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Published: January 23rd 2010
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The scenery to Bontoc from Sagada is spectacular but I was so tired I fell asleep. In Bontoc we asked around where buses leave for Banaue, we got pointed to this dilapidated ugly bus,sign say Santiago but we were assured it goes through Banaue. It was full and some people standing, three people in my aisle, so uncomfortable, and it started raining they did not cover the roof where our packs are so i prepare for soggy clothes later. The ride was rough, dirt roads and hairpin turns but somehow we made it to Banaue before noontime. We decided to head to People's GH, very cheap for only 200 pesos a night, Jonas and I dropped our stuff in my room and had a quick lunch and we took a hired trike to Batad, about one hour of uncomfortable bumpy ride, road is narrow too we have to give way to bus and jeeps all the time quite scary. At a junction we left the trike and we walked about 30 minutes to get to the "saddle", uphill walk mostly paved roads. Arriving at the saddle we were convinced we need a guide to get down the Batad village so we
Banaue
view from People's Guesthouse restaurant veranda did but I bargained hard so we got it cheap. Melo our guide at 22 is already married with a child, he himself still looks like a child. The walk was tiring, we chose the "long cut" as opposed to the short cut where you go down stairs. It is humid here despite being a bit cool, Jonas and I took our shirts off to feel better. In Batad we signed the guestbook, took some fotos, then moved on towards the terraces, even if it's not peak time it is still oddly beautiful, some fields have greenery, rice seedlings I suppose. We saw kids playing house and we took their fotos, they loved it!
We have to tiptoe our away across the rice fields we walked on the skirt of every patch, some quite narrow you have to pay attention lest you fall in the mud! hard to do as you are busy admiring the view and taking fotos. Jonas' i-phone broke mid walk and so I helped him out and took fotos of him to post on FB. Some locals were planting, cleaning the fields, this terraces is like an amphitheatre, from top of the mountain to below
the valley, really cool, I can just imagine how gorgeous this will be at peak times, all green or all brown, but now it's off season but still interesting sight to see. The walk back was a killer, we stopped at our guide's house and while he has lunch , Jonas and I played with his 1 year old kid, very cute and friendly boy, I took a foto of him to send to them in the future.
We decided to take the short cut on the way back the top, Jonas struggled but I kept on, mt legs were wobbly when I got to the top, jeeps were offering us rides to the junction but we declined we walked to our waiting trike at the junction instead.
We have to deal with rough roads again, bumping our heads on the roof several times. I went with Jonas in town to buy his bus ticket to Manila, buses leaves at 6pm and 8pm but Autobus and Florida bus lines were all fully booked! Panic came and he has to sort out a way to get to Manila tonight as he needs to be back there for work the next
Batad hike
me with our guide's kid day. After weighing several options, he joine me for early dinner of tinola soup, delicious, then the German and swiss girls that we met on the way here from Sagada joined us for a bit, when Jonas left I went back to the room to chill out and slowly fall asleep.
Bit gloomy the next day, had a hearthy breakfast and set off to see the Banaue rice terraces, the staff at the GH told me it is possibly to walk to get there, about 4kms the farthest of the 4 viewpoints, i followed his directions and i am now walking on the main road heading to Bontoc, a few villages or settlements along the way next to the road, to conserve space they built out towards the edge of the hills so you see foundations and pillars sticking out on the side of the mountain. Kids playing basketball on the street, lots of dogs, tricycles ply by every 2 minutes, big jeepneys full of passengers some sat on the roof whiz by me. I asked a dude if i am on the right track and it was affirmative, I saw my first viewpoint, a lone gringo reading a
book sat there chillin out, as you go up further the view gets better, I was alone on one of the viewpoints for sometime and trully enjoyed the silence as I gaze on the amazing terraces, some up to 2000 years old. The walk probably took a good hour and a half as, taking my time and taking lots of photos. On the way back tourists started pouring in, happy to get out of there.
Back in town after lunch I did another walk through villages across the hanging bridge, a dodgy bridge that you need valium to be able to cross without fear, planks of metals put together there is no net to catch you if this metal planks give in to your weight, meanwhile a young kid was in front of me crossing fearlessly even stopping mid way to fix his pants, I overtook him all the while looking straight forward avoiding to see the bottom of the river. The villages have a few terraces of their own, planting rice and veggies houses sat next to the road. Kids saying hello to me and trying to talk in English, they are surprised to hear I speak Tagalog.
Batad
trike needing gasoline Back at the GH I saw an ad for a massage and i asked the staff to contact them, in half hour a masseuse showed up at my doorsteps literally, my body is achy from almost everyday hiking since Sagada, she combined Swedish and Ifugao(hilot) massage, very good, she told me to rest and not shower until the next day. Then I sorted out where I will go tomorrow when I leave Banaue. Initial plan was to head to Tuguegarao but the weather was bad and a pain to connect buses so last minute decision to head back to Manila and go down south ASAP.
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Aries and Rinka
Aristeo Rinka Lucea
Hi, I always follow your blogs. And I was happy to read this one in particular, because Im sure I know your companion, Jonas. I think I met him in a youth conference I attended in the Phils, and hang out with him a couple of times. I might be wrong but, sure looks like him. Keep blogging!