"What are you doing the weekend of January 16th?" Trisha asked one day at lunch. "I'm trying to figure out my plans for my last few weeks in Japan before heading back to the US."
"I'm planning on going to Manila," I replied. "Do you want to go?"
"What is there to do there?"
"Lots of fun stuff."
"Okay, I'm in. You've never steered me wrong before," Trisha said and then paused. "By the way, where's Manila?"
With that conversation the seeds were sown for Trisha's and my weekend adventure to the Philippines. We booked nonstop flights from Nagoya to Manila with frequent flier miles and set about planning our trip. Both of us really wanted to visit the rice terraces around Banaue in Ifugao Province (what can I say, we are suckers for World Heritage sights) but there was one catch; they were a six and a half drive away from Manila. With limited time, we didn't want to waste daylight hours driving but our flight got in too late for us to take an overnight bus.
Trisha and I are not the type of ladies to be deterred so I did a little investigating and found a car company that would be willing to pick us up at the airport and drive us overnight to Banaue for 10,000 PHP (about 200 USD). It was a bit of a splurge for us but since we had free flights and the rest of the trip was pretty inexpensive we decided to go for it.
With one small backpack each, we landed in Manila just before midnight, went through immigration, exchanged some money and headed out of the airport. It was a madhouse outside with throngs of people swarming around trying to get the tourists fresh off the plane to hire them for transportation. I typically like to travel by the seat of my pants but with the late night chaos this was one time I was glad I had booked in advance.
We found our driver holding a sign with my name on it and after a short walk to his car we were on the road heading north. Trisha and I settled into the back seat and tried our best to catch some sleep. There is a good reason why the drive takes so long despite not being very far as the crow flies and the windy, mountain roads did not make for a restful night. On several occasions I woke up as the car seemed to be heading off a cliff or into the mountain only to have the driver turn just in time to stay on the road.
We arrived bleary eyed in Banaue bright and early in the morning. Our driver dropped us off in front of the Tourist Information Center which was a tiny, one room building painted a cheerful red and green in contrast to the drab, drizzling morning. After a little negotiation we were able to hire a jeepney for a few dollars to take us to Batad Saddle so we could visit Batad. Jeepneys were originally made from surplus Jeeps left in the Philippines by the Americans after World War II and are known for having flashy decoration. The jeepneys in town were all fun to look at but we thought our jeepney with its flamboyant red and yellow grill was particularly awesome.
As we set off from town we had a good look at how precariously perched the buildings were along the mountainside. It was as if the concrete buildings were growing out of the mountains. We also go to see some rice terraces along the way that used earthen walls. The road was very rough and on several occasions the driver had to stop so his friend could jump out of the jeepney and move rocks out of the way or place some boards they had with them over particularly deep potholes. We were bouncing around so much that at points Trisha and I couldn't even talk to each other. We would start to say something, hit a bump causing us to bite our tongues and then just break out laughing about the situation.
An hour and a half of a bumpy, jerky ride later we arrived rattled but intact at Batad Saddle which is the end of the road and the beginning of the hike to Batad. Apparently during the rainy season, landslides can take out parts of the road so were lucky to make all the way to Batad Saddle by vehicle. At Batad Saddle we hired a local man to take us down into Batad Village to show us around and we set off.
As we began our descent we could catch glimpses of the rice terraces until finally the view of the valley opened up in front of us. I know it is cliche to say, but no words or pictures can really describe it. The mountains were impossibly steep with rice terraces clinging to their sides and the little village of Batad nestled below. It was gorgeous and seemed like something out of a picture book.
The village was a mixture of buildings with thatched and corrugated metal roofs. I loved the splashes of colors that the brightly painted tin roofs made against the green and brown backdrop of the mountains.
Just like the rice terraces, the buidlings were built on levels so exploring the village meant lots of walking up and down. It was interesting to wander around and the highlight was getting to watch an older woman doing some weaving with a backstrap loom. Our guide translated for us as she explained what she was doing.
Leaving the village we had a chance to see more of the rice terraces close up. Rice farming along the steep slopes has remained virtually the same for two thousand years. Batad is special because unlike the other earthen walled terraces in the area, Batad's are made of stone. We saw several of the locals working on tending the walls to keep them in good order.
We hiked out of the valley a bit and headed to Tappiyah Falls. Set back in a secluded alcove and tumbling down into a brilliant turquoise pool, the falls were really magical and definitely worth the effort to see.
Heading back to the village we were starving and stopped at a little place for some food. We also couldn't resist buying some carvings and textiles to bring home. Rested a bit, Trisha and I started our hike back out of the valley up to Batad Saddle.
When we got to Batad Saddle we were pretty tired and sweaty as we got back on our jeepney. Being late in the day it had become a bit chilly and with the open windows of the jeepney it wasn't long before we were freezing. Despite being cold we toughed it out to head out to the Banaue Viewpoint which provided spectacular views of some mud walled rice terraces.
As we arrived back in Banaue it was getting dark and we were starving. We had some time to kill before catching the overnight bus back to Manila so we headed over to a hotel to eat dinner. It was nice to rest and warm up and before we knew it was time to climb aboard the bus. We had opted for the nicer bus (which was pink and still a steal with a fare less than ten dollars) and being exhausted we had no trouble falling asleep. Next stop Manila (six and a half hours later, that is)!
If you are interested, check out my other adventures with Trisha here: The Great ATM Debacle, Getting a Ride to the Beijing Opera