When I learned that there is a tropical storm coming to the Philippines, my initial reaction was to move the trip the next weekend or when the weather is already 100% good (I still have two long weekends coming). But then Karen never had any second thought. As much as I wanted to be sure of a safe and hassle-free vacation, I didn’t want to spoil the semi-planned trip to Sagada and I was thinking it would be her birthday that coming Sunday.

I frequented DOST PAG-ASA’s website and followed them on Twitter just to be updated with the weather. This, I think, is the right thing to do but is very wrong as well. Kuya Kim’s very specific tweets only added up to my paranoia. You can’t blame me, all my planned out of town vacays in the past were rained.

We set the date long before but we didn’t really talk about it for fear that it might not be pursued again. We set it on the last weekend of October so we could finally witness the burning season in Sagada but because we were so darn excited and we wanted to make sure that we’ll make it to Sagada this time, we moved the date earlier. And good heavens, there was this tropical storm.

Despite all the warning from the weather bureau and from friends as well, Friday night, I was going up and down the stairs, packing my things up. It was already past 11 p.m. and Karen all the way from work was already on her way to Victory Liner Pasay. Shame on me for being the cause of delay.

We left Pasay at 12:30 a.m. and reached Baguio at 6:30 am. I was hoping there’d be a 7 a.m. trip to Sagada so we won’t have to waste our time waiting, you know we planned to stay there for just one day. The 6:30 trip just left according to the dispatcher, when we arrived at Dangwa Terminal. The next trip according to him is 8:30. We saw from the white board that the next trip is 7:30 but he insisted that there is no 7:30 trip so we bought tickets, went up to the bus and left Karen’s jacket to reserve our seat. We had breakfast at the adjacent Good Taste Restaurant.

Thinking we had plenty of time, we stayed for a while and went to buy toiletries. When we went back, our bus had already left. It was only 7:40. We knew it. It was a miscommunication. We had to be transferred to the next trip, which was in another hour.

I was so giddy when the another grueling 6 hour trip to the mountains started. For the first two hours I was wide awake and I thought I would be for the whole trip but good thing nah. I could use my energy later.

Benguet Rice Terraces

Day 1

We reached the mountain paradise Sagada at around 2:30 p.m. Dropped by Ganduyan Inn to get Karen’s jacket where they jokingly told us to stay there but we decided to look for some other inn. Our feet brought us down to Olahbinan Inn. The place seemed empty and we were greeted by a man putting varnish on a wooden bed in a separate room still under construction. We went inside and were greeted by a younger (and good looking) man. He showed us the room and then we decided to stay there since the place has wi-fi.

After freshening up, we didn’t waste any time and started enjoying Sagada by eating the first food we saw- fishballs. Sen knows how much I wanted to eat streetfood in Sagada. For some reasons, in my past visits, I had no chance to do so.

Then we saw a pamphlet of a Saturday buffet at Log Cabin. I told Karen we go there because it is a nice place. I’ve never really been there, I only used to pass by it during the Youth Alliance Philippines seminar in Sagada. The outside was no longer as beautiful as it used to. The logs mirrored how much fog and rains they’ve endured. We had coffee at the Dap-Ay and took a bunch of photos inside and outside the cafe.

We went back to the Inn to get something and then off to Yoghurt house, one of the main reasons why we went there. Lol but true.

After filling, Karen wanted to have beer but it was already dark and I was thinking about the curfew. We headed back to the Inn, and found out some people drinking at the terrace. Some guy asked us to join them. I thought he was also a guest but I later learned that his family owns the inn.

I was too lazy to go out and socialize but another frustration urged me. I am such a lulzzzz. Oh well, I think every manginginom and nature tripper would like to go get drunk in the mountain paradise. We had some beer and joined them people outside. They were all relatives except for a friend of theirs who is a professor at St. Benilde Taft.

And what is the Iphone and wi-fi for? We started making inggit our friends. LOL It is always effective. A dose of alcohol over stories of Sagada, mountain adventures, beautiful islands, and what more is Norwayden‘s tale. Haha! [Norway is a friend who's from Sagada. Apparently, people in there know almost everyone or at least their family.]

While some guests had just arrived, Karen and I already went to bed after we dispersed. We needed to wake up early for mass the next morning. Yes because mother told me to go to mass and give special intention for my late sister’s s 18th birthday that day. They didn’t know I was up there so obliging would be the slightest favor I could do for them.

Granola yoghurt! Yum!

karen

oktoberfest

Day 2

I set my phone alarm at 5:15 a.m. but I got out of bed at 5:35. I was panicking at the CR coz I may not be able to make it on time to give my mass intention. If there is one thing I couldn’t really do faster, that’s taking a bath. If only our CR had no hot bath lol. Karen was already awake [she really planned not to take a bathe yet] and told me we would no longer make it to the first mass.

But we did. Because the mass actually started at 6:30 a.m. and we were the second ones to be at the church. I was a little bit embarrassed when the priest even mentioned about ‘visitors’ attending the mass. It was so obvious he was referring to us when he stared. [Jesus forgive me but I think the priest is cute. :p] We hardly understood the multi-lingual sermon. The people were very friendly. After the mass we had photo opportunity and then off to Masferre Country Inn and Restaurant for breakfast.

St. Mary's Church

At Masferre

We went back to the inn to change clothes and fetch our guide, lolyiz. It was already 9 a.m. but we had to cut his slumber.

We went to Echo Valley where we didn’t really maximize because my throat hurt, mebbe from the night’s drinking. I just yelled some ‘hello” which made Karen realized that was already the Echo Valley.

Next was trekking to the underground river. Brilliant me who wore short shorts and flops. Every now and then I slipped on the trail and there were blade grass along the way. In the midst of walking at the forest, Karen jokingly asked our guide where we could see the weeds lol. Good thing there was a potable water flowing from the mountain coz we never thought of bringing something to drink.

The longest hike [or so I thought coz it was already to hot] was when we hit Small Falls. Although this time we took the easier trail unlike last time when we had to walk on unending rice fields.

There was a group of young boys enjoying the cool water when we arrived. I really did not want to get wet because I was thinking we would be at the beach later that night anyway.

Echo Valley

The hanging coffins of Sagada.

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I look like a tourist. [As our guide's brother told us, we're considered daughters of Sagada already since we kept coming back. Hehe. So I no longer consider myself tourist.

My right foot was injured. Photo by Karen

The small Falls. Photo by Karen

We checked out at 11:30 a.m. to catch the last trip of GL Lizardo bus to Baguio. We spared our almost one hour waiting time strolling around the Poblacion.

Leaving sagada always gives me heavy feeling. I wanted to stay some more but the next day was alloted for our surfing in La Union.

The weather was fair in Sagada but it had started to drizzle when we were in Atok, Benguet. Those who we invited to join us in La Union backed out saying it was raining hard in Baguio.

When we arrived in Baguio, the wet pavements were evident of a rain. We were disappointed and just went to rest thinking we could still pursue surfing if the weather gets any better the next day. We slept over at G-ann’s house.

We woke up to a very cold Baguio morning. After having breakfast and taking a bath. I bathed with the icy cold Baguio tap water. Karen and I went to Bayanihan to look for some goodies at Wagwagan but most stores are still closed so we went to 50′s diner to have our real and pig-out breakfast.

We boarded Genesis bus after lunch. Good thing we did coz that afternoon, the storm hit the north. I just saw from the TV how Juan pounded Northern Luzon. It was signal #4 in Cagayan, fortunately, our house is still standing. I also learned from Twitter that Sagada tourism lost 500k because of the storm. My prayers for the north. Sana’y makabangon tayo agad.

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