Cliff hangers

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LA Woman had been struggling with a heavy cold and stomach upset pretty much since we arrived in the Philippines, but Baguio did not seem to be a town suitable for a recovery period so we decided to plough on to Sagada. The ride out of Baguio was in the sunshine, and the swathes of houses clustered on the hillsides made it look significantly more appealing than when we'd arrived.

The entire journey was on twisting mountain roads with many parts completely unsurfaced so comfort was at a premium, but we did pass a place called Loo, a roadwork sign warning of "Good men" working ahead, and a large board by the roadside helpfully displaying the 10 commandments.

Fortunately we found our best accommodation so far in Sagada - a bright airy room with a great view of the surrounding countryside, for less than half what we'd paid everywhere else.

Sagada is most famous for its hanging coffins, a custom of a local tribe in which the coffins of the dead are hung in the limestone cliffs. The oldest coffin is from 160 years ago, and "burials" continue to this day. We also saw a burial cave in which coffins from a different tribe were stored. Some of these were nearly 400 years old but the practice has been discontinued for some time. Note that a guide is neither obligatory nor necessary to see these sights. And if our guide was anything to go by, you'll learn more from your guidebook.

I can't say I was overwhelmed by either of the coffin sites, perhaps because the guide provided us with nothing in the way of flavour or their history. And, visually, the coffins are not breathtaking.

There's a 9PM curfew in Sagada, a relic of the 1970s when anti-Marcos elements were supposedly fomenting revolt in the town. Unfortunately there's no law preventing roosters crowing before 7AM and all the local ones took full advantage. However, with the town being a pleasant place to relax, we did just that before heading east.

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Photos

Hanging coffins
Note skull and bones

Cat on a VW Beetle roof
Note ear shortage

The only beer that nourishes true Filipino friendships.
Really

Comments

[annmariemarie]

Sagada Cave
So did you enjoy your time inside the cave? Sagada Cave is the first cave I have ever spent 4 hours of my life. Amazing!