Day 6 Bomod-ok Falls, Orange Picking, Rock Inn and Café, Panag-apoy Festival, Echo Valley, Sagada Brew
We early hunted our day6 going to the said Big Falls of Sagada – the Bomod-ok Falls, which is located in the northern part of Sagada, Mountain Province.
To get to the Big Falls, we hired a guide from the Tourism Desk at the Town Hall care of also of the Sagada Genuine Guides Association (SAGGAS). Geared with our bamboo sticks and led by ‘Ate Tour Guide’ (forgot her name) and her dog, ‘King’ – we started the stroll.
With King who joined us on the entire Bomod-ok Falls trek
Simultaneously, Chad and Joriel were also busy seizing sunflowers that were abundant all over the province. We have learned that these sunflowers were not considered as wild shrubs, but were actually served as fertilizers on the wide-ranging rice terraces on the entirety of Mountain Province.
Children along the road with their best smiles and sunflowers
Sunflower for the Yellow Adventurer, from your ultimate admirer, Chad
My favorite shots taken by Chad. You can visit his photo stream in following site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsadiktus/
The long trek-hike will take you about an hour or two to reach this amazing falls from the town center. And between the walks along several rice paddies and the pace of sturdy stone walls – is the promise of picturesque spot of the big falls surrounded by boulders and rock formations in its basin pool.
Group picturesque spot of the big falls
Lovers at the Big Falls
Destiny with falls
The blast flowing of the falls has left a monotonous music in my ears. To justify what it has marked me, you can visit my Instagram video post of the Bomod-ok Falls on the following link: (The Big Falls)
Music in one’s ears
Challenging the blast pouring of the Big Falls
After completing almost four hours hike that morning, our guide (forgot her name) arranged a ride for us from the northern village of Aguid to reach the town proper and stopped us over the Rock Inn and Café, where we fed on our lunch and directed to Orange Orchard for our next scheduled activity – the orange picking.
Hanging bridge on our way back
In the Rock Farm/ Inn/ Cafe with welcoming Butch
We met Butch – the very cute, pudgy and thick-fur dog. I am not a dog lover, not since then when my favorite dog died when I was a kid. But the dogs in Sagada were really fascinating because of their thick fur and them being so tame. Butch is my favorite dog I ever wished I can carry home in Manila.
Dog Butch and his friend
If only citrus foods were not harmful to an empty stomach, we might have first consumed the Php50 eat-all-you can oranges inside the farm, before ordering our lunch. Roght after having our lunch, we self-serviced ourselves with the unlimited dessert in a grove of tangerine trees of those bright and citrusy oranges. This activity definitely soothe our exhausting morning.
Grove of Tangerine Trees
Soothing effect of bright and citrusy oranges
Orange Orchard at Rock Farm, Batalao Sagada
Another soothing and cool activity I have considered was the pick-up truck back-ride going back to our hotel. The light-weight feeling, the embrace of gentle wind, the warmth of the sun contrasting the frigidity of the place was all inclusively provided over the ride.
Inclusive fun on the back-ride
Warm breeze of wind over the light weight joyride
We only left our plastic bags of oranges from the orange picking in our hotel, and then headed straight for the most awaited feast celebrated in tradition every November 1st in Sagada Cemeteries.
Choi’s hand-picked, large oranges
On our way to Sagada Cemetery for the Panag-apoy Festival
Cover photo featuring the far-reaching sunset over the wide field
Actually, this was the very first time that I won’t be able to join my family in commemorating and visiting our departed love ones in the cemeteries. With this, I’ve just pray and ask for their consideration and promised that I will solemnize the traditional feast of Panag-Apoy Festival in Sagada.
The festival which means to light a fire was yearly or in tradition being held as the way of remembering their departed love ones. The lightning of woods called ‘saeng’ was primitively done by the ancestors. And that were continuously practiced even after the introduction of candles.
Extraordinary celebration of All Saints’ and Souls Day in Sagada
The cemetery is on fire
Rituals of the feast of Panag-apoy
All being soaked by the smoke in the burning cementery in Sagada, we got back to the hotel and prepared for our last night in Sagada. Per our itinerary we were supposed to have our last and special socials that night. But before we have planned as to where we will celebrate our last night, we gauged and calculated our overall expenses for the past six days (absurd story of the result of this taking into account of all our expenses is to be continued on day7).
After which, we have just decided to end our night, after eating dinner, at the Sagada Brew, since it was also cold due to the monsoon. The said coffee shop was in fact just opened three days ago, the day which we also first came in Sagada. Killing the coldness and the time, we sipped with our coffees and shared stories for the past days. I remember that I was given the chance to use the opportunity to personally give thanks to Chad, Arnel, Joriel, Choi and Jheng for the remarkable long vacation and trip.
Pieces of cookies artistic shot of Joriel