SAGADA? Oh wow! How do I begin? I am speechless; I fell in love with this place! My mind still wanders and remembers our trek to this haven. Last Friday, my friends and I took on the dashing challenge of going to Sagada. My first time to reach the rugged landscape of Mt. Province proved to be a worthwhile getaway last March 9, 2012. Here it goes!
We planned to start our trip at around 5 o’ clock in the morning, yet due to few considerations, we had it after lunchtime. We hired Bobet once again, for he was the one who accompanied us in our Gumbang Falls adventure in Cervantes, he’s already familiar on the rocky - rough roads, and so that made our less than 5 hour expected trip went down to 4 hours then. On the other hand, we passed through Sabangan River because Aluling Bridge is not yet passable and still under construction. I found new respect to our driver though. He is indeed the best driver in the world. No one messes with him. He can even text while he drives, well, that wasn’t easy. Too dangerous though! I should have told him not to do that, for something might just go wrong but WE leave it all to him and God knows how I prayed so hard for us to be safe in our journey to SAGADA. It’s best that we arrived there at exactly 6 in the afternoon, for I really couldn’t figure out if we’d fall through the dark and we could be the headline on the following day. Paranoia indeed, it was!
Headcount: 12 participants including Bobet our driver, Tatay Pitong, Me An, Sarya, Dan Jan, Ryan, Ander, Dolly, Allen, Celine, Romel and ME! So when we arrived there, we went ahead at our first stop and we decided to have a peek on Lumiang Cave in Echo Valley wherein hanging coffins were seen. A bird’s eye view of century-old, hanging coffins from afar. It’s amazing to see it is still intact despite the years and harsh weather. It’s creepy but amazing somehow to connect with the history and culture of Sagada. When it went dark and the environment was creepy, without guides, we straddled down the cave and took some pictures and unknowingly, captured some weird images. Sarya and I checked our cameras, and found out that we captured the same image; I was really wondering the next day I checked it, because the picture is gone. For the reason I cannot fathom, whatever it was, I got horrified. We want back to town and arranged our accommodations to Grandma's Yellow House Inn and Cafe - They have 4 bedrooms with share bathroom and one self contained cottage with two bedrooms. The rate is P250 per head. Thanks to Dan Jan for using his superficial wits and charms, we had it for P200 per head! Rooms on the top floor seemed to have the best value and have good views out of its two windows. We were lucky because we were the only guests on that day. When we’re settled, we decided to go downtown and have our dinner in a Bob Marley inspired restaurant! Before we had our meal, we decided to have a bottle of beer to get pretty heated of no booze. Since all of us should enjoy everything that we could probably take, we resorted to food. I think the bulk of our expenses in this trip went to food. Thanks to Dolly Haha! So we had our dinner at 9 in the evening, after which, we decided to stay in our inn, and had a couple of brandy shots until 12 midnight, enjoyed and reminisced what we had for that day, while others were fast asleep, Allen and Dan Jan had their nightlife outside. So the rest, who stayed inside the inn, remained laughing and chatting until we decided to rest and go to sleep.
We started the day early on our second day; we woke up at around 5 a.m. and walked through the heart of the town. Good thing it was their Saturday market and we’re able to pick what we have wanted to buy. We we’re looking for butchered pigs or any frozen foods to cook for breakfast but then, we were told that it would only be available at around 7 in the morning. After our hearty meal, we lurked in a hurry and finally got mesmerized by the beauty of Sumaguing Cave. We were told by the landlord of Grandma Inn to hire a guide for us to be assisted in heading to any destinations we wish to explore in that haven. So I would say now and this is an OOPSIE: NEVER go to the caves or the mountains or wherever without a reliable tour guide! Because that’s stupid! It’s a maze out there. And you don’t want to spend your stay in Sagada being lost or trapped or worse have your dead body being the focus of a search and rescue operation, right? Alright! I am not scaring you…but without a tour guide, the beautifully jaw-dropping caves and mountains of Sagada can be really deadly. Of course, their service comes with a price. But I tell you, what they charge you is reasonable. How to get reliable and fun to be with tour guides? SAGGAS. Get a tour guide from SAGGAS. You won’t miss their office.
Okay then I am right on! With our hired guides, we proceeded and we’re being lectured about the history of Sagada. So, inside the van, one of my friends told us to jot down notes for there’ll be a quiz after, haha! Well, a happy trip consists of fun and jokes all the time, so it’s a part. Upon going down the cave, there were groups ahead of us that we have encountered. I was even told by a stranger to be more careful for I can not survive the spelunking inside the cave. In my head, it became a challenge to me. Thank God and goodness, I did it! We proceeded, together with our hired 2 guides. We were able to heed and listen to Erik’s instructions (one of our guides) before entering the cave. We were told where to plant our feet and where to position our hands. They took with them a gas lamp, our source of light inside it. We were also advised not to bring any unnecessary belongings, so we handed our bottled water and cameras to them for its own safety. I was destined to go after Erik, it was a big deal that I was next to him, and I could easily get help just in case any accident could happen. Too good, nothing bad happened.
Our spelunking at Sumaguing Cave left us all sweaty and muddy. We had to do a lot of climbing, sliding, walking in mud, but that’s the spirit! The water is very, very chilly! The freezing water penetrates and soothes our tortured bodies. And if you think that rock’s surface look slippery, then you’re wrong. We were advised to go barefoot and felt the soles of our feet clinged to the rock. At the lower part of the Sumaguing Cave are water basins that are very cold and sparkling clear. I really loved wading through the shallow water as the cold water tingled my feet. The water is too clean that many times I was tempted to take a drink. The 2 hrs and 30 minutes deprivation of sunlight and spelunking inside the Sumaguing cave was one of the highlights of my trip and indeed my favorite!
By the way, our plan to make a side trip to Bomod-ok Falls did not push through. Eric, our guide said that there was a ritual happening there and it is temporarily closed to the public. Our next destination was the smallest falls which is the Bokong Falls. The long walk was quite exhilarating, especially on a hot day. The path is confounding, similar to that of Banaue Rice Terraces, although the cemented steps gave it away. The walk going there gave us a tanned look because of its breezy air plus the heat of the sun. Well, our patience was rewarded as we have reached the falls. Upon arrival, we eagerly dipped into the swimming area and enjoyed the icy cold water of Bokong Falls. We had to be extra careful though since there were some deeper parts of the water. We had our lunch along the said falls, there are lots of kids playing and swimming that time. I plunged myself to the river together with my friends and we nested the cold water under the sun. At exactly 2 pm, we were told to hurry up and get our bags packed. So, I expected the trek to be more tiring and strenuous since most of the trails were uphill. So the result, I got tired and I hardly caught my breath again. It was fun though!
It wasn’t particularly quiet in Sagada, but all the elements of the surroundings – the pine trees, the pine needle-strewn paths, the cold weather, and the quaint vistas – all combine to give one a very peaceful feeling while walking around the town’s places of interest. And as far as places of interest go, there were lots of it and some were very inconspicuous. Life in Sagada is easy and downright simple. It’s hard not to be captivated by the warmth and charming smile of Sagada People. We noticed they spoke English better than Tagalog. The frequent visit of foreign tourists must have contributed a lot.
If you want to commune with nature, SAGADA is the place to be! One just needs to go outside and take a stroll around town, and I assure you that you’ll find your special quite domain to hibernate, relax, introspect, or even contemplate nirvana. I tell you, Sagada is the most conducive place for such introspection. So if your either looking for adventure or a place to contemplate and find inner peace, Sagada will provide you both! IT IS MORE FUN IN SAGADA! I know for a fact that I’ll be back and that I’m sure Sagada will still be the same by then.
-dyoyzee-
When boredom strikes, anyone could do anything to start on some endeavor. You see I took the plunge now and I feel like there are 10 pounds on my shoulders and a few so right now I am bound to blog again so, I am game on! The end of March is finally here, and it’s really queer having rainy days in summer. This would add joy to some because, in summer, when the heat is intense and hot winds blow, we wish to have a cool breeze that blows and a refreshing rain falls. But other people like the farmers in my place would rather wish that the heat of the sun will stay for long, especially for their planted tobaccos. At present, tobacco-growing is one of the principal agricultural industries in the Philippines. As I grow, I become progressively less interested in the pace of urban living and increasingly return to my childhood experiences of rurality. I was raised in a rural farming community. My late grand father Joaquin,”Akkin” as he was known in our place never failed to wake us up to ask assistance and help him in the rice fields. Bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, I trudged off to work, together with my siblings to mow hays with the use of a fodder. I have even tried harvesting rice by hand; it was labor intensive and back breaking. Well let me tell you, it's back breaking work! I have a respect for everyone that works in those rice paddies. It was two of the more uncomfortable, difficult, backbreaking days of work I have ever experienced in my life. The cutting ritual was not repeated, I just tried it. So when I was 10, a first-time harvester, my job was simply to cut the stalks and leave them on the ground for others to process. I have my sickle which I borrowed from grandpa, or “Tatang” in Ilocano, I would gather the rice plants into my hand and then slash the stalks just centimeters away from my fingers. I would repeat the process until my hands were full. Twice in the first hour, I cut clean through my glove taking skin off of my hand. That was tough but at least, it was a great experience. Those farmers, who work everyday, some seven days a week, are generous, hard working and fun loving and I respect them deeply. 
