Will I survive Sagada?

 It’s been a while since I last traveled. Last time was when we traveled to Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte with my family. It’s been almost 4 months since the last trip and now the travel bug has bitten me once more and I feel the need of traveling again. That is where Sagada comes in. Together with Rachel and Mina, my former office mates ( yes, just the three of us ), we will be conquering Sagada. 

Sagada Rice Terraces. Photo not mine.

Why Sagada? Sagada was really not the plan. A friend told me that the place is boring. While some reactions were " SAGADA? Saan yan? Sa Pilipinas ba yan?" Its actually off the beaten path compared to the famous Baguio City. My first glimpse of Sagada was through the Piolo and Juday movie "Don’t Give Up On Us”. In a most unexpected place, love finds its way... But will it survive the journey? Oh ha, ansaveh ng tag line. Haha. Maybe it’s a nice place to fall in love or fall out of love. CHOST! Haha.  I’ve learn some infos about the place from the blogs I’ve read before and I was kinda intrigue on why people would travel more than 12 hours just to be on that place. Maybe there is really something special with Sagada, aside from the cool weather of course. Thanks to my sister too who suggested that Sagada is a must visit place if you’re into hiking, caving and nature tripping. I am not a fan of hiking and long walks but for the love of Sagada, then go lang ng go.

Sagada is a 5^th class municipality in the Mountain province. There are no direct trips from Manila to Sagada. Its either you take the 6 hour bus to Baguio then take another 5 hour bus ride to Sagada. In our case, we will be taking the 9 hour Manila- Banaue bus trip because we wanted to make a side trip to Banaue and at the same time, see the world famous Philippine landmark, the Banaue Rice Terraces. From there, we can catch a 3 hour jeep ride to Bontoc, and then transfer to another 45 minute jeep ride to to Sagada. Ini- imagine ko pa lang parang nakaka haggard na ang trip. But then again, I know it will be a different kind of journey. As what others always say, it’s the journey and not the destination that matters. 

Hanging coffins of Sagada. Photo not mine.

Here are my to do list that I should accomplish ( or maybe TRY to accomplish ) for this Sagada trip:

1. See the famous Banaue Rice Terraces
2. Topload the jeepney.
3. Go caving and spelunking in Sagada’s famous Lumiang and Sumaguing caves
4. See the majestic Bomod-ok or Pongas falls. Either of the one will do.
5. Witness the sunrise at Kiltepan.
6. Food tripping in Sagada ( Lemon Pie and Yoghurt house )
7. Meet locals and new friends ( or meet someone to fall in love with ) Hahaha
8. Experience EXTREME hiking and see the hanging coffins and the echo valley. Take note: EXTREME hiking. Ihanda na ang body pain relievers. Haha
9. Reflect, contemplate and learn something new about myself. ( EMOTERO ) Haha
10. And lastly, the toughest of them all: Spend not more than P4000 for this backpacking trip. Yes, this is a budget trip that is why I will do all my best not to exceed my P4000 budget.

I can’t wait for next week to come. I know this will be another great experience. I hope that I will be able to accomplish everything on my list ( or maybe at least half of it ) so that will all pride, I can say that “I SURVIVED SAGADA!”

Bomod-ok Falls aka The Big Falls. Photo not mine.