin-4.jpg)

Next time, I'll probably try hiking, running a marathon, golf, or other activities.

---

## About this article and its author

Originally published on [Mark Ku's Tech Notes](https://blog.markkulab.net/en/post/camp-john-hay)

License: [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — when reusing or quoting, credit the author and link back to the original

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**[Mark Ku](https://blog.markkulab.net/en/author/mark-ku)** — Software Solution Provider

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