Movin On Up

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Headed Norh



The flight was nothing special. Quick and painless and as we stepped out of the airport we were in search for our third companion Margie. We were a bit nervous thinking it would be a bit difficult to find her but as luck would have it, there she was!



We hopped a taxi and headed out to Oshiama bus tours which apparently is the only bus that take people up north. We booked our ticket, grabbed some dinner and then headed off. Love me a good night bus. This wasn't a good one however being bumpy and sighting over the wheel my knees where all scrunched up. Less than pleasant.



Batad



Hours later we arrived in Banaue. We hopped off our bus and were slightly bombarded by people offering to take us to Batad. We weren't sure if we wanted to head to Batad that day, but we decided to grab some breakfast and talk it over.



Over an omelet and some coffee we weighed the pros and cons. We had learned that the public jeepney didn't leave until 3 pm but that for a 100 pesos more we could hop on another jeepney and get there around 9:30 am instead. After a bit of debate we decided to go for it and take the early jeepney.



Erica and I bought some bread and peanut butter to stock up on snacks and then hopped on top of the jeepney and took off. The ride to the saddle was beautiful but a bit painful on the buttocks since the ride was so bumpy and we were all sitting on metal bars.



At the top we realized that our driver totally screwed us out of some money and although we argued we weren't able to get our money back. We did however met a lovely young man who became our porter, or at least Marjes porter.



Down the mountain we headed. It was a nice hike, the surrounding scenery really quite beautiful but it wasn't the easiest go so it took us some time to make it the whole way down. Our porter lead us to a lovely little spot called the Ugay House which is a traditional house that all three of us can stay in. Perfect location, perfect price, and lovely owner so we grabbed it, through down our stuff and headed for food.



Food and a beer, sure it was 11 am but after our hike it was well deserved. And the food was fabulous, a stir fry, a salad, and a pizza that wasn't really a pizza at all but tasty none the less. While we were hanging out in the restaurant a group of people showed up and after awhile we all started chatting.



It was actually three groups of two that hadn't known each other prior to a few days ago. They were all Israeli and had been hiking the area together for the past couple of days. Seriously you meet the coolest people traveling because all of them were really cool people. The guys told us about their time in the military and we told them about the peace corpse and eventually we all decided to head to the waterfall.



After some mass confusion Erica and I found ourselves heading there on our own trying to catch up to the group. Only once we made it to the waterfall the group wasn't there, causing even more confusion.



The water was far to cold to go in so instead we just chatted and then BAM there were our friends again. I have no idea how we beat them but we did and we were reunited and it felt so good.



When it started to rain we hit the trail and headed back. Going up was well tiring but it definitely was a good work out so I'm not complaining. We made it back to our place and had every intention of showering and such but instead went to find fresh fruit, failed and returned to dinner to find our friends already there offering free food. Ok to be fair there was just a pizza that one of them thought was disgusting but hey I can't let food go to waste even if it is not the tastiest.



As I ate away we chatted about weird foods people have eaten. As it turns out despite being a picky eater for 22 years living in Thailand for 2 years really allows you to catch up and kick most people's ass in the weird food department.



It was a great night spent with new friends and good food and we all went to bed exhausted saying goodbye since they would be heading out tomorrow.



Our second day in Batad couldn't be any more relaxed than it was. We found a beautiful spot to enjoy the view and take it all in and relaxed there. We went on mini little hikes here and there and ate food in between.



At dinner our porter joined us again and found out his name was Scott. There is a funny story as to why we didn't know his name for two days but to tell it would do no justice and just make us look silly no doubt. Anyway Scott grabbed us a bottle of rice wine and joined us in drinking it. It was way better than all the rice wine I have had thus far that is for sure!



We had to call it semi early because the next day we hike up that crazy mountain.



Breakfast of champions I.e. oatmeal. The journey started early and I basically said peace out and ran up the mountain. I made it up in absurdly impressive time according to Scott so that is cool right?

Banaue





After hiking up the mountain of Batad we progressed to Banaue, back where we started. This isn't an easy process, after hiking up the massive mountain leaving all of us exhausted we then had to figure out how exactly to get back to Banaue. Our mission had been to get up there nice and early and hope on a Jeepney, not one that would rip us off and we would soon find out would be packed to the max.



We hopped in the Jeepney, told Scott to meet us in Banaue later and headed into town. After an absurdly bumpy ride squished between more people that you can possibly imagine we made our way into town. We had gotten a recommendation to hit up Wonder Lodge so that is exactly what we did. More importantly we hit up Las Vegas, the restaurant right next door.

We had worked up an appetite from our hike and despite it being only 10:30 am we ordered up everything. But when we headed out to scope out the town I wasn't filled enough for something in particular that i ha



After being a major chicken (no pun intended) about eating balut, passing on it time and again and giving one bull shit excuse after another I decided to go for it. In Banaue I saw the white box that contained the semi developed chicken egg and having made my friend promise to make me try it on the next sighting of it and she held true to her promise.



I'm not sure why but even after eating wierd things like tarantula, intestines, raw meat and snake balut just seemed extra hard for me. I hadn't declined to try new food in over a year and here I was turning down one on my list! I wish I could say that there was no hesitation at all but there was, but with the encouragement of my friends I bee lined it towards that white box of adventurous foods.



I giggled like a school girl as I stared at the box to the woman sealing them and then back to the box. I giggled and finally asked how delicious the balut was. She assured me it was very delicious. I then had to ask how exactly does one go about eating it bathe fetched what I can only assume was her daughter and she gave me a little Balut 101 lesson.



The young girl cracked the top and told me to sip. I obeyed it there was nothing at all that touched my lips. The girl finagled with the egg and ordered me to drink again. The juice wasn't to bad. It wasn't too great either. I then dove on in with a spoon in hand. Some of it tasted very much like a hard boiled egg. The partially developed part had, shall we say, a interesting taste. The last part was strange,y the hardest for me. Although it looked and tasted like a hard boiled egg the texture was just off, so off. But the deed was done and to cleanse my palate I rewarded myself with a halo halo

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