photo by Zean Villongco
The adventure was magical from the start. We awoke surrounded by mountains covered with a fine layer of mist, on one side the moon as a witness and on the other the sun slowly rising to light up a new day. In so little time from leaving Banaue I was amidst the most beautiful landscape: rice terraces, shining under the sun, within green mountains that seemingly had no end. When I thought that there was no room for more beauty, we arrived at Batad and then its waterfalls. God's work of art! That same thought kept coming back whenever we arrived at a new destination.
In Bontoc, beauty arrived with a good dose of history and tradition. We were there only briefly, but our stay was significant and there we understood the connection between the region's people and their roots. It was a small introduction for what we were about to encounter and experience only a short way away: Sagada.
Sagada was the connection to the spiritual side of the region. There, I could see very closely some of the traditions of the natives; traditions that are hundreds of years old. The beauty of the place is indescribable; over and over again one is amazed by what one sees. The place also has its fair dose of adventure, hiking on trails through mountains and valleys and walking in passages under rocks and water.
This was a unique adventure that covered all the aspects I look for on vacations and that took me to unbelievable places where I could experience the authentic Filipino culture.