In Search of Tadhana: Sagada

If, like my mom, you first heard of Sagada from the film That Thing Called Tadhana, and thought to yourself, "Hey, this place seems pretty rad", well I'm here to tell you that it's even better up close.

Mt. Kiltepan Viewpoint
Photo by Jing Aceveda Gungon. Edit by Sofia Andin

Unlike what people who've learned about the place from the film know, Sagada isn't just a place where broken hearts go to shout their agonies on top of a mountain or to search for their new tadhana (destiny). It's so much more.

Before getting to Sagada, we dropped by Banaue to have our breakfast and
to take a look at the famous Banaue Rice Terraces.

Banaue Rice Terraces

It took us roughly 12 hours to get from Quezon City to our lodging in Sagada through a van. From about 10pm to about 10am. And being the tourists that we are, we immediately took a hundred photos the moment we set foot on land. Just kidding, we settled down our stuff on our rooms first, then we took a hundred photos.

Taking pictures below the "No taking of pictures" sign. Yeah, we're like super badass.
© Jing Aceveda Gungon

After taking photos, exploring the shops nearby, taking more photos, having our lunch, and resting a bit, we decided to take on our first Sagada adventure; spelunking.

You can read more about our spelunking experience (plus some tips) in the Sumaguing cave here.

The cave exploration that lasted for 2 hours was enough adventure for us for the whole day. After freshening up, we had our dinner at a nearby restaurant and went straight to dreamland back at our lodging. (You can imagine how excited we were to sleep like a log since we spent the night before on the van.)

We got up early the next day for our second adventure; trekking.

It was a good choice to start early to since we didn't have to worry much about the sun's heat and traffic with other groups on our way down. At the end of our trek, we met the cool waters of the Bomod-ok falls.

Bomod-ok Falls

You can read more about our trekking experience (plus some tips) to the Bomod-ok Falls here.

We spent nearly 4 hours for the whole trek; on the way down and back up, plus the time we spent splashing around in the falls. The entire trek was truly exhausting, but of course, absolutely worth the experience.
After our lunch, we visited the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Sagada Pottery House and Echo Valley.

Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

There I was, smiling at the camera when the shot was supposed to be candid and I was supposed to be paying attention to the pottery demo. Sigh.

We woke up early again on our third day to view the sunrise at Mt. Kiltepan; but not early enough.
Our van was stuck in traffic, still really far from the viewpoint, on the way up since, apparently, a lot of people wanted to see the sunrise as well. Seeing most of the groups in front of us hopping out of their vehicles and walking up the mountain, we decided to do the same. Boy, did we not know that we were still wayyyy far down from the viewpoint.
We really didn't want to miss the sunrise so we sort of panicked when we noticed the sky's color gradually changing. I, with my dad, half-jogged-half-ran past everyone in my Keds on the unevenly rocky ground (which, btw, are both not convenient for running uphill). That probably made up for all those morning jogs I told myself I would go on but never did.
Anyway, moral of the story, if you're going to view the sunrise at Mt. Kiltepan, leave your lodging really really really really really really early. You might as well just camp there to be sure you have your perfect spot.

I must say though, my half-jogging-half-running-uphill-on-the-rocky-road-with-my-shoes-that-were-inappropriate-for-the-activity was actually worth it. We got there just on time and found ourselves a nice spot.

Yes, those are clouds

The sea of clouds was magnificent! I just felt like I could run to it and jump on what looked like a fluffy floating pool of whipped cream. (But, of course, that is not the case. Please do not ever try to jump into a sea of clouds, the clouds will not catch you.) It's a shame my phone's camera can't give the view much justice.

I can see Mr. Sun peeking out

After the sunrise, we went on our way home.

One sad thing about Sagada is that not all the natives are very warm and welcoming towards tourists. But I really can't blame them. If my home was as beautifully preserved as this, I'd be protective too.

I'd definitely recommend people to experience Sagada, but I don't think it's for everyone. If, for your vacation, you want a place where you can turn up the music, go wild, party from dusk to dawn and trash the whole place, Sagada's probably not for you. (You can go to Boracay for that) If, for your vacation, you expect to be pampered in a fancy hotel, served with gourmet food, and have five star accomodation 24/7, then this place is probably not for you either. Sagada is a lot of great things, but luxurious in't one of them.

Sagada is for those who want to experience the majesty of mother nature. It's a place for those who seek to be free from the horrid noise and pollution of modernization. It's a place to witness the beauty of a simple lifestyle. It's a place for those looking for adventure.

An adventure we asked for, and an adventure we got indeed.

Have you ever been to Sagada? Tell us about your experience.

Friday, May 29, 2015

In Search of Tadhana: Sagada

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