Sagada – up in the clouds

CEBU, Philippines - Forks, Washington is considered as the rainiest place in the world. The city is popularized as the home of the Swans in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. Every scene in the movie installations show how rainy and quiet locations could be a perfect place for dating teens – and vampires. But it would take us a thousand dollars to go to the rain-soaked city. One from the Philippines would probably have to save up for three years to take a “Forks” selfie outside the Swans’ old house.

Fortunately, the Philippines has its own version of Forks. It’s a place located in the Mountain Province, in northern Luzon, 275 kilometers from Manila. It takes 12 hours of traveling by bus to reach the place – the town of Sagada. The place has cold temperatures all-year round; it’s like a little Baguio. Actually, it’s colder in Sagada.

One day last May, a group of us friends decided to see Sagada for ourselves. We didn’t go straight to our destination, though. We headed first to Baguio and spent a night there. The Baguio stopover was to break the 12 exhausting hours of sitting on the bus.

On the following morning, a Monday, we took a bus to Sagada from the GL-Lizardo Bus Terminal near Baguio’s Center Mall. There were hourly trips to Sagada from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. The fare was around 400 pesos per person. The ride felt longer than the one we had from Manila, but it the mountain ranges along the way were fun to see, like those in “The Lord of the Ring” movies.

Another sight for tourists to marvel at is the Philippine Pali, the highest highway system in the country located in Atok, Benguet, at 7,400 feet above sea level. Further up towards Sagada, the ambient temperature gets colder as the ride go on slopes and curves. Shortly, at around the middle of the trip, there’s a quick stopover for those who want to grab something to eat and drink.

Upon arrival in the town proper, tourists are asked to register for a record of the volume of people coming in. Accommodation is not a problem; there are nearby inns, hotels, and guest houses from the town hall. A short stroll ushers in a line of street cafes. One nice thing about Sagada is that almost everything is at a walking distance – from the hotel to the souvenir shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions.

At George Guest House, where we stayed for three nights, the rate was 300 pesos per person, with three of us sharing a room. The guest house had a Wifi connection, a laundry service, and offered tour packages.

It was hard to find a budget restaurant in the morning, and we wanted to veer away from fancy breakfasts. So we went to a small store at the upper floor of the public market. They served “Silog” meals at 80 pesos per set. I liked the “Tapsilog” with a vegetable side-dish, which was good to cap with the town’s famous Kape Arabica.

We got a tour guide from the Sagada Genuine Guides Association as required of anyone wanting to go to Lumiang and Sumaguing caves. We wanted to try caving, going inside Lumiang cave and exiting through Sumaguing cave. At Lumiang, there were a few old coffins.

Managing inside the cave was difficult, since we had to descend and the pathways were slippery. We had to rappel to reach the bottom of the cave. There were pools of cold water and towering limestone formations around. We walked for about 30 minutes to reach Sumaguing. The temperature got even colder; I wore a long-sleeved shirt, but I still felt cold.

For taking pictures, a waterproof camera or one designed for extreme action environment is advisable.  The whole cave tour for Lumiang and Sumaguing cost us 500 pesos, plus a tip of 100 pesos for the guide.

The next day, we went for the Hanging Coffins of the Echo Valley. Going down the valley was hard as it rained on our way there. Travelers were allowed to get as close as just meters away from the site of the coffins. The reason for the hanging of coffins was the belief of the Igorots that the higher the dead body is placed, the closer the deceased is with his dead ancestors. The coffins were suspended on the face of the cliff with iron wires or ropes. One coffin even had the wooden chair where the deceased was made to sit during the final ritual. According to our guide, the last hanging coffin was put in place in 2004.

For dinner, we tried the crowded Yoghurt House. Those who want to try fresh yoghurt should better be there at six p.m. since the restaurant would already be full by seven. I ordered “Salt and Pepper Diner’s Rosemary Chicken” meal, which was a half of organic chicken with rice and a side dish of vegetables. In Sagada the meals were cheap yet the servings were enormous. But I had to wait for about 45 minutes for my order – I was told that “good food is not fast food.” For dessert, our group ordered three yoghurt concoctions – “Banana Granola with Strawberry Preserves,” “Plain Yoghurt,” and “Fruits in Season.”

To end our Sagada sojourn, we decided to watch the sunrise from the Kiltepan viewpoint. We took a van to the viewing area at five in the morning. It was a good day; the sun rose magnificently, as we felt the clouds moistening our feet.  The morning fog was thick, as Sagada is at a 5,000-feet elevation.

For souvenirs, Sagada has woven bags from coin purses to messenger-type ones, priced at 50 to 800 pesos depending on the size. Souvenir centers also sell mountain teas and Kape Arabica at 200 pesos per pack.

Sagada is definitely a good travel option. The place offers a cool respite up in the clouds. And it does not have to cost much.