Trekking the Rice Terraces
Banaue is noted for being the most famous place in the Philippines to view and hike some awesome rice terraces. Rice is the main staple in the Philippines (and many other parts of the world, for that matter) and the art of rice farming has a long history. Apparently several travelers overlook the region surrounding Banaue (because it's harder to get to) and miss out on what may be some of the most breathtaking terraces in the world.
The ride from Sagada to Banaue takes about three hours, with a stop over in Bontoc. Taking a van, and I think also a bus, is an option, but the journey of choice is definitely on top of a jeepney. Apparently a lot of tourists from Manila come up for the weekend just to do the jeepney roof ride! Sebastian, my French friend from the cave tour, was also going to Banaue the same morning, so we linked up as travel buddies, climbed on top of the next jeepney headed to Bontoc, and held on tight!
The view we had while twisting and turning through the steep mountains took me back to my time in Ecuador, reminding me of how awed I was during my first bus ride through the Andes.
Our ride from Bontoc to Banaue was a bit more roomy and even better than the first leg. All four of us were on cloud nine. One thing I love about doing such exhilarating activities is that language barriers become nonexistent. The Russians behind me spoke very little English but our smiles, laughter, jaw drops and high-fives were communication enough.
This is why I love "developing countries." In no way, shape, or form would an experience like this be legal in the States. Even if it were, somebody's mother would put an end to it.
For the grand finale, as we were rolling into town, only about 200 meters from our destination, one of the tires blew! Luckily it didn't happen on the side of the mountain mid-trip, but I suppose that would have made for an exciting story too.
Sebastian and I grabbed a bit to eat with a nice view of the Banaue rice terraces before heading to Batad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To get to Batad, we hired a tricycle to the "saddle" (the top of the ridge separating Banaue and Batad) which took about an hour and cost $11.
From there, we hiked down the trail for about 45 minutes until we reached the tiny village of Batad, situated partly on the mountain side and party in the middle of an enormous amphitheater of rice terraces.
The view upon arrival was breathtaking.
These terraces were built 2000 years ago by the Ifugao tribes who occupied the area. I was immediately reminded of two other stunning places I'd seen before- The Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru and the Mayan ruins of Tikal, Guatemala. What made Batad special, though, is that it isn't ruins. These terraces are very much alive and are way more than a tourist destination. This is sustenance for an entire village and I felt very grateful that we were allowed to trek all over it.
Sebastian and I spent the next two days hiking around the area in search for good view points. His adventurous, generous, spiritual and easy-going personality made him an excellent travel buddy.
I couldn't get enough of the bright green layers.
The climbs were not easy...
At times, I wasn't sure if we'd ever reach the top!
That moment you think you're in shape, then find yourself completely out of breath, heart beating out of your chest, sweating your ass off, and then remember that the people who live here run up and down these terraces daily, tending to their plants and hauling 60 lb. sacks of rice so they can feed their families. A humbling realization, to say the least.
Finally, we earned our view of the entire amphitheater from the top.
Another trail around the back side of the mountain led us to a beautiful waterfall and a chilly clear pool where we took a dip to cool off.
A birds eye view of the trail leading to the waterfall.
We spotted a little cave across the way, which we of course had to investigate, so we hopped from rock to rock across the river to find that it went only about six meters back. Still worth it.
Heading back across the terraces to our mountainside hostel, just in time for a cloudy mountain sunset.
We had been discussing our options of how and when we should return to Banaue when we met a French couple who were planning on doing a three hour hike to Bangaan the next day, then getting a jeepney back from there. I had two more nights until I needed to be back to catch my bus to Manila and Sebastian had no schedule, so we decided to join them early the next morning then stay a night in the new village.
The night before we left, this beautiful woman expressed to Sebastian that she really liked his hat, so he gladly traded it for the t-shirt she had wrapped around her own head. She was thrilled.
We left the next morning at about 6:30 and headed south on a trail that would lead us to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the rice terraces of Bangaan.
The path led us across a valley ridge and through some more rice paddies.
The dog on the right followed us most of the way!
I will never look at a plate of rice the same way again.
The gorgeous, fresh, three hour morning trek left my calves burning, my back sore, and my soul lifted.
Note to self: pack lighter.
This village, being less touristy than Batad, felt more genuine in many ways. It was smaller, quieter, and locals weren't constantly asking us if we needed a guide somewhere. The people here were simply living their lives and didn't seem to mind at all that visitors pass through.
Virginia, a lovely, welcoming and hard working woman greeted us in the town and showed us where we could sleep- in a traditional Ifugao stilted house!
Yet another French couple ended up joining us just in time for lunch (replacing Anna and Jean) and decided to stay the night with us.
Here is a carving of their "rice god" in ebony.
The locals let me have a go at husking the rice. I somehow managed to splash it everywhere. "Oops, sorry," I said, but they just laughed.
This little girl showed me how it's really done, while momma watched proudly. :)
Even this old woman was entertained by our weak attempts at rice-husking.
We had heard of some hot springs nearby, so decided to take a walk to them. We got directions and were told "It's very far. It will take an hour to walk there." An hour? Pshh, that's nothing to us, we agreed! So we started walking and didn't arrive until two and a half hours later. (Remember, we already hike three hours with our packs the same day.) So maybe her time scale is a little off, but she certainly knows what "very far" means.
After plenty of time to build-up our excitement for this hot spring, we finally got there only to find an empty pool. *sigh*
Just over the hill, however, we could see a pile of naked little brown bodies playing in the river. Seeing as that was our next best option, we figured we'd join them (not naked).
The water was cool and refreshing and the kids were adorable and timid.
They watched us with curiosity and we smiled back.
Satisfied with our swim, we walked the long journey back up to our hut under the bright stars and moonlight. The musical sound of my mates jabbering away in French faded from my ears as the lyrics to "Moon Shadow" by Cat Stevens filled my head and took my mind off my tired feet. Another warm, delicious vegetable and rice meal, made with love, was waiting for us when we got back. I slept like a rock that night.
After making us yet another fantastic meal of egg, rice and veggies for breakfast, Virginia let us try on the traditional native garb for a fun photo shoot.
I took one last stroll over the cracked mud paths through the terraces before packing up to wait for a jeepney back to Banaue.
This magical place sits high on my list of memorable experiences. It will not be soon forgotten.
The world is full of beautiful nooks and crannies. They are all around us. Whether or not you see them depends on how hard you are willing to look.
