In day 3 we continued our intense trekking in Sagada, Mountain Province. Sagada is about 275km north of Manila and is a popular tourist destination for trekking, exploring caves and waterfalls, and other outdoorsy adventures.
We started the day in Banaue with this beautiful breakfast from the hotel.
Again the view outside the hotel is breathtaking. There were constantly birds flying by our window so here I was able to capture one.
While driving down from Banaue towards Sagada we made several stops at particularly beautiful points along the way. This was one such scenic point.
But wait a minute, this looks familiar. Ahhh yes, it's on the 1000 piso note, equivalent to about $25.
I saw this kid here hauling rocks down the hill. It was a reminder that all of these incredibly beautiful rice terraces that are ubiquitous around the country are painstakingly made one stone at a time. I watched this kid carry at least 10 rocks down the hill within the 20 minutes we were stopped here.
We also ran into this traditional Ifugao gentleman who was kind enough to pose for us.
And I thought it was a hilarious site when a group of bloggers run into a local. He was also wearing crocs, which was perfect.
Here is a group of farmers tilling the soil.
On the way to Sagada we stopped by the Bontoc Museum. They didn't let us take photos inside so unfortunately I just have to describe it. Inside was a vast array of interesting artifacts and photos from the Mountain Regions. Definitely worth a trip if you are in the neighborhood.
Alessa here is posing next to this handsome rock.
We also stopped for, again, more San Miguel. By the way, San Miguel Light is one of the few beers where I highly recommend the light over the regular. Usually light beers lower the alcohol content and taste watery, but SG light has the same alcohol percentage and tastes crisp and refreshing.
Hyojin photobombed my selfie. Thanks bro.
At lunch we had some delicious vegetables and other things. I didn't want to share all the photos but the veggies were particularly fresh and delicious.
Here we checked into The Rock Inn in Sagada, which was an absolutely wonderful hotel. The staff was cheerful and helpful, the food was delicious, the beds were comfortable, and there were lots of beautiful areas to hang out and talk. Very highly recommended. This next photo is in the attic where I later learned is where some of the staff sleep and we weren't actually supposed to go up to. Julia was kind to model for me.
After a brief rest at the hotel we made our way to Echo Valley to see the Hanging Coffins. After our intense 3-4 hour hike the day before we were glad to hear it was only a 25 minute walk down into the valley to see the coffins. The Hanging Coffins are an old tradition but apparently are still ongoing. The locals hung another coffin there several years ago.
I thought church was particularly beautiful at Echo Valley.
Also, Sagada was particularly cool. The Philippines are famous for being incredibly how, but the temperature and humidity were quite pleasant here.
At night we made our way back to the hotel and had a bonding session with some tequila and lime. I was going to post some more photos but didn't want to embarrass anyone. It got a little crazy.
Here's our Philippine tour guide throughout the whole trip, Omar. Always up for a joke and laugh. Thank God he was there, the trip wouldn’t have been the same without him.
That concludes day 3. Stay tuned for day 4 coming up soon.
We started the day in Banaue with this beautiful breakfast from the hotel.
Again the view outside the hotel is breathtaking. There were constantly birds flying by our window so here I was able to capture one.
While driving down from Banaue towards Sagada we made several stops at particularly beautiful points along the way. This was one such scenic point.
But wait a minute, this looks familiar. Ahhh yes, it's on the 1000 piso note, equivalent to about $25.
I saw this kid here hauling rocks down the hill. It was a reminder that all of these incredibly beautiful rice terraces that are ubiquitous around the country are painstakingly made one stone at a time. I watched this kid carry at least 10 rocks down the hill within the 20 minutes we were stopped here.
We also ran into this traditional Ifugao gentleman who was kind enough to pose for us.
And I thought it was a hilarious site when a group of bloggers run into a local. He was also wearing crocs, which was perfect.
Here is a group of farmers tilling the soil.
On the way to Sagada we stopped by the Bontoc Museum. They didn't let us take photos inside so unfortunately I just have to describe it. Inside was a vast array of interesting artifacts and photos from the Mountain Regions. Definitely worth a trip if you are in the neighborhood.
Alessa here is posing next to this handsome rock.
We also stopped for, again, more San Miguel. By the way, San Miguel Light is one of the few beers where I highly recommend the light over the regular. Usually light beers lower the alcohol content and taste watery, but SG light has the same alcohol percentage and tastes crisp and refreshing.
Hyojin photobombed my selfie. Thanks bro.
At lunch we had some delicious vegetables and other things. I didn't want to share all the photos but the veggies were particularly fresh and delicious.
Here we checked into The Rock Inn in Sagada, which was an absolutely wonderful hotel. The staff was cheerful and helpful, the food was delicious, the beds were comfortable, and there were lots of beautiful areas to hang out and talk. Very highly recommended. This next photo is in the attic where I later learned is where some of the staff sleep and we weren't actually supposed to go up to. Julia was kind to model for me.
After a brief rest at the hotel we made our way to Echo Valley to see the Hanging Coffins. After our intense 3-4 hour hike the day before we were glad to hear it was only a 25 minute walk down into the valley to see the coffins. The Hanging Coffins are an old tradition but apparently are still ongoing. The locals hung another coffin there several years ago.
I thought church was particularly beautiful at Echo Valley.
Also, Sagada was particularly cool. The Philippines are famous for being incredibly how, but the temperature and humidity were quite pleasant here.
At night we made our way back to the hotel and had a bonding session with some tequila and lime. I was going to post some more photos but didn't want to embarrass anyone. It got a little crazy.
Here's our Philippine tour guide throughout the whole trip, Omar. Always up for a joke and laugh. Thank God he was there, the trip wouldn’t have been the same without him.
That concludes day 3. Stay tuned for day 4 coming up soon.