Manila-Banaue-Sagada
I’ve been wanted
to visit this place since I started reading travel blogs, Sagada is always on
my bucket list. As much as I want to set my foot on this place finances and my
work schedules forbid me, but I promised myself that 2014 as a gift for myself
I will be travelling Sagada even I’m alone.
I called the
Ohayami Bus 3 weeks before the trip and asked them to reserve a seat for me and
will pay it a week before the date of my departure. But unfortunately, when I
visited them to pay for my ticket it was fully booked and they said I had no
reservation, I had no choice but to adjust my date of departure.
A month before
the trip, I texted and e_mail some of my chosen accommodation but did not
received any reply from them, I did not worry about it, I just thought that I
just acquire it once I get there and that was the worst move that I’ve done on this trip.
Day 1
I was kinda
excited about this trip, I will be alone and finally I can say Hello to SAGADA
and say my “HI” to Banawe, I left home 1 ½ hours before my schedule trip in
Sampaloc, I was surprised when I learned that most of the passengers are
foreigners, you can count the Filipinos on this bus.
At 10:00pm, the
bus left Manila, my seat mate is a Filipino and she’s going home to Lagawe, we
had a little chit chat and when I woke up, it’s already 5:45am, I didn’t know
how many bus stops we had and when did my seat mate left, my eyes was hurting
because of the sunrise, but I forced myself to
wake up to have a sightseeing along the way.
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| Arrival In Banawe |
6:45am, the
Ohayami bus park near the Tourism Office in Banawe, I asked some locals the exact
location of Peoples Lodge to have my breakfast.
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| Scenic View from People's Lodge Viewpoint |
Peoples Lodge
offered a breakfast Meal ranges from P100.00 to P150.00, they also have free
wi-fi and had a scenic view at their back and feast your eyes on this spot
while waiting for your breakfast.
The food was
blunt for my taste maybe because it was too early and I don’t usually eat my
breakfast at 7:00am
 |
| P120.00 Meal |
Being alone in
this unfamiliar territory was not really scary, why? because this is still
Philippines, and people can communicate in English and Tagalog aside from their
dialect, and I read in some forum and blogs that Banawe and Sagada has a low
crime rate, I just observed my surroundings, smile and I didn’t hesitate to ask some locals.
While having my
breakfast, someone approach me if I am going to SAGADA, and I said yes, so he
asked for P300.00 and wrote my name in a yellow pad and informed me that they
will call us once we leave.
At 8:30pm, we
left Banawe going to SAGADA, again, most passengers are foreigner, the jeepney
will make a stopover to some Tourist Spot to take some pictures (this is the
advantage of taking this route). I met a French guy, we had a good conversation
while on road, together with his 2 companions they are roaming around the
Philippines and he asked me if I already travelled abroad, I said NO because I
wanted to explore my own country first before I go out in my neighboring
country so I can boast how beautiful it is, and I don’t want to be ignorant in
my native land and he agreed with me, he even asked for some recommendation
where to explore because they are planning to extend their vacation here.
I met also a
Filipino Priest from China and his assistant from Poland together with a soon
to be priest, a native from Banawe serves as their guide, I asked them if I can
tag on their sumaguing cave and agreed to divide all the expenses (sumaguing
cave and van rental).
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| My Sumaguing Cave Companion |
11:45pm Arrived
in Sagada. After our registration at Tourism Office (P35.00) we get also guides
and van for our activity on that afternoon. As I said, I don’t have any
confirmed accommodation and I was shocked to know that all the Lodges and Inns
were fully book till Monday, they can only accommodate me for a day, and I need
to check out next day, after scouting 10 lodges I finally gave up and check inn
at George Guest House, I immediately change my clothes, I just leave my worries
about my next day accommodation, I don’t want to ruined my vacation, I just
Prayed and ask God’s favor to give me
another one night in Sagada.
And now… Let me
take you inside Sumaguing cave…
The cave was
quite slippery, I know I had no practice on this activity but I just keep on
praying for God’s protection upon us, Our light from the Lamp died when we
reached the Curtains, and so, my
companion from Poland doesn’t want to continue, but the Priest encourage me to
go on and they will just wait for me and I nodded and I didn’t regret because I
wouldn’t be able to see this one.
The Caving was very
tiring and we are all famished the moment we went back to the “light” ;)
Going up is much
easier than going down, the cave was been packed when we headed back to our
entry point. We bought food to feed our stomach and relax our sore feet before
we proceeded on our next destination, our other companion bid his goodbye to us
because he need to catch the last Jeepney back to Bontoc.
I didn’t bother to climbed down because my feet is
already shaking and I’m not sure if I still can make it to go back if I dare to
climbed down, so I just took some shot from above.
Last
Destination..
I really don’t have a good shot on those hanging
coffin so I just waited for my two companions.
We shared 267.00 each (for 3 person) for this
activity and as we parted ways, the priest says something like this “Ella, if
you will encounter some problems or troubles, don’t hesitate to go with us, you
know where we are staying right?, I said “Yes po, thank you!” (po, means giving
respect) See, God gave me good people on this trip.
I run to the guesthouse and took a quick bath, the
heater was not working properly so I just suffer from the freezing water L
At that moment, I was thanking God for giving me such
people like them and gave me a safe trip from Manila to Sagada and for giving
me strength to finish my “extreme activity” (for me!) on that day and again for
providing even a one night accommodation and pleaded again to give me another
one night.
The Guesthouse provide a free wi-fi and good thing
the signal in my room is good, I scouted some accommodation in Baguio but
unfortunately it was also fully booked because of the long Holiday and the forthcoming
festival, as I mentioned, I don’t want to worry that much, after a few calls
and negative feedback accommodation in Baguio, I took a little nap and pray.
At 5:30pm I decided to have my early dinner at Salt
and Pepper
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| Salt and Pepper - P280.00 Meal (Missed it already) |
And because my whole body is aching and the
temperature was getting cold I ended up getting back to my room and rest instead
of roaming around the community, I packed my things again and prepared myself
for check out next day, but I was hoping for an opportunity and that I leave it
to God.
Lesson Learn No 1. Make an advance
reservation for you accommodation and make sure you call them not text or
e_mail to confirm your permanent home. J
because as I inquire some locals there that SAGADA right now is one of the most
visited place in North.
Lesson Learn No 2. Do not panic, just pray to God to give you peace of mind and wisdom
on what to do. Panic will not relieve the situation, it will just ruin
everything as the
Proverbs 6:3 “Trust in the Lord will all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding and he shall direct your path” and
Another Verse is “Commit to the Lord all and all your plans will succeed”
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MOTTO: DO NOT WORRY ON THE THINGS
THAT IS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL
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