Itchy Feet

Sagada: Where to Stay

seafairy1512 — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:54:00 GMT

Most of the accommodations are basic, which include a bed with a common or shared bathroom. Prices range from P400 - P500 per head per night. The Rock Inn, which is farther away from town is pricier but is best when one wants quiet moments either alone or with loved ones.

The receiving area of the Rock Inn

The Sagada Genuine Guides Association (SAGGAS) has a complete and updated list of all accommodations in Sagada including their contact numbers.

In the three times I've visited Sagada, I have stayed in only two inns namely: St. Joseph's Rest House and The Yellow House. The first is on a hill to the right when one arrives town. It has dorm rooms with shared bathrooms for P500 per person and cottages for bigger groups and families from P1700 - P3500.

When we stayed here in 2006, we had a limited budget so we had to stay at the dorm rooms. The place is clean and quiet, and we were allowed to use the living room for socials. The disadvantage of a dorm room is there is no hot nor warm water available, a must when you're in Sagada! So we endured the cold water during our entire stay.

There is a nice restaurant that can accommodate a big group for conferences. We had our dinners here because we didn't have time to cook and we wanted to enjoy every minute of our stay.

Reservations and inquiries can be made with Julia Abad (0927 236 0344).
A smaller and more homey place to stay is the Yellow House. I got a room for P500 with breakfast included and hot water available all day. There are a few dining tables and souvenir items on the first floor while the four rooms are all in the second floor.

Living room in the second floor

My bedroom for 2 nights has a single bed and a wide window.

The advantage of staying in the Yellow House is that it is right in the middle of town and very near some of the more popular places to eat like The Yogurt House, which is just across the street, and the Lemon Pie House, farther down the road. It also sells different varieties of wines.

I hope there will be a wine-tasting next time around.

The bugnay (bignay) wine is great!

Souvenir items abound

During my latest trip to Sagada, I met Gawani who owns this place called Gaia. It is located outside town on the way to the caves. It offers vegetarian meals and the best coffee in town.

One can sit and relax with a good book taken from the shelf display, enjoy a hot cup of brewed coffee and simply enjoy the view of the mountains and beyond.

Sagada: How to Get There

seafairy1512 — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:50:00 GMT

Via Public Transportation

Manila-Baguio-Sagada route

This is the most popular route given the number of buses going to Baguio. Victory Liner has a 24-hour service and buses run every hour on off-peak seasons and every 15 minutes on peak times.

Fare: P450

Travel Time: 6 - 8 hours (depending on Manila traffic)

Schedule: every hour (off-peak) and every 15 minutes (peak)

Other bus lines are Dagupan Bus (+632 727 2330) and Genesis Bus (+632 421 1427), both along EDSA in Cubao.

Tips

Night travel is advised (between 10 - 11:30 PM) so you'll arrive in Baguio City early morning to catch the first bus to Sagada.
Bring your own snacks and drinks because prices in the rest stops are steep.
There are 2 rest stops, one in Tarlac and another in Pangasinan. Have loose change available if you will use the rest rooms.

Baguio to Sagada

Upon arriving in Baguio, take a cab to the Dangwa Terminal and catch the first trip of Lizardo/GL Trans at 5:30 A.M. The ticket window is on the left side of the station.

Fare: P220 (this hasn't changed since 2006)

Travel Time: 6 hours

Schedule: every hour from 5:30 AM to 1:00 P.M.

Tips

Buses are non-airconditioned. Be ready with your scarves or hankies to protect you from dust.
The road is long and winding, with the last 30 minutes on bumpy, dusty, and scary roads. Be prepared.
The views on the right side of the bus are spectacular.

2. Manila-Bontoc-Sagada route

Bontoc, the capital of Mt. Province, is 12 hours away from Manila and 45 minutes from Sagada. However, there are only two buses from Manila to Bontoc with only one trip each. Cable Tours (+639185216790) is located in E. Rodriguez Sr. Quezon City and the single trip is at 8:00 P.M. Kasilen Transport (+639178629574) also has a single trip at 9:00 P.M.

Fare: P650

Travel Time: 12 hours

Schedule: 8:00 P.M. (Cable Tours) and 9:00 P.M. (Kasilen)

From Bontoc, there are jeepneys to Sagada from 7:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Fare is P45.

Tips

Call a week or two in advance to make reservations and be sure to be there 30 minutes before departure to choose the best seats.
The best jeepney seats are in front beside the driver. If you are brave and adventurous enough, try toploading, that is, riding on the rooftop of the jeepneys for the best views.
If you have time to spare, pass by the Bontoc Museum, which showcases lots of photos of the tribes, a diorama of an ethnic village, and a mummy!

3. Manila-Banaue-Sagada route

One can choose between the Auto Bus and Florida Bus both in Sampaloc, Manila to go to Banaue. The trip takes 9 hours passing through the Provinces of Nueva Ecija and Vizcaya.

Fare: P400 - P500

Travel Time: 9 hours

Schedule: 6:30 P.M. (Auto Bus) and 10:45 P.M. (Florida)

From Banaue, one has to catch the single jeepney trip (Fare: P150) to Bontoc (2.5 hours), and from there, take another jeepney to Sagada (45 minutes). There are also buses from passing through Banaue going to Bontoc.

Tips

You can stay overnight in Banaue and take a sidetrip to the Banaue or Batad Rice Terraces. If you can't, then you can request the bus/jeep driver to stop by the Rice Terraces Viewpoint for a quick photo session.

The time given here are estimates only. It doesn't include waiting in-between rides.
If you can spare P3500, you can hire a jeep to Sagada and have plenty of photo ops along the way.

Stopping by the Bay-yo Terraces View Point. It was so chilly and windy here!

Rice terraces up close

View of a village from the top

Via Private Transportation

Although it is not advisable to bring your own car to Sagada, it is not impossible to bring one especially if you have the right car, like SUV, van, or a 4-wheel drive.

Take the NLEX all the way to Baguio, then take the La Trinidad-Bontoc-halsema Highway to Sagada. To avoid the La Trinidad traffic, there is an alternate route from Baguio by taking Pacdal Road then Ambuklao Road. There are detailed driving directions in Google Maps.

Once you get to this fork road with this sign, turn left and be prepared for a 30-minute bumpy ride.

Sagada 2006: The First Time

seafairy1512 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:21:00 GMT

It was from the 80's movie "Kung Mangarap Ka't Magising" where I first learned about the place called Sagada. Another movie, the 2006 romantic comedy "Don't Give Up On Us" also had Sagada as its setting. It was then when I decided to pack up my bags and go to this far-away place dubbed "Shangri-la of the Philippines".

I Loved You Before I Met You

My travels to the north went only as far as Baguio and I never thought I'd fall in love with Sagada even before I finally set foot on it in April 2006. Located 387 km north of Manila near the provincial capital of Bontoc, it is a 13-hour bus trip through the country's highest highways over narrow mountain tracks of the Cordilleras. If one decides to commute from the big city, there are three routes to choose from: a) Manila via Baguio; b) Manila via Banaue; and c) Manila via Bontoc. Since I have tried the first two options, maybe I'll try the third one next time.

Typical road in Sagada...where the speed limit is 10 kph
and where time momentarily stops

"Travel light" is my travel mantra, so armed with only my weekender backpack, I went with seven seminarians and one priest on Easter Sunday 2006. From Manaoag, Pangasinan (where the seminary is located) it is just a one-hour drive to Baguio City. We hurriedly ate lunch at the Dangwa Terminal and boarded the last trip of Lizardo Lines.

Buses plying the Baguio-Sagada route are non-airconditioned.

We couldn't keep our eyes off the road as we marveled at the beauty of the vegetable terraces on both sides of the Halsema Highway. The ear-to-ear smile of my Sri Lankan friend, Manoj couldn't be wiped off from his face. After what seemed like forever (6-hour bus ride through winding roads) we finally reached our destination at 7 P.M. We stayed at St. Joseph's Resthouse, which is located atop a hill offering one of the best views in town. Offering accommodations from the basic dorm room to family cottages, it also has a restaurant and a spacious garden which is an ideal place for relaxation and meditation.Spelunking 101

The next day started early with an exciting trip to the Sumaging Caves. We boarded a jeep to the caves and on a spur-of-the-moment decision, my friend Ian and I climbed the rooftop of the jeep and rode on top of it all the way to the cave.

All smiles because toploading is fun!

Before reaching our destination, we had a side trip to the Lumiang Burial Cave. This is also the jump-off of the Cave Connection. A visit to Sumaging requires one guide for every group of five. After descending 245 steps from its entrance, we were plunged into total darkness.

The Sumaging Cave experience can be divided into three parts: 1) the descent through a slippery trail of sharp rocks surrounded by total darkness; 2) the barefoot walk on stone that feels like sand paper; and 3) the limestone rocks with tunnel-crawling in ice-cold waters.

After the rope descent and the pool, one can find fossilized sea shells on rocks and interesting rock formations that have peculiar names.

The way back to the entrance is less tedious but one has to be alert for guano or bat dung. The final hardship is the ascent to the main entrance and by the time I got to the top, my knees were shaking from sheer fatigue. But being inside one of the country's most popular caves that made it in Lonely Planet's list as one of the best Adventure Travel Destinations in 2009, the experience was all worth it!

Big Falls

We went back to St. Joseph's for lunch and to freshen up before moving on to the afternoon's trek to Bomod-ok Falls or Big Falls. We were one of the few who dared squeeze in one day these two exhausting activities. From Banga-an, the easier route to the falls, it was a long and exhausting trek along the sides of countless rice terraces. Some parts were easy because the trails were cemented while some parts had deep ravines on one side.

After walking for about an hour, we finally reached the falls. The sight is so refreshing but I was contented to just stay near the water's edge because only good swimmers were advised to dare swim in its deep and cold waters.The trek back to the main road was more difficult because adding to the all ascending steps was the threat of a late afternoon thunderstorm. I thought I wouldn't make it to the road because my leg muscles were complaining and it was hard catching up with an all-male group. Thankfully, they were all encouraging and we even sang my favorite songs on our way up to distract me from the hardship of the trek.

It was dark when we reached the town proper and we were all too glad to partake of a simple meal of instant noodles because almost all stores were already closed before 9 P.M. We all went to bed tired, hungry, but extremely satisfied and happy over the successful adventures we had the whole day. We had to regain energy for yet another day of exploring Sagada.

This souvenir shot was taken by our guide, Earl.
Among the six seminarians, only one, Manoj, was ordained Deacon.
Fr. Jun Sipalay, OP is now on his 6th year
in the Dominican Mission in Sri Lanka.

(April 16-19, 2006)

Mt. Pulag 2: The Sky as Big Screen Amidst a Sea of Clouds

seafairy1512 — Wed, 7 Mar 2012 23:13:00 GMT

Call time is at 3:00 A.M. Even if I had just a few hours of intermittent sleep brought about by the neighboring tent's "socials" the night before, I was still fortunate to wake up on the right side of the tent. I prepared for this day, the day we climb up the summit. Buying a sleeping bag was probably the best decision I made prior to this trip. It added warmth and comfort even if I was away from home.

All Geared Up

We were blessed with perfect weather from the time we left Manila all the way to Benguet and there was no reason to stay inside the tent and miss the summit. I slept with my early-dawn climbing attire on. I had 5 layers of upper body clothes (rash guard, shirt, 2 sweaters, 1 jacket, 2 bonnets, and knitted scarf) and 3 layers of pants (thermals, jogging pants, trek pants), socks and gloves. Talk about getting ready for battle.

Our team leader suggested to put on our ponchos/rain coats as additional protection against the cold which dropped to 7 degrees Celsius. I never thought the raincoat I brought could be used this way, but it helped.

We left camp thirty minutes past three and trekking time is about an hour and a half. The summit is only a few hundred meters away from base camp, but the total darkness and the near freezing temperatures at high altitude made it more difficult. I told myself to take baby steps - but the lights coming from the head lamps of fellow trekkers ahead of me made it seem like forever. I had difficulty breathing and catching up with my team mates but my guide encouraged me to breathe through my mouth and stay focused on our goal.

The Sky as Big Screen

The dark midnight blue sky was slowly turning to a deep amber and specks of light were beginning to be seen from the horizon. When I finally reached the summit at 5:00 A.M., there was already a huge crowd of people waiting for the sunrise.

We each took our small space on top and patiently waited for the sunrise. The sky now seemed like a giant screen while we waited for the opening credits to roll.

The yellow-orange colors faded into a light blue then in perfect cadence of the moment, there it was...the glorious sunrise.

Amidst a Sea of Clouds

Photographs could not do justice to the breathtaking scenery unfolding in front of me. The rising sun in the horizon and the famous sea of clouds around us are the most rewarding sights on top of this sacred mountain, also known as the "Playground of the Gods."

On the other side of the mountain, the partial sunlight looked like a glowing crater. We all felt so blessed being there at the right moment witnessing nature at its best.

The summit at last! Did I conquer the mountain? No I didn't...because it was the other way around. The mountain conquered me.

Hopping and whistling on my way down

One last look at the summit...a silent witness to

a lot of people ecstatic upon

fulfillment of a dream.

Mt. Pulag 1: From Flatlands to Highlands

seafairy1512 — Wed, 7 Mar 2012 23:11:00 GMT

This is getting serious, this mountain-climbing stuff. I thought my Mt. Pulag dream was reserved for the last quarter of the year, but I found myself one Friday night on a Victory Liner bus bound for Baguio City. I'm known for being a light packer, but after doing my research, I decided to include a fleece blanket in my backpack aside from the layers of clothes that would hopefully keep me warm.

Fast forward to six hours later, all forty-one of us were greeted by the early-morning pine-scented Baguio City air. We boarded two jeepneys, with the big backpacks securely placed on the rooftops. After buying our lunch from Andok's, our jeep traversed the Ambuklao Road at a little past five.

We stopped by this eatery for our breakfast and for a glimpse of the long and winding roads ahead. I was pleasantly surprised that this same Ambuklao Road, which used to be a very rough and dusty road back then, is now smooth and well-cemented.

This view of the Ambuklao river was taken from the veranda of the eatery where brewed coffee costs only P10.

Travel time from Baguio City to the Ambuklao View Deck is around 1.5 hours. From this point, some members of the group climbed the rooftop of the jeeps.

Toploading, as it is called, is the business class of backpackers for it is from this vantage point where one gets to better enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountainside.

It would be another 2.5 hours from here to the next stop - the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) office in Ambangeg, Benguet. Here, one is required to register and attend the 30-minute orientation on proper climbing and camping behavior and what to expect while on the mountain.

That's TL Alan and TL Alex from Lakbay Kalikasan, friends from way back when I was still new to this "outbound adventure" stuff.

The second leg of our journey was a 2-hour rough, bumpy and dusty ride from the Visitor's Center at the DENR to the Ranger Station in Babadak, Bokod, Benguet. It was an uphill drive all throughout and I was so thankful to the driver of the the monster jeep that safely took us to our destination. The veteran climbers told us that before jeeps plied this route, one has to spend a half-day hiking from the DENR in Ambangeg to the Ranger Station in Kabayan, now the jump-off of the Ambangeg Trail.

We had a quick lunch here, and after signing in the logbook, we were divided into sub-groups and were assigned our guides. I was grouped with Alex, the mastermind of this trip and the one who convinced me I can make it. He was designated as the Sweeper, the individual at the rear of a climbing party, so our group was the last to go up.

The Ambangeg Trail, also called the Executive Trail, is the easiest trail among the four namely: Ambaguio (Nueva Ecija), Tawangan and Akiki (both in Kabayan, Benguet), the latter also known as the Killer Trail because of its higher level of difficulty.

This is a relatively easy trail depending on one's level of fitness. But the views along the way are simply amazing...pine trees, flowers and shrubs, the mossy forest, and a very picturesque landscape.

Beyond the mountains lies the City of Pines.

The steepest part of the climb is only

about a few hundred steps.

At the end of this steep part is Camp 1 which is within the mossy forest area. There is a hut where one can stretch aching leg muscles and grab a quick bite to re-energize. There is a clean water source 100 meters before reaching Camp 2, the beginning of the grassland, where we chose to stay for the night.

It took us three hours to reach the campsite. I was one lucky camper, who hiked with just my camera and my water bottle with me, because I chose to be Harry Porter for the day and paid for the services of a porter, a person who carries one's bags for a minimal fee. He helped us pitch our tent and even offered to fetch drinking water for us.

As we were preparing to cook our dinner, I admired the the sight of the summit of Luzon's highest peak from a distance. Here it is within my reach. In a few hours I will be able to attain my goal and fulfill my dream of reaching it and standing above the clouds.

It is often said that the reason people climb mountains is because they are there. I asked myself why I pushed through with this weekend climb instead of staying home safe and comfortably warm in my bed. I had the answer right away...The mountain's wondrous presence has a certain hold on me. I can't help but be awed by its beauty and I feel a certain peace and calmness by just staring at it.

Nighttime has just begun. We could feel the cold wind kiss our cheeks. Tomorrow is another day.

Solo in Sagada

seafairy1512 — Wed, 7 Mar 2012 23:07:00 GMT

This isn't the first time I traveled solo. In fact, I'm used to traveling alone since I was in high school and I couldn't remember when I made my first real solo travel. Sagada has such a magnet for me and although this is my third trip to this highland shangrila, it is the first time I'm going solo there.

This is where the cemented part

of the highway ends and the unpaved
road to Sagada begins.

After three failed attempts in 2011 to persuade friends to accompany me to this to-die-for place in the Mountain Province, I got tired of waiting and finally decided to go alone. Contrary to what I have been doing in the past, this time I did not create an itinerary except for making reservations at the inn because it was peak season. I also decided to do other things I haven't tried yet and do away with the usual sights.

So, the day after Christmas of 2011, I was on my way. I used the more familiar route to Sagada via Baguio simply because there were more bus trips and I couldn't risk getting stranded without a connecting trip just in case something went awry. It was 6 A.M. when we arrived in chilly Baguio and I went straight to the Lizardo bus terminal to catch the jampacked bus to Sagada.

The road to Sagada is not for the faint-hearted. It is a six-hour bumpy and scary bus ride through the Halsema Highway, passing through the highest point in the Philippine highway system, through endless vegetable terraces, deep ravines and winding rivers with breathtaking views left and right.

Three hours into the trip we had a flat tire in Bauko, Mt. Province
but it didn't take long for us to be back on the road.

After a quick late lunch at the Yellow House where I was checked-in, and a 30-minute rest, I began the cave connection adventure from Lumiang to Sumaguing Cave.

One of the perks of going solo is the shorter time it took (less than three hours) to explore the cave since I wasn't bogged down by companions. The following morning was allotted for exploring Sagada's newest attraction - Pongas Falls. I will write more on this in another post.

Since this is my third time in Sagada, I was in no hurry and went on a slower pace to explore other parts of the town like the Rock Inn, where one can try orange-picking, and Gaia, where one can relax and simply enjoy the view.

Gaia, whose owner Gawani I met through my writer friend Frank, is the newest hip place in town where one can have vegetarian meals and the best coffee ever.

This unfinished structure is a future homestay for adventure-loving souls.

I noticed an assortment of books prominently displayed along the walls of the main room. Being a book lover herself, Gawani wanted to promote love of reading among her customers.

Staying in Sagada meant a lot of walking through roads like this...

If there's one big realization I made during this trip, it is that I shouldn't wait for others to join me and share my passion, otherwise I'll be missing out on a lot of things.

Rough Ride and Trek to Mt. Pinatubo

seafairy1512 — Wed, 7 Mar 2012 23:01:00 GMT

More than twenty years since its catastrophic eruption in June 1991, Mt. Pinatubo remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Central Luzon. I've been longing to see this volcano with its picture-perfect crater lake for the longest time so I decided a day trek to Mt. Pinatubo would be a great way to start my travel year 2012.

Despite lack of sleep, I found myself on my way to the meeting place one cold January morning. It was the first long weekend of the year, so we left Manila earlier than usual because we wanted to be ahead of the 500 climbers that were expected that day. We spent just over an hour traversing the NLEX and in less than two hours our van was at the Tourism Office of Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. Everyone needs to register at the Barangay Hall. We were loaded in 4 x 4 vehicles and met our daredevil driver (didn't get his name) and our local guide, Mario.

The one-hour ride in the 4 x 4 jeep to the jump-off point was a rough and rugged one. The ride itself was an experience like no other. We passed through lahar beds, grasslands, streams, canyons, and mountains. The panorama changed every so often before I was able to take good pictures. Besides, I was seated in front of the vehicle and was holding on to dear life.

It was from the jump-off point where we began the arduous 2.5 hour trek through the old route. The Skyway Trail is the shorter route, taking only about 45 minutes to an hour depending on how fast you walk, but some portions were damaged during typhoons Kiko and Ondoy, and it is currently closed. Mt. Pinatubo is classified as a minor climb with a 2/9 difficulty level and trail class 1 (Source: pinoymountaineer.com). It was a relatively easy and relaxed trek through stretches of sand and boulders of rock. There was a point where I found it easier and faster to walk barefoot on sand.

After two hours we reached a roofed structure where we had a short and much-needed rest. A lot of green was added to the scenery and we knew we were near the crater. Upon reading this sign, everyone exclaimed "What the hell have we been doing all the while?" We all suddenly had the urge to reach the top in less than 20 minutes, so we won't be categorized as a senior citizen.

The crater lake finally! What a site to behold. Who would have thought that the 1991 eruption that claimed thousands of lives and whose effects were felt worldwide would produce such a jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring view. We just sat there for a while, admiring the blue-green color of the lake, and the immense Alpine-like mountain from afar. Sometimes the color of the lake changes depending on the time of day and the month, from blue to brown, to green, then back to blue. Today, I can say the lake is an amazing turquoise color.

One can ride a boat and go to the other side of the lake where the water is warmer. The depth of the lake remains unknown and swimming is not encouraged but allowed only for expert swimmers. I didn't even bother having my foot wet for fear of the sudden drop of the deep sulfuric waters.

After eating our packed lunch of canned sausages and tuna with egg, and after taking more pictures and lingering for awhile, we decided it was time to go down. The mountain was getting crowded by then. There was also a Balikatan exercise going on which explained the truckloads of uniformed men we saw along the way.

The trek down proved to be more difficult because of the combined effects of gravity and the midday heat of the sun. A scene from Exodus was running through my head and I compared ourselves to Biblical figures walking through the desert to the Promised Land. It seemed like forever!

What a relief to reach the jump-off point and riding the 4 x 4 jeep back to base camp at Sta. Juliana. The way back was dustier but our daredevil driver didn't care and he drove like crazy back to camp. After washing off the dust with water from shower stalls nearby, I would have wanted to avail of the massage at the Pinatubo Spa, but I was traveling with a group and we had to go back to Manila before we get caught in weekend traffic.

On our way back home, I asked myself if all the exhaustion, leg and body pains, not to mention enduring the heat were all worth it. I could say a resounding yes. As I reminisce, I'm glad I made the climb, for Mt. Pinatubo always changes, and it might not be the same the next time around.