Sagada before That Thing Called Tadhana
It was an unexpected memory to speak of but we were not aware that this beautiful scenery exists in the Philippine until my friend asked us to join them in their do-it-yourself Sagada trip.
From Batangas City, we rode the bus going to Cubao Bus Station to board the Victory Liner.
The Victory Liner bus took us to Baguio where we rode a local bus going to Sagada.
Those minutes spent inside the bus were one of those terrifying moments of our lives. The driver looked so expert that even on the long and winding road, he was so comfortable at driving. We were so afraid that we might fall on the cliff. And whenever I reminisce those times, I am glad that I survived the near-death-experience!
After the exhausting travel, we arrived at Rock Inn Hotel.
We were served with extraordinary dishes.
Aside from books, we saw this reminder that will be forever in our mind and heart.
This was our room where we stayed and felt weird things as well.
One thing that Sagada must be recognized as super tourist friendly hotspot in the country is that there is a centralized tourist center that offers all the good places and wild adventures that Sagada offers. Just knock on their door and their guides will assist you very well.
The following are the places that made us believe that Sagada is such a magical place to visit for healing and relaxation.
The Sagada Weaving is a perfect place to buy gifts for your loved ones. It has the best looking products, however, it is expensive since these items are all handmade.
The Navales Bakeshop is worth going to if you are a cinnamon bread lover. It sells sweet-smelling, moist and tasty bread rolls.
The Salt and Pepper Diner is a small cabin for tourists who look for home-cooked meals but prepare your pockets for the price range of their dishes.
The Sagada Lemon Pie House is a must in a foodie trip. Here you will not only taste an incredible pie which is sweet and sour but you can also sense comfort and warmth.
The Sagada Pottery show the craftsmanship of people there as they not only exhibit or sell their finished products but also teach the tourists how to make one.
Not only did we enjoy the stories about pottery but we also tried their local wine which has high alcohol content leaving us dizzy on our way out.
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin will give you inner peace as you kneel down and feel the sacred ambiance of this church.
After paying a visit to a church, what welcomed us after was the public cemetery of Sagada on our way to the Echo Valley.
The Echo Valley is the perfect place to shout all your sentiments in life.
The Hanging Coffins will definitely give you shivers for having a closer look to Filipino-made mummies that stay there for generations.
The Trail going to the Underground River made us appreciate the beauty of nature. All we have to follow is this river that stretches up to the place where you can see the cave and enjoy the fresh water and cool breeze of wind at the same time.
Another significant spot we found is the Bokong Falls. This is the smallest among the three falls found in Sagada, therefore, it is also the safest for swimming. We dipped our feet and felt the cold water running in this natural pool.
The most exciting and fun adventure that we tried in Sagada in the Cave Connection. Your Sagada trip will not be complete without trying this extreme adventure. Fear is not an option here. This is spelunking both the Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves for three to four hours, and we did hours for four long hours of our lives. Sumaguing has the largest chambers among all the caves in Sagada that is why it is famously called “The Big Cave” and houses a lot of amazing rock formations including the King’s curtain and the Porn Caves.
We never expected anything as we entered the cave since we knew nothing about Sagada that time. And this stunt made me realize that there is no turning back when you said yes to a challenge.
Shadow Play is one way to forget your fears. This made us calm for a while before continuing our four-hour trip going outside the caves.
Doing the mandatory poses helped us make friends with foreigners who considered us friendly despite our struggles inside.
And at last, four hours passed and we successfully finished the cave connection safely.
The Tanulong Rice Terraces is part of the rice terraces if the Cordilleras. This is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
And before the hit movie "That Thing Called Tadhana" came to picture, we were here. We witnessed the Sagada's sea of clouds. There were few people then who woke up early just to witness this magical event.
With this God-given blessing, I just realized that there is more to life that you have to experience and be thankful for. I thank Sagada for making me understand this lesson and continue live up to this during my lifetime.
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