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Published: August 4th 2012
Rainy season is not the best time to travel in the Philippines. Let alone travelling in Banaue which is prone to landslides. But it was scheduled months ago and I don't know why they chose July, but it was dirt cheap at P2,000 for accomodation and transpo so I signed up because thats less than half the usual cost.
There was a low pressure area when we left, which turned into a full blown typhoon by the time we got there. The bus going to Banaue was freezing cold! I've read a lot of blogs about how cold the buses to Banaue were but I understimated it so i had ten hours of torture. I wonder why they have to make it that cold. Is it because the drivers are used to the cool mountain weather or maybe it helps them to not fall asleep while driving. They do the same to us at work but they said its for the computers and servers that are apparently more important than us being comfortable.
We arrived in Banaue at 5:30 AM and had breakfast at the only diner that we found open. They didn't have a lot to offer. Most
of the food on the menu were not available. I found out later that its the same case with most restaurants there. There are no good restaurants in Banaue. Nor were there any good hotels. But thats not the reason why we went there so I couln't care less, at first. Because after a long hike and youre panting like a dog and every muscle in your body hurts, it would help to have a good meal with great dessert and creamy hot chocolate, then a hot bath. That only happens when Im travelling with my family coz my mom and my sisters always overspend on hotels, which I don't get. Must be a girl thing, like shopping abroad which is a total waste of time and money.
After breakfast we hired a jeepney to take us to Happao. Happao is said to have the oldest rice terraces. Most of the rice had already been harvested when we got there so I't wasn't as green as I'd hoped it would be. We had to walk on the edges of the rice paddies and in some parts if we fell to the right we'd fall to our death, if we
fell to the left we fall on the mud. Now I realize that we should have just gotten ourselves dirty and walked on the mud instead of risking our lives. One of the girls fell and did a 360 degree flip. She ended up having bruises on her face but she was still able to walk since she fell on the mud. It would have been a totally different storry if she fell on the rocks. It was a 12 foot drop.
After Hapao we got back on the jeepney and proceeded to Batad, which is the highlight of the trip. I expected that the jeepney would drop us off in front of the hostel where I can finally use the restroom, have a hot bath, then a sumptuous dinner after hiking. But boy was I wrong. The drop off point was an hour away from the hostel. It wasnt really that difficult but walking in the middle of a storm and on mud is not that pleasant especially when youre carrying a backpack.
After about an hour we finally arrived. Not that I complain a lot but there are no good hostels in Batad. So expect no
such thing when you go there. The hostels are dirt cheap but the food is not. 30 Pesos for a cup of rice is a bit much. 50 Pesos for a cup of Milo is too much. Then I thought if I had to ride a jeepney on a very rough road for three hours then hike for another hour to bring tourists a cup of Milo, I'm sure I'd charge more.
The people of Batad spoke excellent English. They speak better English than Tagalog (the national language). They spoke English with a very neutral accent it almost sounded American. That really puzzled me because all they have in Batad is an elementary school. The local dialect there is unlike any other Filipino language that I've heard. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they spoke Chinese. They also look more Chinese than most Filipinos. I wonder why.
The next day we explored the terraces. They climbed to the top. I didn't bother. I wanted to save my energy and I dint really think I'd get a different view from the highest point. I went back to the hostel alone and almost got lost. I thought finding
my way back would be a breeze but all the rice paddies look the same, I discovered. Being a Christian, I prayed whenever there was a split in the path and I didn't know which one to take; like I did in school exams when I didnt know which answer to choose. God is good, I did not get lost.
After lunch we went to Tappiyah waterfalls. It's the best waterfalls that I've seen so far and It wasn't that cold. Getting there was not easy though. I really am getting old. I think I'd have to start doing all the difficult travels before I'm 30. Or maybe I should just stop sleeping in the gym.
We should have gone home the following day but there was a landslide. I talked to a German couple on the bus station and they didn't know what a landslide was. So for those of you who are not in the know, It's like an avalanche, only with soil and rocks. It covered the roads so the cars couldn't get through. The ride home took twelve hours. Spending an extra night in Banaue meant I had to pay more for the hotel
and meals. So when I got back to Manila I only had two pesos in my wallet. There are no ATMs in Banaue.
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Cindy Natasya
non-member comment
very nice trip
This is a very interesting blog I've ever read... Keep on writing Bro.. ! I believe there are lots of people who needs this kind of travelling info... Thanks a lot.. ^_^