Our DIY #APECEscape to Sagada Part 2

We woke up early the next day to see the famous sea of clouds at Kiltepan Point.  We made arrangements with the same guide and driver the day before and agreed to be fetch at Misty Lodge by 4:00 AM.

Our plan was to dress up for the shoot.  By 4:00 AM, our guide was late and was still on his way.  We got restless and decided to walk our way from our Lodging House to the peak.  It was still dark, but the passing van full of people pressured us on reaching the site early to secure ourselves a spot that's not blocked by other tourist.  After a few minutes walk, a motorcycle offered to bring us there.  He took both of us, but left me on the road, since he can only carry one passenger at a time on the dirt road.

While waiting for my turn, our van arrived, and brought me to the site.  We're surprised to find a sea of heads, more than that of the clouds.  Finding a good vantage point was a challenge.  I also couldn't find my friend from the flock of tourist.

Sea of Clouds at Kiltepan Peak

Nevertheless, the view was breathtaking!  Even more, as the horizon gets brighter.  Were fortunate to be at a good spot when the sun peeked out of the mountains.

Sun peeking through the mountains at Kiltepan peak.

It was getting warmer as the morning progress.  We're also hungry that we decided to have breakfast at Rock Inn.  The orders take longer because of the number of people at the restaurant.  We opted to do the orange picking while they prepare our meals.

Orange Picking at Rock Inn.  You can actually eat as many oranges as you like.

Beef Tapa at Rock Inn.  Tasted more like Bistek!

Me and my BFF, with our loot of Oranges!

We did not waste time after breakfast to visit Bomod-ok falls.  We were told that the tour could take up to 4 hours and my friend need to catch the 3PM departing bus back to Manila.

Crossing the Rice Terraces.  We were told that, its even more beautiful, just before the harvest season.

Here, you need to hire another guide, and pay a separate entrance fee.  It's a continuous descent passing through local communities and rice terraces.  After an hour, we were greeted by the sight of the towering falls.

The towering Bomod-ok falls

You may opt to swim, but since we were in a hurry, we just took photos of falls and slowly trekked back to the jump off.  The climb back was harder.  We would rest on the strategically located sheds to catch our breath.

We got reunited with our driver at the jump off, we asked him to take us back to the lodge so that my friend can freshen up and check out.  While waiting for the scheduled departure, we decided to have lunch at Yoghurt House.

The place is packed during meal time, especially on holidays like this one.  Luckily, my friend was still able to finish his roast pork just in time for his trip.

Our Roast Pork at Yoghurt House

By this time, I'm now left on my own to explore the rest of what the town has to offer.  I decided to look for a spa, to recover from the long trek to the falls.  I found one, tucked on one of the alleys after Yoghurt house going towards the Lemon Pie House.

Just be on the lookout for their small signage along the road.

Before going back to the Lodge, which was a bit far from town, I decided to sample Sagada's night life.  I went to drink at Bamboo Bar.  It was a quaint little shack filled with travellers notes, and memorabilia.  They only serve alcohol paired with Kropek, Fries or Peanuts.  Should you want meals,   Kimchi Bar next door offers Korean Dishes.

I like the laid back vibe of the place.  I managed to get my self tipsy after 3 bottles of Red Horse.  I would love to stay longer, but they have a curfew, and I still have to walk 700 meters to where I was staying.

Alone, I managed to ignore the dogs who greeted me on the road.  I only have my cellphone flash light to guide me.  I was relieved to finally step on the lighted path to Misty Lodge.  I got home safe.

With nothing to do for the rest of the evening, I decided to splurge on food, and a bottle of wine by myself.

This pizza at Misty Lodge is enough to bring me back to Sagada!

My Dinner at Misty Lodge!

I woke up late the next morning.  I was awakened by the conversations of the guests at the restaurant.  Little did I know, that it was the group of Lorna Tolentino (a famous local celebrity) that was having their breakfast there.

I decided to have lunch back in town.  I settled my bill and started walking my way.  The owners of Misty Lodge caught me on the side of the road and offered a ride.

I had lunch at Bana's Cafe and Restaurant.  Like all establishment that time, it was full of people.  I was one of the last person who managed to get seated and accommodated.  With a few more hours to spare before my departure, I went to buy things to bring home at Masferre Inn.  I got myself their Mint Tea, and Local Coffee.  I also bought their vegetable sticks, that got me through the long bus ride.  The Lemon Loaf was dry.

I was supposed to check out Ganduyan Museum, but I could hear from downstairs, that a few people has already started with the guide. I don't want to interrupt them.  Instead, I went back to the now empty church.

Prayed for a safe trip back home.

The bus left Sagada as scheduled around 3PM. We made the same stops that included Bontoc, Banaue, and Nueva Viscaya, before finally reaching Manila around 3AM the next day.

Sagada is a memorable place because of the different challenging activities you can do in the area.  I guess our photos are enough to encourage you to visit the place soon.

Our suggested compressed itinerary:

Friday:
9:00 PM Depart for Sagada

Saturday:
6:00 AM Banaue Rice Terraces Stopover
9:00 AM ETA Sagada
                Register at the Municipal Tourist Center just a few steps away from the terminal
9:30 AM Breakfast at Masferre Inn
10:00 AM Book a Guide and Van for Tour
                If the place your staying is far from the downtown, you can ask your driver to drop you off and wait for you to change before proceeding with the tour.
                Hanging Coffins
                Lumiang Cave
                Sumaguing Cave
2:00 PM Late Lunch at Lemon Pie Cafe
                St. Mary Church
                Echo Valley
                Gandungan Museum
                Sagada Weaving
6:00 PM Dinner at Misty Lodge
7:00 PM Beer at Bamboo Bar
9:00 PM Back to Lodge or Inn

Sunday:
4:00 AM Sunrise at Kiltepan, or at Marlboro Country if you want to avoid the Crowd
7:00 AM Breakfast at Rock Inn
8:00 AM Orange Picking also at Rock Inn
9:00 AM Bomok-od Falls
12:00 NN Check-out
1:00 PM Lunch at Youghurt House
2:00 PM Pasalubong Shopping
3:00 PM ETD from Sagada

Monday:
3:00 AM ETA Manila

Our DIY #Escape to Sagada Part 1

As we welcome the delegates of APEC in the Philippines, my original travel plans got screwed.

First, my flight to Cagayan de Oro got cancelled, and they were offering me another flight that would require me to take a 3 day leave from work.  It would have been better if I could re route or just shorten my original itinerary, but since its not entirely the airlines fault, my only option is to re-schedule within 30 days of the original flight.

Fortunately, my ticket only cost me 400 pesos, and I decided not to pursue the trip anymore.

Traffic was bad starting Monday.  Going to work was a challenge.  I don't want to get stuck in Manila and flying is not an option.  That's when I researched on doing the land travel northbound to the mountain town of Sagada.

I found out that there's a direct bus to Sagada leaving 9:00PM Daily through CODA Lines.  I purchased my ticket in advance including my return trip.  I'm scheduled to leave on the last day of work, Tuesday evening.  I originally planned on commuting to the terminal, but I can't get a cab, because most of them are stuck in traffic going south.  With an hour to spare from my scheduled departure, I drove my car to the terminal and just worry about parking when I get there.  Upon reaching the site, I approached one of the drivers, and they told me to ask permission from the owners if I could park inside their compound.  They obliged as long as I leave the keys with them.

My best friend decided to join me last minute.  He arrived at the terminal ahead of me as a chance passenger.  Luckily, a large group had a spare ticket that guaranteed him a seat.  There were three buses leaving the same time, and we boarded different buses.  Its better than missing the trip entirely, and all buses have the same stops anyway.

We left Quezon City a few minutes past 9 to accommodate those who got stuck in traffic.  I tried to catch on sleep the entire ride in anticipation of the activities we're doing as soon as we arrive.

We had a few toilet breaks, but only had 1 stop for meals in Nueva Ecija.  I didn't like the food at the restaurant and went to the store across the highway for a bowl of porridge and steamed siomai. We were back on the road again after a few minutes.  We made a stop in Banaue to see the famous Rice Terraces.  They only give us 5 minutes as our coffee stop is still an hour away.  By this time, the temperature outside is colder than inside the bus.

Banaue Rice Terraces

After our coffee stop, we dropped off a few passengers in Bontoc proper, and proceeded to Sagada.  Our entire ride took almost 12 hours.  Coda Lines Sagada terminal is just walking distance to the Municipal tourist centre, where you need to pay 35 pesos that lets you access all the major sites.  This is the first thing you need to do as they look for the receipt at the entrance of the major attractions.

We arrived without a place to stay yet.  We settled ourselves at the restaurant of Masferre Inn for breakfast while getting in touch with the top accommodations.  After breakfast, we decided to walk our way to SAGGAS, the local association of tour guides stopping on the Inn's and Lodging Houses along the street in hopes of getting a room.  All the accommodations within the town are full.

When we reached SAGGAS, they told us to first secure an accommodation.  Luckily, a vacant room good for 4 was vacated at Misty Lodge.  We got ourselves a van that would take us to the lodge straight to the tour.

Misty Lodge Restaurant and Fire Place (photo grabbed from their FB Page)

Misty Lodge

We did not know what to expect when we arrived.  We relied mainly on the reviews, but upon seeing the Charming Pink House, it exceeded our expectation.  Misty Lodge is also a popular Cafe serving the best pizza in Sagada.  The restaurant is already decked in Holiday decoration, and the owners will make you feel right at home.  The room assigned to us is conveniently located beside the cafe. On my last night, I would just make the servers knock on my door when my food is ready.  Like most accommodation in Sagada, the Toilet and Bath is shared with other guests.

We did not waste time on our first day.  Our guide took us to the view deck to see the Hanging Coffins.

Our next stop is the Lumiang Cave to get a closer view of the coffins.  This is also the start of the Cave Connection should you opt to do it.

After seeing the entrance, we made our way back to the road and proceeded to the explore Sumaguing Cave.

Sumaguing Cave

There are paved steps from the road leading to the entrance.  The first half of the trek, is a bit slippery and you'll be forced to hold on to bat littered rocks and the ground.  The next half, you'll notice that the rocks becomes rough, which allows you walk on slopes.  The ice cold water level varies from ankle deep to knee deep.

Use your imagination on looking at the formations.

After the Cave, our Van took us back to the town Center to visit the Echo Valley. Along the way, you would pass by the the Church and Cemetery.

St. Mary the Virgin Church

Echo Valley

Hanging Coffins

When we got back, we just asked our guide to drop us off at the Lemon Pie House for snacks.

Lemon Pie House

After eating, we decided to just walk from the town to Misty Lodge.  Along the way, we passed by Sagada Weaving, but since Photos are not allowed in the weaving area, I've got nothing to show for that visit.

Back at Misty Lodge, we rested a bit and freshen up for dinner.   We got ourselves their meal for the day.  It turned out to be our starter, because it was followed by 2 pizza, a burger, over a bottle of red wine and a can of red horse.  With all the alcohol I consumed, I surprisingly overcome my fear of dogs.  For some reason, the dog would like to sit beside me.

After dinner, we rested early in preparation for our Kiltepan Sunrise viewing.

To be continued...