“Humans are awesome,” I said, “for having invented…houses.”
My epiphany was met with laughter. It was midnight, I had less than ten hours of intermittent sleep for two days already, and we’d just come from a cold, nearly sleepless night on Mt. Pulag and a three-hour jeepney ride from Bokod to Sagada. Now, we were in the very cozy Sagada Homestay, and I was with my (former) co-teachers in the attic room. I had a warm bed and a fleece blanket; I knew I was smiling when I went to sleep, and I must have snored my way through the night.
We were going to spend two days and two nights here in Sagada. Fresh from the adventures of Mt. Pulag, we didn’t go for major trekking any longer, walking around the town instead on foot (mostly). Food was usually cooked at the kitchen in our living quarters, and I learned to whip up some meals I was to serve later for Media Noche (thanks, Mommy Ai!); and every evening, we had marshmallows and wine by a bonfire.
The morning after we arrived, we went to Kiltepan View Point for the sunrise, but, for the second time in the trip, our plans were dampened by the weather. Ah, well — if we couldn’t take pictures of the landscape, then we were going to take pictures of ourselves.
Our next stop was the Rock Inn and Cafe, where there is an orange orchard. You could pick oranges here for P50 and eat as many oranges as you can; additionally, you could take home the oranges for P60/kg.
Next were the Hanging Coffins in Echo Valley. There is a path going through the side of the lovely Church of St. Mary the Virgin and the cemetery (in the aptly-named Brgy. Patay) behind it.
The path down the Echo Valley (try yelling and your voice will indeed echo) is a bit tricky and steep, but totally manageable. You might need guides, but we had travel buddies who already knew the way. It took us to the Sagada Hanging Coffins.
Sadly, though, my companions and I were underwhelmed by the hanging coffins. I was reminded of the temples in Myanmar which had all these LED lights; it seemed that they’re more of living monuments which have been allowed to be modernized and Christianized to keep up with the times.
According to the guide we overheard, the higher the coffin, the greater the honor the dead has been accorded by his people.
To wrap up the eventful morning, we went to Misty Lodge and Cafe for a sumptuous lunch of baked chicken, pizza, and red velvet crinkles. I’m not embarrassed to say that this was also my first time to see an actual fireplace. 🙂
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the town, looking at souvenir shops and eating at Yogurt House (try their banana yogurt with granola and blueberry jam).
The next morning, while carrying our pasalubong (I bought blueberry jam for baking), Jordan decided to take us to Lumiang Cave, which is the starting point of the arduous Cave Connection spelunking activity. Lumiang Cave is a leisurely 30-minute walk from the town proper, going downhill.
On the way, we saw coffins hung on the limestone formations in the valley to our left. They looked more legitimate, I think.
The many hanging coffins at the entrance to Lumiang Cave were likewise astounding.
That afternoon, we began our six-hour trip to Baguio, from where we’d take a bus back to Manila. The winding road to the city offered views of the verdant Cordilleras and the rice terraces, plus an almost opaque-looking rainbow up close. I want to go back already. 🙂
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