Our Banaue & Sagada trip!

This is my 3rd trip to Manila, Philippines to see my fiancé Grace. This time we decided our big trip would be to travel to Sagada. We researched it a couple days ahead of time reading itinerary’s of other travelers who went to Sagada and off we went! We decided to take the Florida Lines buses from Manila to Banaue. Florida Lines have comfort rooms which was the deciding factor for us. The tickets were P500 per head. The other bus lines were P460 per head without CRs, so Florida Lines were worth the extra P40 per ticket.

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007 (departed at 8:15 pm)

It Begins: Manila to Banaue via Florida “frozen fish” Lines. There were only about 10 other people on the bus when we left at 8:15 pm. At first we were worried they would cancel the trip, but they didn’t. The driver told us Florida Lines is a relatively new bus line to Banaue, so people didn’t know about them yet. The driver was burning rubber the whole way, passing car after car, going fast whenever possible! But who knows how fast he was actually going… because the speedometer was broken! And since it was an air-conditioned night bus, it was so cold you could pack frozen fish in the bus compartments during the trip. For the entire journey the air-conditioner was full blast, or sometimes turned down, and the driver never turned it off. People were bundled in coats, blankets, hats, full winter attire… still the frigid refrigerator air was blowing.

I was not prepared at all and it caught me off guard. This happened to me once before during my travels to South America in Caracas, Venezuela. We were traveling back home after a Caribbean excursion, and we rode in an air-conditioned night bus. Same thing then, people were telling the driver, “Sir, please turn it off, we’re frozen fish in here.” The guy snapped at us, “No way! Nobody touches it!” But in our case on Florida Lines nobody asked the driver so we just bared it. I only came with a fleece jacket but gave it to Grace instead. The bus stops 3 times along the journey, and at the 2nd stop (Santa Fe @ 2 am) there was a shop that sold blankets and I had to buy one - although Grace said they were way overpriced. The trip took 9 ½ hours.

Friday, Feb. 16, 2007 (arrived in Banaue at 5:40 am)

Banaue Sightseeing. We arrived in Banaue at 5:40 am (after a long 3rd stop). When we stepped off the bus there was an immediate bombardment of tricycles and FXs trying to get you to go to various places. It’s a good idea to know exactly what you want to do when you step off, that way you can go directly there. First we wanted breakfast in Banaue but nothing was open that early. We finally took a tricycle with a friendly driver who drove us to Sidewalk Restaurant, a little place that served early food (cheap too, P72 per head). We had adobo and coffee. While we waited for our food, our tricycle driver Jun was telling us a little about what to do in Banaue, where to go, what to see. But we basically told him we wanted to go to Sagada immediately. So he told us how we would go about that and then gave us his cell number just in case we change our minds or need his help in Banaue.

After breakfast he took us to the waiting area for Sagada trips. The FX van to Sagada was a flat fee of P3,300, so we waited for more people to join. The long wait was over an hour or more but we met up with 3 Filipinos and right away we arranged things together, like caving, etc, so it would be cheaper. So after some more waiting, and others joining, it was now 8:35 am and the FX was finally full, 11 of us in our group. Our first stop was Las Vegas restaurant for a group breakfast (everybody but us, we already ate).

While Grace and I waited outside, a local blind boy was passing by, about 14 or 15 years old. He was very intuitive, and as we discovered, gave good head massages. So I volunteered myself for the head massage. While he was giving the massage, he could tell I was feeling kinda ill that morning without me telling him. “I can sense that you are feeling ill this morning,” he would say. “Do you have some pressure in your head?” he would further inquire. He said he was going to relieve my ills with his massages. It did help quite a bit. After this, the boy said he could tell us the denomination of a bill just by feeling it in his hand. So we put him to the test. Jun (one of the Filipinos our group) gave him a 20 peso bill and he identified it correctly! He was then given a 100 peso bill, again correctly. He was on a roll. The final test: a 500 peso bill. In dramatic fashion he silently handles it, turns it over, feels all around it, and once again says it correctly! So we were all pleased with this mystifying showmanship. And after the group comes out after breakfast, we thank the boy and give a tip, and after all said and done we jammed the FX at 9:50 am and headed out for our adventures.

We still didn’t go immediately to Sagada, everybody wanted to do some Banaue sightseeing first. So in our FX we took the Bangaan Trail and toured the Banaue rice terraces. Here’s what we paid: P250 (per head) for FX rental (because of large group), P130 (per head) for the tour, and P20 for small tip. The Bangaan Trail was a small dirt road only fitting one vehicle at a time. It was slow going - curvy, rocky, dusty in parts. We stayed awhile at one of the viewpoints, took lots of pictures, then headed back to Banaue to eat lunch. It was 12:45 pm when we ate lunch at Stairway Lodge & Restaurant and it was about P155 per head (P310 total).

I noticed we had different walks of life in our group: I’m an elementary teacher, there are 2 M.D.s, 1 college professor of business administration, and others. Our driver Jun was even an ex-rice terrace worker, working on them since 7 years old. He said they are deteriorating because nobody earns any money working them and it’s strictly for food. So most of the people leave as soon as they can to find work and earn money in the cities or other places. The older people know the work and the upkeep, but the new generation, the kids in the villages don’t have any experiences. He concludes that people will hopefully continue the work of the terraces and teach the new generation the skills. He also said the electricity up in these areas is hydroelectric, some of the most powerful in the nation.

Off to Sagada! We finished lunch at 2:00 pm and now it’s off to Sagada! But on the way we stop at yet another viewpoint even grander than the first: N.F.A. Aguian View Deck and Souvenir Shop. This viewpoint has the most unforgettable views of the Banaue rice terraces! You can buy souvenirs there too if you want. There were also two old women sitting on the ground decked in full Ifugao attire, and pictures with them is a few pesos, I can’t remember how much off hand. We continue on our way and stop several more times to take pictures of the beautiful scenery. There are some amazing rice terraces along the way to Sagada. It took about 3 hours to get there because we were only traveling about 35 mph the whole way. You basically travel up the mountain for 3 hours on another long, dusty, curvy road fitting one vehicle at a time.

We finally arrive in Sagada at 5:30 pm. Grace and I decided beforehand to stay in Tita Mary Dawas (P400 per head), the blue building down the road from the Municipal Hall. But when we checked it out we saw that there were no heated rooms and no heated water (think ice cold showers!). So we went back up the road to another place that was P100 more, but with heated little rooms and heated showers called Travellers Inn and Restaurant at P500 per head. After getting things organized at the Inn, we headed to the Municipal Hall to check on rates for various activities for tomorrow. Next we head to the Yoghurt House for dinner. Once again I ordered too much food: vegetable salad with tuna, carbonara, and their famous yoghurt (banana and granola with strawberry preserves). The Yoghurt House is interesting, it’s owned by an American and has a very good atmosphere to socialize in and have a beer with amazing food. We finished dinner at 8:30 pm and head back to the Inn to sleep. I haven’t had any sleep since Thursday morning, over 24 hours, so I needed a good sleep so I can be fresh for tomorrow’s adventures!

Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007

Sumaging Cave. We wake up early, get ready and head to Masferre’s for breakfast at 9:00 am. It’s a decent place, I’ve had better; I didn’t really care for their coffee. Yesterday Grace and I made arrangements with the group to go to Sumaging cave, but later on we cancelled because we didn’t know if we could make it at that particular time. But at breakfast this morning we decided we would go, but there was no way to contact the group to tell them. We spied a couple eating at the table across from us so we asked them about the cave - turns out they were going! So we made plans to meet at the Municipal Hall a little later. We finish breakfast, meet yet another couple to go with, arrive at the Hall and wait for the 2 couples to show up. But we still waited for an even larger group to make it cheaper. A little later, as luck would have it, our Banaue group happened to show up at that time and away we went!

So here we go to Sumaging cave. The cost was only P100 per head since we were in a large group. We took a Jeepney to the cave and it waited for our return. It was now 10:30 am when we started, and before entering we did a little stretching and got our stuff prepared (hike pack, flashlights, camera, etc). We also saw other people coming out of the cave after their adventure and they were soaked up to the chest; so we knew we would be getting wet! The first 15 min of the cave is just going down rock stairs getting darker and darker. You immediately hear all the bats from up above, but you can’t see them! The real adventure happens when the guides make you take off your shoes and go barefoot for the remainder of the time.

If you go to Sagada you must do this cave; anybody can go, it’s not dangerous. It’s quite an amazing experience. There’s all the adventure you need in one place: climbing, using ropes, squeezing through tight dark places, treading through waist-deep and knee-high waters, walking on bat poop covered floors, and acrobatic positions to maneuver the best you can. I’m 6’4” and I made it fine and my fiancé is 5’2” and she made it through the deepest waters and other steep places (going down) just fine. The only people that perhaps shouldn’t go are those who might have fainting spells, lose balance easily, or bad dizziness. If one suddenly fainted or has poor balance, then one could fall the semi-steep rocky slopes to the bottom. But for the average person, your bare feet which grip the rocks are more than enough. For our large group we had 3 tour guides and the cave took about 1 ½ hours.

Bomod-ok Falls hike. So now it was about noon when we head back to Muncipial Hall and immediately decide to go to Bomod-ok Falls via the 1 ½ hour hike through the beautiful terrain, rice terraces, and the village of Fidelisan. But first we eat lunch around 12:30 and two couples from our group joined Grace and me at Alberto's Place restaurant. At the restaurant I changed into my dry clothes that I brought in my backpack (I hate being in wet clothes), but the others just ate in their semi-wet clothes fresh from the cave adventure.

We all decided to meet at the Hall for the falls at 1:30 and it was now about 1:20. I told Grace that I couldn’t hike in these cave/beach shoes I had worn for the cave, and I had to go back to the Inn to get my hiking shoes, along with a towel, and another dry t-shirt because I might swim at the falls. So we rushed back to the Inn as fast as we could, grabbed the shoes, the shirt, she changed into dry clothes herself, grabbed our other stuff, and off we went thinking we might miss our group because it was now 1:40. But sure enough, everyone else had the same thing in mind and they came later also - around 2:00. We got our hiking tour guide and off went.

First it’s a 15 min Jeepney ride to the beginning of the hiking trail, and since the tour guide is the driver, the Jeepney will wait there for us. At the beginning in the Hall they said, “The Falls hike will take about 3 hours.” So at first I thought it would be 6 hours for the hike: 3 hours there and 3 hours back; but they meant 3 hours round trip, about 1hr 15min to the falls and about the same coming back, maybe a little less (plus some for swimming). We started the hike at 2:15 and we arrived at the falls at 3:30. First, you go downhill on stone steps quite a distance and pass through the small village of Fidelisan. The villagers are used to people passing through so it isn't a big spectacle. During our passing through some of the little kids followed for a time and smiled and laughed with us - these are great people, the salt of the earth. Outside of Fidelisan you get to walk directly on the terraces! You start to see up close that the terraces were a work of genius. At this time most all the terraces were only tender shoots of green with the soil saturated with water; but it was still all green, very beautiful.

The falls is nice but the water is freezing! I’m not sure of the temp, but still bearable to swim. The best tip is simply to rush in and submerge yourself without hesitating. Beware though, as I found out, do not immediately start swimming straight for the falls and back, even though it looks like a little falls pool. You may not make it back! You’ll become very tired very fast and then suddenly it becomes difficult to move your arms. So I actually did something dangerous but didn’t know it until too late. In fact, as I was coming up on the shore, I was actually calling for the nearest person (Japanese tourist) for their floatie ring. I was trying to call out, "Hey! Throw me that life ring, quick!" But nobody heard me nor was looking in my direction at the time. Of course I made it by pushing myself, but I learned a valuable lesson I would never forget.

After swimming and falls viewing for a time, we gather our things for the hike back around 4:30. For the hike back you get to walk through and see the rice terraces from the up-view this time. So it’s a whole new set of pictures to be taken! We got back around 5:40. You’ll be dead tired afterwards, thankful that the Jeepney is there waiting for you. For the trip back to Sagada, Grace and I rode on top of the Jeepney. It’s a fun little experience - they’ll let you if you ask.

Concluding the Day. We get back to Sagada at 6:20, pay the guide, then immediately think about the Episcopal Church that’s up the hill. We checked it out last night but it was closed, so we wanted to give it another try tonight. So we walked up there, and it was closed again! We walked around the building, all closed and dark. We just wanted to explore it and maybe make a few wishes. Next was our dinner for the night and it was almost hitting 7:00 pm. We wanted the Log Cabin Restaurant because we heard that every Saturday night there’s a French chef who cooks a mean buffet. But alas, to keep with our string of luck, it was booked full - NO chance getting in (turned down at the door!)

So thinking we still had plenty of time for dinner (being naïve here in Sagada), we head back to our Inn for a quick rest first. We were dead tired, feet hurting, the whole bit; and we just lay in our beds for an hour or so. So now it was late, around 8:00 pm. Before having our dinner we head to the Municipal Hall to check on departure times for Lizardo Transit for tomorrow, talking to the attendant behind the desk. So now, around 8:30, do not attempt to get dinner anywhere in Sagada at this time! Restaurants close around 9:00 pm but they stop serving people around 8:30 or a little after. We tried Yoghurt House, Masferre’s, other places, but all was closed. So we were about to go without dinner for the night. However at the last moment, before retiring back to the Inn for the night, we saw that the owner of our place (at Traveller’s Inn) had her little restaurant open at the bottom of the stairs to the right; and they serve people at later times.

There is no social night life in Sagada. After it gets dark there’s nowhere to go, nothing to do. The streets are empty and dark. If you’re restless though, I suppose you could head to the Yoghurt House to have a beer and socialize until the owner says it’s time to pack it up (after dinner closing time). It has a good atmosphere for that type of thing.

Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007 (departed at 9:00 am)

Back home: Sagada to Baguio (Lizardo Transit), Baguio to Manila (Victory Lines). We woke up at 7 am to get ready to go. We planned on the 8:00 am bus but we missed it by a few minutes, and we even skipped breakfast too! We took the 9:00 am bus instead (there are other departures too). The buses actually fill up fast, so get there early and get a good seat. We picked our seat at 8:10 and just sat and waited. It takes about 5-6 hours to get to Baguio. When you arrive in Baguio, try to find a taxi to take you to the Victory Lines depot. If you wanted to save a few pesos you could walk there by asking directions along the way (like we did that day) - it’s a long walk though. However it was entertaining, as we arrived at the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebration! One of the main streets was blocked off for the massive parade that went through there. I took some pics and videos; such a good parade! The drive to Manila is about 6-7 hours and we got to Manila around 11 pm.

Helpful Banaue/Sagada Traveling Tips:

Total Budget: P8,500
From the start in Manila (2/15), to the end in Manila (2/18), we spent P8,500 - the total cost for the two of us, not per head. We did not buy any souvenirs.

Transportation: (there’s probably more options available)
Option 1 - Manila to Banaue route

Autobus (in Sampaloc: Tolentino St. & Espana Blvd intersection)
Bus 108, leaves at 10:00 pm - arrive 20 min before departure
Fare costs P460 (per head, one way), 11 hours traveling time
From Banaue: jeep or FX to Sagada

Option 2 - Manila to Banaue route

Florida Lines (in Sampaloc: Earnshaw St.)
Fare costs P500 (per head, one way), w/ comfort room and air-conditioned
9 ½ hours traveling time
From Banaue: FX van to Sagada (fare is P3,300 - so go with large group)

Misc Tips:

• Medicines Bringing some medicines might prove useful: mefenamic acid (works miracles: for possible flu symptoms; violent or mild), loperamide (for diarrhea); or you might bring some OTC sleep-aid pills like Unisom (doxylamine succinate) or some melatonin. There were previous stories from other traveler's about roosters that crow at about 3:30 am! Or in our case, a loud barking dog for about 1-2 hours straight.

• Air-conditioned Night Buses. Come prepared for the air conditioned night buses from Manila to Banaue: come bundled up - bring coats, blankets, even hats! You will be sitting in a cold refrigerator with freezing air blowing directly on you for 9 ½ hours. It will be like winter, FREEZING. And the drivers will not turn it off.

• Transportation. You should bring a mask for the dust while traveling to various places. In Manila you can go to Mercury Drug or Watson’s and buy one of those surgical masks, the ones worn for bird flu. They are only like P20 per mask and they work great! Bandanas are just as cheap too at the SM department stores, at P35 - so either one.

In Sagada:

• Eating. All the restaurants close at 9 pm, but they stop serving people around 8:30. So make sure you eat early enough, there are no late dinners here. If you are there on a Saturday night and want to eat at the Log Cabin restaurant with the French chef and the buffet, book a couple days ahead of time - it’s always booked full during that night.

• Clothing. At least 1 pair of long pants and a fleece jacket is good enough; but the temperature can go down, even in summer. If you don’t get a heated room, then more warm clothes would be advisable; but don’t worry, it’s not winter weather.

• Money. There are no banks, ATMs, and nobody accepts credit cards. So bring enough cash for your stay.

• Sunblock. It’s needed for the long treks, the sun is many times more powerful in the high elevations as you know.

• Tour Guides! Never go trekking without a guide. When we were at the Municipal Hall, the attendant at the desk mentioned that a week earlier some guy trekked off to Echo Valley by himself with no guides and he ended up killing himself by falling down the big cliff.

Sumaging Cave:

• Don’t need flashlights. It’s best to be hands-free during the cave adventure, so you don’t need to bring flashlights, not even strap-on head-lights. The tour guides provide plenty of light the whole way with their gas lanterns.

• Large group. It’s always cheaper to go in large groups, and it’s actually more fun too! You can join almost any group if you hang around the Municipal Hall for a few min. Although I did see only one couple going into the cave with a single guide when we were there.

• No long pants. Just wear shorts, you’ll be getting wet.

• Wear any shoes. It doesn’t matter what shoes you bring: tennis shoes, sandals, flip-flops, etc; the guides make you go barefoot for most of the cave anyway.

• Bring dry clothes? If you hate walking around with wet clothes waiting for them to dry, then you should bring a backpack with dry shorts and t-shirt; then you can change some place after the cave. Before you enter you can leave the backpack in the Jeepney, no problem.

• Don’t need plastic. You don’t need to bring a plastic bag, cellophane, or any of that for your camera. The tour guides actually bring little packs with them and you can give them your camera during the wet times if you want. At least for awhile you can keep the camera in your pocket so you can take pictures or video as you descend.

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