Banaue Rice Terrace

Trip Start Apr 19, 2008

Trip End Apr 20, 2008

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On the Bus

(Banaue hotels)

Flag of Philippines Banaue, Luzon, Philippines
Thursday, January 31, 2008

This is the momory of the first trip to Banaue with my mother in January, 2008. It was hot enough enven in winter in the Philippines. I arrived in Banaue very early in the morning by bus from Baguio. Then I had got two problems. The first problem was that I left my LP guide in the bus. It was not serious, because we would leave the country the next day. The second problem was we couldn't take a jeepney to Batad, where there was the most famouse rice terrace. Actually, we met a Chinese group in Baguio and they invited us to hire a jeepney to Batad with them, but they would stay in Batad village. So we had to leave them in Banaue and take a small tricycle for just two of us.

The first thing to do in Banaue was to reserve tickets of Auto Bus to Manila. The Auto bus terminal was a little bit far from the bus terminal where we arrived. So the master of the cafe where we had drinks stopped a tricycle driver for us and asked him to take us to the Auto bus terminal before heading for Batad

Batad Rice Terrace

. The way to Batad was rugged and dusty and it made us tired. In addition, Batad village was located in the mountainous area and so it was impossible to reach there by tricycle. We got off at the fork of the main route and had to transfer to a jeepney there. It cost 800 pesos for return. I didn't need to take the jeepney there, but thiking of my mother, it was a better choice.

From the mountain pass, we had to hike to the village. It took us one and half hour and we reached a small restaurant in the village. The view of the rice terrace was impressive, but my mom didn't looked so impressed, because she had seen a lot of rice terraces in Asian countries including our country, Japan. Anyway, we had a little break and talked to the owner lady breeding a baby. She told me that the area would have a ropeway or something soon and it would make Batad touristy. We also talked about school system of Japan and the Philippines as well as English educations. My mom was so tired at that time and I was really sorry about that, but I decided to go farther on my own. I walked down a small lane and met the Chinese group again. They were also stunned by the view. I went farther and farther without a guide, even I was offered to hire a guide for 300 pesos many times. I had no destinations and just wanted to stroll around the rice terraces. It was fun enough. When I got back to the restaurant where my mom was waiting and bored

Rice Terrace

. When we left the restaurant, the owner lady gave my mom a stick and it was very helpful for her to go uphill.

At the mountain pass, we had waited for the jeepney driver, but luckily he came ealier than the meeting time we set. The passengers were only us at first, becuase we hired it, but he picked up a hiker on the way to the fork, although we didn't mind. I thought it was a right choice to hire him for a return trip, because my mom looked really tired. At the fork, our tricycle driver was waiting for us and he drove us to the center of Banaue. We paid him 650 pesos(18 USD) for a return trip and he looked very happy. I was not sure if he was waiting for us at the fork, but I wondered how much money he make per day.