Day 21 - 24; Welcome to the Philippines, Enjoy the roads!

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On sunday morning I awoke to an e-mail telling me to wake up (thanks Kiran x), and a mild excitment about the next leg of my journey, a flight from Hong Kong to Clark in North Luzon, Philippines. My dad drove me to the airport which I'm glad he did cause I had problems...

One of the major aims of my trip was to do as little flying as possible, so i will be attempting a lot of overland travel (although, as little as possible here... you'll see), and I will only have a limited number of flights across the whole of Southeast Asia and Australia. When I attempted to check in for my flight I was asked about return details, which I didn't have any, but I did have an onward flight to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. I had to produce proof of this flight before I can be admitted to the plane. So, we had to go to area D to see the Malaysia air rep to print off a proof of ticket. But there was no rep in area D, instead it was area A... nope not thier either... Area B... nope... area E... and yes... area E was correct... so, I was checked in. Dad, due to his work at the airport he can go airside passed security checks quick quick fast... so he accompanied me down to the gate, we were gonna have some breakfast, but all that area-ing wasted all our time so we just got a coffee, and waited for the last call.

The flight was pretty normal and not much to report on there...

Then I landed at Clark Int Airport, which is an old US airbase, but with less charm now ;o) Our plane was pretty empty, so there was only a wait for our bags. I grabbed mine, submitted my customs report and was on my way... just passed the secure area, five people are shouting at you to take their taxi... I told them to shut the hell up unless they could point me to a bus going to Baguio City, which they kindly did!

I found the bus I wanted (kind of) and sat and waited for another hour and a half for it to leave... boring! The bus then headed along roads which I thought were dodget, oh my days bruv, how I long for those roads again!! The bus then turned off at a check point and headed in the oppersite direction to Baguio, another 30-40 minutes down the road was a bus terminal, where I had to change bus to one actually going to Baguio. It appears there is no option for direct travel anywhere here... or at least not where I'm heading!! Bearing in mind, I woke up 07:25 got on a plane at 09:55 landed at 11:35, I didn't get to Baguio untill about 18:30! The journey was something I will never forget, and will scar me for life!! The roads I was one were dual carrigeways with two lanes... the slow stuff on the far right, and overtaking in the left lane. Now, Philippinos/as LOVE to overtake... there's triketaxis being overtaken by jeepneys (weird looking things) they get overtaken by lorries, and they get overtaken by buses, which get overtaken by cars... all done the same two lane road... its utter chaos... I can't describe it. And since my car crash in March - did I tell you all about that?? - I have suffered from Verhicular Terror... which, to be honest is just a way to explain my irrational fear of female drivers!! yes all of you!! Even you!! ;o)

So, after being too scared to sleep and 7 hours of death defying driving I arrived in Baguio, and then called my friend of a friend; Diego. Diego arrived in a bright Orange Honda Accord, with RnB thumping out... I got in and he took me to his parents Hotel. The Verhicular Terror hadn't died on the bus. The city drivers are worse then the long distance drivers!! The city has bikes, cars, jeepneys and buses too... but no traffic lights, give way marks or anything to make life easier! We managed to get to 'Iggy's Inn' in one peace, and we talked properly, he said we'd go out for dinner with his Friend Chris at 21:00, and then maybe a few beers. Fine by me. 05:30 bed time. We went for Korean food, then a big posh hotel for a couple of drinks, then Chris left cause he has olsers and cannot drink. Me and Diego went to a bar he knows and we met some other guys he knows, one of which was his cousin JB. From there we went back to his hotel and had a few more drinks.

The next day we awoke around 12:30 had some brunch and then he drove me around Baguio City. The tour included a longish stop at Baguio University which was build and established by his Grandparents, and his Cousin JB from the night before is the President! I attended three Uni's over five years and never met a president, after one day in Baguio I was in his office talking about music. Crazy. We left there and went to find a famous artists exhibition... which, is only closed on a Monday, and of course.. this was monday!! We headed back to the Hotel via 'Jollibee', the "Philippines equivalent to McDonalds" but they have MD here too. Except this place is seriously cheap!! I got a 'Champ'burger meal, and two piece chicken meal for under php300, thats like 2GBP!! So, back to the hotel, had a couple of hours 'chill out', and then met Chris again for dinner, this time Philippine traditional food. We paid php400 each for a load of stuff, and drinks. I love cheap food, especially when it tastes this good!!

We called it a night dinner and headed back to the hotel, I spent a few hours on tinterweb talking to peeps and sending some e-mails. The following day, Tuesday I woke up at 06:00 so I could get some breakfast - pancakes, eggs and bacon before making my way North to Sagada. My bus left at 07:30 and after enjoying the scenes of driving through the city and the choas it causes I was treated to the mountains and countryside of North Luzon. The moutains interlock for miles and miles, and the roads run along their sides. Now, roads are exactly roads here. Some stretches are concrete and have barriers so you dont fall off and die. Some, of the same stretch of road is just rocks and gravel. The speed of the bus is greatly dependant on which surface, and also if it has to stop for passing other vehicals and stuff. I arrived in Sagada around 14:00. The scenery is incredible, hills, mountains, trees, agricultural terraces... its all just amazing to see!! Now the bad news is, I havent taken many photos, The internet here is bad at best. My dad said its as though the whole country is on the same connection and you have to wait for your seconds worth of time... he's probably not far wrong!!

Whilst in Sagada, I put my name on a list for others to go on a caving trip, and was directed on small and short trek to the local graveyard which has a shear drop mountain edge too. All brilliant to look at too, although I'm not a massive fan of gravesites. Although part of Sagada's attraction is that the cave's it is very famous for contain coffins, little wooden coffins. And apparently some of the coffins have been robbed of thier mummies!! ahhhhh... After running around like solo hiker for about 30mins, i was telephoned about someone else wanting to go caving, so I returned to the tourist centre. A fellow solo traveller from Korea was the other person, I think he said his name was; 'Hei' or something like that. We were taken down to one of the caves, which we later were told would be our exit point because we decided to do the longer '4hour' trip. At the entrance to this cave was a huge stack of the wooden coffins, some had fallen down and were empty... perhaps thier undead owners were lurking down in the dark whhaaahahahahahaaaaa.... (nah they weren't don't worry)

We walked back up the hill side which brought me back to HK and the Lantau mountain, and i was out of breath quickly too!! We walked about 20 minutes down the road to the other cave, stopped for gas for the lantern, and we began to enter our cave. It is hard to describe what happened next, to say, we climbed down a rock, over a rock and saw some huge dark rocky rooms, then spent 3 hours doing the same, with a few VERY tight squeezes through holes would not do the trip justice. The pictures too won't give the start of the idea of what we did and acomplished. We litterally tunnelled under the mountains of Sagada for 3 hours, non-stop, surrounded by rocks formed by pure chance as water changes its patterns. It was incredible. Now, if you've never met me you will know or at least think I probably am not built for caving, gravity isn't on my side, and small whole may be easier corked then throughed!! I also didn't prepare properly, although I used my running shoes instead of my converse or flip-flops (regards to Lantau Peak) and I had swimming shorts and a very, I also had a lot on needless stuff in my bag. And I certainly wasn't prepared for the pain, bumps, cuts, scrathes and knocks that a cave would dish out. My feet, legs, knees and head were very sore, and my bed was very welcome that night.

I woke up the next morning at 07:45 to the noise of builders, bus/jeepney horns and cockrills. I headed to the internet place to check on the Lonely Planet website to make sure I knew where I was going and what to see while there. The page didn't work. I did a few other bits then went to work out my day trip to Banaue. To do a day trip to Banaue is niegh on impossible without your own transport, i.e. a Humvee. The reconmend the latest jeepney to catch is 08:30 to Bontoc, then a bus/jeepney to Banaue (it was already gone), and then you can get a bus back to Manila... I didn't want to go to Manila, so that didn't help me. Instead, I packed my shit, checked out and got a jeepney Bontoc, which wasn't too long, but those things are different class to buses. You don't get a paid in your arse cause its numb with vibrations in about 10 minutes. Easy money. Once I arrived in Bontoc, which is a crazy little place, it seems to be built around one large strip of road and buildings, and the off roads from their are 'seoncdary establishments', places that don't need to be seen. I walked along this bustling overcrowded road, and looked for a bus to Banaue. Eventually, someone shouted to me 'Banaue!!??', yes, I replied and spent the next two hours waiting in a jeepney that never went anywhere!! Instead the same helpful, but I donno what he had to do with anything man, told me a different jeenpey would go... but they jsut arrived so would get some lunch and leave at 13:00. I got some lunch. Sweet n sour pork with rice; php 80 (just over 1pound!) and proceeded back to the jeepney, and waited around 30-40 minutes for that to leave. After several hold-ups, not litterally, just building sites and stuff, and 3 1/2 hours later, we arrived at Banaue.

Banaue also has a street covered in tricycle taxis, jeepneys and buses, but to a lessor extent. Several guest houses and shops for tourists to pick up the stuff they think they need are the main shops here. I was suggested to try the 'greenhouse', which I did, and booked in for two nights, with a tour to the '8th wonder of the world'; the Batad Rice Terraces at 07:00 the following morning. So after a long day of travelling, I got some dinner and went to bed.

So, for me it is today, and I woke up at 06:00, the clothes I had attempted to wash and hang to dry on my travel washline were neither properly washed... or anywhere near dry... I wondered if perhaps it had rained in the bathroom since I slept. I also had a painful feeling on my nose, which was wet to touch, after turning on some light it revealed that yesterdays sunburn, was in fact a bite of some kind. And it had inflammed my nose, and made me look like I'd lost a fight. First off, I don't lose fight. Second, although technically you might argue what ever bit me won... it didn't im sure its already dead on my nose blood!! enjoy it sucker!! So, after 30 mins of attempting to actually be Dr Graham Pike LLb, LLm, I had put a plaster over my nose. Very attractive. I went down stairs and ate something refered to as Oatmeal, and coffee... but I didn't finish either, not very tastey. My guide collected me and I jumped in the sidecar of our tricycle for the day, the guide and the drive both sat on the motorbike. Now, with my recent developments in verhicular terror, for me to jump into a welded sidecar, attached to a 10 year old Kawasaki 50cc motorbike, with my ass less then a 50cm from the floor, you'd think I was mad. Well maybe I am. So, the three of us hurtled off at close to 100mph, although really it was probably closer to 20 - 30. But when the bike sounds like a jet engine, and its rattling without any reason you think its fast!! The bike chinged off down the road and around the corner over a bridge and then up some hills, we got stuck in the mud once, and all had to jump off, the driver lost his flip-flop in the process... funny stuff though. After about 30-45 minutes the bike stopped infront of a steep slope, and I was told we walk from here. The outback adventure begins. So, we walked... at first it was some concrete road, then some stone/mud road, then mud road, then steps. Large stones placed one higher then the other to climb up, up and up. It was hard work and my thighs were feeling the burn. The London Marathon seemed like years ago, and my fitness was long gone. As I gulped down large breathes, and pushed hard on my legs it was hard not too feel happy; the sun was on my back, it was hot and the sceenary was incredible. Incased by mountains, covered in trees and a picture perfect skyline, with the clouds just clippin the peaks as they slowly head over. This is why I came to Southeast Asia. I didn't take any kind of time telling device, I'm not interested in time here, especailly not whilst climbing mountains, but when we had completed the climb we reached a small 'settlement', a house and a shop. I bought a bottle of water, and was told to go to the look out post to take some pictures. The highest point that we could reach and you could almost see 360, amazing, utterly different from sights I'd seen before. We sat and had a short break before making our decent to Batan, which started with some very steep. slippey stone steps. I am truely aware after caving/rock climbing and now mountain trecking of how bad my balance is. I was often scared to step incase I lost my grip or balance, but I'm hear writing this so you know it didn't happen, anyone that wishes it did send me a message and I'll have words with you. People may think that decending down a mountin or hill is the easy part, well its not. You have to lean back, and always control the speed you go so you don't slip or fall. Its obviously not as hard as climbing, but it hurts after a few steps. We stopped at one more look out point, and then my guide told me we were close to Batan, and to be careful if taking pictures of people as they may charge money, and I have to make a donation to the Environment Fund. After another 10 minutes walk, we came through an opening to see the huge terrace of Batan. Absolutely astounding. almost an entire mountain/hillside is cut into large steps to allow rice to be planted and grow. The terraces are used to entrench small areas and control the water direction. It comes down from the peaks into the top trough, and then is sent lower and wider as the people have chosen. Very clever and very old. My guide said 2000 years-ish... so, I made my donation, signed the book, bought another bottle of water and we proceeded to the Tappia Waterfall. Now, the only route their is over and through the rice paddies!! which gives you an amazing closeup of them, but also an insane view down over the terraces to the original old village at the bottom. These are huge, and it takes about 10-20 minutes to cross them, going along, then down steps infront on miniture waterfalls and then along some more. Anther quick rest, and we headed down another very steap set of stone steps towards the waterfall. At this point the sun is bang on you and its very hot. I was swetting buckets and took my t-shirt off so I was just in my wifebeater vest. This walk was a little more precarious, due to the seasonal and non-seasonal rains, there are often landslides, so paths and tracks are easily lost, or simply washed away down the cliffside. A few occasions required us to hop across gaps or squeeze against the upper edges to pass. But it was all worth the blood sweat and tears when turning the final bend and climbing a few more steps to see the waterfall. It isn't huge, or vastly wide or even that spectacular, but its is very pretty, and very cooling. It is totally incased in the hills around it, and it is a natural deadend. We stopped for a few pictures then headed down for a swim. Another group of toursits were also there, and we all very slwoly, very painfully limped over the stones to get to the waterfall basin. The sun so hot before, and the air so warm, the water was freezing, and it took my breath away. I egde out into the water, till it was shoulder height and just enjoyed the moment, despite the cold which passed quickly, and then turned into a soothing bath for my feet.

As with the caving, it would not do the journey justice to simply say we turned back and went 'home'. Although we also stopped for lunch, I had a quick nap, and the route back was different AND, once we made it back to the tricycle we had a short wait while a truck infront got its puncture repaired. When one vehical is imovable, the road is blocked will it moves. The day has been brilliant, I have caught the sun on my arms, and maybe sholders and back. This really is the reason I came travelling, not just to see mountains and waterfalls, but to do things I havent done before, a mountain/jungle trek to a giant bowl of rice terraces and ancient village and civilisation culminating in a waterfall basin swim is certainly that. My aches and pains of the caving have been redoubled, and I have a 7 hour bus ride tomorrow morning to look forward to as my reward. Northen Philippines isn't everyones choice, the places are generally empty, and I havent seen any other English people and very few people my age, most are French and a bit older. In any case, I would deffinatly come back here sometime. Maybe in 10 years in hope the roads are built by then. I would reconmend this place to anyone looking to see some nature and get away from the city and urban lifestyle it breeds.

Sagada, Bontoc, Banaue and Batad done. Tomorrow back to Baguio for one night, then down to Manila.

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