Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Cleanup Drive: Miyamit Falls and Porac Peak



Since the time I showed my relatives my pictures of Miyamit Falls and the Porac peak, they have been so eager about getting there themselves (and of course with me being their guide). And me, being a person who always give way to my younger cousins, I thought I could spare them some time for my christmas offs.

I was supposed to go to work on the 27th, but last christmas, they've been begging me to get them elsewhere. The girls were good with going to Poracay resort, also in the same town, but the boys were wanting something more rough. Meantime, I was having second thoughts of wether they'll be able to handle the ups and downs of the several mountain trail to the peak and falls.



Christmas night, I invited my elder cousin for a nightout in Angeles party district. It was almost 4am when we went home. By the time I woke up, it was almost noontime, ready for lunch. Everybody has been anticipating the hike the next day so everyone woke up and came early, ready with their backpacks. I did not want to spoil their preparations so I immediately asked them to send an sms to our uncle so he could pick us up and drive us to the drop off point. Thank goodness, our uncle was more than ready and available.














In less than an hour, I had my lunch, bath, and was ready to leave. At 2:47 we were already at the jump off point in Sapang Uwak. Within less than an hour from the jump off point, the ladies were complaining about their knees already. Next hour, everybody was asking for some breaks every 30 mins of the trail. I knew it will be late by the time we reach the peak.



After several encounters with the local aetas, and several breaks and outcries more ahead, we reached the peak before 7pm. It was still a fast hike compared to when I've taken it the first time, and alone. That time, since I started it at a very hot 11am, it took me 6 hours to get to miyamit falls.


At the peak, the wind was blowing very strong and very cold. We met 2 guys there, 3 including their guide, who has been exploring the mountains of porac for said, 10 yrs, since 2000: The type of group I would definitely want to belong to as I'd like to write and focus about my local mountains. There has been a few they've successfully explored, and the one they are about to take at that time will already be their second attempt. According to them, it takes them 4 days normally to conquer one of the mountains, including one with a 4,000++ MASL elevation.



I had a few shots share of their Gin when I thought about going back to my tent so I can have more time with my cousins. Anyhow, I have their number and I'll certainly contact and join them for their future exploration.


Since it was very cold, we decided not to setup the 2 tents. We setup the bigger one where 7 of us had fit in, to help us in the cold. We weren't ready for that cold as it was warm the first time we were there. I had to tie some of our spare clothes on my feet and hands to warm up.











It was 8am when we woke up. The 2 guys woke up earlier and were taking pictures around. Apung Jungle, one of the elder natives, was also there and was narrating a lot of stories about the eruption of the Pinatubo and more info about the peaks. As soon as we had coffee, some bread and tuna, we packed up and was ready for the descend to the falls... the part where it gets more exciting for the rest.


On the way down, we met a group of folks from the travel show of  CLTV36 (the local channel). We left them in the deck and met them again in the falls

While the view was as priceless as ever, I could not take a dip this time as the water was nearly ice cold;










By noontime, we started the return trail and were back at the jump off point by 4pm. While the girls were quite teary 30 mins before the jump off point, I must say, they nailed it. Not to mention the fact that, though I had to bribe them a bit, we collected the plastic garbage along the way.

Thanks to my cousins, the trail is plastic free. Hope future visitors keep it that way...



To read about my previous solo trip, click here



Since the time I showed my relatives my pictures of Miyamit Falls and the Porac peak, they have been so eager about getting there themselves (and of course with me being their guide). And me, being a person who always give way to my younger cousins, I thought I could spare them some time for my christmas offs.

I was supposed to go to work on the 27th, but last christmas, they've been begging me to get them elsewhere. The girls were good with going to Poracay resort, also in the same town, but the boys were wanting something more rough. Meantime, I was having second thoughts of wether they'll be able to handle the ups and downs of the several mountain trail to the peak and falls.



Christmas night, I invited my elder cousin for a nightout in Angeles party district. It was almost 4am when we went home. By the time I woke up, it was almost noontime, ready for lunch. Everybody has been anticipating the hike the next day so everyone woke up and came early, ready with their backpacks. I did not want to spoil their preparations so I immediately asked them to send an sms to our uncle so he could pick us up and drive us to the drop off point. Thank goodness, our uncle was more than ready and available.














In less than an hour, I had my lunch, bath, and was ready to leave. At 2:47 we were already at the jump off point in Sapang Uwak. Within less than an hour from the jump off point, the ladies were complaining about their knees already. Next hour, everybody was asking for some breaks every 30 mins of the trail. I knew it will be late by the time we reach the peak.



After several encounters with the local aetas, and several breaks and outcries more ahead, we reached the peak before 7pm. It was still a fast hike compared to when I've taken it the first time, and alone. That time, since I started it at a very hot 11am, it took me 6 hours to get to miyamit falls.


At the peak, the wind was blowing very strong and very cold. We met 2 guys there, 3 including their guide, who has been exploring the mountains of porac for said, 10 yrs, since 2000: The type of group I would definitely want to belong to as I'd like to write and focus about my local mountains. There has been a few they've successfully explored, and the one they are about to take at that time will already be their second attempt. According to them, it takes them 4 days normally to conquer one of the mountains, including one with a 4,000++ MASL elevation.



I had a few shots share of their Gin when I thought about going back to my tent so I can have more time with my cousins. Anyhow, I have their number and I'll certainly contact and join them for their future exploration.


Since it was very cold, we decided not to setup the 2 tents. We setup the bigger one where 7 of us had fit in, to help us in the cold. We weren't ready for that cold as it was warm the first time we were there. I had to tie some of our spare clothes on my feet and hands to warm up.











It was 8am when we woke up. The 2 guys woke up earlier and were taking pictures around. Apung Jungle, one of the elder natives, was also there and was narrating a lot of stories about the eruption of the Pinatubo and more info about the peaks. As soon as we had coffee, some bread and tuna, we packed up and was ready for the descend to the falls... the part where it gets more exciting for the rest.


On the way down, we met a group of folks from the travel show of  CLTV36 (the local channel). We left them in the deck and met them again in the falls

While the view was as priceless as ever, I could not take a dip this time as the water was nearly ice cold;










By noontime, we started the return trail and were back at the jump off point by 4pm. While the girls were quite teary 30 mins before the jump off point, I must say, they nailed it. Not to mention the fact that, though I had to bribe them a bit, we collected the plastic garbage along the way.

Thanks to my cousins, the trail is plastic free. Hope future visitors keep it that way...



To read about my previous solo trip, click here

Read More »

Sunday, December 25, 2011

The Road to Sagada

It was 4:29 in the afternoon when I reached the Dau Terminal (Pampanga). After 2 stops, 1 in Siesta terminal in Tarlac and another in Sison, Pangasinan, I reached Baguio City at 10:15pm. My friends, whom I'm meeting for a night in Baguio, had checked in Leisure lodge along Magsaysay rd.


I was supposed to take the 5am bus en route to Sagada, but since I was drinking the whole night, it was already 8am when I woke up.

By 8:40am I was in Dangwa terminal, and the next bus (Sagada Ambasing; Bus no 946 which is the newest and comparably faster than 063 which was what I took on the way back to Baguio) available is leaving at 9:30am. The seats were numbered and the only one available was seat 40 which is elevated at the far end of the right side bus. I thought it was to my advantage to add more thrill to the  cliffs. Had I been early, I would have booked the front center seat.












At 11:30, we were in the 1st bus stop in Sayangan, where passengers can eat at the Morning Star Restaurant. I was hoping to have a taste of their local cuisine but the menu was the more popular national dishes like daing, sinigang, etc. I was quite hungry so even if I was thinking about opening my canned goods instead, I ordered daing and ginisang sitaw plus kalabasa for P80.




Just 5 minutes after the morning star restaurant is the highest point of the national highway at 7,405MASL. Driving tourist has a parkway where they can stop for some pictures.


By 2:01, we were at the second stop in Mabaayi for comfort break. There are pay toilets (P5, P3) and vegetable stalls. Compared to morning star restaurant, we spent only about 10 minutes here.  When I got to my seat, i saw a store selling carrot cupcakes but it was too late for me to get one as the driver is already hitting the accelerator.



The first quarter of the ride, the view is mostly on the left side of the bus. Then, next is on right, and so on. So, eitherway, you get a share of the view. Along Mt Data, where they grow the vegetables they sell at our markets, the view is mostly on the left side. An hour before reaching Sagada, on the rough unpaved road, the thrill is on the right side. Apparently, the farther you get, the more daring the roads are.

From La Trinidad, all the way to Sagada, there will be a lot of Talampunays growing along the highway. According to locals, If you boil 5 of these flowers and drink the tea, you can get hallucination.

As we got close to sagada, especially on the unpaved road, perhaps because of the elevation, the ground was moist, and I just became more wary about the trip. At some point we had to reverse backwards up because there is another vehicle, sometimes a 10 wheeler truck, coming from the other way.





We reached the Sagada boundary at 3:18 pm, and I immediately scouted for an accommodation. There are a number of them including those I saw online, but Sagada guesthouse was the most enticing from the drop off point. I got in and asked for the rate. I was told it’s P250/head/night, and though it wasn’t close to what i read online (P75-P150) I thought it was still affordable anyway.

I unloaded my baggage and immediately went out to start my exploration. I walked towards the Sumaguing cave and met an Israeli along the way. Towards the cave, there will be more of the inns in sagada as well as the restaurants, including Bana’s cafe, Yoghurt hourse, and Lemon Pie house. Coming closer to the cave there is a newly opened cozy Gia cafe where they also sell indigenous books and crafts.

Coming close to the cave we met a group of youngsters waiting for their guide for the cave. I was trying to negotiate to come with them to the caves and share with the fee but the guide won’t give way. I find it quite expensive to get a guide though for myself and since there is nobody else to share with other than the Israeli, I thought about putting the caving off; Besides, I had my electronics with me bare without ziplock and I can’t risk them on the waist deep pool inside; Plus, I wasn’t on my proper gear for the caving; That many reasons (and excuses) to convince myself not to proceed. Most of the people coming out of the caves were literally wounded because it was very slippery inside.

Since there is nothing else from that point, we walked back and though about stopping by Gia Cafe for some drink. They have a Sagada brew for P20 and both I and Adam the Israeli gave it a try. After some cool 30 mins cozy stop in Gia cafe, we walked back further and checked out the menu of the other restaurants. Just like I regularly do, I look for native cuisines (province wise) but most of it is western. Again, my fallback on such trips... canned goods. There was a barbeque vendor near the municipal hall and we each had 3 sticks of pork at P10/stick. After that, we went back to the hotel, meeting 2 more Germans who were looking for the Sagada Guesthouse and just landed from Baguio city. We escorted them to the Hotel, had my canned goods delight in my room, and cleaned up. After that, I bought my red horse from the stores down, and had a little chat with the expats. After we finished each of our beers, the german left to have dinner in masferre, and I invited adam to the Green House for more beer.

The bar shows the craftsmanship, artistry and cultural inclination of the locals. I was surprised that one elderly local walked in and sat with a group of Australians and sang with total familiarity with Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.

After 3 more 500ml red horse beer in that bar, about 11pm, we went back to the hotel as I have to wake up for the rush tour the next day.

The expats and I were arranging for a Big Falls tour with a guide. However, we could not well agree on the time to start the tour. As for me, i have to start it real early because I don’t have all the time (only half day remaining for the next day because the last bus leaves at 1pm); Adam on the other hand is planning to leave for bontoc the next day, so it was a lot of convincing for him to see the big falls. The 2 Germans though wanted to get enough sleep as they have just arrived from a long travel.  In all all, we still agreed to wake up at 6am and knock at whoever isn’t awake by then.

I woke up at the agreed date, but I don’t have enough guts to wake up some sleepy souls. So... I did my thing. Walked walked walked, had coffee near the bus station, had a lemon pie, and had another cup of coffee.. this time, the famous alamid coffee.

I did not really find any difference between that coffee and any other kind, except that there is some roughness in the throat (which I’m not sure if it’s because of the coffee itself or that I’ve been smoking a lot).
Next, I would be heading to Kiltepan peak, and instead of taking the 1 hour walk going there, I took the Bontoc jeep and did the top load. Another German was with me atop, who according to him, will head to Tuguegarao for a night before flying to Manila for his flight back to Germany. After some 20 minute hike from the highway, It was already past 9am when i got there. indeed, it’s best to do the Kiltepan peak on a sunrise for the sea of clouds. The view at that time was only the rice terraces, and there’s not even much of it there (I think there’s even more en route to Sumaguing cave).

I had to walk all the way from the peak to the hotel. It took me about 45 minutes to get back and I took a bath and packed up immediately (check out is actually at 10am and I was afraid they will be charging me another day if I prolong further. Thank God they didn’t). I checked out at 11:30, waited in the lobby while facebooking, and left for the bus at 12:30. There were only a few seats left at that time, and I regret I didn’t come any earlier, so i could have chosen my seat. Bus left exactly 1pm.













It was 0 visibility around Mt Data in that afternoon. If you’d like on the windows of the bus, it seems like it’s a white wall. I intentionally sat on the same side of the bus so I can catch the views that I missed en route to Sagada;

It was 7:10 when I reached Baguio city. Walking around baguio towards the Victory bus terminal, had fishball and siomai along session rod. Then bulalo in the same carinderia I go to everytime I visit Baguio (on the road down SM Baguio); Lemon grass and carrot cake on a cafe near the terminal. When I get to the terminal, there’s an exodus of passengers. The drivers and conductors were asking for booked tickets, and the chance passenger lane is absolutely frustrating. I immediately went to thee second floor to get my ticket. And while I can basically take any bus route since im getting off in dau bus terminal only, tragically, the earliest trip that I can hop on is the 10:50 bus. Since i got 2 more hours to go, I thought about going to the night market in Burnham.

It is not a surprise that mot goods sold are ukay ukay stuff. Though it wasn’t really that cold, most of what’s sold in the UK are jackets and sweaters. There are outdoor brands sold, and running back and forth, I got a nice Columbia jacket for P350.

Overall... the Sagada trip was very refreshing. I may have not gone to the sumaguing cave and the big falls, but the view alone, along the way, the climate in Sagada, the pine trees, and the experience, it’s totally worth it. Absolutely recommended for clearing stressed minds.

Notes:
*In baguio city, we paid P750 in leisure lodge for a 4person, twin bed sharing.  The vicinity is not really for unfamiliar tourists I guess. Not recommended, though if price is an issue, then you might just behave inside the lodge.
*The fare from Dangwa to Sagada is P220. Lizardo trans may be contacted at 309 2096.
*Sagada Prices: Lemon pie at P35/slice.
*Alamid brew at P200/cup.
*Drinking water refill for 2.5Liters at P20.
*Internet access in the cafe at P20/hour.
*Red horse in the stores is P35 while P50 in the bars.
*Goods in the stores are sold at the same prices as our neighbourhood stores. Shampoo at P6. Century corned tuna (big) at P35. Marlboro lights at P35. Toothpaste P8.
*I visited the bakeshop, and they have a cinnamon bread for P19 (about 10inches diameter).
*Meals around town are P80 up..
*Make sure to have your camera battery fully charged. The view along the way could be very enticing, and if you’re not bringing a charger with you, might as well take 10 shots maximum of the view from the bus. Like me, you might not have enough battery by the time you get there for the actual tour. Besides, it’s elevated and cold, so don’t expect the battery to run the same life.
*If you’ll drive to Sagada, make sure the driver has a reliever. Fuel up in Baguio city as I think the next fuelling station is up in far Bontoc. If you’re commuting, get ready with a puke bag and some snacks.
*Village is deep asleep by 10. Stores close between 8-9pm.
*Traction shoes are better for caving.
*I think It would be best if you’ll take accommodation in the outskirt of the municipal hall. I think the stay is Sagada is best felt quiet. Try Rock Inn or Mapiya-aw.
*Locate the destinations on google maps rather than buying the useless map they sell in the souvenier shops.
*Negotiate for discounts for group accommodation. The P250/head fee may be cut to P200/head for groups of 4 up.
*Baguio-Sagada is 6.5hrs ride. Trip Schedule is 6:15am. 7:30am. 8:30am. 9:30am. 10:30am.11:30am. And last is 1:00pm.
*Banaue to Manila is 8hours. Autobus: 5:30pm. Florida Bus: 6:00pm and 8:00pm
*Bontoc to Banaue is 2 hours. First at 7:00am. 2nd at 7:30am. Last 8:30am.
*Sagada to Bontoc is 50 minutes jeep ride (You can do topload for extremists J. 1st is 6:30 and 30 minutes thereafter til 9. After 9, it’s 10am and an hour thereafter til the last trip at 1pm.
*Contact nos for the accomodation are as follows.
Alapo’s 09213279055
Alfredo’s 09185883535
A7 House 09212876039
Billy’s House 09216032745
Canaway 09107092631
Churya-a 09064300853
Ganduyan 09212738097
Gecko Inn 09202895471
George Guesthouse 09185480406
Igorot Inn 09087578357
Kanip-aw Pines View 09282897507
Mapiya-aw Pension 09052164055
Olahbinan 09284067647
Residential Lodge 09196728744
Rock Inn 09209095899
Rocky Valley 09186432784
Sagada Guesthouse 09219694053
Sagada homestay 09197028380
Saint Joseph 09185595934
Traveller’s Inn 09207992960
Yabami Lodge 09204119976
It was 4:29 in the afternoon when I reached the Dau Terminal (Pampanga). After 2 stops, 1 in Siesta terminal in Tarlac and another in Sison, Pangasinan, I reached Baguio City at 10:15pm. My friends, whom I'm meeting for a night in Baguio, had checked in Leisure lodge along Magsaysay rd.


I was supposed to take the 5am bus en route to Sagada, but since I was drinking the whole night, it was already 8am when I woke up.

By 8:40am I was in Dangwa terminal, and the next bus (Sagada Ambasing; Bus no 946 which is the newest and comparably faster than 063 which was what I took on the way back to Baguio) available is leaving at 9:30am. The seats were numbered and the only one available was seat 40 which is elevated at the far end of the right side bus. I thought it was to my advantage to add more thrill to the  cliffs. Had I been early, I would have booked the front center seat.












At 11:30, we were in the 1st bus stop in Sayangan, where passengers can eat at the Morning Star Restaurant. I was hoping to have a taste of their local cuisine but the menu was the more popular national dishes like daing, sinigang, etc. I was quite hungry so even if I was thinking about opening my canned goods instead, I ordered daing and ginisang sitaw plus kalabasa for P80.




Just 5 minutes after the morning star restaurant is the highest point of the national highway at 7,405MASL. Driving tourist has a parkway where they can stop for some pictures.


By 2:01, we were at the second stop in Mabaayi for comfort break. There are pay toilets (P5, P3) and vegetable stalls. Compared to morning star restaurant, we spent only about 10 minutes here.  When I got to my seat, i saw a store selling carrot cupcakes but it was too late for me to get one as the driver is already hitting the accelerator.



The first quarter of the ride, the view is mostly on the left side of the bus. Then, next is on right, and so on. So, eitherway, you get a share of the view. Along Mt Data, where they grow the vegetables they sell at our markets, the view is mostly on the left side. An hour before reaching Sagada, on the rough unpaved road, the thrill is on the right side. Apparently, the farther you get, the more daring the roads are.

From La Trinidad, all the way to Sagada, there will be a lot of Talampunays growing along the highway. According to locals, If you boil 5 of these flowers and drink the tea, you can get hallucination.

As we got close to sagada, especially on the unpaved road, perhaps because of the elevation, the ground was moist, and I just became more wary about the trip. At some point we had to reverse backwards up because there is another vehicle, sometimes a 10 wheeler truck, coming from the other way.





We reached the Sagada boundary at 3:18 pm, and I immediately scouted for an accommodation. There are a number of them including those I saw online, but Sagada guesthouse was the most enticing from the drop off point. I got in and asked for the rate. I was told it’s P250/head/night, and though it wasn’t close to what i read online (P75-P150) I thought it was still affordable anyway.

I unloaded my baggage and immediately went out to start my exploration. I walked towards the Sumaguing cave and met an Israeli along the way. Towards the cave, there will be more of the inns in sagada as well as the restaurants, including Bana’s cafe, Yoghurt hourse, and Lemon Pie house. Coming closer to the cave there is a newly opened cozy Gia cafe where they also sell indigenous books and crafts.

Coming close to the cave we met a group of youngsters waiting for their guide for the cave. I was trying to negotiate to come with them to the caves and share with the fee but the guide won’t give way. I find it quite expensive to get a guide though for myself and since there is nobody else to share with other than the Israeli, I thought about putting the caving off; Besides, I had my electronics with me bare without ziplock and I can’t risk them on the waist deep pool inside; Plus, I wasn’t on my proper gear for the caving; That many reasons (and excuses) to convince myself not to proceed. Most of the people coming out of the caves were literally wounded because it was very slippery inside.

Since there is nothing else from that point, we walked back and though about stopping by Gia Cafe for some drink. They have a Sagada brew for P20 and both I and Adam the Israeli gave it a try. After some cool 30 mins cozy stop in Gia cafe, we walked back further and checked out the menu of the other restaurants. Just like I regularly do, I look for native cuisines (province wise) but most of it is western. Again, my fallback on such trips... canned goods. There was a barbeque vendor near the municipal hall and we each had 3 sticks of pork at P10/stick. After that, we went back to the hotel, meeting 2 more Germans who were looking for the Sagada Guesthouse and just landed from Baguio city. We escorted them to the Hotel, had my canned goods delight in my room, and cleaned up. After that, I bought my red horse from the stores down, and had a little chat with the expats. After we finished each of our beers, the german left to have dinner in masferre, and I invited adam to the Green House for more beer.

The bar shows the craftsmanship, artistry and cultural inclination of the locals. I was surprised that one elderly local walked in and sat with a group of Australians and sang with total familiarity with Bob Marley’s Redemption Song.

After 3 more 500ml red horse beer in that bar, about 11pm, we went back to the hotel as I have to wake up for the rush tour the next day.

The expats and I were arranging for a Big Falls tour with a guide. However, we could not well agree on the time to start the tour. As for me, i have to start it real early because I don’t have all the time (only half day remaining for the next day because the last bus leaves at 1pm); Adam on the other hand is planning to leave for bontoc the next day, so it was a lot of convincing for him to see the big falls. The 2 Germans though wanted to get enough sleep as they have just arrived from a long travel.  In all all, we still agreed to wake up at 6am and knock at whoever isn’t awake by then.

I woke up at the agreed date, but I don’t have enough guts to wake up some sleepy souls. So... I did my thing. Walked walked walked, had coffee near the bus station, had a lemon pie, and had another cup of coffee.. this time, the famous alamid coffee.

I did not really find any difference between that coffee and any other kind, except that there is some roughness in the throat (which I’m not sure if it’s because of the coffee itself or that I’ve been smoking a lot).
Next, I would be heading to Kiltepan peak, and instead of taking the 1 hour walk going there, I took the Bontoc jeep and did the top load. Another German was with me atop, who according to him, will head to Tuguegarao for a night before flying to Manila for his flight back to Germany. After some 20 minute hike from the highway, It was already past 9am when i got there. indeed, it’s best to do the Kiltepan peak on a sunrise for the sea of clouds. The view at that time was only the rice terraces, and there’s not even much of it there (I think there’s even more en route to Sumaguing cave).

I had to walk all the way from the peak to the hotel. It took me about 45 minutes to get back and I took a bath and packed up immediately (check out is actually at 10am and I was afraid they will be charging me another day if I prolong further. Thank God they didn’t). I checked out at 11:30, waited in the lobby while facebooking, and left for the bus at 12:30. There were only a few seats left at that time, and I regret I didn’t come any earlier, so i could have chosen my seat. Bus left exactly 1pm.













It was 0 visibility around Mt Data in that afternoon. If you’d like on the windows of the bus, it seems like it’s a white wall. I intentionally sat on the same side of the bus so I can catch the views that I missed en route to Sagada;

It was 7:10 when I reached Baguio city. Walking around baguio towards the Victory bus terminal, had fishball and siomai along session rod. Then bulalo in the same carinderia I go to everytime I visit Baguio (on the road down SM Baguio); Lemon grass and carrot cake on a cafe near the terminal. When I get to the terminal, there’s an exodus of passengers. The drivers and conductors were asking for booked tickets, and the chance passenger lane is absolutely frustrating. I immediately went to thee second floor to get my ticket. And while I can basically take any bus route since im getting off in dau bus terminal only, tragically, the earliest trip that I can hop on is the 10:50 bus. Since i got 2 more hours to go, I thought about going to the night market in Burnham.

It is not a surprise that mot goods sold are ukay ukay stuff. Though it wasn’t really that cold, most of what’s sold in the UK are jackets and sweaters. There are outdoor brands sold, and running back and forth, I got a nice Columbia jacket for P350.

Overall... the Sagada trip was very refreshing. I may have not gone to the sumaguing cave and the big falls, but the view alone, along the way, the climate in Sagada, the pine trees, and the experience, it’s totally worth it. Absolutely recommended for clearing stressed minds.

Notes:
*In baguio city, we paid P750 in leisure lodge for a 4person, twin bed sharing.  The vicinity is not really for unfamiliar tourists I guess. Not recommended, though if price is an issue, then you might just behave inside the lodge.
*The fare from Dangwa to Sagada is P220. Lizardo trans may be contacted at 309 2096.
*Sagada Prices: Lemon pie at P35/slice.
*Alamid brew at P200/cup.
*Drinking water refill for 2.5Liters at P20.
*Internet access in the cafe at P20/hour.
*Red horse in the stores is P35 while P50 in the bars.
*Goods in the stores are sold at the same prices as our neighbourhood stores. Shampoo at P6. Century corned tuna (big) at P35. Marlboro lights at P35. Toothpaste P8.
*I visited the bakeshop, and they have a cinnamon bread for P19 (about 10inches diameter).
*Meals around town are P80 up..
*Make sure to have your camera battery fully charged. The view along the way could be very enticing, and if you’re not bringing a charger with you, might as well take 10 shots maximum of the view from the bus. Like me, you might not have enough battery by the time you get there for the actual tour. Besides, it’s elevated and cold, so don’t expect the battery to run the same life.
*If you’ll drive to Sagada, make sure the driver has a reliever. Fuel up in Baguio city as I think the next fuelling station is up in far Bontoc. If you’re commuting, get ready with a puke bag and some snacks.
*Village is deep asleep by 10. Stores close between 8-9pm.
*Traction shoes are better for caving.
*I think It would be best if you’ll take accommodation in the outskirt of the municipal hall. I think the stay is Sagada is best felt quiet. Try Rock Inn or Mapiya-aw.
*Locate the destinations on google maps rather than buying the useless map they sell in the souvenier shops.
*Negotiate for discounts for group accommodation. The P250/head fee may be cut to P200/head for groups of 4 up.
*Baguio-Sagada is 6.5hrs ride. Trip Schedule is 6:15am. 7:30am. 8:30am. 9:30am. 10:30am.11:30am. And last is 1:00pm.
*Banaue to Manila is 8hours. Autobus: 5:30pm. Florida Bus: 6:00pm and 8:00pm
*Bontoc to Banaue is 2 hours. First at 7:00am. 2nd at 7:30am. Last 8:30am.
*Sagada to Bontoc is 50 minutes jeep ride (You can do topload for extremists J. 1st is 6:30 and 30 minutes thereafter til 9. After 9, it’s 10am and an hour thereafter til the last trip at 1pm.
*Contact nos for the accomodation are as follows.
Alapo’s 09213279055
Alfredo’s 09185883535
A7 House 09212876039
Billy’s House 09216032745
Canaway 09107092631
Churya-a 09064300853
Ganduyan 09212738097
Gecko Inn 09202895471
George Guesthouse 09185480406
Igorot Inn 09087578357
Kanip-aw Pines View 09282897507
Mapiya-aw Pension 09052164055
Olahbinan 09284067647
Residential Lodge 09196728744
Rock Inn 09209095899
Rocky Valley 09186432784
Sagada Guesthouse 09219694053
Sagada homestay 09197028380
Saint Joseph 09185595934
Traveller’s Inn 09207992960
Yabami Lodge 09204119976
Read More »

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Porac Peak and Miyamit Falls



Since the time when I've heard about a falls in my hometown Porac, my guilt hasn't calm me. I just couldn't imagine how I could have travelled to so many waterfalls, and be a stranger to my own place. At one point at that same month when I went to the municipality to get a police clearance for work, I took the opportunity to ask the tourism desk for info. Unfortunately, I was told that they don't allow tourists for this season as it will be very dangerous.


November has come and rains had been seldom; Time has come. I had been asking my trek friends to check it out but I couldn't get a confirmed interest from them, and so, I decided to do it myself, something like an occular visit; Not to mention, it will be an added challenge to do a trek alone.


The trail is actually very visible from google, and based on the facebook page for Miyamit falls, the trail is fairly easy so it never came to mind about hunting a guide.


The night before the trek, I was still worrisome about again, doing it alon, but then, having nothing to do on a weekend was more of a bigger problem for someone like me I guess; So, I decided to push it nevertheless. 


Since I read that the trek would be about 5 hours, I planned to leave 5am; However, at 4am of the specified date, I was still reading some notes on the net and packing my stuff. I asked my granny to wake me up by 5:30, but by the time I wake up, it was past 9am.

I immediately took a bath, and grabbed a trike. By 11am, I was in Hacienda terminal where I'd ask to be brought to Sapang Uwak. The driver said it will be P150, and even if I wasn't really prepared to pay that much for a trike, I agreed, considering I am very late already.

From there, it was an endless walk.I was very slow in the trek as the sun was sizzling at that noon and there is no wind to cool me off. Meantime, the more I walk, the better view I get and the more that I would want to see further. It took me close to 5 hours to get to the view deck.

When I got to the deck, it was just priceless; Everywhere you look around is just mountains, and I've completely forgotten and ignored how painful it was on my legs; Took some pictures, boiled water for coffee, and after 30 minutes, I began my trek towards Miyamit Falls. It was turning dark anyway.

Along the way, I met several people, who said they were from GAME NEST (Tarlac). Incidentally, a friend who is also from GAME NEST invited me for an outreach program on the 26th, so I said "see you then."


The trail has been pretty much straight forward until a fork on one point where there isn't anyone to ask. Based from what I've seen from the deck, my instincts say it is the downwards left. I took that hoping I am in the right path. Luckily I was. After about 30 minutes walk, there was an Aeta household who confirmed so.


When I got to the falls, I can't contain my astonishment; I suddenly felt so small and taken over. The falls was so tall up and the horizontal lay of the rocks makes it so serene. I took some pictures and set for one of the kubos.

I was supposed to sleep over in the hut but I felt creepy hearing the loud stream and total darkness. I decided to clean up instead and camp next to the Aeta household i've passed by. At least, I would have some conversation to keep me company.


When I finished cleaning, I hiked back up and just about 20 minutes from the falls, my legs just couldn't handle it; It was already quite dark too. There was a clearance wide enough for my tent so I pitched in there. The only worry was if it rains, the land, which I don't think is compact enough, might erode over me. So i planned on laying my head near the door later when I'm ready for sleep, so I would, hopefully, awaken if rain starts.

I boiled water, as usual, coffee comes first, some cigarettes, and opened a can of sardines. I have brought some cooked rice from home, so thank God I didn't have to cook that night. After the meal, I had nothing else to do. That's when I realized, I'm missing a fellowship in the camp... darn! I had to get in bed by 7:30 but my mind and eyes would have not given up until it was past 10pm. I'd awoken every 2hours and would check out the clouds.

By 4am, the waking up thing got more frequent; So, I gave up the idea of forcing myself to sleep. I cooked my breakfast and trail food and lunch and immediately packed out. It was already 6am though when I finished.


Going back, I was walking as fast as I could so I catch less heat. The hotter it is, the longer it will take me to finish up. Surprisingly, I was back at the jump off by 10am. For one, I didn't really have a more than 5minute break. My food is still intact in my bag. From there, the same 4x4 jeep who deals the 'puso ng saging' offered a ride to hacienda. From there, there was a jeep (and trikes too bound to the porac national highway; A resident said it shall be P10/head or if special P20/head from hacienda to highway) going to Angeles.











NOTES:
The Final hour of the treck to mayamit is the difficult trail. That starting from the Y split. A lot of land has eroded with fallen trees, usually bananas. There will also be 2 smaller river canals approaching miyamit.

Something ironic is that, from the view deck, you can hear the sound of the water drop from the falls. But as you walk towards the falls, the sound disappears and it goes back from 20 minutes before reaching. Don't think that you're lost just because you lost the sound of the waterfall.

There is intermittent signal from SUN and GLOBE. Reception is very strong until the final 2.5 hours, where it gets less to almost none.

For future visitors, better have a huge pack of biscuits. There will be a number of Aeta households along the way, and children and even adults would ask for bread (or candies). I brough a number of monay which I use as my rice and half of them were out before I even reach the deck. It's just very hard to refuse when you see these kids. No matter how little this biscuits are, have some ready. Little is better than nothing... it pays off when you see them smile don't worry.

Better to be on shoes than on sandals; pants/leggings than shorts. There are plenty of MAKAHIYA that has grown far normal along the way, and protruding towards the trail. They sting and could really hurt. Besides, it's 7 mountains up and down to get to the destination.

There is a comfort room in the view deck but not maintained; no water whatsoever.

The treck is best taken before 5am. Try to be in Miyamit before 10am. Make backwards adjustment on your meetup time if necessary.

Drinking water is necessary. Miyamit is the only water source along that whole 6 hour trail. The Aetas had some drum, but you won't want to be some competition with them on their water source.

There are a number of stores in Sapang Uwak, just in case you'll forget some thing. However, they will have only the basic goods. They have electricity in that community, and one household even has a Satellite Dish..WOW!..









To get to Sitio Banaba by commute, from manila, take a bus bound for Dau. In Dau, walk towards the mcarthur hiway, and take a jeep (P8) for Angeles. Every passenger will get off in Astro Park where you'll take another jeep bound for Angeles Town Proper (C-Point - Angeles; you can take either the blue or grey jeep). Fare is another P8. Get off in Jenra Mall/Nepo and ask for the "Hacienda" jeeps. In Hacienda, look for trike and ask to be dropped to Sapang Uwak. Alternatively, you may ride the Porac bound jeeps just next to Hacienda. Both jeeps leave when filled up, so in case you're short of time, you may take the Porac bound jeep instead, get off in the Hacienda Tricycle Terminal, and take the P100 per ride (good for up to 3 persons) to Sapang Uwak. Before reaching sapang uwak proper, you'd get into the Checkpoint where they'd ask you for an ID. Handover your IDs in exchange for a claim tag. Inform them of the person youd meet in Sapang Uwak (Konsehala/Trek Coordinator Zeny: 09493100720). Ms Zeny may be able to pick you up from the checkpoint.

For those who'd be travelling in groups, you may do as we did in our outreach event. Take a bus bound for Zambales and ask to be dropped in Megadike Access Road along Olongapo-Gapan Road. Pre-arrange a jeep to pick you up in the Megadike Access Road corner Olongapo Gapan Hiway upon your arrival. From Cubao, it shall take you an hour to get there. From there it shall be less than 1 hour for the jeep to get you to Sapang Uwak. You may try to arrange with the ff jeep drivers: 0939 314 4837 or 09472807322. 

The Municipality of Porac requires a signed waiver before proceeding in the trek. Have this waiver, signed by all the guests, and have it stamped by the municipality (open mondays through fridays). In case you are not available during those days, i am the first one to tell you, forget the trek for now. Go Batulao, Maculot, Balagbag, or somewhere else that you may have not. I'll update you as soon as the process is smart. Otherwise, keep emailing porac@municipalityofporac.com until they figure out their process dont make sense.



Enjoy my Hometown :-)



Since the time when I've heard about a falls in my hometown Porac, my guilt hasn't calm me. I just couldn't imagine how I could have travelled to so many waterfalls, and be a stranger to my own place. At one point at that same month when I went to the municipality to get a police clearance for work, I took the opportunity to ask the tourism desk for info. Unfortunately, I was told that they don't allow tourists for this season as it will be very dangerous.


November has come and rains had been seldom; Time has come. I had been asking my trek friends to check it out but I couldn't get a confirmed interest from them, and so, I decided to do it myself, something like an occular visit; Not to mention, it will be an added challenge to do a trek alone.


The trail is actually very visible from google, and based on the facebook page for Miyamit falls, the trail is fairly easy so it never came to mind about hunting a guide.


The night before the trek, I was still worrisome about again, doing it alon, but then, having nothing to do on a weekend was more of a bigger problem for someone like me I guess; So, I decided to push it nevertheless. 


Since I read that the trek would be about 5 hours, I planned to leave 5am; However, at 4am of the specified date, I was still reading some notes on the net and packing my stuff. I asked my granny to wake me up by 5:30, but by the time I wake up, it was past 9am.

I immediately took a bath, and grabbed a trike. By 11am, I was in Hacienda terminal where I'd ask to be brought to Sapang Uwak. The driver said it will be P150, and even if I wasn't really prepared to pay that much for a trike, I agreed, considering I am very late already.

From there, it was an endless walk.I was very slow in the trek as the sun was sizzling at that noon and there is no wind to cool me off. Meantime, the more I walk, the better view I get and the more that I would want to see further. It took me close to 5 hours to get to the view deck.

When I got to the deck, it was just priceless; Everywhere you look around is just mountains, and I've completely forgotten and ignored how painful it was on my legs; Took some pictures, boiled water for coffee, and after 30 minutes, I began my trek towards Miyamit Falls. It was turning dark anyway.

Along the way, I met several people, who said they were from GAME NEST (Tarlac). Incidentally, a friend who is also from GAME NEST invited me for an outreach program on the 26th, so I said "see you then."


The trail has been pretty much straight forward until a fork on one point where there isn't anyone to ask. Based from what I've seen from the deck, my instincts say it is the downwards left. I took that hoping I am in the right path. Luckily I was. After about 30 minutes walk, there was an Aeta household who confirmed so.


When I got to the falls, I can't contain my astonishment; I suddenly felt so small and taken over. The falls was so tall up and the horizontal lay of the rocks makes it so serene. I took some pictures and set for one of the kubos.

I was supposed to sleep over in the hut but I felt creepy hearing the loud stream and total darkness. I decided to clean up instead and camp next to the Aeta household i've passed by. At least, I would have some conversation to keep me company.


When I finished cleaning, I hiked back up and just about 20 minutes from the falls, my legs just couldn't handle it; It was already quite dark too. There was a clearance wide enough for my tent so I pitched in there. The only worry was if it rains, the land, which I don't think is compact enough, might erode over me. So i planned on laying my head near the door later when I'm ready for sleep, so I would, hopefully, awaken if rain starts.

I boiled water, as usual, coffee comes first, some cigarettes, and opened a can of sardines. I have brought some cooked rice from home, so thank God I didn't have to cook that night. After the meal, I had nothing else to do. That's when I realized, I'm missing a fellowship in the camp... darn! I had to get in bed by 7:30 but my mind and eyes would have not given up until it was past 10pm. I'd awoken every 2hours and would check out the clouds.

By 4am, the waking up thing got more frequent; So, I gave up the idea of forcing myself to sleep. I cooked my breakfast and trail food and lunch and immediately packed out. It was already 6am though when I finished.


Going back, I was walking as fast as I could so I catch less heat. The hotter it is, the longer it will take me to finish up. Surprisingly, I was back at the jump off by 10am. For one, I didn't really have a more than 5minute break. My food is still intact in my bag. From there, the same 4x4 jeep who deals the 'puso ng saging' offered a ride to hacienda. From there, there was a jeep (and trikes too bound to the porac national highway; A resident said it shall be P10/head or if special P20/head from hacienda to highway) going to Angeles.











NOTES:
The Final hour of the treck to mayamit is the difficult trail. That starting from the Y split. A lot of land has eroded with fallen trees, usually bananas. There will also be 2 smaller river canals approaching miyamit.

Something ironic is that, from the view deck, you can hear the sound of the water drop from the falls. But as you walk towards the falls, the sound disappears and it goes back from 20 minutes before reaching. Don't think that you're lost just because you lost the sound of the waterfall.

There is intermittent signal from SUN and GLOBE. Reception is very strong until the final 2.5 hours, where it gets less to almost none.

For future visitors, better have a huge pack of biscuits. There will be a number of Aeta households along the way, and children and even adults would ask for bread (or candies). I brough a number of monay which I use as my rice and half of them were out before I even reach the deck. It's just very hard to refuse when you see these kids. No matter how little this biscuits are, have some ready. Little is better than nothing... it pays off when you see them smile don't worry.

Better to be on shoes than on sandals; pants/leggings than shorts. There are plenty of MAKAHIYA that has grown far normal along the way, and protruding towards the trail. They sting and could really hurt. Besides, it's 7 mountains up and down to get to the destination.

There is a comfort room in the view deck but not maintained; no water whatsoever.

The treck is best taken before 5am. Try to be in Miyamit before 10am. Make backwards adjustment on your meetup time if necessary.

Drinking water is necessary. Miyamit is the only water source along that whole 6 hour trail. The Aetas had some drum, but you won't want to be some competition with them on their water source.

There are a number of stores in Sapang Uwak, just in case you'll forget some thing. However, they will have only the basic goods. They have electricity in that community, and one household even has a Satellite Dish..WOW!..









To get to Sitio Banaba by commute, from manila, take a bus bound for Dau. In Dau, walk towards the mcarthur hiway, and take a jeep (P8) for Angeles. Every passenger will get off in Astro Park where you'll take another jeep bound for Angeles Town Proper (C-Point - Angeles; you can take either the blue or grey jeep). Fare is another P8. Get off in Jenra Mall/Nepo and ask for the "Hacienda" jeeps. In Hacienda, look for trike and ask to be dropped to Sapang Uwak. Alternatively, you may ride the Porac bound jeeps just next to Hacienda. Both jeeps leave when filled up, so in case you're short of time, you may take the Porac bound jeep instead, get off in the Hacienda Tricycle Terminal, and take the P100 per ride (good for up to 3 persons) to Sapang Uwak. Before reaching sapang uwak proper, you'd get into the Checkpoint where they'd ask you for an ID. Handover your IDs in exchange for a claim tag. Inform them of the person youd meet in Sapang Uwak (Konsehala/Trek Coordinator Zeny: 09493100720). Ms Zeny may be able to pick you up from the checkpoint.

For those who'd be travelling in groups, you may do as we did in our outreach event. Take a bus bound for Zambales and ask to be dropped in Megadike Access Road along Olongapo-Gapan Road. Pre-arrange a jeep to pick you up in the Megadike Access Road corner Olongapo Gapan Hiway upon your arrival. From Cubao, it shall take you an hour to get there. From there it shall be less than 1 hour for the jeep to get you to Sapang Uwak. You may try to arrange with the ff jeep drivers: 0939 314 4837 or 09472807322. 

The Municipality of Porac requires a signed waiver before proceeding in the trek. Have this waiver, signed by all the guests, and have it stamped by the municipality (open mondays through fridays). In case you are not available during those days, i am the first one to tell you, forget the trek for now. Go Batulao, Maculot, Balagbag, or somewhere else that you may have not. I'll update you as soon as the process is smart. Otherwise, keep emailing porac@municipalityofporac.com until they figure out their process dont make sense.



Enjoy my Hometown :-)

Read More »

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Mt Manalmon, San Miguel Bulacan


The 5 day weekend of the October-november holidays has been a great opportunity for a getaway. While we initially agreed to go beaching since it has been a while since we went to a beach, last minute consultation detoured it towards Mt. Manalmon.

I didn’t really want to go climb because of the intense heat of the weather, but it has been argued that Manalmon will be a 1hour climb so it will be ok. Likewise, there is a river within the destination where we could soak, so I gave the beach away.





It was already past 3pm when we left San Simon Pampanga where we were to meet our friends. By 7:10, we were in Madlum where we did the registration. Registration was P5/head and guide was P300/day, which makes it P600 for the overnight trip. It was our first time to do a night climb and given that it was cool, in about past 1 hour, we were already in the campsite. The final 30minutes of the treck is an estimated 65 degrees assault. There was a huge group in the camp, NASAKILAK and another set of 10, nameless. We prepared food immediately as it was past dinner time, and by 10pm, we were ready to booze.








Morning after, we left camp at 9:25 and reached the river before 10am. We prepared lunch and explored the river around. After our luncheon, we headed back to the jumpoff point in Madlum where we’ll proceed with exploring the bayukbok caves. Caving was an additional P30/head. It was 5pm when we got back to the ranger hut in Sibul/Madlum and was ready to leave by 7:15.

















NOTES:
For some reason, I forgot to bring my headlamp charging from the socket. Madlum admin rents out gears, and for the headlamp, I paid P30. The stores in the community also have a fair price of goods. Marlboro cigarettes at P30/10sticks. Royal 1.5L at P50.

For caving, make sure to have a meal and enough rest. There will be a lot of cases where you’ll have to pull your body up and steep steps. It is a must to be on tight grip shoes as rocks could be very sharp. It is very muddy inside and it will need an extra pull on the feet to walk on. If I were to do it again, I will consider bringing a hard hat to avoid hitting your head with the stalacmites/stalagmites (don’t really know what’s the difference; too lazy to google). Mosquitto repellent would be almost necessary and ben gay for possible cramps.

A little caution, the river had uneven depth especially deep near the huge boulders of rocks. If you don’t know how to swim and have a lifevest, better have it handy.
If you’ll need to ask for directions along the way, ask for Sibul instead of madlum. According to the guide, people are more familiar with it as sibul than Madlum.



The 5 day weekend of the October-november holidays has been a great opportunity for a getaway. While we initially agreed to go beaching since it has been a while since we went to a beach, last minute consultation detoured it towards Mt. Manalmon.

I didn’t really want to go climb because of the intense heat of the weather, but it has been argued that Manalmon will be a 1hour climb so it will be ok. Likewise, there is a river within the destination where we could soak, so I gave the beach away.





It was already past 3pm when we left San Simon Pampanga where we were to meet our friends. By 7:10, we were in Madlum where we did the registration. Registration was P5/head and guide was P300/day, which makes it P600 for the overnight trip. It was our first time to do a night climb and given that it was cool, in about past 1 hour, we were already in the campsite. The final 30minutes of the treck is an estimated 65 degrees assault. There was a huge group in the camp, NASAKILAK and another set of 10, nameless. We prepared food immediately as it was past dinner time, and by 10pm, we were ready to booze.








Morning after, we left camp at 9:25 and reached the river before 10am. We prepared lunch and explored the river around. After our luncheon, we headed back to the jumpoff point in Madlum where we’ll proceed with exploring the bayukbok caves. Caving was an additional P30/head. It was 5pm when we got back to the ranger hut in Sibul/Madlum and was ready to leave by 7:15.

















NOTES:
For some reason, I forgot to bring my headlamp charging from the socket. Madlum admin rents out gears, and for the headlamp, I paid P30. The stores in the community also have a fair price of goods. Marlboro cigarettes at P30/10sticks. Royal 1.5L at P50.

For caving, make sure to have a meal and enough rest. There will be a lot of cases where you’ll have to pull your body up and steep steps. It is a must to be on tight grip shoes as rocks could be very sharp. It is very muddy inside and it will need an extra pull on the feet to walk on. If I were to do it again, I will consider bringing a hard hat to avoid hitting your head with the stalacmites/stalagmites (don’t really know what’s the difference; too lazy to google). Mosquitto repellent would be almost necessary and ben gay for possible cramps.

A little caution, the river had uneven depth especially deep near the huge boulders of rocks. If you don’t know how to swim and have a lifevest, better have it handy.
If you’ll need to ask for directions along the way, ask for Sibul instead of madlum. According to the guide, people are more familiar with it as sibul than Madlum.


Read More »

Popular Posts