This wasn't our first trip to Mt. Cloud, as we had visited a couple of times before, when we had just started working. A decade or so ago, Mt. Cloud was located in Casa Vallejo, the historic hotel. I remember loving the fact that they had an extensive Asian book collection back then, with titles to be found nowhere else even among the big bookstores in Metro Manila. I have bittersweet memories of spending a hefty amount of my (then smaller) salary on Volumes 1 and 2 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (the basis of the epic movie Red Cliff with heartthrobs Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro).
However, this was our first time to visit the bookstore's new location near Brent International School. It's a quiet part of town... so quiet, it's where taxi drivers go to park and nap undisturbed. It's where the Pink Sisters' Convent is, full of holy women who shut themselves apart from the world to pray.
And that quietness is part of the bookstore's appeal. Imagine being able to browse IN PEACE, without having to scurry every now and then, bumping shoulders of strangers (like one inevitably does in the chain bookstores in Manila).
When one visits Mt. Cloud, one approaches as a pilgrim... walking tentatively, glancing up every now and then from Google Maps... or reverently alighting from a taxi, thanking Waze for its accuracy. Whether on foot or by car, one HAS to make a special trip to see this bookstore. If you are met with strains of Broadway music floating in the air, then you've come to the right place.
The bookshop is much bigger now, with a room dedicated for children's books alone, and a display of books that would make Belle from Beauty and the Beast envious. It has that famous "Belle book ladder" as well (Disney fans, you know what we mean, right??), which automatically sets it apart from other stores!
The books are mostly local publications, and boy, do they have (almost) everything! All the local publishers are fully represented. And if you look closely, there's a shelf for foreign authors as well! I remember being "shooketh" when I saw a few NYRB titles (they're all the rage in Manila nowadays!) such as Vassily Grossman's LIFE AND FATE. I almost screamed aloud when I saw a very rare title by Richard Powers and grabbed it as if it would be taken from me by a thief.
It was nice to see a steady stream of customers going in! In the half hour we were inside, we overheard several students and yuppies approach the cashier to ask, "Excuse me, would just like to inquire if you have x book by y author?" It was also comforting to overhear their requests being handled with know-how and care. I remember thinking to myself, These booksellers are book people. The way they talk about books is with a mix of knowledge and warmth. They care, truly, about the books and the readers who enter, seeking them.
From historical books tagged "Lessons Not Learned" (LOL) to foreign authors of esoteric novels... from the complete works of Manix Abrera and Budjette Tan/Kajo Baldisimo, to works specializing in Igorot culture by Baguio artists... to browse in Mt. Cloud is a delight! A stool here and there were thoughtfully placed, to make treasure-hunting easier on the back. Fun accessories and bookmarks are also being sold, made by local craftsmen.
And did I mention that they accept credit card payments now? (A decade or so ago, it was cash only!) Hurrayness! For Mt. Cloud and the Filipino authors whose treasures lie within, this reader will go most happily into debt!
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