Waiting game
From Kiltepan Peak, our last stop in Sagada, Grace and I had to travel to Bontoc where we could catch a ride to Banaue, Ifugao.
Downtown Bontoc is small. Despite having a couple of multiple-storey buildings, it showed no sign of a fast-paced life. A serenity that's unfamiliar to city girls like us welcomed the two of us. I couldn't believe the streets are almost empty at 8 in the morning. I could only wish to live in a laid-back town like Bontoc and Sagada.
With the locals' help, we found our way to the van terminal. We were happy to find out that the first trip hasn't left yet. If you're traveling in this part of the Philippines and you aren't getting any tour or aren't bringing your own vehicle, be prepared to spend hours waiting for a van or monster jeepney to be full before departing. In our case, we thought it was best to just pay extra for the empty seats than wait and waste more time waiting. Gladly, the other passengers agreed we should split the extra cost; they were in a hurry, too!
If you can remember, Grace and I ended up hitchhiking from Ilocos Sur on our way to Sagada because of the same problem. So yeah, prepare extra cash just in case you encounter the same thing!
Gems along the way
Even before we could reach Ifugao, we passed by a few stunning destinations such as the Bay-yo Rice Terraces still in Bontoc, Mountain Province. The driver asked us if we want to stop for a few minutes to which all of us agreed.
I didn't get Kuya's name but he was dressed for the occasion. He suggested we take photos together and gave us instructions on what we should do to make our photos look more dramatic! But why was I smiling? 🤔🤣
Don't get me wrong, the rice terraces in Bay-yo looked great but since the paddies were empty, they looked lifeless. I wish I could pay a visit again right before harvest season.
Here we go Ifugao!
Because there's no traffic in this part of the Philippines in less than two hours we reached Banaue, Ifugao. We dropped by the Municipal Tourism Center. I couldn't remember how much we paid but it was minimal.
It was almost lunchtime; we decided to eat early lunch before heading to Batad.
Reaching Batad
From Banaue, we were picked up by the owner of Highland Inn. I contacted him ahead of time. He was driving a monster jeepney, so yeah a lot of monster jeepneys during this backpacking! 🤣 We drove from Banaue town proper all the way to Batad Saddle Point.
Batad Saddle Point is literally the end of the road. It was a dead end for motorists. This trip was five (5) years ago so I have no idea if there's an update on the road construction. But that time, we had to walk from Batad Saddle Point all the way to Batad proper.
The rain was on and off that day, but gladly when it was time to walk, it stopped. We had to walk for about 30 minutes just to reach our homestay. We were welcomed by dozens of signages of the various homestays/inns you could choose from in Batad. In the weekend, tourists might flock in Batad so better book an inn prior to your visit!
You don't have to worry about walking from Saddle Point all the way to your chosen Inn tho. The walkway is paved so it's easier for tourists who aren't used to hiking. Batad Rice Terraces has been declared one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Dwelling for the night
We stayed in the Highland Inn nearby one of the villages where locals are living. Batad is located at the heart of the mountains of Ifugao so you couldn't expect to get five-star hotel-quality inns here. Trust me, you wouldn't even want it in the first place. You'll get what I'm talking about in the next sections of this post.
Rain rain go away
I could say that the rain was on our side for it poured down only when we reached our homestay. It stayed that way for a couple of minutes so we decided to take a quick afternoon break drinking hot chocolate as the rain amuse us. When you are in the middle of the mountain, the chirping of the birds becomes great music and it doesn't matter what time of day it is.
When the rain subsided, we wasted no time and started trekking to Batad Rice Terraces viewing deck. It was wet and muddy so we took our time going there; we have all the time in the world.
Below is our first view of Batad Rice Terraces; it was stunning despite the gloomy weather.
This was the point in my life when a short walk takes my breath away. I was obese and my heart couldn't sustain long walks without stopping and resting. We did a lot of stops during this trek. Glad I'm over this stage and living a healthier life now. I could run 1-hour straight without stopping!
Still raining lightly when a rainbow appeared in front of us. Our tour guide, who is also the owner of the homestay, said they get to see a lot of rainbows here in Batad. From where we stopped, we had an amazing view of Batad already but I'm still excited about the view we'll see at the peak.
We continued walking until we reached the rice paddies. From here, we had to walk in the cemented narrow pathways to reach the viewing deck.
We passed by a farmer planting rice and he offered if we wanted to try it ourselves. Grace rejected the offer. On the other hand, I was excited to get myself wet in the mud. After taking a crash course on how to do it, I gave it a try but in less than 10 minutes, I stopped. It was tedious and I felt my back breaking and aching. I salute all farmers, their job is no joke!
The crowning glory
After all the trouble we went through that day, we finally reached Batad Rice Terraces Viewing Deck. I couldn't forget how I felt the moment I laid eyes on the massive amphitheater-like rice paddies in Batad.
I felt that I was meant to see it in person and to be reminded that despite all of life's struggles, you can still find peace and happiness, and contentment.
To this day, when asked if there's a place I want to visit again, I definitely say Batad. I could imagine traversing from Batad to other neighboring barangays day in and day out. Let's see where life will take me next time!
We also visited Tappiya Falls in Batad but I'll show you around next time! Awesome weekend to everyone. ☺️
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