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.