On your first day in florence I would recommend taking a large sum of money (nothing short of 300 dollars) and going crazy.  Buy what you want a disregard the prices.  If you're reading this before your going I would start setting aside for this now.  No matter how much self control you have I dare you not go buy at least one thing and wish you had bought a dozen others.  This way you won't have to leave Florence wanting and you can go home with presents for somebody (most likely yoursefl).  This will also familiarize yourself with the city.  Some  places were you must go are the San Lorenzo Market, a three block market packed to the bursting point with leather goods.  Also, go to the Ponte Vecchio if looking for gold and silver jewelry, plus it is just about the most beautiful bridge you will ever see.  Aside from those two places there aren't many must hit places so just walk around because shops line every street with fares from food to more jewelry to suits to souvenirs.

CLIMB THE DUOMO

Florence's most impressive church has an impressive feature.  A winding claustrophobic path of steep stairs can be taken from the bottom of the church to the very top.  This is an expierence like no other because first of all these passages transport you back to the renessance.  They're completely stone and in some places spiral and in others they just wind so it gives you the most enbelievably feeling on earth.  Once you're on top, it's even better.  You have a birds eye view of the entire city and the clay-redish rooftops is all you can see inside the city limits.  And then you look a little further and you see the hills.  The mountains outside of florence are the most amazing thing ever which hold castles, villas and endless expanses of olive trees.

EXPLORE A ROAD INTO THE HILLS

There are many roads which wind into the endless expanses of the hills outside florence and each one of them is equally stunning.  Ask your hotel concierge or any one like that for a map and a suggestion of a road outside florence to hike, take a cab to the city limits or werever the road starts and start walking.  I garauntee that after a half an hour you will be immersed in little town Italy.  Chances are that after a while you will run into a town, so walk through and explore the town, have lunch or dinner, maybe shop a little if you have any money left from your first day and either keep walking or call a cab service to bring you back (or you can walk back if you wish)

HIKE TO FIESOLE

Fiesole is a scattered little hill town and hour and a half hike from the outside of Florence.  It will be much like what you did when you hiked into the mountains except this time you will have an objective.  Along th way you will pass many olive farms, probably a villa and many nice houses.  You will know you are there from the clock tower which is at the lower portion of the town.  Across from it is a bus stop which will most likely be your escape route.  I would suggest having lunch then walking further into the town to see real Italy.  If you pick the right road you might even find your way to the very top of one of Italy's many mountains giving you a great view.  Whatever you pick to do I would suggest taking the bus back because more often than not you will be pretty beat by this.

UFFIZI

Unfortuantly I didn't get to go to the Uffizi during my time in Florence because I only had 3 days so instead I hiked to Fiesole.  What I do know is that many of the renessance's great works of art are kept here including The David and The Birth of Venus.  Deffiantly a must see if you ever go to Florence.

The element that really makes this trail more difficult than it first looks is that much of it a bouldering trail with much climbing over rocks required to reach the summit. With this in mind, you might want to think about stopping to rest at intervals to relieve the physical exertion you will experience. There are of course other parts of the trail you can take to avoid the rocks to some extent, but where's the fun in that?

WHY IS IT SO-CALLED?

The trail is aptly named "Stairway To Heaven" because it has a natural staircase that will serve as a means to help you reach the top. Don't let that fool you though. It is a bit more strenuous than climbing a set of regular stairs. Eventually, you will reach your destination, Mount Wawayanda where you can then follow a trail that will open up some truly stunning scenic views.

If you have any older folk in your group who are not up to a physically exerting climb, there are some trails that are flatter and ideal for people who enjoy the hiking life but in a limited way. Just arrange to meet afterward and compare notes and photos of your diverse trails. Oh and please remember to take your camera with you. You will regret it if you don't!

Having reached the highest point on the Stairway To Heaven Trail, you now have the pleasure of making your descent. Easy right? Wrong. Descending the Stairway is again made more difficult thanks to the bouldering terrain you will cover. Exercise care if you choose to take the same route down as you did going up. Alternatively, you could take the less strenuous route to the bottom with what may be a longer but more leisurely walk.

Although you will find trails that are much higher than Stairway To Heaven around the USA, you will still very much enjoy the experience and particularly the stunning, panoramic views it has to offer. The Stairway To Heaven Loop in New Jersey is a trail to add to your list as a regular and enthusiastic hiker. It is certainly one trip you won't regret.

The Philippine Airlines Mountaineering Club (PALMC) was among those that facilitated the retrieval operations and found out the potential of the place as fit for a mountaineering activity. Since then, they started conducting yearly memorial climbs together with the families of the crash victims. This activity was then made known to other mountaineering groups that resulted to more visitors going to Mt. Ugo.

Having noticed the increasing number of visitors bound to Mt. Ugo, the barangay officials enacted an ordinance setting the collection of entrance, porter and guide fees in the barangay's identified tourist destinations.

The Annual Mt. Ugo Summer Climb is an invitational climb that is a promotional activity of Barangay Tinongdan in Itogon, Benguet for Mt. Ugo, the most recent is the 4th Mt. Ugo Summer Climb. It entails mountaineering activities such as hiking, climbing and, nature and culture appreciation. It also includes educational aspect because of its historical background being the site of the PAL plane crash and it is where the tri-boundary marker for the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan, and then Mountain Province, now Benguet Province which was separated.

Short Term Benefits

The stakeholders who benefited from this event are the storeowners, restaurants, peddlers, transport operators, and drivers. Bus companies with provincial operations ferried the climbers from their respective provinces to the city of Baguio which is the kick-off point. In the local level, we tapped the services of all the jitneys plying the route of Tinongdan and Binga. Likewise, the stores, restaurants, and peddlers en route (including the municipalities of Bokod, Benguet & Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya) to Mt. Ugo likewise had the opportunity to sell their local and indigenous products. /the trained tour guides and porters rendered their services with corresponding fees standardized by the Barangay Government.

Most of the participants of the organized climb came from Metro Manila and southern provinces. It somehow gave them three-days opportunity to experience the cool climate and appreciate the beauty of nature in the Benguet mountains.

Long Term Benefits

Tour guiding and porterage provides additional income for the trained locals of Barangay Tinongdan even after the organized climb. Several mountaineering clubs organize and schedule independent climbs and engage the services of these trained guides and porters. Most often, participants to the climb spread their desirable experiences during the climb which lure other interested climbers to visit the place.

The event also promotes environmental and cultural awareness. Likewise, business establishments and livelihood activities that cater to the need of the tourists are now eventually increasing in the host areas.

INVOLVEMENT, PARTICIPATION, AND COOPERATION OF GENERAL STAKEHOLDERS

Before the conduct of every climb, the Barangay Government through its Barangay Captain conducts meeting with all involved sectors in the Barangay, both private and government. The Barangay Officials, Barangay Tourism Council, the Drivers and Operators Association, the Women's Group, the Association of Tour Guides and Porters, Storeowners and Food Handlers' Association, Youth Association, /senior Citizens, the Council of Elders, Barangay Tanods, Purok Leaders, and Health Workers all convene to identify their respective roles and participation in order to ensure the smooth operation of the event and shall meet the satisfaction and enjoyable stay, and safety of the participants.

CONTINUITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE EVENT/PROJECT

The Annual Mt. Ugo Summer Climb started in 2003 and is now moving for its 5th year. It has been the word of mouth of the happy participants and contingents. After every climb, the conduct of a post evaluation is necessary in order to accommodate comments and suggestions for the improvement of the succeeding climb.

The Barangay Tourism Council and the Barangay Government expand its network through linkages with other agencies. The Local Government of the Barangay, Municipal and Provincial unit appropriate fund for tourism development where minimal support expenses are drawn or this event. Said event is also coordinated with the office of the DOT Regional Director.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY

The involvement of the community is primarily the priority of the event. The participants get the chance to interact with the indigenous people of the host community where Ibaloi and Iwak tribes reside. The social, cultural and environmental aspect is the center of the interaction process as it becomes an avenue for the interchange of sharing ideas and knowledge. It becomes a two-way learning process.

The climb has encouraged the community to:

1. Protect and preserve their environment and culture.
2. Develop and improve their communication skills.
3. Develop and improve the basic tourist support facilities in the barangay, and;
4. Enhance their livelihood opportunities

The event has also caused the conduct of several outreach programs by various mountaineering clubs in the different sitios of the barangay such as medical-dental missions, delivery of donations in the form of school supplies, foot wears, raingears, and clothing among others. Some residents also found employment outside the province with the assistance of some tourists.