Sagada Tales: Experiencing The Other Side of Philippine Beauty

The Philippines is a tropical country popular for its beautiful and pristine beaches. This is one of the main reasons why tourists from all over the world travel to our country. I have been to a few of these popular beach destinations like Boracay and Palawan and they are indeed beautiful that you'll feel like being in paradise!

Our beach trips were undeniably fun and unforgettable; however, they were not life-changing for me. But the trip to Sagada was!  My boyfriend and I flew to Manila from Iloilo last November 2012, took a 9-hour bus ride from Manila to Bontoc, and rode a van for 3 hours from Bontoc to Sagada, Mt. Province. Unlike going to Palawan or Boracay, it was not a very convenient trip at all. If you are unlucky, a single road block could let your hours of travel go to waste because if any part of the road is unpassable, you will not be able to reach Sagada. Your choices would be to go back to Manila or head to Baguio.

Sagada, Mt. Province

Sagada did not look like a touristy place. I was a bit disappointed when we got off the van because the driver had us walk to our hotel. It did not feel like a tourist spot because no one bothered approaching us and offer anything like a tour or accommodation. Not even to the foreigners in front of us. I think that's what I like more in Sagada compared to other local destinations. It simply looked like a local community - no big commercial establishments and locals were not so eager to please the foreigners. There were no motorcycles or cabs as well and you can seldom see a jeepney or bus on the street. The cold temperature felt so good and strange at the same time being in the Philippines.

The trip to Sagada was already quite an adventure just by traveling to the place. Hence, we got to see and experience the other side of the Philippines’ beauty too:

• The temperature in Sagada is almost freezing. 

• You can witness the sun rise majestically and up close at the Kiltepan Peak. The enchanting feeling was different from the beautiful scenery of the sunset at the beach.

• The connected Lumiang andSumaguing Caves are the most beautiful caves I've been to in the Philippines. For me, it is even more beautiful than the famous cave in the Underground River in Palawan. Conquering the two connected caves in Sagada was quite an adventure as well as we had to rapel, slide, and climb rocks for 5 hours.

• The rice terraces are breathtaking! It's hard to imagine how our ancestors built them without any machinery.

Other Tourist Spots in Sagada

Aside from the caves and the sunrise at Kiltepan Peak, there are other tourist spots in Sagada. Bomod-ok falls is a popular destination but unfortunately it was closed when we were there because it was a holiday for the Igorots. There was the Echo Valley as well where you get to see the hanging coffins up close! It might look creepy at some point but it was more of a weird feeling for me to see those coffins hanging at the mountain.

The Igorot Tribe

Aside from those tourist spots in Sagada, the existence and dominance of the Igorot tribe in the place was also life-changing for me. According to my research through the Internet, there are still Igorot tribes in Sagada. What came into my mind was a picture of a person in "bahag" ("garment") with headdress and spear. Just like those Igorots we saw in textbooks at school. So we were surprised to know that our tour guides were actually Igorots! They wear modern clothes instead of their traditional costume though. But during special occasions or tribal events, they still wear "bahag" ("garment").

Our tour guides looked like typical young Filipinos wearing shorts/pants and shirt/sando. So you would never expect them to be real Igorots. Even the caretaker of the guest house was also an Igorot. They told us stories over a bonfire one night and they do not sound ashamed of their ways and beliefs no matter how different it is in our modern society. I'm not saying they are old-fashioned or traditional, they have also coped with the modern world but their traditions and beliefs remain. They still do certain practices like burying a deceased person in a hanging coffin.

Meeting real Igorots may not sound life-changing. But you see, I've only heard about Igorots in my "Sibika at Kultura" ("Civics and Culture") subject during Grade School or "Araling Panlipunan" ("Social Studies") class in High School. Igorots were described as "pandak" (Short), "maitim" (dark skin), "kulot ang buhok" ("kinky or curly hair) at "pango ang ilong" ("snub nose").  So that was how Igorots were pictured in my mind, wearing their bahag ("garment") costumes.

Today, we only normally see Igorots in tourist spots, like Baguio, waiting for us to have a picture with them and give them donation. Meeting a real Igorot, however, was another thing for me. That trip to Sagada was different among other trips we had because it made me feel like a true Filipino. Seeing the Banaue Rice Terraces up close was just overwhelming. They're very beautiful, well-sculpted, and made by our forefathers. There was a distinct feeling of Filipino Pride in me when I saw them.

New Friends!

An added bonus to our Sagada trip was the new adventurous friends we met who were kind enough to let us join their group and hitch with them all the way to Nueva Ecija! ^^

Final Thoughts

For me, traveling is not just about going to places. Rather, it is about experiencing the place you’re in. Sagada, Mt. Province is far from the tropical sceneries at the beach that always depict The Philippines. Yet, it is where I have found the truest sense of being a Filipino.

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Sagada Cave Connection: Lumiang and Sumaguing Caves

One of the highlights to most Sagada trips I've read online is the exploration of Lumiang and Sumaguing Cave Connection. It is one activity in Sagada that no one should ever miss. Some say that it is very difficult and that your body will feel sore the day after. At first, I was hesitant to try because caving doesn't really excite me that much. But since we were already there (in Sagada) and we found company, I cannot seem to ignore the opportunity.

Actually, the caving activity can be done in one cave only. But our tour guides suggested that it's better we do both. So we agreed. We entered in Lumiang Cave and exited in Sumaguing Cave, as suggested by our tour guides again. Most guests do the opposite. It seemed that ours was a better option indeed because  interesting rock formations are found at Sumaguing Cave. Feels like a good finale for the whole adventure. :D

From what we've heard, Cave Connection can be finished in just 3-4 hours. But we ended up doing it in 5 hours!lol We weren't aware on how long we've been inside the cave. Of course, we were busy trying not to slip or fall... Plus, our tour guide enjoyed taking our pictures. So we were just in a position to strike a pose whenever he asked us to. heheh

The JUMP SHOT 

Spelunking at Lumiang and Sumaguing Caves is more than just sight-seeing. It's all about adventure and amazement. It felt unbelievable to see how deep and huge the cave is when all you can see outside is just a small mountain or hill. The water in some areas is also very clear though it just doesn't smell that good (because of the bats).lol It seemed like we were in a different world when inside the cave.

As I've said, the activity is more of an adventure. We had to rapel, slide, climb, and even step on our tour guide's shoulders just to go down some rocks.

 

Did you know that Sumaguing Cave is also known as the Porn Cave? It's because of the different rock formations inside it that resemble some private parts of humans. heheh Our tour guide had a good presentation of all the rock formations that's why we had a really great time exploring the caves. Photos of the caves can be found at my Photoblog.

This activity may be fun but it can be risky too. You really need to be extra careful, obey your tour guides, trust them, and don't forget to ask guidance from the Lord. Here's a good and useful advice that my group can give:

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Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday would be a new series here in my blog. As a first, here's a photo of me during sunrise at Kiltepan Peak, Sagada, Mt. Province, Philippines.

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The Lemon Pie House, Sagada, Mt. Province

Before our trip to Sagada last November, I did some research first and one of the most recommended restaurants to visit is the Lemon Pie House. Since it was just near our guest house, we had our lunch there after settling in our room. 

The Restaurant

My first impression upon seeing the facade was just, uhm, ok. I didn't really have expectations. But when we entered the Lemon Pie House, the interior got us really impressed. It was very cozy and the owner (forgot her name) was very accommodating.

Inside the Lemon Pie House

The Food and Price

The food is pricey but the serving is large enough for an average Filipino. So I think its safe to share your order with your companion if you're on a tight budget or maybe if you're "on a diet". heheh The food is tasty, too. I couldn't say that it has something significant but it's surely worth your money. :)

THE LEMON PIE

The famous Lemon Pie is indeed DELICIOUS! The top portion of the pie is like brazo de mercedes. There's no question why it got really famous. If you want to order for a whole plate of it, you will need to tell the owner in advance because you'll more likely be able to pick it up the next day.

VERDICT

Lemon Pie House is a must-try when you visit Sagada. There's only a few restaurants there so you could actually try them one by one if you stay for at least 3 days. Not unless you're planning to cook your own meal. The expensive price of their food is almost the same with other restaurants. Best way to save is to share it with your companion so that you could also split the bill. 

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The Hanging Coffins at Sagada Echo Valley

My boyfriend thought it was "Eco-Valley", an ecological park of some sort. So imagine his surprise when all he saw was limestones and coffins. lol Well, it was called the Echo Valley because of the echo that you create when you shout. Our guide said that it was because of the limestone in the area. I'm not really sure about this because I thought we can also create echoes in mountains with no limestone. heheh

The not-so-ordinary practice of hanging coffins is part of the Igorots' tradition. Here are some information  that we've learned from our tour guide, Ezra:

• Only Igorots who died a natural death are allowed to be put inside the hanging coffins.
• Babies and those who died due to ailments are not allowed to be put in hanging coffins because it is believed by the Igorots that by doing so will bring them bad luck.
• The hanging coffins are rather small and an average person wouldn't fit inside. Well, as part of the tradition, the deceased body should go back to the fetus-like position just like how they came into this world. 
• Before putting the body inside the coffin, they wrap it with a blanket and pass it overhead like a ball. Whoever gets blood drops while the corpse is being passed is said to have good luck in life.
• The coffin is hung first before placing the corpse inside it.
• One of the mysteries that really bogged me about these hanging coffins is how the natives hang them so high up in the sides of the mountains. What makes it even more impossible to imagine is there are no mechanical tools used in the process. According to Ezra, our guide, the coffins are hanged first - empty. After the coffin is secured and positioned, the natives will then place the body inside. The explanation is acceptable if you look at the photo above but what about the other one we saw that's  hanging like 50 meters above the ground on another cliff? Perhaps they used a really tall ladder or they've found a trail on how to get there at the top.

That's all I can remember for now. I'll ask our tour guide for more information when I get to catch him online.

Anyway, the Echo Valley is not far from the Sagada town proper. You just need to walk a bit and trek to the place where you can see the coffins up close. It was kind of weird to see those wooden coffins hanged at the mountain sides. Not really creepy, just weird.

It rained in the morning so the trek was slippery when we got there. After the tour, we were all muddy, sweaty and wet already. lol But it was all worth the adventure and the experience. No need to wear hiking or trekking gears actually. Slippers will do. :D

Meeting another group along the way made our Echo Valley tour more fun. Actually, they made our whole Sagada trip more fun and memorable. ;)

That's all for now about our Sagada trip. Merry Christmas everyone! :)

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The Sagada Trip: An Overview

My post about our Sagada Trip is long overdue. Lol I've been very busy this past month and I have so many back logs at work and here in my blog as well. Anyway, since I don't know how to start talking about the Sagada trip, let me just summarize it first in this post.

As usual, I booked our airline tickets during a seat sale event months before our trip. I came up with our Sagada itinerary based on online research. We weren't able to follow everything on our itinerary though due to unavailability of some destinations. This was our itinerary, instead:

Friday

Arrived at Sagada (12:00 PM )

Checked-in at George Guest House

Had lunch at Lemon Pie House

Echo-Valley Tour

Saturday

Bomod-ok Falls (Cancelled - Falls was closed because it was a holiday for the Igorots)

Lumiang and Sumaging Cave Connection (took us 5 hrs!)

Lake Danum ( No sunset because it was foggy)

Sunday

Kiltepan Peak (Sunrise Watching)

Orange Picking

Sagada Tour 

Banaue Rice Terraces

Back to Manila

On our Echo Valley Tour, we were lucky to join a group who were also staying at George Guest House. Little did we know that it would be the start of our friendship with them. Our tour guide, Ezra, told us that it would be a better idea if we join them on our tour the next day. So we did and the caving adventure was so much fun that it took us 5 long hours to finish it. Normally, the cave connection tour can be finished in 3-4 hours. 

We were very thankful that they welcomed us in their group because we were able to ride in their vehicle going to Kiltepan Peak and Rock Inn Cafe. To add to our luck, they also allowed us to hitch going to Nueva Ecija where they're headed so that we can just ride a bus from there going to Manila. Lesser expenses and hassle for both of us. We even had the chance to stop by a number of Rice Terraces view points in Banaue.

I'll be publishing detailed posts about our specific tours, experience, etc. about this trip so stay tuned! :)

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Sagada Itinerary (in the making)

When planning to go for a trip, I always want to squeeze in a number of places in a short period of time. But always end up cancelling one destination due to time constraint: We weren't able to visit Caramoan when we went to CamSur and our Camiguin trip was also cancelled when we went to CDO.

Right now, I'm drafting an itinerary for Sagada. We booked a ticket to Manila months before so I'm hoping we'll be able to see the rice terraces this time. I wanted to visit the tattooed women in Kalinga for this trip but upon researching on travel time, transportation, etc., it seems that it won't be possible again if we are to visit the tourist spots in Sagada.

Here's my itinerary so far:

Thursday

10:00 PM  ETD Manila-Banaue (9hrs)

Friday

7:30 AM   ETA Banaue

8:30 AM   ETD Banaue-Bontoc (3hrs)

11:00 AM ETA Bontoc

12:00 NN  ETD Sagada

1:00 PM    ETA Sagada

1-2:30 PM Lunch & Rest

2:30 PM    Echo Valley Tour + Mt. Ampacao Trek via Lake Danum

Saturday

4:30 AM   Kiltepan View (Optional)

7:00 AM   Breakfast

8:00 AM Spelunking

12:00 NN Lunch + Orange Picking

2:00 PM     Bomod-ok Falls

Sunday

4:30 AM    Kiltepan View

7:00 AM    Breakfast

7:30-8 AM ETD Sagada-Baguio (5-6 hrs)

2:00 PM    ETA Baguio + Lunch

3:00 PM    Tour (strawberry farm,camp john hay, etc)

10-12:00    ETD Baguio-Manila

As usual, this is not final yet and I guess it will never be finalized.lol

I welcome tips and suggestions for this trip. Thank you!

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