For my birthday, Jeff and I went up to Northern Luzon to the mountainous areas of Banaue and Sagada. Not only did we strategically plan on going to these place for my birthday, but we also planned on going there to escape from the summer heat. It was refreshing to be in an area of the Philippines where walking for five minutes didn't leave you soaked in sweat. The northern part of the Philippines is quite different than the rest. Because it is difficult to get to and thus, is more independent from the rest of the Philippines, the people here have retained more of their traditional culture.
The most appealing part of this area, though, was the rice terraces. They are a UNESSCO World Heritage Site and were built around 2000 BCE!! In addition to doing incredible hikes through these terraces and surrounding mountains, we went caving, saw the hanging coffins and ate the most delicious food we have had in the Philippines.
This was my favorite vacation that I have taken in the Philippines. Although, I did think that I was not going to survive. The jeep that we took through the narrow, mostly unpaved mountain roads wit no guard rails, was overloaded with people, sacks of rice, luggage and wood inside and on top. There were times that I couldn't help but lean away from the side closest to the drop, hoping that my weight would keep the jeep's center of gravity in place. Just another exciting part of travelling in the Philippines.
 |
| These rice terraces are still used to cultivate rice |
 |
| We went barefoot for most of the 3 hours in the cave. The stone was like fine sandpaper so that you could walk vertically on them without slipping. |
 |
| We don't know these people. Often times random Filipinos ask us for pictures because we're foreigners. Our guide was savvy enough to take a picture. |
No comments:
Post a Comment