In the Mountains Part 2: Banaue

We finally arrived in Banaue around noon, hungry (I had only instant noodles at a dodgy carinderya in Nueva Viscaya) and eager to strech our legs after the 14-hour bus ride. First on the list was getting a return ticket back to Manila (work sucks). A very close second was finding a place to stay and eating. We were weary and starving!

At the station, you're immediately approached by some friendly Ifugaos offering lodging and/or jeepney rides to Sagada. Our friendly 'guide' was Manang Elizabeth, who owns the souvenir shop at the bus station. Being too tired and dizzy from hunger (as well as being clueless), we couldn't resist the temptation of a room and a decent lunch so we agreed to have a look at Stairway Inn.

A funny side note: We all thought we were headed to Eastern Way. I'd like to blame it on the dialect and accent difference but I'm guessing that the long bus ride and the hunger had impaired our sense of hearing.

Back to the main story. Stairway turned out to be a quaint and clean inn. We bargained with them to bring the room rates down. For 1,200 PHP we got a room with a veranda and a private bathroom with hot water. Good enough for us! Our room was also adjacent to a common living area and a slightly bigger veranda. The best thing about the veranda was that it offered a spectacular view of the sunrise.

So after showering (a cold one at that, since there was no electricity when we arrived... brrr...), we went downstairs to have lunch. Menu wasn't extensive but dishes are familiar to any Pinoy --adobo, fried chicken, chopseuy. Our friend kept on asking for their traditional fare and was quite disappointed since the pinikpikan (a chicken soup dish) had to be ordered in advance. Despite the seemingly conventional food, what set them apart was that their vegetables were fresh and crisp (unlike the waif and battered ones we get in Manila) and that their served local Banaue rice --not quite red rice, but it was fragrant and flavorful.

After lunch, we set our itinenary (as well as haggled the price) of our tours. We got a decent deal --and it helped that one of our companions was Ilocana ;-) Half-day tour of Banaue
Day-tour of Batad with hike to Tappia Falls
Round-trip Banaue and Sagada

Tip: Keep in mind that if you're pressed for time, it's best to rent out a jeepney which is a good deal if you come as a group (the more, the merrier... and more to split the bill with).

The afternoon tour consisted of only 2 places. First was a rather cultural tour where we got to see the traditional houses of the Ifugao (none of which are present in Banaue) as well as their traditional wares and even battle gear. It belonged to their former royal family. Our guide, Winton (yes, without an "S" cause according to him, it's singular), explained that the hari (king) and the elders would sit in a semi-circular fashion, made of stone slabs. Reminds of Arthur with his knights on the (half) round table. Funnily, one of the more noteable parts of the tour was the place where Judy Ann and Piolo (popular Filipino actors) filmed one of their movies. We also had the pleasure of seeing an old Ifugao man dressed in traditional clothing. Though it struck me as a but quite touristy (well, we were tourist), Winton explained that some of the older people preferred wearing their traditional garbs since they found modern clothing quite constricting and itchy.

We were then brought o the famous Banaue Rice Terraces, heralded as the 8th (Natural) Wonder of the World and described as a stairway to heaven. The sheer vastness and height of the rice terraces were awe-inspiring. Winton reminded us that it took hunderds of years to construct these terraces and that it's lanscape continually changes with the ploughing and erosions. An interesting note is that they have a particular plant that acts as a marker to separate each one's rice terraces.

On a sad note, the rice terraces are not as well-defined as they were before --due to erosion and earthworms. Also, the viwepoint is littered with souvenir shops, a constant reminder of the downsides of tourism. The items were quite good though, particularly the woodwork. I wanted to buy a traditional Ifugao chair but didn't want the hassle of lugging it home via public transport. I was tempted though since it costs only about a fourth of the price of those sold in the shops of Manila.

After that we went back to our inn, tried a bit of their local rice wine (tapey, which was quite sweet), played poker with paper balls instead of chips, and rested for our next day adventure in Batad.

Category: Travel Bug