This may well be the place where Wet Wet Wet got their name. Ok, that was lame. Super. But I'm serious. Like dead serious. It's our 4thy day here in Banaue, the much-hyped-about gateway to the UNESCO-listed rice terraces of the Ifugaos. But truth is, it had been raining for the past 3 days here save for today - which by the way boasts brilliant sunlight - and you get that general feeling that you're drowning. We stayed at the People's Lodge and I love it here, especially Halmoonim!
It's nice for a change to hear the roar of rapids some 50m down the ravine everytime you wake up, coupled with the ubiquitous crow of roosters and that very irritating black dog just a floor below. Despite the gloomy forecast, we finally did that Batad trek yesterday, yes after 2 days of being cooped up in the room - can't be help, Aly was feeling under the weather and you know just how adorable sick people get, haha! Anyway, it started with perfect weather, which was around 9am, and by 10am we were already trodding that 2km up the 'saddle' to get to Batad. For the uninitiated, Batad is undoubtedly the world's best place to view traditional Ifugao rice terraces which was built some 2000 years ago. They call it the 'Amphitheatre' and an amphitheatre it was! The whole 1h40min treak to Batad was well worth it though we were cursing each other under our breaths (or rather, in between CATCHING our breaths) on the return leg. It was to me every bit worth the walk but I reckon we're both sick to our guts at the sight of anymore of these lush green steps for we have seen enough to last a lifetime - after Batad, that is.
Oh and did I mention the road? Well, LP got it right when they say that Banaue, together with Batad, offers that charming aura of isolation for its remoteness and that's pretty much reflected in the road conditions. That 2 hour jeepney ride (which I assume doubles as a 4X4) traversed some of the worst road conditions known to mankind - pebble strewn, cracked, partially paved, landslide debris, and ultimately nerve-wrecking blind corners with instant-death drop-offs. But we've got some interesting experiences on the road as well. Just yesterday, on our way back from Batad on a tricycle (which charges P600 return trip from Banaue to Batad Junction) the tire burst and we had to stop in the middle of nowhere to get it fixed. The driver did all that in the rain, at the risk of a sudden mass movement sweeping us off into the valley.
For what it's woth, I believe our stint in Banaue and Batad was rather rewarding and relaxing. The room here (P500 for a double) met our expectations. There's even a laundry service (P50/kg) in town which Aly is particularly thankful for, and decent food just next door at Greenview. Though, just a note, if you're adamant on doing your own washing like I did, be prepared to have your clothes dried only after 2 days cos quite honestly, that's how long we haven't seen the sun, or maybe more for the locals here considering it was raining when we got here 4 days back.
Well, we're off to Manila tonight at 8pm. Got the tickets form the Florida Bus Company (P450 each) and we should hit the big mother-effing city by 6am tomorrow. though we can't wait to pamper ourselves in urbane trappings, I have this overwhelming feeling that I'll miss the Cordilleras, especially the warm and sunny smiles of the people which never fails to ofset the gloomy overcast.
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