EXPLORING CORDILLERA (NATULOG KAMI SA SAGADA)

Sunday, 11 PM: we started our journey to the Cordillera Mountains with a group of riders. 

Nueva Ecija Welcome Arch

At 3 AM nasa Nueva Ecija na kami. More or less 8 hours pa ang travel time namin papuntang Sagada, hindi pa kasama dyan ung mga stopovers sa kainan, kapehan, sceneries and welcome arches. 

When we reached Nueva Vizcaya around 7 AM unti-unti ko ng nararamdaman ang antok! Minsan pumipikit na talaga ako tapos magugulat nalang si Cy na tumatama na ung helmet ko sa kanya. lol Ito talaga ang isa sa mga challenges ko as an OBR kapag sa gabi ang alis namin. 

@ Evelyn's Eatery, Baliling, Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya

dinakdakan

Finally, almusal na! Madaming carenderia sa bandang Sta Fe kaya hindi kami nahirapang maghanap ng makakainan. 

From Santa Fe, dumaan kami ng Aritao, Bambang, Bayombong and Solano in Nueva Vizcaya then unti-unti na kaming umakyat papuntang Banaue, Ifugao.

Cordillera comprises 6 provinces: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province. 

Banaue is in Ifugao, Sagada is in Mountain Province, Atok and Baguio naman are located in Benguet.

Banaue Welcome Arch

Huling punta ko sa Welcome Arch ng Banaue was in 2019 pa nung pumunta kami ng Buscalan Village in Kalinga where Cy got his tattoo. 

some of the rice terraces in Banaue, Ifugao

Banaue is known for its rice terraces or hagdan-hagdang palayan. Napaka ganda ng mga tanawin dito lalo na sa personal.

After Banaue, we headed straight to Bayan ng Bontoc via Nueva Vizcaya - Ifugao - Mountain Province Road. 

Ang sarap mag road trip dito! Just be careful lang sa mga possible landslides and flash floods sa lugar.

I wish my phone camera could do justice to the beauty of these mountains. 

landslide

From Bayan ng Bontoc umakyat na ulit kami papuntang Sagada. Buti nalang passable na ung daan kung san may nangyaring landslide a week ago. Found the video below on YouTube. 

We're in Sagada!!!

Around 3 PM nasa Sagada na kami! This must be the most visited municipality in Mountain Province because of the amazing places you can explore here. Sadly we were only staying for the night para matulog kaya babawi nalang kami ni Cy sa susunod. 

one of the cabins at Sagada Homestay Inn and Restaurant

We spent the rest of our day at Sagada Homestay Inn and Restaurant. Kumain muna kami bago mag check-in.

Homestay Rice Meal

We tried their Homestay Rice Meal for 175 pesos. Meron na syang kasamang veggies, lumpia, fried chicken, fried pork, egg, rice and a brownie! Nag add din kami ng sinigang na salmon sa miso.

our cozy room

Cy and I booked a private room with our own bathroom for 1,200 pesos per night. The room is quite spacious and has a table, mirror and clothes rack. Hindi sya air conditioned pero napakalamig! 

Pagkaligo namin nakatulog kami agad dahil sa pagod at puyat. Nagising kami around 8:30 PM pero hindi na kami lumabas kasi wala na rin sigurong bukas na cafes sa ganung oras. Pinilit ko nalang ulit matulog and woke up at 5:30 AM the next day.

Good Morning, Sagada!

Ang usapan 6 AM kami aalis ng Sagada papuntang Former Highest Point in Atok bago dumiretso ng Baguio pero hinintay nalang namin magbukas ung restaurant at 6 para makapag almusal na din kami bago umalis.

Breakfast is not included sa binayaran namin pero may free coffee sa umaga! They also offer tea.

Lola Theodora's Breakfast P150

Longganisa P150

After breakfast nag stopover lang kami sa isang church in Sagada then gora na agad to Atok, Benguet.

Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

inside the church

The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Sagada is an Episcopalian church. It follows both Protestant and Catholic faith practices. 

Habang pababa kami ng Sagada we were greeted by sea of clouds! We had to stop to take pictures.

From Sagada it would take us more or less 3 hours to reach the former Highest Point in Atok, Benguet. Napakadami na namang magagandang views, landscapes and vegetable farms ang nadaanan namin!

the Former Highest Point along Halsema Highway

coffee :)

This used to be the highest point (7,400 feet above sea level) pero after 2019 napalitan na sya ng nasa Tinoc, Ifugao.

After our coffee and tambay break dumiretso na kami sa aming final stop which is Baguio City!

We arrived in Baguio around 1:30 PM. Sa Solibao Restaurant kami nag lunch na katapat lang ng Burnham Park. The group agreed na mag kanya-kanyang gala na then mag meet nalang sa parking lot by 4 PM.

Burnham Park bike area

me and another coffee

Cy and I just bought iced coffee tapos tumambay lang sa park. Kelangan ko ng matinding caffeine kasi mahaba pa biyahe namin pauwi.

at The Lion's Head

At 4 PM we left Burnharm Park. Pumunta naman kami sa The Lion's Head along Kennon Road where we bought our mandatory ref magnet. Hindi pa allowed mga motorcycles na dumaan dito pababa ng Baguio kaya we took the Marcos Highway route.

It took us more or less 10 hours pauwi ng bahay.

As always, grateful for this opportunity to explore the beautiful places sa bansa natin. :)