Ifugao, Philippines

welcome to Ifugao, Philippines

where I spent my new year... 

away from home... away from noise... away from crowd... 

it's sure cold! 

here I go again traveling alone but now on  the 31st of December 2011...

I had my Christmas with my family in Iloilo 

and when i get back to Manila...

 three days before New Year my boss informed me that I'll get a New Year's off... 

"cool!" I answered but where?! 

Flight fare is equivalent to gold that time... 

so off I went to the coldest part of the country... Ifugao!

there are two options to get there... 

the fastest and easiest is by Ohayami Bus Liner...

you may check Ohayami Bus Liner Schedule

Bus terminal is along Espana Avenue in Manila...

travel time is 9 hours...

the hardest and longest way is through Baguio... 

which you may guess that I had chosen since I miss the first option! 

I arrived 1 minute before midnight in Cubao Bus Terminal 

and the only bus available is to Baguio...

you may check Victory Bus Liner Schedule and Fare to Baguio

travel time is for 5 hours... fare is around 500 php...

I arrived around 6 am and had my breakfast...

It was chillin' cold!

There is no direct bus to Ifugao from Baguio..

I have to travel to Bontoc for 6 hours and then a jeepney to Ifugao for 2 hours...

And I have to arrive in Bontoc before 1 pm or else I will miss the last jeepney!

darn! way to go Alex!

It was a long and tiring travel but I made it! 

Fare from Baguio to Bontoc is around 250 php..

Bontoc to Banaue is around 150 php...

I stayed in an Inn beside a restaurant in Banaue Village. 

One room is 400 php with 2 beds and a hot shower. 

There are a lot of cheaper inns and home stay in the village of Banaue...

I had to take a rest and chill first before roaming around....

I started to have some small walk around the village around 3 pm

the fog is already pouring the village...

I found myself on this wood store... 

I even found a creaky hanging bridge just on the other side of the market! 

Ah! Of course I tried it!

all guest staying in the Inn were invited...

 to spend their New Year in the owner's humble abode....

I was able to meet some crazy travelers too... 

had some bountiful dinner and fireworks display!

Happy New Year! welcome 2012.... 

I pray to have a great life on this year :)

I had my breakfast overlooking this restaurant... superb!

I did not plan to trek... 

I just plan to visit the famous Banaue Rice Terraces...

and maybe go back to Manila in the evening of next day. 

But I was invited for a 2 day and 1 night trek 

which was so irresistible! 

Tour guide fee is around 3,000.00 php for group sharing.

 you have to hire a trike from the starting point for 600 php..

 and from the of the last point for 900 php

I started the trek for an earlier flight with my stick that helps me a lot

some waterfalls along the way...

and maybe some more...

and a lot more...

you'll never get tired of staring at them... 

because they freely flow in this part of the earth!

so near... yet so far....

what a smart group of local... 

since there is no space for rice field... why not use the mountains!

and another mountain of rice... I wonder why Filipinos are still fighting for poverty...

we had our late lunch on this village just on that little village! 

wew!

with a lot of this on the road... I just smile and blew my breath away... 

between your life... you will see how others live... 

so uncomplicatedly wonderful... beyond compare..

atlas! were here.. 

after the breath taking but worth every sweat trek..

we stayed for the night here overlooking the Batad Rice Terraces... 

400 php per one room good for 2 people... 

the morning view... isn't it amazing beyond compare?! 

good morning Batad Rice Terraces... I like you a lot! 

Surely since where here... 

were not gonna miss the great waterfalls... 

Tappiya waterfalls!

this is half an hour walk from the village of Batad...

and this is one of the most beautiful waterfalls... 

I've seen in my entire lifetime... so far!

I had a great time... so let me write this first...

Seasons change.. Time is moving on... Wind is pass away...

Forget the bad side of me and let me live according to what makes me happy

 and what I love to do most... to travel!

I want to go somewhere like in the upper region of the north and south...

I wanted also to go somewhere where sun sets in the most spectacular places... 

and shines in the most vivid morning.

I wanna sleep underneath the moonlight 

and wakes up in the sizzling falls...

I wanna do it all in my one life 

and I wanna do it some time these days..

But I don't wanna forget as well that I should be getting married a

s I've reach the age of breaking dawn...

Six years to go and I have a lot of places to go...

after a great shower in the waterfalls...

we went back and took some native custom pictorial... 

thank the host of the Inn!

we walk 1 hour extra before the last point where we met our trike driver! 

travel back to village for another 30 minutes. 

had a heartful dinner... 

and purchase the last bus seat going back to Manila!

thank you so much God for the wonderful New Year beyond amazing and compare! :)

total expenses: 5,000 php

companion: none