Sagada Saga

Next stop was Sagada, an old hippy hangout. We were told the jeepney left at 8.30am so we were up early and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, then we were off. 200m later we stopped and the driver said he wasn't going as he didn't have enough passengers but that this was the bus stop for the 10am bus. At 11.30 the bus arrived and we were off (fingers crossed). Lately we've got a room really easily so we were due for a struggle, the first place we tried was full and the 2nd was like the hotel from "The Shining" only emptier and freezing cold! 3rd time lucky we got a decentish room (Alfredos) and headed to "The Yogurt House" a restaurant that had been recommended to us and it was pretty special. We met a guy from Bolton and talked to him for most of the afternoon. Next morning it was hiking time, to quote from our guidebook,

01 hanging Coffins

02 Maligcong Rice terraces

"There are many intersecting paths in the echo valley. many people set out for a 1 hour hike and return, hours later covered in mud and picking twigs out of their hair. Do the sensible thing and take a guide."

Many hours later, we returned, covered in mud and picking twigs out of our hair! We did see the hanging coffins for which the region is famous. It costs a lot of money and animal sacrifices to have your bones laid to rest in a coffin literally hung from the side of a cliff. Some of them are hundreds of years old.

We were up early again the next day to go to Maligcong for more rice terraces, visiting the excellent museum at Bontoc on the way. It had lots of information about the local indigineous tribes and some stunning black and white photos from a time long since past. Maligcong was beautiful and we didn't see any other tourists. We walked amoung the terraces watching the locals working hard as it is planting time.

03 Maligcong

04 Maligcong