Saturday 21st May
Up at 6am. Could only hear the river so went out to check the weather. The view of Banaue from the hotel lobby, which was in darkness when I arrived last night, is great; some rice terraces and the village, so no trouble motivating myself to get out there and explore. This is Banaue, where the surrounding Ifugao Rice Terraces are World Heritage listed. Ifugao is the ethnic group who built the rice terraces around 2000 years ago.
So after breakfast, I hired a tricycle to take me to Batad Junction, 45 minutes bouncing along a very bumpy broken road, arriving at 8am. From the Junction, I walked up to Batad, which overlooks the rice terraces. Got a bit annoyed with local guys sidling up to me and offering themselves as guides, and me having to say no a few times before they would buzz off.
From Batad, I started the popular hike to Bangaan which goes through the rice terraces. I kind of ignored my LP and headed down the slope but soon lost my way (but I didn't need a guide!). Anyway, a couple of people pointed me down the hill but after a while I was a bit lost and confused cos there wasn't really a path. I took a few precarious steps, which involved me putting my hand in the bushes to keep my balance. But then I saw a woman working in the terrace, and she pointed me back in the opposite direction and I eventually found the small bridge mentioned in the LP, but not the path I was supposed to have used!
Anyway, after that I was on the right path, through a rainforest, with frequent views of the bright green rice terraces and the hills, and the sound of cicadas. The walls of the terraces are mostly about 3 or 4 metres high and you walk along the top of the wall above the terraces; often the wall is only about half a metre wide, and often there is an irrigation canal alongside. It was great to be right in among the terraces, as well as being able to view them from above and below. And this is one of the best times of the year to see them as they are bright green, yet I didn't see any other tourists and only a handful of locals. It was all pretty spectacular and I really enjoyed the five hour hike.
I eventually came out onto another track and walked for another 45 minutes before completing the loop at Batad Junction. By chance, I met a woman from Darwin who was just going back to Banaue on a tricycle she had rented and she let me share so I got on the back of the bike; it was very bumpy and I had to hold on tight and try not to headbutt the surrounding metal shell behind me, or the driver in front!
It was 2pm by the time we got back so no time to really do any more walking today, plus everyone knows it normally rains in the afternoon in these parts, and it did.
Sunday 22nd May
I had deliberated about whether to have more time in Banaue, or whether to move on. Well, I stayed and explored some of the surrounding Ifugao villages and more rice terraces this morning and was glad I did; it was probably even better than yesterday. After breakfast, I walked out of town at 7am down and along rice terraces walls to the village of Poitan. I would certainly have got lost today without the help of the locals working in the terraces, although there were few of them about. The narrow muddy path linkng the terraces went steeply through the trees and across brooks, again with the gushing water in the ancient irrigation canals.
I came out onto the main road, and back up the other side which was a very steep climb, very sweaty and frequent stops to catch my breath, and admire the scenery. I seem to have bypassed one village altogther and found myself next to a couple of waterfalls. Again, a few locals got me on the right path. I could have continued walking to the viewpoint but didn't want to risk missing my bus out of town later, so I got directions back down to Banaue.
On the way down to Banaue, I passed through a few small villages, and in fact right past people's front porch which seemed a bit intrusive, although they smiled and said hello; but judging by the number of western tourists in town, thankfully, I might be the only one to walk through today. I hope that in 10 years time they don't have 20 or 30 or 100 people traipsing through their living space. The tourist infrastructure is all here in the Phillipines which suggest that they welcome tourists, but it seems to be off the radar for most backpackers.
Back down in Banaue I hired a tricycle to take me up to the viewpoint. After my initial frustration at the driver for trying to vastly overcharge me until I started to walk off, he turned out to be ok, and we sped 15 minutes up the hill. Of course, the view of the lush bright green terraces was wonderful, and a Filipino family insisted on having me in their family photo, which was nice.
The trike took me back down to Banaue and I grabbed my bag from the hotel and then sat at the 'bus stop' with a couple of older ladies, in a narrow strip of shade from the hot midday sun, and waited for the bus to Bontoc. Nearly finished Millenium III.
The bus arrived and looked pretty full and the conductor, quite reasonably, wanted to put my big bag on the roof, so I got up there too, with a few other guys and lots of other bags and boxes. I managed to get myself sat in the sunshine on someone's new, still-wrapped-in-plastic mattress. Of course the view from up there was great, and it was fun. It took less than two hours to get to Bontoc and only started raining just as we got into Bontoc.
In Bontoc I walked down the road and got in a jeepney bound for Sagada. I was the first on board and it doesn't leave until it's full, so I finished Millenium III while we waited, and fortunately it was soon packed with about 20 people and bags and off we went. It took an hour uphill in the rain, then we arrived in the small (population 1550) cool mountain town of Sagada, at 1477m. It was raining quite a bit but I went for a walk with my pac-a-mac on!
I went down the hill to the end of town, and turned off down a muddy, slippery path, through the misty forest, to the Lumiang Burial cave where there are 100 stone coffins piled up near the entrance; the oldest is thought to be 500 years old. It was all quite eerie with the cloud, rain and thunderstorm.
I walked back up to the main road and from there I saw the hanging Sugong Coffins which are suspended from the cliff opposite. Then I walked through the small villages of Ambasing, Demang and Dadgag and back to Sagada. It only took half an hour and the path went alongside the houses and the allotoments. Friendly little kids helped me find my way.
I went to the Yoghurt House for late lunch and had a huge veggie curry with rice; carrots, green beans, cauliflower, potato, cabbage. Healthy food.
Monday 23rd May
Up at 6am again. A beautiful sunny morning, blue skies and the surrounding forests and hills and the town looked great. Cafes not open yet, so I went straight off to visit the 'better' hanging coffins and to see Echo Valley. I walked behind the fine-looking church and up to the catholic cemetary, then upto the lookout.
I then went down a slippery muddy path into the forest. A short way in, there is a cave and then a narrow path up, where you can see the stone coffins suspended on the cliff. Then, using just the basic notes in my LP, I started the hike into the forest, hoping to pop out on a main road an hour later. But after a short while I realised that I didnt really know where I was going, and that I was sure to get lost so I gave it a miss and walked back up to the church and to the Yoghurt Cafe which had since opened. Tasty yoghurt with granola and jam,
Checked out of the hotel and got on the 9am to Baguio. My plan was to get off at Sinipsin and take a smaller road across to Kabayan from where I would hopefully get a guide and hike 5 hours upto where the mummies are. But when the driver dropped me at Sinipsin, the locals couldn't really explain how to get to Kabayan from there, so I got on the next bus to Baguio half an hour later. Later, the driver indicated another place from where I might be able to get to Kabayan, but it was the middle of nowhere with nobody about so I said I would just stay on the bus all the way to Baguio.
We arrived in Baguio late afternoon, so by then I was over the idea of going to Kabayan as it would take too long, with no guarantee of being able to do the hike tomorrow anyway. I like Baguio, and having been here 9 days ago, its nice to already know where stuff is when you arrive.
Up at 6am. Could only hear the river so went out to check the weather. The view of Banaue from the hotel lobby, which was in darkness when I arrived last night, is great; some rice terraces and the village, so no trouble motivating myself to get out there and explore. This is Banaue, where the surrounding Ifugao Rice Terraces are World Heritage listed. Ifugao is the ethnic group who built the rice terraces around 2000 years ago.
So after breakfast, I hired a tricycle to take me to Batad Junction, 45 minutes bouncing along a very bumpy broken road, arriving at 8am. From the Junction, I walked up to Batad, which overlooks the rice terraces. Got a bit annoyed with local guys sidling up to me and offering themselves as guides, and me having to say no a few times before they would buzz off.
From Batad, I started the popular hike to Bangaan which goes through the rice terraces. I kind of ignored my LP and headed down the slope but soon lost my way (but I didn't need a guide!). Anyway, a couple of people pointed me down the hill but after a while I was a bit lost and confused cos there wasn't really a path. I took a few precarious steps, which involved me putting my hand in the bushes to keep my balance. But then I saw a woman working in the terrace, and she pointed me back in the opposite direction and I eventually found the small bridge mentioned in the LP, but not the path I was supposed to have used!
Anyway, after that I was on the right path, through a rainforest, with frequent views of the bright green rice terraces and the hills, and the sound of cicadas. The walls of the terraces are mostly about 3 or 4 metres high and you walk along the top of the wall above the terraces; often the wall is only about half a metre wide, and often there is an irrigation canal alongside. It was great to be right in among the terraces, as well as being able to view them from above and below. And this is one of the best times of the year to see them as they are bright green, yet I didn't see any other tourists and only a handful of locals. It was all pretty spectacular and I really enjoyed the five hour hike.
I eventually came out onto another track and walked for another 45 minutes before completing the loop at Batad Junction. By chance, I met a woman from Darwin who was just going back to Banaue on a tricycle she had rented and she let me share so I got on the back of the bike; it was very bumpy and I had to hold on tight and try not to headbutt the surrounding metal shell behind me, or the driver in front!
It was 2pm by the time we got back so no time to really do any more walking today, plus everyone knows it normally rains in the afternoon in these parts, and it did.
Sunday 22nd May
I had deliberated about whether to have more time in Banaue, or whether to move on. Well, I stayed and explored some of the surrounding Ifugao villages and more rice terraces this morning and was glad I did; it was probably even better than yesterday. After breakfast, I walked out of town at 7am down and along rice terraces walls to the village of Poitan. I would certainly have got lost today without the help of the locals working in the terraces, although there were few of them about. The narrow muddy path linkng the terraces went steeply through the trees and across brooks, again with the gushing water in the ancient irrigation canals.
I came out onto the main road, and back up the other side which was a very steep climb, very sweaty and frequent stops to catch my breath, and admire the scenery. I seem to have bypassed one village altogther and found myself next to a couple of waterfalls. Again, a few locals got me on the right path. I could have continued walking to the viewpoint but didn't want to risk missing my bus out of town later, so I got directions back down to Banaue.
On the way down to Banaue, I passed through a few small villages, and in fact right past people's front porch which seemed a bit intrusive, although they smiled and said hello; but judging by the number of western tourists in town, thankfully, I might be the only one to walk through today. I hope that in 10 years time they don't have 20 or 30 or 100 people traipsing through their living space. The tourist infrastructure is all here in the Phillipines which suggest that they welcome tourists, but it seems to be off the radar for most backpackers.
Back down in Banaue I hired a tricycle to take me up to the viewpoint. After my initial frustration at the driver for trying to vastly overcharge me until I started to walk off, he turned out to be ok, and we sped 15 minutes up the hill. Of course, the view of the lush bright green terraces was wonderful, and a Filipino family insisted on having me in their family photo, which was nice.
The trike took me back down to Banaue and I grabbed my bag from the hotel and then sat at the 'bus stop' with a couple of older ladies, in a narrow strip of shade from the hot midday sun, and waited for the bus to Bontoc. Nearly finished Millenium III.
The bus arrived and looked pretty full and the conductor, quite reasonably, wanted to put my big bag on the roof, so I got up there too, with a few other guys and lots of other bags and boxes. I managed to get myself sat in the sunshine on someone's new, still-wrapped-in-plastic mattress. Of course the view from up there was great, and it was fun. It took less than two hours to get to Bontoc and only started raining just as we got into Bontoc.
In Bontoc I walked down the road and got in a jeepney bound for Sagada. I was the first on board and it doesn't leave until it's full, so I finished Millenium III while we waited, and fortunately it was soon packed with about 20 people and bags and off we went. It took an hour uphill in the rain, then we arrived in the small (population 1550) cool mountain town of Sagada, at 1477m. It was raining quite a bit but I went for a walk with my pac-a-mac on!
I went down the hill to the end of town, and turned off down a muddy, slippery path, through the misty forest, to the Lumiang Burial cave where there are 100 stone coffins piled up near the entrance; the oldest is thought to be 500 years old. It was all quite eerie with the cloud, rain and thunderstorm.
I walked back up to the main road and from there I saw the hanging Sugong Coffins which are suspended from the cliff opposite. Then I walked through the small villages of Ambasing, Demang and Dadgag and back to Sagada. It only took half an hour and the path went alongside the houses and the allotoments. Friendly little kids helped me find my way.
I went to the Yoghurt House for late lunch and had a huge veggie curry with rice; carrots, green beans, cauliflower, potato, cabbage. Healthy food.
Monday 23rd May
Up at 6am again. A beautiful sunny morning, blue skies and the surrounding forests and hills and the town looked great. Cafes not open yet, so I went straight off to visit the 'better' hanging coffins and to see Echo Valley. I walked behind the fine-looking church and up to the catholic cemetary, then upto the lookout.
I then went down a slippery muddy path into the forest. A short way in, there is a cave and then a narrow path up, where you can see the stone coffins suspended on the cliff. Then, using just the basic notes in my LP, I started the hike into the forest, hoping to pop out on a main road an hour later. But after a short while I realised that I didnt really know where I was going, and that I was sure to get lost so I gave it a miss and walked back up to the church and to the Yoghurt Cafe which had since opened. Tasty yoghurt with granola and jam,
Checked out of the hotel and got on the 9am to Baguio. My plan was to get off at Sinipsin and take a smaller road across to Kabayan from where I would hopefully get a guide and hike 5 hours upto where the mummies are. But when the driver dropped me at Sinipsin, the locals couldn't really explain how to get to Kabayan from there, so I got on the next bus to Baguio half an hour later. Later, the driver indicated another place from where I might be able to get to Kabayan, but it was the middle of nowhere with nobody about so I said I would just stay on the bus all the way to Baguio.
We arrived in Baguio late afternoon, so by then I was over the idea of going to Kabayan as it would take too long, with no guarantee of being able to do the hike tomorrow anyway. I like Baguio, and having been here 9 days ago, its nice to already know where stuff is when you arrive.
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