Relive Tradition: Sagada 2014
15:19:00January 2014
Mystical stories of folklore and enchanting scenery led us to discover Sagada. Hanging coffins, uphill winding roads and hidden waterfalls in a province of more than 2000 meters above sea levels excited us. Coming from sunny Cebu, Sagada was a place that gave us an unequal interest. Cool weather, slow-paced lifestyle and heavily laden Igorot culture.
After reading forums and blogs. We decided to book a tour from an agency named "A Whole New World Travel and Tours." As the name suggested, we knew we were expecting one. :) I remember that we were so excited waiting for our departure time! Manila wasn't one of our most favorite places but coming from a province outside Luzon, usually, we stop by NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport.) And it's always a finger-crossing experience that Manila will not rip us off!
We arrived early morning and went straight to Tondo, Manila and had a noodle breakfast at renowned noodle house, Makong. We thought it would taste like "Quick Chow" instant noodle, but it was more than what we bargained for! Real noodles, shall I say! We went to Binondo area, which is just a 10- minute jeepney ride and visited bargain places. It was like China trade store on steroids. "Cheap" was the word of the day. After a few hours, we took the LRT and headed straight to our pick up point in Quezon City. We filled our stomachs and had legit (as we consider it to be) coffee knowing that we had to take a 13-hour ride. At around 9 p.m, we started to head off. Spirits we high for a magical place to come.
Nueva Ecija, Benguet
First stop was at Nueva Ecija Mountain Oasis. Pee break for all of us! And we savored the fresh highland air, not like the one in Manila. Then we started to doze off. Benguet was next. Sleeping on uncomfortable seats, and heavily displaced snoring was like sleeping in a bamboo cot...with disco music on full blast. But oh finally! We reached Benguet after a nine-hour drive, a noticeable change of weather at around..15 degrees was experienced at around six in the morning.
The breath-taking Banaue Rice Terraces
Skeletal remains at Banaue.
Smiling faces of locals, crooked wooden pillars of Igorot houses made our stiff necks and the twisted muscle tension in our body instantly pain-free. A heavy dose of natural anesthesia. So we went to this old coffee house where they served breakfast and real mountain province coffee. Sipping rich, nutty and bold flavored coffee while watching the mountain ridges and slow moving clouds was breath-taking. We had to leave Benguet for another three-hour drive to our point of destination. Along the way, we could already see the Rice Terraces! The sun rose late and when it did shine on the mountain, it was absolutely magnificent. We reached Sagada to our hostel for a three-day escapade to explore the wonderful place. :)
Our lovely view from the coffee shop at Benguet. :)
Checking out the town. :)
Skeletal remains at Banaue.
Sagada Cave Connection
We were scheduled to go class 4 caving. It was for serious mountaineers and we were, well, serious office clerks. (LOL) However, we had a heat of an adventure. We were gathered and the tour guide instructed us of the what-not's, but we really didn't pay much attention because who cares if all you want is a risky adventure. We started off easy but down the line, we noticed the cave got dimmer and dimmer until total darkness devoured us. So, we turned on our headlights, we were navigating narrow passes and all we saw was the beauty of the art of stone formation. How nature captivated us. Our feet got wet and wrinkly, and climbing got more difficult.
Many necessary tools like headlights and thick jump ropes were no match to the difficulty of the terrain. It was a five-hour cave trekk and we were down just half way. Blood, sweat and bruises! BUT were just starting to get all warmed up. At the end of the line, when it was about to get finished, we were faced with a deathly 60 foot drop. Our jumbo ropes were not enough for a drop twice the height so we had to slowly go down rope-less and barefoot and with a bare soul. As I touched my feet on the ground, I looked up and it was an insanely death-defying moment. We ended the trekk with 156 steps to the exit and we emerged out with no daylight but only shadows of moonlight. We survived in an unexpected fashion and it was sweet.
A coffin laid at the entrance of the cave
Cave entrance :)
Lampara :)
Bomod-ok Falls, Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins
After having survived a four degree night, we woke up just wanting to have anything hot. The itinerary was to go to a secluded place where waterfalls could be found. We started our day with a heavy breakfast at Rock Inn. They had an interesting caveman logo outside and the cafe looked like the ones we see in vintage movies. Not just that, the cafe provided quite a homey and warm atmosphere for tourists. The coffee, well done eggs and tocino (and some bacon) were really good. We took a 30 - minute drive to our starting point. There , we headed together and the old lady tour guide instructed us to get our stick. It was drizzling when we got there and there were no raincoats available for sale..only big plastics, so that's what we wore (better than being soaked in freezing weather, right?) Plus, it only cost us P20.00 per plastic. :D
Chef Aklay rocks and rolls!
Stopping by Sagada Weaving. :)
Hanging Coffins at Echo Valley.
We started to have our three-hour walk across the full view of the rice terraces and dazzling mountain ridges. Sweating was a rare occasion as the blasting cold weather prevented it. That was the most memorable mountain trekk we've ever had. You must be there to know exactly what I'm talking about. Alas, we reached the towering waterfalls, the sound was monstrous but the water flowed peacefully. It was a sight to behold. We were tempted to go for a swim but the water only allowed us to get our feet wet. Nonetheless, it was refreshing. We didn't stay there long as movement was necessary to keep our bodies warm. We decided to head back and the roaring sound slowly started to vanish. Then, a new beautiful scenery started to emerge as we exited the falls. The climb was tough on our legs but is pleasant to our souls.
Bumod-ok Falls at its fines. :)
Pinikpikan Manok
Immediately after relaxing for just a short period, off we went to St. Mary's Church, or as they call it, "Church of St. Mary the Virgin." It is famous for its rose petals stained glass. The church was surrounded with hundreds of tall, lush pine trees and the ambiance was as peaceful as it could be. We walked along a few meters ahead until we reached an old cemetery where every tomb was painted white. Passing along the graves, up we went to Echo Valley. This place is most famous for its Hanging Coffins. It is their traditional way of burying the dead and is still utilized until now. We were amazed. Being scared would probably be the last thing on our heads!
Us at 7400 feet above sea level.
My love being his usual brave self. hihi :p
We spent our last night in Sagada having dinner at a local cafe where we tried their well known Pinikpikang Manok. We warmed our tummies and took a stroll around the small, quiet town. The night was young and the breeze brushed through our skin like cold ice. A lot of foreign nationals were playing Billiard and drinking with the locals as we walked by. Each step and view we relished. That wasn't going to be our last in Sagada. We knew we'd definitely go back for more!
Seeing photos of these places was nothing compared to the real picturesque of raw nature defined by man.
Share with us your thoughts in the comment box below!
-Mitz and Larry
P.S It took so long for me to realize that this place was really worth blogging about. Sagada is just too beautiful!
2 comments
I really, really, really like it! I feel like going there someday. (crossed-finger)
ReplyDeleteGo na Joel! Thanks for dropping by. :D
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