sagada

it was a trip on the road for hours. our colleague, claro, is not one who complains about long hours of driving, even if he would reach for a quick gulp of water, or a handful of chips, to keep him from sleeping. this trip is quite exciting for all of us, what with the unexpected to go with to it. 

after going about what work that needed to be done, we set off to sagada, this place where local tourists flocked to after the run of that movie which was shot in baguio city, and two or three important scenes filmed with sagada and its lush mountains and terraces as its backdrop. the locals just recenty asked as a favor from all local tourists to back off for a while. not that they are closing their doors. they are quite alarmed by the influx of tourists lately, which has caused water shortage in the area. they probably need space to breathe for a while, to let nature regenerate as normally as we allow it. 

yet there were still tourists and backpackers around, walking in the streets of the cramped, unkempt, narrow strips of roads, in the center of the town. the weather is cold, a far cry from the migraine-inducing heat and humidity in the lowlands. souvenir shops offer a variety of merchandise, predominantly made of the cloth woven by the locals. wood art is also a staple. coffee shops, sari-sari stores are plenty, but do not offer a range of foodstuff authentic to the area. only the coffee is authentic, but there are also shops which offer the instant coffee with sugar and cream. i found that rather lazy. there is not much action at the town center in the evenings. 

there is no luxury hotel there, of course. only a number of inns, or homestay-type of accomodations. of course, no airconditioning needed in the inns, just beds, simple home bedsheets and blankets i imagine used by generations past, common restrooms and bath. some inns have electric fans and private washrooms. the rates are as low as 300 pesos per head, to higher, when you prefer a step-up from the basics. but sagada is about exploring the outside world, so sleeping is just like 'parking' overnight, before setting off at wee hours to watch the sun rise, have coffee overlooking the terraces, walking on trails en route to waterfalls, and caving. we did not catch the sunrise, but we still found the sun up high when we arrived at the kitepan (kiltepan?) peak. 

my eyes feasted on the  majestic, lush mountains and terraces of sagada, set just below the clouds. the sun in all its glory above. i stood breathless. unlike in that movie, i did not scream my lungs out to say 'ayoko naaaa!' not that i am not tempted to, goodness i have more angst than that character portrayed. i instead reminded myself to breathe, take in all the beauty there is in front of me, so deep i wanted all that was around me to take over my being. i said a prayer. sort of, 'hello there, God!' type. 

we had breakfast and coffee in a small shop there. fairly priced, nothing spectacular, but good. there is no running water in those parts. i was told that one truckload of water is about a thousand pesos. the restroom was clean enough, yet wanting. 

we headed to walk on a trail to bokong falls, as suggested by our tour guide, debbie. it was early in the morning so the train was damp, slippery, and difficult. well, for someone as stupidly clumsy as i am, it was a challenge. hence, about a third through path, i gave up. janet, another colleague, together with claro, proceeded. we met them at the end of the trail, to see them trying not to die. it was a difficult trail, needless to say. janet tells me the falls are nice, with a river down it 25-feet deep. and also, she does not fail to  note that debbie, the tour guide, breezed through it all, like she was walking in a park. 

we dropped off debbie somewhere and proceeded to drive to banawe. that is another story altogether. but sagada? it was an experience. you are reminded how beautiful this country is, despite of the hell that it is going through. you are forced to rethink your assessment of your own life, which for me is always skewed to the bad-dramatic. you are slapped by the authenticity of what there is outside of your own spiteful life, and realize, there is a God, and He created sagada, He created you. be grateful.