A profusion of flowers in the Philippines’ summer capital

If you want to get away from the dreary heat of the metropolis and enjoy the beauty of nature unimpeded, then the country's sleepy Summer Capital is the place to be. Stay for a few days or more—especially during fiesta time, when you'd be hard-pressed to find a spot, let alone an establishment, that doesn't have something floral on it in celebration of the city's bounty.

The parade takes the flower motif to the next level, utilizing perhaps tens of thousands of different kinds of flowers from the surrounding fields of Benguet and La Trinidad every year for the different floats.

This year's 21 floats range from the cute to the bizarre: from trains chugging actual steam to dancing plants and zombies to animatronic dinosaurs to animated film characters to giant heads trailing flower hair. Although apparently, it takes something spectacularly strange to win the competition.

Here, if you're still unconvinced, feast your eyes on the bursts of color, the local celebrities, Minions wearing bahags, the living statues, and even a horse-drawn carriage or two. It's all in Baguio during the city's biggest celebration. — Vida Cruz/BM, GMA News