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I fell in love with Sagada. That is a lot since I went to Sagada not expecting much. I did not come to be impressed, but very impressed I became...
March 23, 2006 We went to
Autobus at around 9:30pm. The fare costs P462/pax one-way to Banawe. At around 10:15pm, the bus left the station. The route we took was different from what I had in mind. Instead of passing NLEX, we went on a different detour. I am not very sure of the towns we passed because aside from being dark, I was being lulled to sleep. Later on, I discovered we passed Nueva Vizcaya, Bayombong, Solano and Bambang.After 3 stop-overs, we reached Banawe at 7am. At the Banawe station, there were several locals offering rides going to Bontoc and some tricycles offer rides up to
Viewpoint (easily the best place to view the fabled Banawe Rice Terraces). By asking around, it was a good thing we found a direct ride to Sagada. Luckily, we have a nice and able driver named John-John, who also serves as a tourist guide.
Are we there yet?
It was a 10-minute ride from the terminal to Viewpoint, where we came upon a few locals willing to have their pictures taken with us (in exchange for a few coins)
Visitors to Sagada usually come from one of two places. One is from Baguio thru the more familiar highlands and mountainous route which will take around 9 hours from Manila then 6 hours to Sagada. Another is from Bontoc, an hour-and-a-half-or-less jeepney ride from Banawe which is another 9-hour ride from Manila. We took the Banawe route mainly to see the Banawe Rice Terraces.
Banawe is one of 11 towns of the province of Ifugao. Snuggled with the Cordillera mountains, it is 333 kilometers from Metro Manila (9-hour bus drive). In December 1995, the World Heritage List of UNESCO listed the Ifugao Rice Terraces as the first living cultural landscape, having been handcarved by the native Ifugao tribe some 2,000 years ago.
Since it was a chilly morning, the Rice Terraces were enveloped in a sea of haze making the view more dramatic than marvelous. We could have taken more picturesque views otherwise. The view of the rice terraces from there was unarguably not the best but we did not mind. But it was a good foretaste of the beauty we are yet to set our eyes on.
We took lots of photos but none of them capture the grandeur of the Rice Terraces. They are best seen in person.
The Banaue Rice Terraces dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World, (the first seven include the Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus in Olympia, Temple of Artemis Ephesus, Tomb of Mausolus, Colossus of Rhodes, Pharoahs of Alexandria) is the grandest man-made monument of antiquity NOT made by slaves. It is believed that its length, if connected end to end would encircle half the globe.
Now the first of the many real challenges is about to unfold - the 4-hr road leading to Sagada is made of rough
road. In no time, everything turned white - our bags, our faces, our hairs, all the nooks and crannys of the rickety
jeep were full of dust. On hindsight, we remember we should have brought a mask. Occasionally, paved roads reward us with smooth-sailing ride but it ends right before we even enjoy it. Other vehicles are as rare as the paved roads. Which is perhaps why the drivers take the road like anything. The rocky roads, tight curves and the frequent lobbying for a share of the one-lane road all give anyone one hair-raising ride.
But the scenery....wow!
Everything is worth the ride - the green forest and marvelous landscape on one side, and a view of the splendid valley on the other. The greeneries seems greener, the skies are bluer and the feeling of happines and peace undescribed seems to just envelop one's being. Galing!
To entertain ourselves, we just marveled at the
sights the bumpy road to sagada offers.
After about an hour, we stopped at the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Mt. Polis. After some stretchings and dusting offs, our bumpy ride along rugged mountainside and steep cliffs continued.
DAY 1
Bones barely intact, we arrived in Sagada at 11:00am. We stayed at
St. Joseph's Inn (108 steps from the ground. Yes i actually counted them). The place is cozy for its price, with the bare necessities of rural living. We got a room for P500 a day (luckily we got an inn which has its own bathroom. Others need to share). Be ready to let loose P40 though for a bucket of hot water since they don't have any hot and cold shower.
After we have checked in and set our things, we first went to the
Sagada Municipal Hall, which is right infront of our inn. It is a one-stop shop of information for visitors about Sagada's ins and outs. Posted on the wall is a list of
standard guide rates on the different activities in Sagada. Since trekking is still for Day 2, we decided to go out for a walk and explore the place.
We bought a map from St. Joseph's inn (P25) and our navigation skills are ready to be tested. What makes the Sagada map challenging is the fact that we have to rely on our gut feel and a few asking-arounds to find our way. The map is detailed but not as detailed as we wanted it to be. What appears to be a curve in the next turn can mean to be curve in the next hill or mountain. Anyways, it is worth a try. Atleast I have my travel buddy with me in case we get lost. =)
Sagada is a very quaint place thanks to the locals who prefer it that way. You could wander around without thinking of traffic because the primary form of travel in their main (and only) road is by foot, bicycle and for the affluent, the motorcycle. The main road is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants and a house here and there.
The locals are more fluent in English than Tagalog, thanks to the American Missionary school that still exists there. Their religion is Anglican and they hold their services in the only church i found in the area - the
St. Mary's Episcopal Church. Life in Sagada is laidback and downright simple. There are no ATMs, no convenience stores, no newspapers (if there is, i did not see any while i was there) the shops and restaurants close at 9pm, no nightlife since the town imposes the 9pm curfew strictly. The lone hospital in town, St. Theodore's hospital, seems wanting of signs of activities. According to our guide, people in Sagada don't get sick as often as we urban people do. Even their mosquitos are healthy, said he. With the fresh air, bountiful vegetation and constant travelling sans any means of transpo, who won't?
First stop: Yoghurt House! With a very unassuming facade save from its colorful sign, the inside is more modest. We
ordered Mushroom Cheese Spaghetti and
Yoghurt with banana, granola and strawberry preserves. Wow the BEST!! Min and I swore we will be back for more!
With filled stomachs, we are ready to discover Sagada. After visiting the St. Mary's Episcopal Church, we continued for a short walk to the town's cemetery. Further is a
scenic view of the rich mountainside which is part of the Echo Valley. If gifted with a good eyesight (or a hightech camera or binoculars) one can see the
hanging coffins on the face of the mountain. Otherwise, they are just lost in the grand forest. A bit disappointed, we tried to find our way to the other side of the mountain with the hope that the view will allow us to see more hanging coffins. It was then when we heard two girls who seemed to have found the best view so we asked for directions. We took the opportunity and asked if they are interested in joining us in our trek next day. And they are! It was where the Miray-Jo/Minnie-Arlene tandems were forged! After deciding on the time and place to meet the next day, we went our separate ways. Min and I decided to be satisfied with the view we have. To go further down is quite dangerous especially if there is no guide since, unlike in the cemetery, there are no more stone steps to make our descent easier. Jagged rocks abound. Echo Valley no longer live up to its name. Apparently, the growing foliage tends to absorb the sound instead of echoing it back.
Hungry again of course, we went to
Masferre for a snack/dinner. The place is cozy and overlooking the school. We came upon an empty restaurant except for a lone pianist. We ordered
Pancit Canton/Bihon Mix, Chicken Sandwich and a cup of Hot Choco. Everything was great! Not only because we were hungry, but because the food is really delicious. The ambiance is relaxing too. Anyway, we put this restaurant as our number 2 in our List of Restaurants We Will Return To.
We went back to the inn and after taking a bath, we were given our much-deserved massage by the inn's inhouse masseuses.
Around 10pm, we were off to dreamland.....
DAY 2
Wake-up time is 6am. By 7am, we were already at the St. Joe's Cafe to meet Miray and Joan. After having breakfast of omelettes and toasts, we went to the Tourist Center to meet our guide. Aside from a tourist guide (P1,200), we decided to hire a vehicle (P1,200) as well to maximize our time and save our energy.
To the Bat Cave! One of the main attractions of Sagada is the
Sumaguing Cave. We reached the
mouth of the cave in 10 minutes from the Municipal Hall. The imposing entrace is dark and unimpressive. After our guide,
Dangwa, the 11-digit legend (because of an extra thumb in his right hand) gave out warnings and tips, he lit his
kerosene lamp and signalled the start of our trek. It was initially ok. After 2 minutes of descent, I can already hear the sounds of a hundred unseen bats above. The rocks are getting more slippery. The air is getting mustier. Through the guidance of Dangwa, (who is really very very good!) we groped around for any foothold and in the process, got our hands sticky with - ehem - mud....sticky mud....and smelly too...Yes,
bat poop!! No choice, unless you can fly from one rock to the next. The next few minutes (actually almost three hours!) took us to more slimy rocks, stale air, cold waters, beautiful rock formations, stalagmites, stalactites, made us climb high through a rope, go down and wade in ice-cold waters - well you got the picture. But it was definitely worth it! Dangwa did not even get tired while I for a number of times came close to cracking my head open.
The walls are yellow and appear smooth but actually are as rough as a sandpaper, thus giving one a good foothold (and instant footspa!). The water is so cold that steam is coming off our skin and our breath is visible.
Climbing up appears to be much much easier. Either we already learned the technique or anything than going down is easier.
Finally the much-missed daylight!!! Ahh...what an experience! Sumaguing cave is a must-try, must-see experience. An excellent hi-adrenalin provider!
Next stop is the Lumiang Cave. Around 5-minute ride from Sumaguing, Lumiang is no doubt a true blue burial cave. We need to descend for around 5 minutes (good thing friendly steps were provided except for the last 1 minute trek where big rocks abound) before we reach the mouth of the cave. And taraaannn!!! Coffins stacked wall to wall, floor to ceiling! After taking some pictures amidst the spine-tingling atmosphere, we traced our way back.
Why this obssession with exposed coffins you might ask...?
"In Sagada, when a person dies, he/she is bound to a death chair and placed on the porch of a house during the wake. An empty coffin is then taken to the burial site in the cave or on precarious rock ledges. The body is later carried to the coffin by the young men of Sagada. A real mountain-climber-stamina inducer! This burial custom came about because Sagadans do not like the idea of being buried without wind or sunshine -by Elvira Mata"
After a much-deserved
lunch at Masferre's, we met Dangwa at around 1:30pm for a trip to the Bomod-ok Falls or more commonly known as the Big Falls. We first stopped at Kiltepan Peak, which has the best panoramic view of Sagada, the rice terraces and nearby mountain ranges. There was once a tower in Kiltepan used as viewing deck but it has been worn out over time.
After savoring the sights, we traced our way back over bumpy roads and headed to the drop-off point going to Bomod-ok falls. The walk to Bomod-ok took us through a rural residential area, up and down mountain tracks for an hour and a half or so, but the view is simply breath-taking! A brief glimpse of the distant falls is a good provider of the needed kick to keep on walking.
Finally the FALLS!
We marvel at its beauty and size. The mist coming from it is cold enough to prevent us from taking a dip. But the few visitors we came upon are already enjoying themselves and seem oblivious of the icy water.
The 2-hour trek back is surely exhausting and lung-wearing but looking back, I don't regret it.
Back at the inn, Min and I exchanged stories of our experiences and both of us agreed that everything was all very worth it. Bumps and bruises-laden, we slept early after our dinner of pasta, potato salad and fries from the Yoghurt House. If we dreamt of the things we did and sights we saw that day, no one can blame us. If we went through the night dreamless, blame it on sheer exhaustion!
DAY 3
The day for us to leave Sagada arrived. We don't want to leave yet, number 1 because we can barely move due to Day 2's activities, but mosty because number 2, we have come to love Sagada! There are indeed fascinating places in the Philippines waiting for our discovery and appreciation. Sagada challenged our comfort zone and as a payback, it gave us an experience that we will want to remember -- forever...
We had another memorable
breakfast at Masferre's and off we go. After a 6-hour ride to Baguio, we did the usual pasalubong shopping and heard mass at the Baguio Cathedral. We left Baguio around 6pm and was in Manila before 12mn. Tired and exhausted physically, but our minds and hearts are full of wonderful memories of our Sagada saga.
One thing for sure, we have lots of mental souvenirs.... =)
Faced with nature of this grandeur, I can't help but we awed by the creation, but more in awe of the
Creator... Sagada Map Friendly tips: 1. Warm clothing during the nights will come in handy. Even in summer, the temperature can go down.
2. There are no banks nor ATMs. So bring enough provision for your stay. They also don't accept credit cards.
3. Find accommodations that have its own bathroom and better, it has hot water.
4. Don't forget your flashlights
5. Bandana and face mask will be super helpful especially on the way to Sagada.
6. Sandals are the most ideal footwear.
7. Bring a first-aid kit. Band-aids and betadine might prove useful. Include medicines for headache, dizziness and LBM.
8. Mosquito -repellent. Just to be sure. Also a sunblock for the long treks.
9. Never go trekking without a guide.
10. Come with an open mind. Expect to be amazed.
For questions/inquiries you may text me at 0920-8004089 and i will be glad to assist you. =)
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Megan Crozier
Megan Crozier
Wow
Hey, your adventure sounds amazing. I myself am heading up there this week. And with my travel guide lacking information your blog was very informative. Thanks for the tips and the good read.