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August 2011

Philippines 2011: Leaving Sagada for Baguio, and arriving in Angeles city

Date: 20th April 2011

I got up at 5:30am, and had to freshen up using water from the hot shower as the tap water was freezing cold!

Sagada village road early morning
I checked out of George's Guesthouse (by leaving the key on the table because there was nobody at the reception) and walked out
Yoghurt house Sagada Philippines
Where I had dinner from yesterday
Sagada village early morning buses
A few inter-city buses were parked at the village center
Alfredo's Inn, Sagada Guesthouse, Gandu Yan Inn
Alfredo's Inn (L), Sagada Guesthouse (2nd from right), Gandu Yan Inn (R) -- plenty of accommodation near the bus station (Panorama shot comprised of 4 photos)
Inside Sagada first bus to Baguio early morning
I boarded the first bus to Baguio leaving at 7am (ticket cost ₱200/$5/€3.5)
Sagada to Baguio misty morning forest trees
The bus left on time. Since I was still sleepy, I decided to keep shooting using my phone as I was in no mood to take my DSLR out.
Sagada village man sitting early morning
Good morning to you too
Sagada to Baguio misty hill
Very misty at this time

Sagada to Baguio rice terrace taken on Nokia E72 Sagada to Baguio hill bus ride

Sagada to Bagiuo bus journey view
This was the last photo I took before I fell asleep

But I ended up waking up just half-an-hour later when I briefly opened my eyes. I just had to take my camera out now and take a few shots of the terrain I was passing through.

Rice terrace hills Ifugao Luzon Philippines
I didn't dare open the window as it was freezing cold outside, so I shot all these behind the not-so-clean glass
Ifugao rocky river luzon Philippines
Mostly rocky rivers in these parts
Sabangan town bridge Ifugao Philippines
We arrived at some town/village

Sabangan village river paddy fields

Welcome to Sambangan Ifugao Philippines
Where we were
Sabangan rice terraces Ifugao province Philippines
There was more beauty to behold

Ifugao valley river PhilippinesRice terraces valley Ifugao luzon PhilippinesBeautiful rice terrace green hills Ifugao Philippines

Sagada to Baguio hills highway Ifugao
We kept going higher and higher

Sagada to Baguio bus journey Ifugao hillsSagada to Baguio hilly village clouds PhilippinesRice terrace plateau Ifugao clouds PhilippinesRice terrace paddy field Ifugao province PhilippinesSagada to Baguio bus journey brickhouseSagada to Baguio white clouds PhilippinesSagada to Baguio Gawis Ay mountain province PhilippinesSagada to Baguio Halsema highway bendSagada to Baguio Halsema Highway rideSagada to Baguio Halsema highway lettuce farming

Sagada to Baguio Halsema Highway lettuce farms
Lettuce farms
Sagada to Baguio Gawis Ay Hawkers on highway stop
From a market we stopped at
Sagada to Baguio inside the bus
A lot of the passengers were villagers or farmers getting down at various markets to sell their produce

Sagada to Baguio fbcfiSagada to Baguio misty rain clouds
Sagada to Baguio Halsema highway shanty village
Sagada to Baguio grey skies village PhilippinesSagada to Baguio green hills PhilippinesMountain province highway Mary statueSagada to Baguio Halsema highway viewsMountain province rice terrace hill PhilippinesMountain province rice terraces farms

Mountain province rain clouds Philippines
The stretches of sunshine didn't last too long

Mountain province village patch Philippines Mountain province farming grey clouds Philippines

Mountain province morning star stop Philippines
We stopped here for a few minutes for a snack/toilet break

Mountain province highway cordillera Philippines

Mountain province morning star bus stop Philippines Mountain province villager PhilippinesMountain province dark clouds PhilippinesMountain province dark clouds village kids PhilippinesDriving through mountain province PhilippinesMountain province cordillera PhilippinesMountain province sole person grey clouds PhilippinesConcrete roads to Baguio city

Lagoon near Baguio hills
The dark clouds gave way to sunlight

Mountain province cordillera landslide hill Philippines

Road works mountain province Philippines
There weren't many bad stretches on this highway, for the most part, it was a lovely journey!
Baguio city shanty homes Philippines
And after nearly six hours, we were in Baguio

Life changing church Baguio Philippines Arriving in Baguio flyoverI arrived at Baguio just past 1pm. Where the bus stopped was at some lot inside a shopping complex. Didn’t look like a main bus station or anything, so I asked around how I could get to Angeles City.  The locals told me I would have to go to another bus depot near SM Supermall and catch a bus from there. So, in a taxi I went.

Riding through Baguio, you could see why Baguio is a predominantly a  ‘university town’. Students from all across the North come to Baguio for higher education as it’s the only developed city in this hilly region of North Philippines.

I never had any plans of staying in Baguio because I didn’t find any of the attractions worthy of spending a night here. A short 5 minute ride later (which cost less than ₱100), I was at the bus terminal very near to SM Supermall — the only major mall in the city.

I asked for buses going to Angeles City and was instructed to board any of the buses going to Dau. I bought my ticket (₱290/$6/€4.7) from one of the private bus companies that operates the route and dumped my backpack on my seat. I had a few minutes before the bus departed so I quickly stepped out and went to the nearby Jollibee to pick up some lunch (Jollibee is there wherever you need it!)

Bus terminal Baguio city Philippines
The bus terminal was very busy as this being a hugely student populated town (and Holy Week), many of the buses to the various neighbouring provinces were running full

The bus left at 2pm and I had my lunch watching a very charitable man give away gifts and cash to Filipinos on TV. As the TV signal strength weakened, they put on the usual pirated copies of low-budget action films (first, an unheard of horror movie starring a really fat Val Kilmer).

I didn’t take many photographs on this leg of the journey — mostly because there wasn’t a whole lot of scenery worth capturing. It rained a little bit and the bus moved slowly because from here on, we were going downhill and it was quite misty outside.

After a few hours, it got really cold inside the bus as the air-conditioning was truly working. I had to wear my jacket and use my camera bag for additional warmth.

Villasis town hall Philippines
Taken at 4:51pm. We mostly travelled through impoverished towns and small villages.

You know it’s an impoverished part of the country when you see the locals rejoicing with banners when one of their residents become a lawyer. Saw a few of those.

Familyradio.com rapture judgement day billboard ad carmen Philippines
Hey guess what nut jobs, the world didn't end after all!

Soon after one B-grade movie ended, they put on another. This time a Tagalog dub of a Thai action movie  starring a popular Thai actress whom I cannot name at all because I only remember seeing the ‘making of’ this film on a show on NHK. Sigh.

I kept wondering how much longer I had to sit in this bus. By sunset, the bus had stopped in the city of Tarlac — and it stayed there for some time. And by now, there weren’t many passengers in the bus. I stepped down to ask if this was where I need to get down but the driver who was taking a break said “no”. I went back in and waited for the bus to move again.

And move on it did. We were on McArthur Highway by nightfall and I again wondered just how much longer I had to go to get to Angeles City.

Around 7:30pm, we finally reached a very busy Dau bus terminal. From there, I got into a trike and asked him to take me to my hotel. The journey took another 10 minutes (he charged ₱110) but I finally got to Red Tulip Hotel. I chose this hotel because I didn’t want a place on Fields Avenue, near all the nightclubs that go late into the night, and Red Tulip Hotel looked like it was a safe distance away. But that was as per the map on their website. In reality, it was a little too far from the main jeepney hub. But more on that later.

Red Tulip hotel single room Angeles City Philippines
I was just glad to see a room so I could dump my bags and stretch my legs!

I had spent more than 12 hours today just sitting in buses. I was tired, so I quickly stepped out to have dinner at 9pm and then went to sleep immediately after getting back. For the first time this week, I didn’t have to wake up early tomorrow!

Day 5 – 21st April 2011

I don’t know how many hours I slept, but I slept well. Lord knows I needed the rest after the last three days! I switched on the television and watched the news reports of how crowded EDSA was yesterday night, with everyone rushing to get out of Manila. In some ways, I guess it was a good idea to arrive a bit early.

By the time I got out of bed, freshened up and made my way down for breakfastbrunch, it was noon.

Red Tulip hotel restaurant Angeles City Philippines
Looking at the menu, the tulips made sense... the hotel owner was Dutch

I ate lazily, chatted with the waitresses who asked me where I was from and where all I had been to in Philippines so far. Then I went online for a bit after brunch and only at around 2pm did I finally decide to step out of the hotel! I wanted to take it easy for once.

Red Tulip hotel Angeles City Philippines
The entrance
Angeles City sandy road Philippines
It was a sandy road from The Red Tulip Hotel to the San Angelo street (where the Hotel 24 sign is)
Angeles City perimeter road Albacio restaurant Philippines
The walk from San Angelos St. to the main Fields Avenue road was around a 1 minute long
ABC Hotel Angeles City Philippines
Angeles Beach Club hotel, one of the more posher hotels in Angeles City
Balibago jeepney terminal Angeles city
This was the jeepney terminal...
Hotel Tiger Angeles City Philppines
And I initially looked at hotels on this road, San Narciso street. Hotel Tiger looked atrocious both inside and outside...
PJ Inn hotel Angeles City Philippines
... so PJ Inn was the one I had selected. But they were late to reply back with my room enquiry and by the time they did, they were full. So I had to book at Red Tulip Hotel for 3 nights (they gave it to me for ₱800/$18/€13 per night)
San Narciso street jeepney Angeles City Philippines
The jeepney terminal was up this road, a 2 minute walk from here. I figured, after I was done with the festivities of Good Friday in San Fernando, I could easily catch a ride from here back to Manila.
Angeles City perimeter road traffic Philippines
I walked back to the main road
Angeles City Istanbul doner kebab house Philippines
I had dinner from this Turkish restaurant yesterday night, good shawarmas!
Angeles city Balibago terminal Philippines
I decided to hop over to SM Clark mall to pass some time
Angeles city road to Clark afternoon Philippines
This road leads to the Clark Freeport zone and Clark airport
Angeles City Clark freeport zone Philippines
My friend Aimee told me AOL once had an office in the Freeport zone
Angeles City Clark road closed Philippines
The plan was to first check out SM Clark and then head to the Freeport zone for all the duty free shops
Angeles City SM Clark mall Philippines
But as I walked towards the mall...
SM Clark mall Angeles City panorama
Closed! (Panorama shot comprised of 5 shots)

A security guard came up to me as I took the above photograph, and he told me the mall was closed today and tomorrow, being Good Friday. I asked him how far the Clark Duty Free was from here and he said around 8kms and he told me there’s a high possibility that would be closed today as well.

I sighed and walked towards the jeepney drivers nearby and asked them if the Clark Duty Free was open today but they confirmed it saying it was a holiday today.

Angeles City Balibago jeepney terminal Philippines
Oh well

Angeles City puppies for sale Philippines

Angeles City jeepney terminal Philippines
So I walked to the jeepney terminal to find out where to board the jeepneys going to San Fernando and the timings
Angeles City Dau pickup-point to go to San Fernando
This guy told me to come to this pick-up point tomorrow morning to go to San Fernando. Yes, he was quite joyful to be in the photograph.
Angeles City perimeter road Philippines
Decided to check out Fields Avenue
Angeles City walking street girls Philippines
I was stopped by another one of those "Hey foreign guy with DSLR, take photo of us!". Guess which was the girl who requested it.
Angeles City walking street Philippines
This was Walking Street (don't know why they call it such but still allow vehicles in!)
Angeles City closed shops afternoon Philippines
Here too, the scene wasn't any different -- just about everything was closed!

But I wondered if it was just because it was in the afternoon.

As I reviewed my shots, I noticed they were all quite dark and that I couldn’t change my shutter speed now. It was stuck at 1/1250! Grrh, I hate it when things like this happen, and that too just before a big event like tomorrow’s crucifixion ceremony! I had no choice but to continue shooting with it.

Angeles City locksmith near public park
I went to that locksmith who was fortunately open. He tightened one of my tripod legs with an Allen key as I had misplaced mine. He wouldn't accept the ₱10 I was ready to pay him either 🙂

Angeles City traffic Philippines

Blue Nile Double A poker club walking street Angeles City
I walked back on to Walking Street. Only a few places were open and had the usual sight of geriatrics drinking away with their Filipina companions
Angeles City Cambodia nightclub Philippines
Pretty cool entrance

I walked back to my side of town and felt the urge to have some ice cream.

Don Juico avenue Angeles City afternoon

Iglesia ni christo church Angeles City Philippines
Iglesia ni Cristo church

Bought my ice cream from a convenience store at a Petron station on this side of Perimeter road, which houses a few more nightclubs, and little else.

Once back in my room, I fiddled with my camera for nearly an hour, switching it on and off, taking the battery out multiple times. Fed up, I went online to find a solution. Saw a few threads on such issues and then felt like an idiot after reading the ‘solution’. I had accidentally pressed the ‘Lock’ button near the dial which stuck the shutter speed at the last setting.

-_-

Anyway. After ‘fixing’ my problem, I sat in the room and worked on a few photos to upload and stepped out only for dinner. I went back to the Turkish restaurant as I miss Middle Eastern food and I wanted to make the most of the authentic food available as much as possible. (The restaurant was run by Turks)

At night, there were a lot more people out and about, but it still didn’t look like this is the most action Angeles City usually sees. So yeah, if you are coming to Angeles City purely for the nightlife, Holy Week isn’t the best time for that 🙂 Some of the nightclubs were still closed.

Back in the room, I packed my camera bags, kept all my batteries for charging, cleaned my lenses, set my alarm, and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be the big day, and I couldn’t wait for it to begin!

Previous posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Sagada’s Lumiang burial cave, Sumaguing cave, Hanging Coffins of Echo valley

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Banaue town; heading to Sagada via Bontoc

Philippines 2011: Day 2 – Banaue rice terraces; trekking to Batad village

Philippines 2011: Day 1 — Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio

Philippines 2011: Flying over South China Sea for the first time

Other posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 6 – Good Friday in San Fernando, San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites

Philippines 2011: Day 7 – Leaving Angeles City for Manila, Mall of Asia

Philippines 2011: Day 8 – Manila tour: Rizal Park, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, China Town

Philippines 2011: Day 9 – Cebu: Fort San Pedro, Basilica of Santo Niño, Taoist Temple

Philippines 2011: Day 10 – Bohol tour: Chocolate Hills, Loboc river cruise, Tarsiers, churches

Philippines 2011: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 12 – Puerto Princesa Underground River tour, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 13 – Puerto Princesa to El Nido by bus

Philippines 2011: Day 14 – El Nido island hopping tour A and sunset at Las Cabanas beach, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Back to Manila, shopping, and my final thoughts about the country  (Last post)

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Sagada’s Lumiang burial cave, Sumaguing cave, Hanging Coffins of Echo valley

Date: 19th April 2011

The whole of today morning was spent in a jeepney – first from Banaue to Bontoc, and then again from Bontoc to Sagada. After checking-in to George’s Guesthouse, I went downstairs for lunch.

Sagada chicken curry rice San Mig beer lunch
The George's Guesthouse restaurant had Filipino curry and it was the first time I saw curry in a menu here. I had to try it! It was quite spicy, mostly because of the pepper. Not bad.

I sat at the table and had a slow lunch (even though I couldn’t honestly afford to). My plan was to try and see if I could finish seeing Sagada’s famous caves and hanging coffins by end of day. Both attractions were among the “must see” sights for me on this Philippines trip.

Today was a Tuesday and I had to be in Angeles City at the most by Thursday, because on Friday, I needed to be in San Fernando town for the Good Friday activities. Trouble is, I was really worried about the Holy Week national holidays and all the talk of everything shutting down as Good Friday neared. So I wondered if I could finish seeing everything by today evening and then leave for Angeles City tomorrow itself, just to be safe.

Sagada village downhill road kids on kart
At 2:30pm, I decided not to waste anymore time and decided to begin my tour
Sagada kids playing on kart
The perks of living in a hilly village
Sagada Guides Aassociation office philippines
I went to the guides' office because I read that you are not allowed inside the caves without a guide!

Inside the office, I speak to the guides and I tell them what all I want to see first. They told me the caves are doable but I may not be able to see the hanging coffins by sunset — nor the church (which wasn’t high up on my list of things-to-see anyway). I told them I needed to be in Angeles City by Thursday and the guides informed me I first would have to go to Baguio city and catch another bus from there to Angeles City.  It was going to take an entire day, and if I had to see the church or the hanging coffins, I would have to do it before the last bus to Baguio leaves in the afternoon.

I thought to myself about the journey to Angeles City and realized I would be cutting it a little too thin if I left Sagada in the afternoon (and I may have to spend the night in Baguio if I miss the last bus from there to Angeles City!)

So I decided not to waste any more time ‘thinking,’ hired a guide and told them I’ll try to see everything I wanted to see today itself. The other guides were pessimistic, but I was quite adamant.

Sagada curve road
The guide and I walked down the road towards the caves
Limestone rocks hill Sagada Philippines
Jason, my guide, pointed to these limestone rocks and asked me if I could spot the hanging coffins
Sagada hanging coffins limestone rocks
There they were. (By the way, these are not the main hanging coffins site)

Jeepney locals Sagada road

Way to Sumaging cave Sagada village

Sagada village concrete road
I was impressed by how clean and neat Sagada village was
Way to Sumaging Lumiang caves Sagada Philippines
After 10 minutes of walking, Jason asked me to wait here while he went inside the store to get his lamp

Sagada old beetle car

Sagada trail to Lumiang cave trees
Jason led me up the path to Lumiang burial cave
Sagada way to Lumiang cave guide
It was a short walk

Sagada limestone hill near Lumiang caveSteps to Lumiang cave Sagada Philippines

Going down to Lumiang cave Sagada
We slowly climbed down
Lumiang cave ancient burial coffins Sagada
Lumiang burial cave
Lumiang cave guide tour Sagada Philippines
...and this is what it's famous for
Lumiang burial cave wooden old coffins Sagada
Hundreds of coffins which have been placed here for more than 300 years, the last one being in 1986
Lumiang burial cave pine coffins Sagada Philippines
The coffins are made of pine wood and have stood the test of time quite well
Lumiang caves Sagada panorama
(Panorama comprised of 8 shots)

For more on the Lumiang burial cave, check out this video.

Steps up Lumiang cave guide Sagada
We climbed back up
Trek to Lumiang caves Sagada
Walked back out to the main road
Sagada village coffins near Lumiang
Jason pointed out to me coffins buried below here as well (bottom right)

I sat a few minutes for a breather. As it turned out, my body hadn’t fully recovered from its abused state from yesterday.

Road to Sumaguing cave Sagada Philippines
But I couldn't afford to sit around for too long, as I was the one who told the guide I wanted to see as much as possible by sunset
Sagada rice terraces hills Philippines
It only looked like the views were going to get better on this tour
Sagada trek road to Sumaguing cave
Walking these neatly paved roads, all I could think of was: "Wow, a village here has such nice roads where as many Indian cities don't even have them!"

Tall trees Sagada Philippines Trekking trail to Sumaguing cave Sagada

Sagada rice terraces trees
Looked beautiful even through these trees
Sagada rice terrace farm Philippines
Wow
Sagada rice terrace farm green fields Philippines
Even their rice terraces are prim and proper
Sagada rice terrace Panorama
Panorama comprised of 8 shots

Sagada steel house Sagada road to Sumaguing cave treesSagada rice terrace farm green hillAnother 10 minute walk later, we reached the entrance to Sumaguing cave.

Entrance steps to Sumaguing cave Sagada

Steps down to Sumaguing cave children
Down we went again
Sumaguing cave entrance panorama
This was the big one (Panorama comprised of 3 shots)
Stepping down into Sumaguing cave Sagada
First step: Take a lot of steps down

Inside Sumaguing cave stalactites limestone rock

Preparing to enter Sumaguing cave with guide Sagada
Second step: Wait for guide to light the lantern
Sumaguing cave guide lighting gas lamp
Waiting
Sumaguing cave guide lighting kerosine lamp
Okay, I guess we're ready
Going inside Sumaguing cave guide with light
Final step: Descend into the darkness
Inside sumaguing cave rocks guide holding light
I used the lantern as the point for the camera's auto-focus to lock on to
Inside Sumaguing cave guiding light
Jason told me from here on, it's best that I walk barefoot -- and be prepared to get all dirty
Inside Sumaguing cave guide holding lantern light
Visitors are advised to walk barefoot because the grip is better
Inside sumaguing cave bat shit covered rocks
As for the getting dirty bit, the rocks at first are all covered in bat droppings (a.k.a bat shit)
Inside sumaguing cave slippery limestone Stalactite rock
The bat shit-covered rocks eventually give way to the smooth limestone rocks
Inside Sumaguing cave going down
We kept descending further
Inside Sumaguing cave slippery limestone rock
The rock surface is super-smooth... and wet, with water dripping from above
Inside Sumaguing cave dinosaur foot rock water
Jason would stop at places to show me unique formations inside the cave. Guess what this looks like?
Inside Sumaguing cave dinosaur foot imprint
And it's highly unlikely that a T-Rex dinosaur took a stroll through these caves
Inside Sumaguing cave darkness tourists
We still had more darkness to cover

Inside sumaguing cave limestone rocks water

Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rocks flash photograph
One of the few photographs taken using flash. Most of the photographs I took using the tripod and on long exposures -- and some even hand-held. (Most were shot at f4-4.5 and exposure ranging from 1/10 to 1 second)
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rocks guide smoking
Jason helped carry my tripod so my hands were free to climb down (the camera was on the neck strap)
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rocks water pool
Be prepared to get wet too
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rocks shadows
It was quite chilly inside and you could see vapour every time you breath out or speak. Even the rocks were cold and walking on them felt really soothing.
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rock pond
I got this blur-free shot after six attempts
Inside Sumaguing cave clear mineral water
Even the chilly waters felt therapeutic, don't know if it was the minerals or not
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rock formations Mithun
This is for those asking why there isn't one single photo of me in these posts
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rocks with flash and without
Here's an example showing you how the caves look with flash and without. See how the characteristics of the cave differs?
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rock formations panorama
A formation that resembles molar teeth (Panorama comprised of 4 shots)

Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rock teeth formation

Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rocks guides lights
Yes, there was more going down to do

Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock craters

Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock other tourists
There were few other tourists/visitors inside the caves as well, mostly Filipinos
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rock Sagada tourists
The guides all knew each other
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rock Sagada Philippines
Another shot which took up to five attempts to get right

Inside sumaguing cave limestone cave rock

Inside Sumaguing cave visitors swimming water pool
You reach all the way down when you get to this pool of water, in which you can swim if you wish. Given how cold the water was (and given the lighting conditions), I chose not to.
Inside Sumaguing cave limestone rock water panorama
It was time to head back (Panorama comprised of 2 shots)

Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock massInside sumaguing cave limestone rocks smooth surface

Inside Sumaguing cave limestone sharp tooth stalactite rocks pointed
One of the most photographed rocks from inside Sumaguing cave
Inside sumaguing cave limestone rocks foggy air
The moisture in the air when you breath out inside this chilly environment. Amazing thing is, despite the chill factor, you don't shiver one bit!
Inside sumaguing cave guide sitting limestone rock
Jason, my guide, isn't much of a 'smile' person

Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock teeth jaw shape

Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock jacuzzi
There was water inside this, making it a jacuzzi of sorts (minus the bubbles)
Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock filipinos
The obligatory "Hey foreign guy with DSLR, take photo of us" shot
Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock gap
Tried a shot without flash on long exposure before this, but all I got were the people in the back
Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock Mithun climbing up
That's the only way to go back up

Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock flash photo

Inside sumaguing cave limestone family kids
It must be a challenge to visit this cave with family

Inside sumaguing cave limestone cave familyInside sumaguing cave limestone rocks in water

Inside sumaguing cave limestone visitors heading back
Jason suggested we wait for other groups to go first
Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock people going back out
It was our turn now
Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock shape
I can't remember what this rock shape resembled but Jason did say it looked like something (a hippo?)
Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock guides lanterns
The stars align
Inside sumaguing cave limestone rock guides Sagada
Oh look, Jason is smiling
Sumaguing cave darkness Sagada Philippines
Back up to bat shit territory
Sumaguing cave bats Sagada Philippines
I know using flash would be wrong (and Jason reminded me not to do so) so I tried my best to try and capture the bat clusters using long exposure. I wasn't in a position where I could set up the tripod well.

Inside Sumaguing cave going back Sagada Philippines

Sumaguing bat cave Sagada Philippines
Another attempt to capture the bats (ignore the large shadow, that's me). The bats weren't flying about inside. Maybe they were camera shy.
Walking out of Sumaguing cave opening
And then there was light...
Steps leading up Sumaguing cave Sagada
We had spent nearly 2 hours doing the Sumaguing cave part of the tour
Steps out of Sumaguing cave Sagada Philippines
But the reason why it takes that much time is because you have to tread very carefully! This is why they insist you hire a guide, because they know the caves and the trail to follow.
Steps up from Sumaguing cave Sagada
I had never been inside a cave like this before so this was quite an amazing experience!
Sagada Cave Man Inn Philippines
This is an Inn just outside the caves (thus the clever name)
Sagada rice terrace surrounding hills
Shot this at 5pm
Sagada trekking trail evening sun Philippines
Sagada is a truly beautiful place to visit
Sagada trees Philippines
These trees are everywhere here in Sagada (Are they a type of pine trees?)
Sagada trek road trees evening
I can highly recommend Sagada as a pleasant trekking destination
Sagada rice terraces green trees
Had to stop and get one final look of the rice terraces as we walked past it again
Sagada rice terrace farms evening sky Philippines
Really beautiful

Sagada evening dog on road

Sagada Blackberry lane Philippines
Pff, so outdated
Sagada evening grey skies Philippines
As we walked back to town, I asked Jason if there was anyway we could go to Echo valley and see the hanging coffins today itself as I didn't feel like staying back another day just to see them -- and I REALLY wanted to see them!
Sagada concrete road house Philippines
Jason, took a pause and said: "Sure". I told him I wouldn't mind walking a bit faster, and then he told me there was a shortcut we could take.
Sagada shortcut to Echo valley
So I followed my guide, through small alleyways and past village houses

Sagada house near limestone rocks Sagada steps to open groundsSagada grounds evening PhilippinesSagada playground children playingSagada open grounds PhilippinesSagada path to echo valley church

Sagada church forest Philippines
This is the famous church. You normally come here through another path from the village center.
Path to Echo valley Sagada Philippines
We were near
Steps to Church cemetery Sagada
Sigh, I officially hate climbing now
Sagada church cemetery burial ground Philippines
This is Sagada's main cemetery, where they bury people nowadays

Trek to Echo valley Sagada Philippines Way to Echo valley Sagada village

Sagada echo valley Philippines
After 15 minutes of 'speed walking,' we were in Echo Valley

Echo valley earned its name for obvious reasons. You could see visitors shouting to hear their echoes in return. Though, I’m not sure the dead who were laid to rest here really wanted to hear “I love Justin Bieber” and the equally famous “Justin Bieber sucks”. I’m not kidding, Filipino kids were having a blast shouting it out.

See, even the dead aren’t spared from the Bieber.

Sagada Echo valley hanging coffins limestone rocks
Jason pointed to the coffins... and if you can't spot them...

(takes out the 70-200mm zoom lens…)

Sagada hanging coffins Echo valley zoomed in
There!
Sagada hanging coffins echo valley
The lens was at 200mm
Sagada limestone rocks hills coffins
There were a few older coffins a bit further away

Even after witnessing the hanging coffins from up here, I still felt ‘incomplete’. I knew I would feel like this unless I went all the way to the coffins and took photos from up close, because that’s how I saw them online. And I wanted that.

I asked Jason if we could get a lot closer. He sighed and asked me if I was willing to climb down (he knew I was a bit tired). I told him that I had come this far already, no point in coming back tomorrow just to go up close to the coffins.

And down we went, to get a closer look at the coffins. Took just 5 minutes.

Sagada hanging coffins echo valley Philippines from down
Eerie as it may sound, I felt much better coming down here
Echo valley hanging coffins closeup Sagada
Even though this is originally a centuries-old Chinese tradition, it isn't practiced anymore. Despite that, the brown coffin was the most recent addition as the person insisted on being laid to rest here, along with her ancestors.
Sagada hanging coffins tradition Echo valley Philippines
The rest are decades old, some even centuries old
Sagada hanging coffins cliffside echo valley Philippines
Because it was getting dark, I set the camera on the tripod and shot these at f4, 1/2 second exposure to absorb as much light as possible
Shaky cam falling down photograph
And this is what happened when the camera nearly fell to the ground after I clicked
Sagada hanging coffins hillside Echo valley Philippines
If you are tall enough, you could touch the lowest hanging coffin (but that would just be disrespectful)
Sagada hanging coffins Echo valley Philippines
It was nearing 6:30pm, so we had to head back before it got too dark
Sagada hanging coffins Echo valley night shot flash
Took this using flash so that you get an idea of just how dark it really was

The climb back up was tough for me, simply because there were no proper steps. I found myself panting for breath, but in some ways, I now felt ‘complete’. I had accomplished everything I wanted to see in Sagada.

We walked back, a bit slower this time…

Sagada village homes at night dark
... and this is how dark it got by the time we were out of the woods

When we got back to the main road, Jason said he would be heading straight home from there. So I paid him the ₱700 ($16/€11) guide fee, plus a ₱100 tip, and thanked him — for putting up with me and my demandsrequest to see everything I wanted by the end of daylight.

Sagada wooden house at night lap post
Took this photo from where we got down to the main road
Sagada Goerge's Guesthouse at night
This is George's Guesthouse... at 7pm

Back in the room, I rested my feet briefly, took a hot shower to cleanse myself of all the bat shit, and then stepped out again for dinner, because Sagada (like Banaue) has a 9pm curfew.

I had read a lot of good recommendations for a place called the Yoghurt House, so I went there for dinner just as it was winding down for the night.

Yoghurt house apple ham sandwich Sagada Philippines
I had the apple ham sandwich...
Yoghurt house banana yogurt Sagada Philippines
... and the banana yoghurt with granola topping. It was alright. Cost a total of ₱180 ($4/€3).

On the way back, stepped into a souvenir store, bought a neat-looking ‘I Survived Sagada’ t-shirt (₱180) and some biscuits to have tomorrow morning as I was going to be waking up really early to catch the first bus to Baguio city.

Back at George’s Guesthouse, even though the doors were shut, men were drinking and having a jolly time proving that despite the 9pm curfew, the night doesn’t end early for the locals. I copied over today’s photos from the camera to my laptop and made the most of the wi-fi to make bookings for the coming days.

Today was yet another stupendous and memorable day for me. Like yesterday, despite how tired I was trying to see as much as possible, I felt glad at end having accomplished everything I came to experience. Sure, Sagada has some famous waterfalls too, but the trek to the waterfalls was surely not possible today and I had no regrets about missing it either. The main attractions on my Sagada checklist were Sumaguing cave and the Hanging Coffins of Echo valley. And I couldn’t be more pleased with the photographs I took of both the places.

Sagada makes for a perfect weekend getaway for Manila’s residents but even as a foreign tourist, I would still recommend one make the effort to come all the way here.

I was tired, sure, but with nothing else to do in Sagada’s chilly nights, I cuddled up and went to sleep satisfied. Only  dreaming this trip would keep getting better.

Previous posts:

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Banaue town; heading to Sagada via Bontoc

Philippines 2011: Day 2 – Banaue rice terraces; trekking to Batad village

Philippines 2011: Day 1 — Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio

Philippines 2011: Flying over South China Sea for the first time

Other posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Leaving Sagada for Baguio, and arriving in Angeles city (Days 4 & 5)

Philippines 2011: Day 6 – Good Friday in San Fernando, San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites

Philippines 2011: Day 7 – Leaving Angeles City for Manila, Mall of Asia

Philippines 2011: Day 8 – Manila tour: Rizal Park, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, China Town

Philippines 2011: Day 9 – Cebu: Fort San Pedro, Basilica of Santo Niño, Taoist Temple

Philippines 2011: Day 10 – Bohol tour: Chocolate Hills, Loboc river cruise, Tarsiers, churches

Philippines 2011: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 12 – Puerto Princesa Underground River tour, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 13 – Puerto Princesa to El Nido by bus

Philippines 2011: Day 14 – El Nido island hopping tour A and sunset at Las Cabanas beach, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Back to Manila, shopping, and my final thoughts about the country  (Last post)

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Banaue town; heading to Sagada via Bontoc

Date: 19th April 2011

After yesterday’s epic (and mad tiring) day, I woke up relaxed at around 5:30am. Quite early, I know, but necessary as I wanted to catch the first jeepney to Bontoc, to get to Sagada by afternoon. (All transportation to Sagada passes through Bontoc)

Greeniew lodge breakfast morning Banaue
Went to Greenview Lodge's restaurant for breakfast
Greenview lodge restaurant window view Banaue rice terraces
Skipped filipino food and opted for a fluffy pancake with maple syrup instead

After breakfast, I ‘booked’ my seat in the jeepney. In quotes because it’s really on just a ‘first come-first serve’ basis. So you just drop your bag in, tell the driver and reserve a space for yourself. (Banaue to Bontoc cost ₱150)

Once I was assured a spot, I decided to walk around town a bit, as I still had some time.

Greenview Las Vegas lodge Banaue town
This lane pretty much houses all the lodges

Banaue town lodges hotels rooms

Banaue tourist information centre morning
The Tourist Information Center is right in the middle

Banaue town motor tricycles parked

Banaue no spitting moma notice
Moma (beetelnut) spitting is a big issue up here and so, the municipality has warned locals from doing so on roads and buildings
Banaue hut moma spitting area
So they made designated spitting areas for the moma-chewers... which in this town, is practically everybody!
Banaue town stores Ifugao
The town resembled a lot of the small towns in the North East of India (and so do the people to some extent)

Banaue public market stores Banaue town morning dog PhilippinesAginaya's handicrafts Banaue roadBanaue town hall fire stationBanaue houses rice terracesBanaue town schoolBanaue back alley roadSanafe lodge restaurant Banaue morningAs it neared 8am, the jeepney managed to fill itself with enough passengers and we left Banaue town.

Banaue rice terraces en route to Bontoc morning
I hoped to see the Banaue rice terraces in today's sunny weather
House gates on way to Bontoc
I tried my best to shoot through the opening behind my seat
Shanty house dog road to Bontoc Ifugao
The jeepney would stop to pick up passengers along the way
Rice terraces on way to Bontoc Ifugao
The rice terraces looked greener today

Banaue rice terraces workers Ifugao Rice terraces en route to BontocEuro style house Banaue

Landslide hills Bontoc highway
Aftermath of landslides
Banaue to Bontoc highway landslide hills
The American girl I was sitting next told me some of these landslides were recent and that she couldn't go to Sagada the last few days because the roads were blocked
Hill landslides on the way to Bontoc
I assumed we were travelling today because they had cleared the debris by now
Landslide clearing truck Banaue highway to Bontoc
Work was on-going

Landslides Banue to Bontoc highway

Jeepney bus to Bontoc and then Sagada passengers
It was mostly tourists inside, and a few locals outside (seriously)
Banaue to Bontoc Filipino hanging on jeepney ride
See, I told you
Hill highway to Bontoc
It was, for the most part, smooth roads all the way
Hill market on the way to Bontoc
We stopped at this market for a few minutes as farmers got down with their produce

Jeepney driver to Bontoc

Small waterfall en route to Bontoc

Road to Bontoc tree fall block Philippines
Occasionally we would stop to remove the blockades from the road
Rice terraces village on way to Bontoc
Passed by some beautiful villages
Pot-holed rough roads Bontoc highway
On this stretch too, the jeepneys do not ply on the roads beyond sunset

Rice terrace farmer Ifugao province Philippines

Valley farm on the way to Bontoc
This was a beautiful valley

Banaue to Bontoc Ifugao village housesBanaue to Bontoc Ifugao local villagerBanaue to Bontoc rice terrace villageBanaue to Bontoc jeepney ride taking photograph

Banaue to Bontoc rice terrace farms bridge
Saw a few construction firms on this route. With all the landslides and the subsequent road repair work, it seems like the only thriving business in these parts.

Banaue to Bontoc morning jeepney rideRice terrace Banue to Bontoc jeepney rideHills landscape silhouette Ifugao Philippines

Ifugao rice terrace hills morning ride to Bontoc
Beautiful

Ifugao hills Banaue to Bontoc rice terraces Village on way to Bontoc

Ifugao Banaue to Bontoc jeepney ride
To say this ride was an eyefull of beautiful scenery is a bit of an understatement

Rice paddy field outside Bontoc

Bontoc town rice paddy field
We neared Bontoc
Arriving at Bontoc Ifugao
The journey from Banaue to Bontoc took around 2 hours

Bridge to Bontoc town PhilippinesEntering Bontoc town jeepneyThe jeepney stopped at a junction in Bontoc town and we were told we would have to wait for more passengers before it set off again to Sagada. Those who wanted to get down at Bontoc, got down.

Bontoc to Sagada jeepney rates
The fares from Bontoc to Sagada for those who want to know
Bontoc town people
There wasn't a whole lot to see from where we were standing

Bontoc town road Philippines Bontoc town trikes PhilippinesJeepney license plateAfter waiting for around half-an-hour in the mid-day heat, the jeepney managed to get enough passengers to leave Bontoc and head for Sagada.

Driving from Bontoc to Sagada dry rice terraces
This stretch seemed a lot drier

Bontoc to Sagada rocky river dryBontoc to Sagada rocky river hillsBontoc to Sagada village Bontoc to Sagada roadBontoc to Sagada hill riverBontoc to Sagada viewWelcome to Sagada town sign

Bontoc to Sagada cliff above road
The roads to Sagada were mostly rough
Entering Sagada village
An hour after we left Bontoc, we arrived in Sagada

I didn’t have any hotel reservations but I had listed down a few names of recommended guesthouses and lodges. A lot of the places in and around the main bus stop (essentially where you board the buses or jeepneys to get to other towns) were full, so I walked downhill a little bit and took a room at George’s Guesthouse.

Sagada George's Guesthouse bedroom
At ₱400 ($9.4/€6.5) a night, this was a higher price compared to the others at ₱200 to ₱300, but were full because of the Holy Week holidays.
George's Guesthouse tv toilet
But I didn't want to waste time hunting for cheaper places to stay, even if it was for just one night. Anyway, they had hot shower, cleanliness and free wi-fi: all essentials in my book.

I freshened up and headed downstairs for lunch.

(This concludes the first half of this day; the sights I saw in Sagada will be in my next post)

Previous posts:

Philippines 2011: Day 2 – Banaue rice terraces; trekking to Batad village

Philippines 2011: Day 1 — Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Fort Bonifacio

Philippines 2011: Flying over South China Sea for the first time

Other posts in this series:

Philippines 2011: Day 3 – Sagada’s Lumiang burial cave, Sumaguing cave, Hanging Coffins of Echo valley

Philippines 2011: Leaving Sagada for Baguio, and arriving in Angeles city (Days 4 & 5)

Philippines 2011: Day 6 – Good Friday in San Fernando, San Pedro Cutud Lenten Rites

Philippines 2011: Day 7 – Leaving Angeles City for Manila, Mall of Asia

Philippines 2011: Day 8 – Manila tour: Rizal Park, Intramuros, Manila Cathedral, China Town

Philippines 2011: Day 9 – Cebu: Fort San Pedro, Basilica of Santo Niño, Taoist Temple

Philippines 2011: Day 10 – Bohol tour: Chocolate Hills, Loboc river cruise, Tarsiers, churches

Philippines 2011: Day 11 – Arriving in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 12 – Puerto Princesa Underground River tour, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Day 13 – Puerto Princesa to El Nido by bus

Philippines 2011: Day 14 – El Nido island hopping tour A and sunset at Las Cabanas beach, Palawan

Philippines 2011: Back to Manila, shopping, and my final thoughts about the country  (Last post)

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