A/n [brutal, awkward, embarrassing] account of my trip to Banaue, Batad and La Union. Note* Play the music below for better reading experience. loljk. (But there really is music below)
27 Dec 2016 | 7:09 PM
And so my journey up north will start in a few hours. Went to ticketing station in Sampaloc, got lucky there’s still available space (but center seat. Hello torture)… I think I’ve packed so many things for a 4-day trip.
I’ve been yearning for this for more than a year and now it’s finally happening.
I don’t know what lies ahead: Is it a safe trip? an easy one? Will I meet new people? Will I be happy? I don’t know. But God is with me and I am more than excited to witness life unfold in front of my eyes and see its greatness. This is going to be awesome.
27 Dec 2016 | 8:15 PM
This whole travel solo thing… It’s making me sad. I’ve sent messages to friends and loved ones telling them I’m on my way now to Banaue alone and I just feel like tearing up. Why is travelling sometimes can make someone sad?
28 Dec 2016 | 4:48 PM
As I write this, I face the foggy landscape of Batad Rice Terraces. People beside me are talking in language I don’t know while they spit the juice of their “nga-nga” (they call it “moma” in English).
I am waiting for my meal after 5 hours of ascending, descending and trekking the fields of Batad. My body aches and feet sore because of swimming against the strong current of Tappiya Falls.
I arrived in Banaue past 7 in the morning. It was a tough ride; I had to wake up every time the bus stops to give way to passengers who would like to go down.
A lot has changed since I last went here on my way to Sagada. But, there is still a lot of white-skinned people whose language strongly reminds me of what I left home… French, hanggang dito ba naman?
The sun has been shy since I arrived.
I was alone. Alone eating my breakfast, alone waiting for my next move. I was asked by the tourism officer if I would like to join a group of 4 to go to Batad. It would cut my costs, I thought. So I said why not.
We were 5 on the jeepney and all of us were on top of it, our bags placed neatly inside. It was weird knowing that no one is inside for the trip and all passengers chose to sit on top instead. It was weird, but fun. It reminded me of my previous toploads. The wine, chocolate, jokes, view, people, laughter… these are what “topload” meant for me. But now topload means meeting new friends.
We arrived in Batad. A wedding ceremony is happening down the village but cars are parked along the road that stretched along the entirety of Saddle Point.
I didn’t know where to stay. I only had one Lodge name in mind. We went there and the view totally blew me away. It was literally on top overlooking the whole ampitheater of Batad Terraces.
PS. I just found out now that I AM THE ONLY GUEST IN THE LODGE. I should’ve taken hint with what our guide told me. But I love it. This is worth it.
29 Dec 2016 | 8:30 AM
It’s a rainy day. Last night I had a weird 30-minute massage to relieve my leg pain. The whole night, it was raining furiously… I knew I won’t see the sunrise.
Now I see the fogs covering the entire terraces. The sun is trying to show its glory on the side but the fog is more powerful… at least for now.
2 hours of sitting, reading, staring at the terraces, seeing how fogs appear and disappear. Finally, people started arriving. Some stopped to take photos, some had coffee. Now there are at least 6 people who will be staying here. Silence was replaced by laughter, more photos, etc.
It’s a good day. Later, I will be going to Banaue, stay for a while in Sanafe, then take my bus to Baguio.
I think I need phone signal now.
30 Dec 2016 | 4:00 AM
11 hours on the bus from Banaue to Baguio, now I’m here. But I don’t know where this big bump in my head came from. Too much sleeping, maybe?
Baguio’s freezing cold. No phone battery. Stayed in 7-11 while thinking what to do at 4 in the morning. I might be stinking, too. Guy from the store kind enough to charge my phone in the counter CPU (forgot my charger adaptor, too).
30 Dec 2016 | 5:30 AM
Managed to walk along Session Road without getting killed (kidding). It was a nice walk, if not for my over-packed bag and thin jacket and humans popping out of nowhere. Checked La Union bus schedule, had to wait for an hour. Phone still dying. Guy from terminal kind enough to charge my phone inside the office. People asking why I’m alone. Crazy.
30 Dec 2016 | 9:10 AM
Arrived in La Union an hour ago. Rushed to the sea with my backpack and happy soul. Stared for a while. Saw the sun finally. Walked along the shore (yes, with backpack still on my back). Surfer Instructors cat-calling. One shouted “Ma’am, surf! Effective for Moving on!” Walastik. People and their crazy judgements.
At one point I thought it would be better if I was really moving on that’s why I went here alone. But, no. I was in an exciting pursuit of seeking novelty and experiencing the cathartic state of being lost somewhere far with people I don’t know but still exude a feeling of connection, of familiarity, of shared ecstatic moment of being alive.
30 Dec 2016 | 2:30 PM
Ella Fitzgerald singing in the background. Colorful lanterns everywhere. Bean bags, banig and cute stools scattered on the ground. People laughing. Some painting. Some reading.
When I get back to Manila, I will resume the life I left there. My journey of discernment. The mission. My work.
I don’t know what 2017 is gonna be like. But there’s always beauty in the unknown. So lezdothiz!
Lou x Raine 