On the Road to Sagada
Unknown
January 25, 2008
As i sat on my bus seat during our trip to Sagada from Baguio, my leg starts to cramp the same time my butt started showing signs of numbness. I wondered how long more is the trip. I remember what the ticket seller has told me that it takes “6 to 7 hours” when i asked her how long is the trip to Sagada.
But all of these inconvenience didn't matter as I sat there gleefully directing my sights to the rooftop of the Philippines, represented by white clouds hovering over the green-filled countryside of Benguet and later on the Mountain Province. It was a bumpy ride and sleep would come at me at an intervals of 30 minutes, each time it came i struggled to stay awake so as not to miss the wonderful sights that we are passing by. Sharp curves, zig zag roads, concrete and rough roads, everytime the bus would make a sharp turn i could see the deep ravine just inches from the edge of the road. It was both an exhilarating and frightening sight.
We passed by small towns along the way,people would disembark and others will hop in, these peace loving people from the countryside there’s an aura of harmlessness among them, we stuck out like a tourist would be but i bet it would be so much easier to belong with these people than the ones i left in the big city.
I was delighted and i came to know the purpose of my trip, which was to leave some of my confusions behind and all those bullish thoughts that ramshackle my mind worrying about everything, to leave it all behind as i stare on the road ahead i understand the noble fruition of moving on, its time to move towards a new place and hopefully learn something when i come back.
We arrived at Sagada about a quarter to 4 in the afternoon, the moment i got out of the bus i can smell the clean,cool air and the cold air starts to bite inside my skin. The town proper greets you like a long lost lover, the locals stared at us with smiles on their faces,i feel at ease in an instant, i wont have any problem exploring this town i told myself.
After registering at the Municipal Hall and getting our map we settled in the Green House Inn, it was an old wooden house which according to Lola, who owns the house was a bit older than her. It was painted green at the outside and a warm sky blue color was painted on the inside, our room has a wooden bed and cushion, a side table and enough space to move around, not that small or big but cozy enough as the window gives us a view of the mountains outside and a tree that bores Oranges.
Me and my friend April hurriedly settled ourselves for a brief rest, changed clothing, put on an extra shirt and a jacket and we then explored the nearby surroundings which includes the historic St.Mary’s Church,the sight of World War II bombing by the Americans to try to wipe out remnants of Japanese troops who fled to the Mountain Province countryside towards the end of the war.
Before that we took our long delayed lunch at Yoghurts House which came highly recommended by those who’ve been to Sagada before, I ordered a plate filled of cheese and mushroom pasta and a Strawberry with Banana Yoghurt.
Me and April took pictures, walked along a path with tall pine trees on the side towards St.Mary’s School, which was founded in 1904 by the wife of Rev.Staunton as part of the mission that followed the American occupation of the Philippines in 1898.
As the wind grows colder and the sun starts to set leaving a magnificent trail in the sky, i stood there watching the view overlooking a basketball court, a tennis court and an empty field.I told myself, i should come back again to this place and that was just our first day Sagada and already i was making plans of coming back.
But all of these inconvenience didn't matter as I sat there gleefully directing my sights to the rooftop of the Philippines, represented by white clouds hovering over the green-filled countryside of Benguet and later on the Mountain Province. It was a bumpy ride and sleep would come at me at an intervals of 30 minutes, each time it came i struggled to stay awake so as not to miss the wonderful sights that we are passing by. Sharp curves, zig zag roads, concrete and rough roads, everytime the bus would make a sharp turn i could see the deep ravine just inches from the edge of the road. It was both an exhilarating and frightening sight.
We passed by small towns along the way,people would disembark and others will hop in, these peace loving people from the countryside there’s an aura of harmlessness among them, we stuck out like a tourist would be but i bet it would be so much easier to belong with these people than the ones i left in the big city.
I was delighted and i came to know the purpose of my trip, which was to leave some of my confusions behind and all those bullish thoughts that ramshackle my mind worrying about everything, to leave it all behind as i stare on the road ahead i understand the noble fruition of moving on, its time to move towards a new place and hopefully learn something when i come back.
We arrived at Sagada about a quarter to 4 in the afternoon, the moment i got out of the bus i can smell the clean,cool air and the cold air starts to bite inside my skin. The town proper greets you like a long lost lover, the locals stared at us with smiles on their faces,i feel at ease in an instant, i wont have any problem exploring this town i told myself.
After registering at the Municipal Hall and getting our map we settled in the Green House Inn, it was an old wooden house which according to Lola, who owns the house was a bit older than her. It was painted green at the outside and a warm sky blue color was painted on the inside, our room has a wooden bed and cushion, a side table and enough space to move around, not that small or big but cozy enough as the window gives us a view of the mountains outside and a tree that bores Oranges.
Me and my friend April hurriedly settled ourselves for a brief rest, changed clothing, put on an extra shirt and a jacket and we then explored the nearby surroundings which includes the historic St.Mary’s Church,the sight of World War II bombing by the Americans to try to wipe out remnants of Japanese troops who fled to the Mountain Province countryside towards the end of the war.
Before that we took our long delayed lunch at Yoghurts House which came highly recommended by those who’ve been to Sagada before, I ordered a plate filled of cheese and mushroom pasta and a Strawberry with Banana Yoghurt.
Me and April took pictures, walked along a path with tall pine trees on the side towards St.Mary’s School, which was founded in 1904 by the wife of Rev.Staunton as part of the mission that followed the American occupation of the Philippines in 1898.
As the wind grows colder and the sun starts to set leaving a magnificent trail in the sky, i stood there watching the view overlooking a basketball court, a tennis court and an empty field.I told myself, i should come back again to this place and that was just our first day Sagada and already i was making plans of coming back.
