Sagada part I and II
Lion's Head, the Baguio traveler's traditional photo spot at Kennon Road.
Sagada....the name alone evokes beauty and nature. One of the last places in the Philippines where people do not lock their doors at night and crime is non existent. This is a place steeped in tribal tradition of the people of the Cordilleras.
After hearing so much about Sagada, the group embarked on one of our longest ride, the 15 hour bike ride to Sagada, Mountain Province, close to 430kms one way. Starting at around 11pm the previous night, the group rests at Rosario La Union before climbing Kennon Road at daybreak.
After hearing so much about Sagada, the group embarked on one of our longest ride, the 15 hour bike ride to Sagada, Mountain Province, close to 430kms one way. Starting at around 11pm the previous night, the group rests at Rosario La Union before climbing Kennon Road at daybreak.
After 5 hours of riding, we finally reach the Mountain province arch, 100kms away from Baguio. A few kilometers after this arch is the Mt. Data Hotel, a government operated hotel between Baguio and Sagada. Mt. Data is the site of the peace agreement in 1986 by the Cordillera People's Liberation Army and the government of Philippines.
The road that was carved from solid rock
The long hours of riding instantly disappears once you see the beautiful scenery unlike any other in the Philippines. Due to its topography and cool climate, the Cordilleras showcases flora that cannot be seen in any of the places our group has been to. Which made the normal 4-5 hour ride to Sagada from Baguio stretch to almost 7 hours due to numerous stops for taking pictures and just enjoying nature.
After arguing whether to have heated shower or not (duh!) we finally decided for this transient house that will be our home for the next 2 days.
P.S.
Sagada has many rooms and houses for rent which can range from a low of 250/person/night to as high as a thousand bucks. So don't hesitate to look for a place that would suit your needs. The houses for rent can have its own common bathroom, living area and kitchen which you can use for cooking!
Finding a place to eat that would fit your budget and tastes proved to be a challenge for our group, we settled for an environmentalist's restaurant that promotes healthy eating by having an all natural menu and NO MEAT! They even have a vegetarian adobo which if I may say does taste like Adobo but being a meat eating human, I'd rather have meat in my adobo, thank you.
note: at least they have beer....and a LIBRARY!
note: at least they have beer....and a LIBRARY!
Nice place to spend your whole afternoon with a view of the mountains and pine trees all around, the sound of a small waterfalls beneath your feet and freshly brewed coffee within reach.
The entrance to Sumaguing Cave with our certified British tourist. Registration with the municipal tourism office and an accredited guide is a requirement.
Sumaguing Cave. They use kerosene lamps to light the way inside the tunnel. A tour can take as long as 4-6 hours. (and no we did not punish ourselves by taking a tour inside the tunnel)
Echo Valley, where some of the coffins of the departed are hung. According to one local guy I talked to, they hang their dead so that the dead would not be able to go down during the night and destroy their crops.
Echo Valley, Sagada. You have to pass by the Sagada Cemetery to reach this place. Pretty spooky but the cows that were grazing at the cemetery gave me the creeps more.
I definitely want my children and my grandchildren to see this place the way I saw it when I was there. I pray and hope that the people of Sagada and the Cordilleras will preserve this.
One of the burial practices of the Kankanaey people is to put their dead with pine tree coffins into caves. It is considered taboo and disrespectful to touch the bones inside these wooden coffins which are hundreds of years old.
There are no words to describe the beauty and eloquence of Sagada. You have to see and experience it for yourself.