The Road to Sagada

 

Twenty-three years ago, my first trip to the Philippines ended with a visit to the Sagada region which is known for their rice terraces sometimes referred to as an eight wonder of the world. It was such a beautiful place and so far away from all tourism because it was difficult to get to. Back then, we spent a long day bouncing over dirt roads scratched into the sides of mountains and through small creeks and waterfalls. Twenty-three years later, the road is now paved though as you can see from the screenshot above from my phone about midway through the six hour drive, it isn't a straight shot. In fact, it is so twisty and curvy and up and down, that our average speed the entire distance was likely only about 35 miles per hour, about the same speed we traveled twenty-three yeas ago, and this time on a paved road with not a lot of traffic!

We rented another van from John Wayne, loaded it with some luggage and food and headed off north up the central mountain range of the Luzon province. The road was still dug into the sides of mountains in places such as the spot you see above. 

Although I'm used to having to buy toilet paper, if that is even an option, at most public restrooms in the Philippines and paying for the privilege of using a public restroom is pretty common, this phenomenon of charging depending on your business was new to me. I guess you were on your honor system because when you left the restroom, you just put your money on the counter of the nearby shop the restroom belonged too and they took it without question. For reference, 10 peso is about $0.16 U.S.D. so if you suddenly had the urge, defecating wasn't going to break your bank.

My biggest worry about going to Sagada was that it would be overrun with tourists like much of the rest of the Philippines has been. Indeed, we saw more signs of that possibility such as this "house" being built right next to the road. I'm not sure it was going to be a house but it uses typical Filipino mountain construction of reinforced concrete post and beams with concrete floors between levels.

As I was becoming used too, there were only a couple pull offs on the journey so many of my pictures were taken from John Wayne's van as it yawed around this corner or that and timed to hopefully take advantage in a gap of the roadside jungle. However, there was this one pull off at the highest point along this stretch of road where you could take in a very unspectacular view or buy some cheap mass produce souvenirs at a convenient roadside stand.

Due to the distances involved over a very twisty and still rough road, every vehicle that makes the journey is maximized for efficiency. Travelers could ride inside and some vegetables heading to market could occupy the top.

The territory we were driving through is what I would describe the spring vegetable basket of their nation. Mountains everywhere had been terraced up and down their flanks to create small level patches where every inch of available soiled surface was planted in any manner of vegetable crops that thrive in cooler temperatures. I was many types of cabbages and lettuce, bok choy, potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, corn, etc. In fact, on the return trip later, we drove the same road but among hundreds of heavily loaded straight trucks full of these vegetables headed for the markets of Baguio and beyond to the lowlands. 

Try as I might, I was unable to get any descent photos of these vegetable terraces on our journey to Sagada. The road was just too curvy, my iPhone just not quick enough and the glimpses between trees even at 35 mph just too short to accomplish much. I did capture a photo of the cable that they string down the mountains and then connect up to an old motorcycle engine up near the road, they can haul their vegetables on little cable trams up to road level instead of carrying them by hand up and down the mountain side.

On the return journey, I was able to get one decent picture though it doesn't convey the vastness of the vegetable terraces that filled the view whenever there was a gap in the trees along the road. 

I was also able to capture a truck of cabbage heading south to the lowlands and an empty truck heading back north for anther load.

Another truck of lettuce.

Eventually we made it to Sagada in the evening hours and did a quick bit of shopping for some food on our way through town. I was happy to see that it didn't appear touristy at all and in fact, remained much like I had remembered it twenty-three years ago. The only difference that I noticed were that the tricycles had been largely replaced by tuk-tuks in this region. My BIL said it was because the tuk-tuks had more power for navigating the steep terrain. 

Because it was rainy season, we were able to secure a couple rental cabins near the house you see above through the trees. Our cabins were actually up the stairs in the upper left of the above photograph and were actually quite nice as you can see in the picture below though required a hike up the mountain to reach. They weren't air conditioned but it was actually a bit chilly by the time we went to sleep later. We ate our meal and settled in for the evening. Tomorrow, I would be visiting the famous rice terraces that I visited twenty-three years ago at the end of my first trip and would essentially end this trip twenty-three years later.