THE WHS TERRACED RICE PADDIES MAY BE WORTH THE TRIP to Banaue but the birding isn’t. Connie found a report from a birding trip to the area and decided it was worth a look. As it turns out the birding was near Mt. Polis, 1 1/2 hours away and a Land Rover is needed to get to the site. We did manage to find a half-dozen new species near the hotel.
Ifagao women
We hired a tricycle taxi, one of those ubiquitous motorcycle adaptions that are similar to a tuk-tuk, to take us to see the terraced rice paddies. It is amazing to think that these same paddies have been producing rice for more than 2000 years. There are a number of places to stop and take photos and each viewpoint comes with its own souvenir shop and old lady or two in native headdress ready for a photo. The views get better the farther up the road you go but the morning haze and the ever-changing light separate the point-and-shooters from the real photographers. Today I think I came in somewhere towards the middle of the pack.
