Different views

Day 3 Banaue viewpoint, Cordillera Sculpture Museum, Enroute to Bontoc-Sagada

After two days of walkathon, we indulged our third day pampering our whole day of pure sight-seeing and consumed the rest of the time via en route to Sagada.  No to muscular activities for that day!

We took a glimpse of the wide-ranging and far-reaching view of the layers of rice paddies at the Banaue viewpoint.

At the Banaue Viewpoint

We spend a while to take snapshots, found elderly Igorots and took photos of them and canvassed for souvenirs.

Afterwards, we visited the Cordillera Sculpture Museum where Ifugao and Cordilleran heritage welcomes visitors upon entering for its overwhelming and massive wood-craved collections. There are several carved rice deities called “Bul-ul” which plays essential part in Ifugao’s agriculture and mythical culture.

Stairs of Bul-uls

At the Cordillera Sculpture Museum

We have part-ways and left Banaue, for a nearly two hours travel to Bontoc, Mountain Province.  When we arrived in Bontoc, we ate our cheapest meal (lunch) for the rest of our meals over the whole trip on the first cafeteria we have stopped.  We also bought groceries for the succeeding days stay in the hotel at Sagada.  Afterwards, a mere 45 minutes’ jeepney ride brought us from Bontoc to Sagada.  Upon arrival, we get directly in the Sagada Genuine Guides Association’s (SAGGAS) office to fix our activities and negotiate related fees for the next four days.

Because we have embodied the indulgence of this day as our rest day, we decided to rest early in preparation also for tomorrow’s hike to witness the sunrise in Kiltepan Peak.

I entitled this as different views – first, for the entirety of the Banaue viewpoint that provides a panoramic perspective of the known stairway to the sky – the rice terraces; second, would be historical scene of the ancient Ifugao and Cordilleran relics in the museum; third was our sendoff from Banaue to the welcoming sight of Sagada, Mountain Province; and finally – what really wrapped up my 3rd day of this one-week trip and my 1st day in Sagada, was that phone call I received that surely will change my outlook and views in life.

For the life-changing view

Life comes with pain

Day 2 – Lannah Junction, Bangaan and Hapao Rice Terraces and Bogya Hot Spring

Following our itinerary, we started chasing our route to Lannah Junction as early as 7 am for we must catch the public jeepney to bring us to Banaue town proper.  Without having our breakfast (apart from the pancakes shared with us by our new-found friends – Marlon and Zenky) and fully backpacked, we crossed the Lannah Junction, with different route from Batad Saddle.  As per with our itinerary and self-proclaimed tour guide it can be done with no guide necessary.

From left to right: Choi, Marlon, Arnel, Joriel, Jheng, Zenky and the pancakes

The dense fog could possibly moisten the trail so we came to pass slippery route.  This is where I want to commend my hiking shoes (I don’t have ‘selfeet’ picture wearing my hiking shoes – just refer to Chad’s hiking shoes with his bright yellow socks – for it also looks like mine), even if sometimes I do not trust its grip but still, it holds me in every step I make.  We are just starting our trek when I slide and fell hitting myself hard on the mud walls.

‘Selfeet’ of hiking shoes in overfascinating, bright yellow with mustache socks

This is me being so doubtful with my hiking shoes, coupled with slippery walkway and heavy backpack – I certainly felt the smash of that stumble.

Walking for almost two hours, breathless for the heavy carries and trail, we encountered an X-marked fence blocking our way.  Depicting it as a prohibited sign, we quest other route down to the highway.  We’ve tried and seen three routes heading down, but these all if not steep, were too sloppy or weedy path.  Starving and exhausted at around past 10 am, we hopelessly decided to get a guide.  Upset to discover that the correct way down was the one with the X-marked fence.  According to the guide, that X-marked fence was intended to keep wild boars from getting to the routes where we were trying to trail.  An added dismay was that the trail after that X-marked fence was too obvious and straight which leads to the town proper and eventually to the highway.

Going back with our pal – Arnel. I’ve just couldn’t missed him, imagining his adverse trek carrying his travel bag.  We’ve been teasing him that the guide was actually meant for him.  He really consumed the use of the said guide – carrying his travel bag and taking his pictures.  But Arnel, being the most sociable – have almost obtained the biography of our guide.

Arnel and the adversity of his travel bag

Arnel and his rented tour guide

We were certainly out of schedule per our itinerary.  It was already 12 noon, and we haven’t crossed any stores or cafeteria to fill our stomach of anything.  We also missed the jeepney ride going to Banaue.  So, we continue our endless walk and despite it being endless, we also managed to have our perfect shots in every picture (our pictures doesn’t show how tired we were that time – every shot was a sort of recharge to us).

Without even noticing we have reached and sighted the Bangaan Rice Terraces – the second of the five clusters of the rice terraces we have seen but not able to get there.

Honestly, I can’t remember why we haven’t descend to Bangaan, though it is included in our itinerary and we have also pictures with the signage going down or pointing to Bangaan Rice Terraces. (Right this very moment) – our dearest Tsad explained and reminded me that we were too fatigue and hungry for almost five hours of walking that we don’t want to pursue going to Bangaan and that we were more concerned and expectant for a public vehicle that will pass.  Favorably, Tsad’s patriotistic deed of taking pictures of Bagaan Rice Terraces left us one of my favorite with his shots.

The Bangaan Rice Terraces

One local there offer to hire his jeepney to take us to Banaue, which we definitely accepted for we can’t afford to risk waiting for another casual vehicle to pass and extend our starvation. When we got to the Banaue town proper, we have our lunch at around pass 2 pm and Tsad have managed to bargain a guide for the remaining hours that afternoon and tomorrow morning before we en route to Sagada.

Via tricycle ride, we seized the view of the stoned-wall rice terraces of Hapao, Hungdungan – the third of five clusters of rice terraces of Philippine Cordilleras.  Not given a chance to visit the other two rice terraces – Mayoyao and Kiangan, for it is located further from Banaue Village.

Hapao/ Hungdungan Rice Terraces

Then, a walk of about an hour through the rice paddies to reach the hot spring.  Upon reaching the hot spring, we were kind-a disappointed with its size and sanitation.  But, after a substantial and hefty day trek – a warm water can really reward and release muscle tensions we have obtained for that day.

There were sprinkling cold fresh water from any spring or rock clusters forming falls

Surely after I soaked half of my body – I felt the swelling of my upper butt.  The hot spring at the end of the walk was worthy to actually bathe in, but the adjacent cold stream was more of the valiant compensation to dip with.

The adjacent cold stream flowing water

It’s almost dark when we roved back to the village.  Where fogs were expected to cover the place, we being all wet from the hot spring must overcome the frigidity.   What was really astounding was the spinning turn of our tricycles and the out-of-no-when and -where use of “nganga” or “moma” of the tricycle drivers.  All of a sudden, our tricycles’ drivers stop to do their “nganga” and it left us chilling for 15-20 minutes, I guess! Locals there in mountain province have this vice of using “nganga” – wherein they chew then spit it.  Through Arnel’s sociability, we’ve discovered that there is a tradition that once a lad starting to chew/ spit nganga would mean that they are engaged or about to be engaged.  And traditions state also, that engagements would lead to many rituals which includes offering of two wild boars and eight carabaos as ‘dote’.  This conclude our guy friends that they will just remain bachelor exploring Sagada instead.

While for me it’s the most complicated hike for the whole week, I have learned that there are many places where you can accidentally go the wrong way.  And it’s fine.  One must be lost in order to be found.  We will never realize finding the right way, until we headed in the wrong way and got lost.

One must be lost in order to be found

To close, I would like to quote:

“Life comes with pain. And the best revenge is living it well – Marlene Aguilar”.

Perhaps, my hard fall this day would be one of the reasons that I consider this as the most complex one.  But you see, if I quit right there and then – I will not experience the next days in Sagada which is truly remarkable.  My thoughts are these: No matter how painful it is – by continuing, you have just given yourself a chance to live.  Living well is hard – and it’s my everyday achievement.

Different is hard

Well-warned trek and the emotionless waterfalls

Day 1 – Batad Rice Terraces and Tappiya Falls

I consider myself fortunate for having a hitch on Tsad and friends’ Banaue-Sagada-Baguio Trip/ Trek.  Though I only have a couple of trips with Tsad’s friends (Tsad/ Chad is my officemate and confidante), still I cannot consider myself as their official barkada. We have Tsad as common friend – that’s all.  But, we never treat this as an issue.  As much as I believe, we go along – we just want to relax, escape and enjoy!  This Banaue-Sagada-Baguio Trip/ Trek was my longest vacation so far.  A one-week filled of activities – trek, hike, extremes, sight-seeing and nature experiencing.

The Gang – Me, Tsad, Jheng, Choi, Arnel, Joriel

Let me start with our Day-0 at the zero degree air-conditioned Ohayami bus ride for nine hours.  With our humble outfit and backpacks (except for our self-proclaimed tour guide in his total package trek get-up and to one of our adventurous pal bringing his very enthralling travel bag), we surfaced our first day in Banaue for a very well-warned trek to Batad Rice Terraces and Tappiya Falls.

Tsad, our self-proclaimed tour guide

Adventurous Arnel and enthralling Travel Bag

Being a well-warned would mean I really prepared for this trek, for it was said that the trail in Batad-Tappiya was very steep, hard and exhausting. Maybe it is better to be led that way, at least I expect too much and perhaps caused my survival and indicated a good kick to start our one week trek/tour/adventures.  It’s my bad that maybe due to it was our first day, I can’t remember particular details of this trek.  As much as I remember it was not difficult as I imagined and prepared of.  But, I believe Arnel (our adventurous pal with his travel bag) would have much experience to contribute and share. I will wait for his blog post regarding this Batad-Tappiya trek and will repost it here.  Itinerary check – we were just timely and in-track for our Day-1 schedule.  I suggest that once you have reached Banaue, find fixers outside the tourism office to accommodate your day trek in Batad and Tappiya Falls in affordable packages.

The Batad Rice Terraces

Feeling amazed and fulfilled that within my entire childhood I have only seen rice terraces in posters and books.  But now I already have my sort of postcard picture with rice terraces as the background it is.  I’ve just learned that Batad Rice Terraces is one of the five clusters inscribed as part of the Rice Terraces of Philippine Cordillera.  That is why for our entire stay in Banaue, we have these cultural landscapes as our most epic background.  Watch out for my next posts for the other two rice terraces we’ve experienced either by feet or by sight.

We tried climbing the pathway to the highest point, the opposite side when coming from the saddle, heading to the wonderful valley view.  We have our intuition that we were almost there but as to why we chose not to continue will now just remain a speculation as to our surrender and instead start the trail to the Tappiya Falls.  Nevertheless, this was the part where I can recall the stiffness of the muscles in my legs and the shortness of my every breath in that upward trek.

Upon reaching the Tappiya Falls, unlike any other waterfalls that I have already seen, I just felt this as being emotionless. I see it as a blank – very detached falls.  I just felt that no matter how people were very excited and amazed with this falls, it responded very cold, very proud– “wala lang”, “edi kayo nang masaya sa falls”.  Even if I felt unresponsiveness, I still love it! Sometimes, what are very attractive are those who are mysterious in style.  I will definitely return to this falls, wearing my ultimate confidence (this time must be at my two-piece, hehe) – I will challenge this falls to actively respond to me :).

The emotionless, proud Tappiya Waterfalls

We ended our first day socializing with new meet friends in the native Batad house.  We have tried drinking the rice wine which is best known and is widely used during ceremonial occasions and bountiful harvest in Banaue.  It actually taste like pressed rice, fermented till sour.

From Left to Right: Mark, Adrian, Jheng, Me, Joriel, Marlon, Chad, Choi and Zenky

To acknowledge – First, I am really greatful to Bubus for allowing me to join their trip.  Till next ‘gala!’ (sama nyo ko ulit or itag nyo ko sa pics if ndi ako makasama, hehe).  Thanks to Adrian and Mark (Mark and with his witty and humored sharings about software in an interesting chat possible).  And to the noble teachers – Marlon and Zenky, whom I will acknowledge later in my other posts, for they will become our “dude” along the way.

Who knows one day I might be travelling with completely strangers. It’s nice meeting people – it feels like I am extending my life span.  This is when it is easy to be who you are when no knows your identity, just a blank sheet of the entirety of you. A chance of drawing new impressions, starting anew with this blank sheet.