Thu 27th Aug - Heading north for some sightseeing today. No desperate hurry as will
break the journey in Baguio, a place I have been before. Easy connection to
Manila Pasay EDSA area and first checked out the Partas bus company terminal,
but that would leave too late. A short way down the road was the more favoured
option of Victory liner. Got on a Deluxe bus for 700 pesos with toilet
facilities on-board and no stops, taking around 5 hours. The normal non-aircon
ordinary buses cost 440 pesos and take longer, but they do stop for breaks.
I booked the
Red Lion Inn for the night whilst we were on the bus, as didn't want to waste
time plodding the streets when we got there. Last time I was in Baguio I stayed
at a 'Transient' house, which sounds like a rehab place for drug addicts, and
it was a bit like that too. It was also expensive at 800 pesos no breakfast. A
funny memory of the place was being chatted up by the owner’s two daughters who
asked me to marry one of them.
This time we
are at the Red Lion for 800 pesos a double including
hot shower, breakfast and cable TV. Arrived shortly after 5pm to some rain. Approaching
Baguio is a constant climb into the clouds, with the temperature dropping all
the way. Sunshine gear replaced by heavy clothes and rainwear. The Red Lion
pub/Inn is easy enough to get to and a bit on the rough side, but ok for a
night's stop. Touted as being full of beer swilling expats and life, it lives
up to its reputation. Some guys looked as though they came here in the war and
never left. Re-telling the same stories day after day and got the beer belly to
confirm it.
Could
have eaten at the Red Lion as the menu is good, but decided to go next door to
the 50's Diner. really cheap and excellent quality food in a retro environment.
Baguio
in the rain is an exciting city...not. The focus is the SM shopping mall with
its tent like roofs and just about everything a city needs. The rear view from
the upper level is nice at night, with the lights dotted around the hillside
and the main church in view. Retired for the evening to the red lion for drinks,
play a few games of pool and some background music.
Fri 28th Aug - After a good night's sleep with no disturbing noises that
I had expected, woke to a beautiful clear blue sky and fresh mountain air.
After
a good breakfast went for a walk to escape the city. The big downside of Baguio
is the traffic...choking for most of the city. Going south from where we stayed
is more rural. Massive country club gold course set into the forest, plus the
Baguio Botanical gardens, Camp John Hay, Wright park and the 'Mansion'. Summer
capital home to the president of the Philippines. Spent around 4 hours walking. This area is
famed for the Igorot tribal people,
some of which can be seen around the tourist attractions selling their wares,
and trying to get paid for photographs.
Bus
to Vigan 294 pesos taking 5 hours with Partas leaving at 1pm. Arrived at around
6pm with a couple of stops en-route. Each of the main towns along the way had
their tricycles colour coded...yellow in one town, pink, red, green etc
Arriving
in Vigan is lovely. You approach the old city through an arch which highlights
the fact you are entering a heritage village. We offloaded at the main Mestizo
plaza where St. Paul's cathedral dominates, and then walked from there. I had
booked some accommodation over the phone in the Mestizo or old town. After bouncing around a few places, ended up
in Grandpa's Inn, which is a historical place full if character. Vigan is
expensive, but that is to be expected given its environment. It is also the
last city in the Philippines where Kalesa, are used for public transport. We
did see some in Manila's Chinese quarter recently, but they are purely for
tourists. Our room at Grandpa's Inn had Kalesa for beds, which was unusual.
The
food at the Inn is excellent. There is a main restaurant and the adjoining Uno Café, serving local Ilocano specialties.
For example, Frog is a favourite here, and in May to June/July you can have a
tasty meal of 'Mountain Ants'. Now doesn't that sound delicious! We obviously
had something less weird, but superb quality.
Out
to see what Vigan had to offer by night after dinner. Actually...not very much
as it dies after about 9pm. The cobbled streets of Mestizo and the restored buildings are pretty by night with the
original coach style lanterns and wheeled carriage style bench seats lining the
roads to take a rest in. Everything closed so ideal for some photos without the
daytime bustle. It will be nice to see it come alive tomorrow.
Sat 29th Aug - Slept like a baby in my Kalesa bed. Awoken by the
creaking of people walking around upstairs. To be expected in this old
building, with its wooden floors. The included breakfast was all Ilocos local
fayre, and even the menu was in Ilocano, so neither of us could understand it.
The waitress interpreted, and I am sure she has to do this for everyone, as all
travelers won't understand it. Would have thought it easier for them to provide
a menu with English subtitles, but hey, that would be expecting too much.
Out
to explore...
Picked
up a Kalesa for 150 pesos an hour that covers all of the tourist sights in
about 3 hours. We didn't want to do everything, so just had about half that
time. On the way out of town there was a funeral service going on at St Paul's
cathedral, so a brief stop off for some photos before heading for the first
major stop, which was out of town at the old bell tower, which offers the best
view of the area after climbing to the top.
The
next stop was Burgos's house - Father of Vigan. As we got close to it, the two
processions passed that were beginning when we stopped at the cathedral
earlier, lead by uniformed brass band.
Finally,
the Pottery works where clay pots are made in a long kiln. Just as we were
leaving the pottery works, a black hearse passed, with an entourage of family
and friends and lead by music.
Through
the streets of Mestizo and some nice photos in fairly deserted streets (Calle)
by the driver. Back to Grandpa's Inn for a break from the heat and breaking news
about Michael Jackson's death verdict being Homicide due to drug overdose.
Heads will roll on that one now.
Back
out for lunch at café Leona, predominantly local specialty dishes and much what
we wanted not available, but good value for money.
Some
street snacks..local wine...Ginataan ( a mix of sago, banana, coconut etc and a
tasty treat for 15 pesos a bowl. One shop had bought some live frogs for their
dinner and had them hung up in a bunch outside their shop, throwing water over
them to keep them alive for later.
A brief visit to the Crisologo Museum for a
glimpse of one of the local hero’s history. Not much to write about it really. Lots
of memorabilia and a beaten up old car plus the usual array of dated photos.
Crisologo street is the one and only old street that has currently been
renovated.
Wanted
to see the sunset from the beach and had visited the tourist information office
earlier in the day for advice. They tried to suggest we went to a place 45
minutes south of here by minivan, but couldn't be bothered with that, as too
expensive and difficult to get back afterwards. A more practical option was
Playa de Oro, about 4km from town by tricycle costing 60 pesos. Playa de Oro in
strict translation means 'Beach of gold'. What they should do is rename it to
something like 'Beach of grey black'. The main hotel here was dead...not one
person. Some nice kubos along the water's edge but nothing in the village to
attract anyone. Noticed some activity further along the beach so went to see
what it was all about. Turned out that local fishermen had brought in a massive
catch with their beach landing draw nets. The whole community was there to
assist, and raid the catch for their own stocks. The owners were desperately
trying to sell at 15 pesos per kilo whilst most of the catch was being
'filtered' by the locals for free. I guessed that the owners only netted about
10% of the catch for themselves. They were shouting furiously at the locals as
they ran off with as much as they could carry in whatever they could find to
carry it in. The kids had been enlisted to help in the operation. It was
amazing to watch this free-for-all. They were really excited that we were there
and happily posed for photos amidst the mayhem. Time was running out as the
light faded. The sunset wasn't that great, but the action packed scene was
worth the trip. So we sat having a beer on the black sand as the action buzzed
around us....surreal. One guy even offered us a large bag of fish for free.
Problem is that we had no means to do anything with it, so politely refused. It
was all a small species used for drying and making fish sauce (Bagoong) out of.
Nutritious and plentiful. There must have been many tonnes of it, and this
scene is apparently repeated every couple of days or so.
As
it was dark, the tricycles had stopped and so wasn't as easy as the tourist
information suggested to get back. Luckily one guy agreed to take us back to
town for 100 pesos, so not stranded.
The
Leona café near to Burgos plaza was doing a street Thai food event, so that
topped the evening off rather nicely, with a glass of red wine to wash it down
with.
Once
again the streets at night were fairly empty, so nice opportunity to take
photos. A large group of Filipino students were on a tour and were running
around the town taking photos, so that was amusing.
Sun 30th Aug - Moving on north to Laoag this morning. Got a tricycle
outside of the hotel and he took me around the town to find an ATM with money,
as most were out or off-line. The Partas bus station is next to a large market,
so able to pick up some nice Rambutan and bananas for the journey. They have a
rather cute little fruit in season now; looking like a miniature coconut, green
outer that is peeled off with a knife to reveal an inner that even looks like a
small Buko. Peel the next layer off with your fingers to reveal the inner ball
of coconut. A little chewy but nice.
We
had been told the bus would leave after 30 minutes. Got back to the bus station
after 20 minutes to find it had already left. We were then loaded onto the next
bus, which promptly reversed back into a parking space, and then forward again
after about 5 minutes, to be then told to offload and transfer to another bus.
A total mess, but eventually got underway. Only 121 pesos for the 2 hour trip
to Laoag.
Reading
the guidebook along the way it seemed a good idea to get off earlier than
planned and head for Batac. From the highway the bus driver stopped right by a
Jeepney for us, which only cost 10 pesos to get to Batac. The only reason to
come here is the Ferdinand Marcos (1917 - 1989) Mausoleum. One of the Philippines most important leaders lies embalmed
in a glass case on a mattress, with eerie music playing in the background. Free
entrance. Apparently, many Filipinos suspect that it is a con and made of wax.
To be honest I can see their point; it does look too waxy to be real. The
adjacent Marcos ancestral house was closed so wasn't worth staying long. Lunch
at the ubiquitous Chowking and then off to another famous site here, that of
the UNESCO world heritage listed Paoay
church. 40 pesos 4km tricycle ride, but could have waited longer and got a
Jeepney. The church, finished in 1794 is still functional although the roof is
a corrugated steel one now. The gothic design was intended to be earthquake
proof, with thick walls and buttresses, finished with Stucco plastered walls.
Managed
to get a Jeepney from outside the church to Laoag for 33 pesos, which dropped
us across the road from St William's cathedral in the center of the city. One
of the first things we noticed was that Kalesa are used here along with the
usual Jeepneys and tricycles. The Kalesa are different than in Vigan as they
have a box carriage which is a bit of a squeeze. The cathedral is an Italianesque
design and a sermon was in progress. As time was pushing on we didn't stay long
and jumped a Kalesa to the bus station for 15 pesos each. Normal public bus
with bench seats and a better quality type were available, both leaving at the
same time. A guy took my backpack and loaded it onto the ordinary public bus
although I didn't know it as I was busy taking photos of the Kalesa. Went to
get on the nice and shiny bus when I heard shouts. Then I saw the crappy
ordinary bus where the luggage was. Oh well, why not, so got on it and got some
natural air-conditioning as there were
no windows and cramped bench seats. All part of the journey, and bringing
today's total stages of transport to eight since we left Grandpa's in Vigan.
Arrived
in Pagudbud around 6pm and got a tricycle to Saud beach, the most popular
of the three beaches. This is where I get that déjà vu feeling that I am in a
land of Hobbits. The average Filipino is quite small, and getting into a
tricycle sidecar when you are tall is a feat of human manipulation. I jokingly
call Shiera a Hobbit (she's only little at 5ft 2in)! Arrived at Saud as the sun
was setting but could see that the beach was nice golden sand. Walked from one
end to the other to check out the accommodation available, but ended up back at
Jun & Carol's resort with aircon
and a nice warm shower for 800 pesos in a nice spacious room. It is low season
now and room rates are down by upto half of the peak rate. There seemed to be
enough choice ranging up to 5,000 pesos a night in the fancy resorts.
It
had been a long day and just wanted to eat and listen to the waves crashing on
the beach. Next door is the lovely Terra
Rika which does a great range of meals, each of them enough for 2 to 3
persons, so you only need to order 1 meal. The crazy thing, and maybe due to it
being low season, is that they didn't have many of the items on the menu.
Neither did the restaurant where we stayed. In a country abundant with awesome
quality fruit, none of the restaurants could do any fruit shakes or even
deserts with any other fruit than banana. A problem I guess in being so far
north. When they run out of something, it is a long way to go for supplies, and
fruit doesn't keep, so rather than waste it in low season, they just don't
stock as much food.
Mon 31st Aug - Planned for a lazy day today just enjoying the beach. A
breakfast at Emohruo Restobar (part of the Evangeline beach resort), which
seems to offer the nicest choice of food and service. Had some nice French
toast soaked in honey and cinnamon with fresh brewed coffee. Then walked
westwards along the beach to view the famous 'Bangui windmills'. Twenty wind
turbines are sited along a beach on an opposite headland as part of wind
harnessing project. Had considered walking there around the bay, but were
scuppered by a difficult stretch of coast with crashing waves that we couldn't
pass, so turned back. Instead we went eastwards around the bay. The beach here
is lovely golden gritty sand, with some white smooth sand in parts. The water is
perfectly safe to swim in and shallow. When the sun came out it must have hit
mid thirties, and the sea turned turquoise...very pretty. As there is no mass
tourism here, it is easy to find an uninhabited stretch of beach to relax in.
Not sure, but this place looks like it tried to make it in the tourism stakes,
but gave up in some ways. Part of the restraint walls look to have
disintegrated a long time ago, and no sign of them being rebuilt. The few
eateries and accommodation places there are dead, but that does give it a more
laid back atmosphere that you just don't get in Boracay. Pagudpud had once
described itself as the Boracay of the north. But as already mentioned, it is
too far north to even stand a chance of competing. We saw some Koreans and
Taiwanese here, as they fly in to Laoag airport, an hours flight from Taiwan.
After
wonderful walk along the beach and catching a long stretch occupied only by
locals, we returned to Emohruo For lunch and got ready to go out to town. Had
considered getting in some stuff to do a barbeque and so visited the Pagudpud
market. Some nice Tuna and plenty of vegetables on offer although we were late
in the day for the best choice. Were sat having some Pomelo under cover as it
started raining again, so put a stop to that plan. Instead we decided to wait
for the rain to stop and go to Bangui to get a close up of the windmills.
Turned out to be a great decision.....
Got
on a Loaog bound bus to get to Bangui and the driver dropped us off at a
turning point for the windmills. Didn't charge us for the trip which was nice
of him. We thought we were closer than we actually were. A local told us we
were 2.5km away still. No tricycle in sight to take us there, and just then a
couple of boys cycled up to us. We asked for some directions and they then
offered us their bikes to use. So friendly and kind of them, so off we pedaled
down a dirt track on mountain bikes with Shiera in a lovely dress and us both
attracting attention from the locals we passed. I bet they hadn't seen this in their
entire life! Easy enough track to follow, and signed to the Windmill power
project. There is also a café near the beach but we didn't go there. The beach
on this side is grey grit and empty and silent apart from the whooshing noise
from the turbines. Have seen these type of turbines so many times back in the
UK and other countries, but for Shiera this is a first...she calls them an
'Electric Fan', as that is what they look like...how sweet is that!
After
pedaling back to the main highway, a small group had gathered waiting for us,
and they were really sweet. Found a small sari-sari store for a drink whilst we
waited for the return bus. The local rickety old thing as they all seem to be,
arrived and only cost 10 pesos to get back to Pagudpud. Was dark when we got
back and leapt straight into a tricycle to get back to Saud beach. This is one
of those cases of the journey being the highlight of the trip, even though the
destination was interesting too.
Seem
to be stuck in eating at the same place, but it is good. Made a slight mistake
this evening as had a Ginataang Alimasag, which is crab with squash, string
beans in a coconut sauce. When I say mistake, it is really because I find crab
a total fiddle and end up in a mess, so don't get much flesh out of it. There
is an art to eating crab properly, and I don't have it. The desert made up for
it, so much so that we had it twice....banana crepes with deadly chocolate
sauce and mango ice cream...yummee.
Tue 1st Sep - Woken up at 5am by a group of students next door who
decided to turn on their sound system and start to party. Thought it was a bit
inconsiderate at that time and had to get them to turn it off, which they were
ok about.
Decided
to extend our stay here for another night. Another awesome breakfast at Emohrua's.
The most hyped place in this area is 'Blue Lagoon'. The tricycle rivers are
asking 300 each way, but as always there is a cheaper alternative. We picked up
a tricycle for 40 pesos to the highway and then waited for a bus to Claveria
for 15 pesos, which dropped us off at the access road to Blue lagoon. 40 pesos
from there to Blue lagoon by tricycle, so 95 total each. About an hour's total
journey.
One
of the most prominent signs for the lagoon is Hannah's Resort, but there is more than that. It is a very pretty
bay, with a few resorts, cottages for hire (400 to 1,500) and Kubo's too (200
to 400). 200 pesos a day seems an average, with no facilities, but you don't
need much.
The
Kapuluan Vista resort, which is at the far end of the dirt track following the
beach, has a small pool (100 pesos a day for non-residents) and was a nice stop
to break from the heat of the day. Afterwards we went beachcombing on the beach
opposite, which faces the Dos Hermanos rocks. Not that much sea life, but
managed to find a large sea slug and plenty of spider starfish.
We
were getting hungry and made the wrong assumption that it was best to aim back
to the village to eat, as there must be plenty on offer. How wrong we were.
There is almost nothing. Hannah's resort could only offer a quickly scribbled
menu of three basic Filipino dishes, which neither of us fancied. No other food
anywhere. All we could get was a packet of crisps from a sari-sari. Was amazed
that this place was trying to sell itself as the 'Boracay of the North', and we
couldn't even eat here….Pathetic! So we walked along the beach for a while and
then got out of here back to Pagudpud. We did bump into one foreign guy whilst
we walked along the beach, who had a Filipino family here. He said the only way
you can eat here is to negotiate with whoever you are staying with to make you
some food. They have to go to the market in Pagudpud especially to buy the food
for you. This changed our opinion rapidly. We were thinking of moving here
tomorrow to spend a night, and could have if we made an effort to sort out the
food, but couldn't be bothered, so changed our mind.
Wed 2nd Sep - Time is moving on and today we start our journey back south. As
mentioned, there are two ways. One is to retrace the road back to Manila along
the coast via Laoag and Vigan. The other is to aim through the Central Cordilleras.
Both would entail a stop overnight somewhere or a crazy long journey with no
sleep. So we decided to go the Cordillera route figuring that we may never be
back this way, so may as well see some new scenery. The tricycle dropped us on
the main highway, and luckily we were waiting less than 5 minutes when the GMW
bus to Tuguegaro arrived. Cost 232 pesos and informed that it would arrive at
5:30pm, much longer than we had expected and thereby using almost the whole day
up. Not much we can do other than to sit back and soak up the scenery. A fairly
basic bus with natural air-conditioning, that is....open windows. No legroom
and feeling every bump in the road...Tom Jones singing on the sound
system....my illusive dreams. How those words seem appropriate at the moment.
At
11:30 the bus stopped in Palisek for lunch at a roadside café. Wild boar and
vegetables with rice was popular and stocked up with Puto Seko (locally made
round sweets) for 7 pesos and a Pomelo the size of a football for 15 pesos.
The
scenery was almost a continuous run of small village communities based around
idyllic paddy field settings. Goats seemed to be popular here. A really pretty
journey with not much variation to distract the attention. One little note was
that there is a Bemo style tricycle in many of the villages, with a benched
cage on the back.
Arrived
in Tuguegaro at 4:30pm. The GMW bus station is in a small area where all of the
bus stations are located (Victory, Baliwag, Florida etc) a mall nearby was ok
for a quick meal before we crossed the road to catch the last van of the day to
Tabuk at 5:30pm (70 pesos) taking 2 hours. I was impressed by how good the
locals we met could speak English, even though we are still in an Ilocano
speaking part of the country.
Arriving
in Tabuk in the dark with little idea of where to stay, we had to rely on the
driver and one of the passengers to suggest somewhere. 'Luckily' they dropped
us off at the Mahseypahn Lodge, which
was an interesting experience. A gay boy behind reception showed us a few rooms
(and told Shiera how lucky she was to have me...thought that was hilarious), no
lights, no water, stained beds, massive spiders, ceiling peeling
etc...luxury...not! To top it off, the room rate card was interesting too.
Could have the room for 12 hrs or 24hrs, with or without TV, with or without
aircon and leave a cell phone (must have a camera), ATM card, or wrist watch as
collateral. And you must pay even if you stay less than 10 minutes in the
room.... I guess you might realize that this is one of those bonking
lodges...frequented by the local whores for a quick one. Nice of them to drop
us at such a salubrious place eh! Fortunately, we will be away as early as we
can make it in the morning, so just booked in for the 12 hours for 400 pesos,
as we will head for Bontoc and Banaue.
Thu 3rd Sep - What a night. Both of us woke up after a short sleep
itching like crazy. Covered in bites from mosquitoes and possibly bedbugs. Had
to shower and cover up. The fan was noisy that cooled the room and there was
plenty of noise from some other rooms. Being the type of place it is, there
were people checking in for a quickie at 2am or so. An impossible night and had
to finally get up at 5:15am. No breakfast available at that time, so just left
to find the bus station for Bontoc/Banaue. Fortunately, only a few minutes
away. There was also a bus to Manila close by. On our way, I joking pointed to
a dodgy looking old bus and said to Shiera...why don't we go on that old thing?
So we walked past it...to be turned back further on...back to that dodgy old
bus. Yep...that was our bus! A few guys were busy getting it going, and then
had to push start it. Run by Immanuel Transport, it looked like it was going to
be an experience. Departing at 5:40am, it stopped every few minutes to pick up
more locals along with sacks of rice, boxes for delivery along the route and
folk off to work. Some of the locals here have a different look to other parts
- more tribal looking and hard skinned.
As
the light was increasing the clouds over the Sierra Madre looked eerie as the
peaks poked through. Piglets and boar were running across the road in places
and even though early, school children on their way to school on the back of
tractors and motor carts; these are the long farm engines with open pulley and
belt wheels on the side and steered with handlebars. They look precarious, but
are rugged and simple. Carabao are also a regular feature pulling carts or
other forms of labour.
The
food break was at 9am for 15 minutes at Belen's restaurant somewhere near to
Santiago city. Typical Filipino place with food that to be honest you wouldn't
feed to your worst enemy, so we just had coffee. The best we could do for
something to eat was a packet of crisps and some biscuits and a cake. Bad
breakfast but the alternatives were dire.
So
onwards through Isabela province into Nueva Viscaya province and a slight
change of scenery to a very pretty one, before heading northwards into Ifugao
province, where the more mountainous scenery and winding roads make for a turbulent
journey. The bus stopped for another break of 25 minute for food at noon in
Lagawe before moving on to Banaue. It would subsequently carry on to Bontoc,
but we would alight in Banaue. I would have like to come the direct route from
Tabuk to Bontoc, but there wasn't any transport doing that route today that we
could find. I am sure it would of dramatically reduced the journey time as it
is only 104km instead of what must have been over 300km going the long way
around. The problem in this region is that some of the roads are dire and buses
cannot pass, or landslides can block a route for days.
It
must have been in the 30's today, and waiting for the bus to set off was like
being roasted alive.
Approaching
Banaue and a few old folk were walking along stooped from working their lives
in the rice terraces and now suffering from osteoporosis. This is a common
sight here. Also seen along the roadside are some Ifugao houses, sturdy build
with thatched roof.
We
arrived at around 1:30pm. Just under 8 hours after we had set off, and all we
ended up was 104km from the start. I had been to Banaue late last year when it
was rainy season. Not much changes and in September it started raining again.
Last time I stopped at the Sanafe Lodge near to the town plaza, so we went
there for lunch as soon as we arrived to see if anything had changed. They are
busy re-wiring the electrics, but apart from that the same....oh, the lady
owner is pregnant now.
After
a lovely lunch we decided to try and stay nearer to the rice terraces rather
than in town. This is when the fun began....
The
tourist information guy was helpful but got it wrong. We had decided to stay in
an Ifugao hut at the Family Inn,
which is after the Batad Junction, around 14km from Banaue going east. The
discussion suggested that a landslide was still blocking the road, so we had to
get a tricycle as far as we could, then clamber over the landslide with our
luggage and meet a Jeepney the other side. So we set about negotiating a price
and agreed on 130 pesos for the tricycle and 50 pesos each for the Jeepney. The
Family Inn's phone line was out so we couldn't contact them, and just had to
hope they would have space for us. This was no problem as there had been no
tourists coming through at all. We were the only ones. So off we set in our
tricycle. Got a short way out of town when the driver announced he didn't have
enough gasoline to get us there, and for him to then get back. So he had to
turn around and go back to town for fuel, much to the amusement of his mates.
Setting off for the second time, I was reminded of how bad this road is from my
last visit, when a landslide had blocked the road then also. Terrible
conditions and constantly under repair. At one point we hit a big dip and I hit
the tricycle roof with a thud and took some skin off my head. Ow.... Soldier
on.... Further along, we passed a Jeepney and stopped it, to find that the
landslide had been cleared. So much for tourist information being up to date!
Anyway, as the tricycle was finding it hard work...and so were we, we decided
to swap over to the Jeepney and pay off the tricycle driver. Now, the Jeepney
was full to the gunnels with bags of cement, iron bars and stuff, destined for
a house being built along the way. So we had to stop part way for it to be
offloaded. Continuing on our way was a real rough ride, and littered with
fallen rocks, collapsed walls and major holes in the surface, so very slow
going. Got to the Family Inn in the rain and light mist at around 4:30pm,
and....wow....what a location. So, worth the journey, and all its pain. The
Ifugao hut we were to stay in cost 400 pesos for the night with an outdoor
washroom and toilet and was beautiful, with a panoramic view of the Bangaan
terraced below. The old guy who owns it was quick to supply us with fresh
coffee so we could sit and stare out of the window at the pretty view and just
relax. A bit muddy getting down to it though, as the road was churned up and
thick with mud so we had to take our flip-flops off and wade in bare feet.
Taking
a shower was not hat great an experience....fffrrrreeeezzzziiinnnggg!
A
short walkabout before it got too dark. A group of guys were congregated at a
local Ifugao hut cooking their dinner and smoking 'Mama'; a combination of
Betel nut, paste, leaves and some other additives as a slight narcotic. A small
parcel is made and put into the side of your mouth and then chewed. The effect
of chewing it is to make their teeth go red as well as their lips. Most of the
locals must be doing it as you can see their red mouths as you drive along.
Dinner
was a choice of chicken or pork, curried or adobo. Simple enough choice. Whilst
we were waiting for it to be cooked, a guy came over for a chat. Turned out
that he, Nilo Manangan, represented an organization called 'Save the Ifugao
Terraces Movement' (http://sitmo.ueuo.com), which is based in Kiangan and runs
eco-tours for its participants to actually work in the rice fields and be
integrated into the Ifugao culture. We had a great chat about tourism in the
area and the way things are handled here.
Sitting
at the window of the Balay (Ifugao hut) with a cup of coffee whilst the light
faded was wonderful as a pretty cloud of Fireflies filling the sky, accompanied
by the chirruping of cicadas and a couple of types of frog. Without much
encouragement, we drifted off to sleep happy after a long and eventful day.
Fri 4th Sep - A gentle awakening with the distant sounds of the
roosters and a beautiful view of the terraces. Mist like cotton buds was
hanging in amongst the rolling hills making a pretty view. After a nice
breakfast of omelet followed by banana pancakes, we set off down into the
Bangaan village below. Stone steps for most of the way, it was an incredibly
beautiful walk. You just have to stop at regular intervals and take it in. So
idyllic. Down in the Ifugao village itself it is so friendly. The first person
we met was Conchita, a pretty lady running a small business of tourist
souvenirs and drinks. We had a fantastic time when she dressed us up in
traditional Ifugao clothing so we could go off into the terraces and take
photos for no charge. Both with spears and headgear topped with the skull of a
monkey, and me with a wooden carved shield....just awesome! We spent a
wonderful couple of hours wandering around the village and chatting with the
old and young folk. The oldest lady of the village was 86 and very free with
her toothless smile. Another 27 year old lady already had five children and
others of her age had nine.... They need to get out more as they have nothing
else to do but bonk!
The
Ifugao huts (called Balay), are many hundreds of years old. The only thing that
changes is the rof is periodically replaced. Some are carved with a mural
around the outside that tells a hunting story. Another one had a door carved
with a headhunter scene; a guy holding the severed head of his victim high as
the body collapses. Geckos are carved climbing up the legs of the hut. One
noticeable thing that differentiates these houses from those I had previously
seen in Batad last year, was that kitchen in many was inside the house rather
than underneath, making the inside black with the smoke. No obvious escape for
the smoke and so it just filters its way out through the roof grasses. The
other thing is that the apex of the rood was used as the grain (Palay) store.
By the way....raw rice is Palay, whereas de-husked rice is Bigas.
A
long time ago the deceased were buried in an area outside of the main village.
In the past they used to be allowed to almost decompose before the bones were
brought back to the village and buried within the walls of the village. This
isn't done anymore.
Pomelo
(known locally as Suhat) is everywhere and we were given one to have as a snack
whilst we chatted with Conchita. One problem faced here is lack of space. The
old Ifugao houses can only really accommodate a single family. As they all seem
to have plenty of children, successive generations need housing, with no space
left. So they are forced to build larger concrete dwelling which look totally
out of character with the surroundings. Alternatively, they have to live
elsewhere. A major film Mumbaki had
been made here around 5 years or so ago, which was based on the life of these
people. The caste stayed here for around 5 months, and caused a big impact as
can be imagined. One of the important festivals is the Imbaya, held in April every 3 years, which contains the Pagan
Mumbaki ritual, where chicken and pigs are sacrificed. Orpi is a less grand ritual held every year at around the same
time.
On
our way out of the village we spotted the oldest man in the village, aged 96.
He was dressed in traditional clothing and posed for photos, for cash of
course, but I didn't mind that as they have to make a living somehow. Headed
back to the Family Inn for a wash and freshen up before checking out at noon.
Didn't
have to wait long when a passing pick-up truck run by the health service came
past, and took us back to Banaue for free. The driver told us a story about the
lady who's baby was born premature at home and her husband had to carry her for
2 hours to the nearest road, so she could be taken to hospital. When the baby
was born its umbilical chord was cut with bamboo and what they didn't know was
that an infection had set in. After 11 days in hospital they were released to
go home. The baby died in the healthcare truck on the way home, but neither of
them knew that. They just thought it was asleep. Only when they got home did
they realize it was dead!
The
journey back was a bumpy one as there had been other landslides. They are fighting
a losing battle with this road, as no sooner do they repair part of it when
another landslide will block off another section. A thankless task and
absorbing so much time, effort and money. But it has to be done or else many
areas would be cut off without the road, which is a lifeline to many.
Back
in town there was a thanksgiving celebration, where they serve boiled pork to
all who attend. Baskets of rice grains still on their stalks are tied up in
bunches and put in a mound are part of the display.
For
a change we ate at the Peoples restaurant, also with a view of the Banaue
terraces, and good food.
Talking
to Jason in tourist information, he agreed to take us himself in his tricycle
for 200 pesos total, so we decided to go to the viewpoint after booking our
tickets back to Manila for tonight. Went to check out Autobus first and their bus which leaves at around 6:30pm was dire,
and didn't fancy spending the night on it. Went back to the Florida Bus stand and booked with them
instead for 450 pesos leaving at 8pm. I had used them the last time I was here,
and apart from being really cold, was comfortable, with 2 stopovers. That
sorted, we went to the Banaue terrace viewpoints. Three of them as you progress
higher, and each with successively better views. At all three there are old
ladies in traditional clothing asking for money to have photos taken with them.
Some maybe in their 90's. As we had already indulged earlier in the day, we
didn't bother, but 20 pesos is apparently enough. All of them were chewing
mama, so had bright red mouths and discoloured teeth. Plenty of souvenir stalls
at each location. One of the viewpoints is on the Philippines 1000 peso
banknote.
On
the way up the hill we noticed another major landslide. This one was the Banaue Museum. Half of it collapsed only
last week after heavy rains, and occurred during the day when there would have
been plenty of people around. Luckily, nobody was injured.
Back
in town and time to stock up for tonight's bus journey. A reasonable market
here with some nice fruit. Rambutan at 35 pesos a half kilo; tasty oranges at
20 pesos per kilo; Bananas at 10 pesos for 4. They have a local variety of
snake fruit the size on Lanzones, which is really bitter, and has to be
sweetened to eat it. A separate area has tobacco available. The tobacco leaves
are brought in from Pangasinan; the Betel nuts locally; the Apog (white powder
rubbed on tongue and gums) available locally, and is just ground shells.
With
a couple of hours to kill, time for a coffee and dinner in another favourite
hangout for travelers at the Uyami's
Greenview Lodge. As with the last
time I used this bus, it was mainly full of foreign backpackers. The main
problem is that the seats don't lie down all the way, and so you are sat up for
the journey. Being a very winding road means there is almost no chance of
sleep. Unless you are very lucky. Also as usual the onboard DVD was a murder
and mayhem movie, but even worse was that the audio was Japanese with tiny
English subtitles. Being at the back of the bus was hopeless. Gunfire for the
whole movie interleaved with Japanese shouting and grunts at full volume,
whilst being tossed from side to side. I have no idea why I put myself through
this nowadays. There must be an easier and more rewarding way to travel without
flying?
Sat 5th Sep - The bus arrived at Cubao in Manila at 5am in the rain.
Coming through Timog is the usual depressing sight in these conditions. Being
Saturday morning there were a number of groups on their way home after a night
out. We had about 1km walk to the MRT, which starts at 4am. Off at Taft Avenue
then boarded a Nasugbu bus at 5:50 back to Silang…arriving in the rain…gimme
sunshine any day!
