Surviving Sagada Alone - part 2

Before reading this part 2 of my Surviving Sagada Alone, check PART 1 first.

I started my day by eating at Yogurt House again to taste their specialty. I ordered Banana Pancake with Yogurt with Strawberry toppings (48 years i-serve). And I cant agree more, this is superb! Im a fan of pancakes and yogurts, and their versions are one of the best.

Banana Pancake with Yogurt with Strawberry Toppings - I so ♥ it!

I also have this Lemon Pie form Lemon Pie House for my baon. (hindi benta sakin - ang asim! malamang kasi lemon to.) Ü

the famous lemon pie

I got energy and Im now ready for another "no pain no gain" Sagada adventure. As you know, lahat ng beautiful spots here in Sagada, paghihirapan mo muna bago mo makita.

Bomod-ok Falls (aka the Big Falls)

This attraction is as popular as Sumaguing Cave. Lucky me, there are no ongoing rituals at that time - else no one will be allowed to go down there. Rituals are usually made before and after harvest season. Yes, the trail down the falls lets you pass the rice terraces.

This place is 1.5kms away from the municipal hall. In the drop off point, an hour of trekking awaits those who want to see the Big Falls. Tara na!

let's go down the beauty of Sagada

The view is spectacular. The trail is easy too (after I did Cave Connection, wala ng mahirap!).

concrete (jungle where dreams are made of) trail Ü


the journey begins

survival of the fittest



the rice terraces - wow!

in the middle of nowhere

Whew, I didn't feel tired at all because I was busy taking photos of the view. The guide said were almost there once the trail became rocky.

the falls is almost there

What's your hobby? Umakyat ng bato!

After 1.5 hours of trekking, I finally saw Bomod-ok falls. Wow!

first glimpse of the BIG falls

Water is cold and refreshing. Hadn't I thought that it would make me more tired for the trek going down, I will swim here.

true or falls

After an hour of resting and enjoying the view, it's time to get back.

sleeveless in Sagada

And as always, the way up is the hardest part. Another test of endurance and will power. I realized I didn't throw my tantrums while Im in Sagada. After all, who will care if I complain or pagod nako, My being alone made me overcome this.

This Bomod-ok Falls experience is fulfilling. I know there are many other majestic falls in Pinas but this one's not for everyone to see. Paghihirapan mo muna kasi. I have personally seen a girl, hinihila nalang siya paakyat. 200++ steps going up under the heat of the sun is no joke.

Back in town to eat lunch. I ate at Salt and Pepper (hey, customers can use their computer with internet connection while waiting for the food). At pag gutom ka na, walang hindi masarap!

pig out lunch at Salt and Pepper

At this point, kaya ko pa ba? My legs are starting to feel the cramps. My other concern was pagbalik ko ng Manila umaatikabong sunburn na naman ang pproblemahin ko... But then I decided to continue. Sayang ang 12 hour bus ride ko just to get here. Kaya pa!

Echo Valley and Hanging Coffins

Getting there, you will pass by:

the church

the wheel of faith

the cemetery

and a little walk

Where's the hard part? Here it comes. The guide pointed where the Hangin Coffins are found. I thought that's it, that we'll be just viewing it from afar. But I was wrong, the guide said we will go down. Seriously?! Look, 80 degress inclined yan- ang steep masyado! The path is not concrete too. One wrong step or may the soil collapse, laglag ako sa bangin for sure.

Are we really going down to those rocks?

Tibay ng loob at lakas ng trip ang kailangan to overcome this complicated, risky, and difficult trail.

the Hanging Coffins, upclose and personal

Did I really go down and risked my life or I just used a telephoto lens to capture that shot?

See for yourself:

buwis buhay just to pose here in the Hanging Coffins

Again, the way up is harder. Another buwis buhay moment. Praise God I made the right steps. FYI, if ever I visit Sagada again, this is the one spot I will never go. One time is enough. Maybe Im just lucky that day I survived Hanging Coffins. Ü

* According to our guide, the Igorots placed their coffins up high because it is near the sky (heaven). Burying this way is actually pricier than burying the conventional way. And just imagine how hard it is to bury someone there. Way of love indeed.

Lake Danum

No hassle / no trekking / no risk in getting here. This is the place to catch sunset. To my surprise, the lake was colored sulfur. The guide said the water here is seasonally changing its color.

the sulfur colored Lake Danum

almost sunset behind the thick fog

Sagada Weaving

Hurriedly went here after Lake Danum to catch Sagada Weaving before it closes.



the way it is done is impressive

But she simply impressed me the most:

Pay attention at all the threads which are attached to her. Amazing!

Ganduyan Museum

Located near the municipal hall. This place is owned by Christina Aben, a curator, an artist, and a cancer survivor. Mrs. Aben speaks English better than my Accent Trainor! Very very fluent without being so maarte and slang. Nosebleed ako! Ü Mrs.Aben shared the very rich culture of their town.

Speak No Evil, See No Evil, Hear No Evil

And the best way to reward myself that day was to have a nice Dinner Buffet at Log Cabin (reservations required).

Buffet Dinner at Log Cabin - round 1 plate

round 2
Sarap.
The hearty food and place were rewarding.
Went back to the guesthouse after and made a very sound sleep. Pagodness!

This Surviving Sagada Alone experience is the greatest travel I have made so far. Aside from the very rich culture and tradition of this place, I can't explain how fulfilling and exciting it is to travel alone, specially this place is not an easy breezy kind of destination. Priceless. Actually I never felt alone too because I met a lot of interesting and kind people in this trip. And surely, I will do another Solo Travel in the future. Thank you Lord Jesus for keeping me safe. All glory is Yours!

As my souvenir shirt states:

I Survived Sagada Adventures - Alone! ♥

88 responses:

Chyng said...

Buwis Buhay Sagada ang dapat title ng series na to.

Astig no? Ü

Apol :) said...

Nice naman, Chyng! it's good that u were blessed with a good weather nung andun ka. Kami kase umuulan when we were there. Dun sa falls, basa na kami pagdating so kahit d namin trip maligo GO na rin! And we saw the hanging coffin only from afar.

I agree with u, if u survived the cave trail, wala ng mahirap pa. haha! :D

rem said...

i love your photos! bawal yan i-post sa ibang site ng walang paalam, wahahaha!

at since u survived Sagada, CONGRATULATIONS! :))

Janice said...

WOW... as in WOW lng masasabi ko..ur simply d best..chyng.. aminin ko d ko tlg carry yang sagada trip mo..pero tnx to you at khet papano eh prng nakapunta na din ako..hahahaha!!!!

em.em said...

wow! wa na ako ma say! hands down! pero nanerbyos naman ako sa papunta sa hanging coffins.. "Look, 80 degress inclined yata yan- ang steep masyado! The path is not concrete too. One wrong step or may the soil collapse, laglag ako sa bangin for sure." <------TAKUT AKU! =D

wanderingcommuter said...

another nakakainggit na entry. how o you have to make me realize that life is so unfair. hahahaha. just kiddin. kudos sa iyo!

Anonymous said...

chyng, belib ako sa yo for doing that sagada adventure--alone! after reading your entries and viewing your photos, i felt you can conquer any place any time! (basta may dalang payong?! *grin*)and thank you for taking us there even though via your posts only. 'twas nice meeting you, btw. =)

nicquee said...

Astig talaga! I love the shirt, the photos and how you narrate your experience!

Kudos to you!

kg said...

ng galing mo chyng! ako din sana in the future maka travel alone! :)

i love that shirt! where did you get it? :)

RJ said...

Mas ako pa 'ata ang napagod sa kababasa at katitingin ng photos kaysa sa iyo (na nag-trip mismo sa Sagada).

Thank you very much for taking all these photos amidst all the challenges of trekking alone. They are great. U

Roninkotwo said...

Ang lupet..ngayon lang ako nakabisita sa blog mo at ginulat mo ako ng todo! Eto ba ang kwento ng bonet na binili mo sa mega? hahaha...saludo ako Chyng..ibang klaseng adventure!!!! Astig!!!

princess_dyanie said...

natawa ako sa mga captions mo chyng! panalo! oo nga buwis buhay ang pag pose sa mga hanging coffins haha! love your pics! :)

The Gasoline Dude™ said...

Wow! Love the pics! At naging travel blog na talaga ang site mo. Hehe sana makapunta din ako d'yan. :)

gillboard said...

lakas ng loob mo mag-isa... kokontakin kita pag gagayahin kitang magsosolo pumunta dyan this summer... hehehe

x'tian said...

so happy for you ^^, galing...(abot tengang ngiti)...

rhina said...

clap clap clap for you chyng;p
unique ka talaga,
sama mo naman kami minsan--,)

Jepoy said...

Chyng Pictures are amazing thank you for sharing this wonderful experience of yours.

Teka napapaenglish ako pag na ooverwhelmed ako eh..

Thanks again!

Chyng said...

@apol,
if not for the good weather, di na enjoyable ang sagada kasi madami na restricted area. ayos din pala yung sagada trio nyo. apir!

@c3,
and you will survive chicago too!

@janice,
hay naku wag mo dalin si julian sa sagada, eskeri!

@em.em,
risky but fun and very fulfilling!

@ewik,
how's balentyms? Ü

Chyng said...

@docgelo,
haha, how did you know may dala din akong payong sa big falls (dont care kung mahulog ako basta may payong!)
nice metting you , and thanks sa payong!

@nicq,
thanks! japanese ba counterpart nyo sa trend?

@kg,
salamat! i bought that shirt at Ganduyan souvenir shop.

@sir lloyd,
tama, jan ko nga ginamit yung bonnet! how's gaby?

@dyanie,
saya no? buwis buhay! haha thanks!

Chyng said...

@gasdude,
nabore ka nga sa pinas visit mo, 12 our bus ride papunta sa sagada, kaya mo? hehe peace!

@xtian,
heartfelt. thanks!

@rhina,
apir!

@jepoy,
ume-english eh no? haha thanks thanks!

Anonymous said...

@ewik: yes life is unfair huhuhu at ganda ni chyng uh.. nakakainlove. mwwwahhh!

MartinTC said...

Wow sarap namang trip niyan.
Ang ganda ng mga kuha mo ah pedeng gawing post card!

Kay said...

Congratulations dear! Im so inggit coz u have the courage to conquer Sagada on ur own.. Heck I cant even do it even with friends.. baka umiyak na lang ako sa pagod.. haha

Super awesome pictures btw! Looking forward to more of ur solo travels.. Im planning to have one myself but prolly in a less challenging place..

_rhovic_ said...

clap, clap, clap. I'm speechless.
Congratulations!

pusangkalye said...

that's soooo coolll. the 3rd photo, panalo. gusto ko yang ganyan na view sa malayo na parang sapaw-sapaw yung mga mountains. napapa-wow ako sa view at sa camera mo. hehe

at meron pala silang version then ng rice terraces. so I guess marami talagang terraces sa area no?

pusangkalye said...

PANALIO KA TALAGA PAG-DATING SA NARRATION----SMOOTH OPERATOR. at ang food. kailangan masarap. kasi kung buwis buhay to. at least mamamatay kang busog at nakangiti.lol


kahit sabihin mo skain na di panghoneymoon tong place.......susugurin ko. sana nga lang di ako mamatay sa heartr attack sa bus papunta kung maraming zigzag. paturok ata ako ng pampatulog.lol

pusangkalye said...

grabeh---bigla kang nawala YM kanina---balik ka at pupupugin na namana kita ng mga tanung?lol

pusangkalye said...

at kailang sleeveless talaga with matching medyas na pang arms.lol. panu yan di yung exposed part yung may tan. dika naman nagmukhang leopard nya? lol.

at kailangang may peace sign talaga sa tabi ng mga coffins ha. hehe

lagot ka sa accent trainor mo Chyng.lol

GingGoy said...

nice post...makes me really want to go back there someday

Hoobert the Awesome said...

Oh lala Sagada! Lols.

Oman said...

Congratulations!!! You are so lucky to go to the Big Falls. I missed it because of the rituals. But I will definitely go back there.

Dea said...

Wow, Chyng!

Congratulations on your successful solo trip to Sagada. Grabe, ganda ng pictures mo. Idol kita, super!

escape said...

The view is spectacular. The trail is easy too (after I did Cave Connection, wala ng mahirap!). >>> tama yan!

paganda ng paganda mga posts mo chyng! ganyan ata pag solo. hehehe...

sige sama tayo one time sa mga byahe.

Allen said...

kung hindi pagkain, lugar naman pinang-iinggit mo sakin. :))

ang ganda ganda ng Sagada. good thing napunta ka dun at naexpose mo to. mabuhay ka Ate Chyng!!!!

panalo!

abeng said...

chyng Sagad na sagaD ba ang pagod mo sa sagada trip?..ayos tlga astig !

Dea said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dea said...

Chyng, grab ko yung pic mo ng Caleruega, ha? Will credit and link back.

Chyng said...

@dabo,
miss mo ko nyan..

@martin,
really? living a post card moment!

@kay,
thanks thanks! yeah, you can start going to uhm baguio alone (then derecho ng sagada) hihi

@rhovic,
thank you! and welcome to blogosphere!

@antonio (aka spammer)
i pramis tutulungan kita sa itinerary mo. maexcite ka na!

@tutubi,
wow sagada indeed!

@poot,
:D

@oman,
your sagada series really encouraged me. thanks!

@dea,
thank you dea, and sure you can use my photos.

@doms,
haha korek ngayon wala ng mahirap! though sakit pa din ng katawan ko.
wow, sige mas gusto ko yan, travel tayo minsan! Ü

@allen,
wag kna magpaalam kay mommy, go to sagada na. (hysteria day na naman)

@abenglaham,
astig! \m/

@dea,
sure! Ü

Arvin U. de la Peña said...

sa susunod ay magsama ka na,hehe.

Xprosaic said...

Ahahahahahha astig naman mag-isa ka lang sa paglalayag mo... jijijiji talagang paglalayag no... jijijijiji... ako nagagawa ko yun pero kung may makukuha akong kasama mas maayos sa akin yun para may kausap din jijijijiji

lucas said...

The hanging coffins got me intrigued? bakit sila nakasabit? and why? at may laman ba yung mga yun...

strange but the idea is cool! hehe! isabit na lang kesa ibaon sa lupa. haha!

thanks for sharing your adventue chyng! :)

lechua said...

really enjoyed reading this post! from the yummy pancake and pie to the interesting rice terraces.. then the hanging coffins - what's the story behind this? why are they there? & then great shots of the weaving!

Axel said...

You really got nice pictures... Mag-isa ka lang ba talaga nagpunta sa Sagada?? galing naman, gusto ko din pumunta eh... hindi ko pa alam kung may maaya ako, kung wala gagayahin kita...

The Nomadic Pinoy said...

I can't help looking at your footwear Chyng, hindi ka ba nahirapan mag-hike on what look like a very hectic day in a mountainous terrain?

Chyng said...

@arvin,
solo travel nga eh.

@xprosaic,
astig lang!

@abiel,
the greatest!

@lucas,
they believe that the more they get high, the more they are nearer to heaven.
mas mahal daw ilibing dun kesa yung conventional way.

@lechua,
thanks, im flattered. ganda ng blog mo. yun nga, they believe that the more they get high, the more they are nearer to heaven.

@axel,
i know it's fun to travel with friends, but sometimes it's also a great experience to travel alone. panalo.

@nomadic,
cheap ngslippers ko no? hihi but surprisingly kinaya ng japeyks kong crocs yung sagada caving and trekking. Ü

lechua said...

hiya... sorry didn't quite get some of the fillipino phrases u replied on my blog and here.. what does "ganda ng blog mo. yun nga" mean? so they used to hang coffins in old times.. n the site u were at ar some empty hanging coffins left there?

carlotta1924 said...

galing-galing! congratulations! nag-enjoy din ako sa sagada adventure mo :)

Cedric said...

Really like the 'in the middle of nowhere' photo. :D daming photos ah, thanks for sharing. :)

Miong Pelimon said...

hindi ka pala nkasama nina dongho nung pagpunta nila sa Sagada. nice soloflight shyng!

Anonymous said...

Amiable dispatch and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Thanks you on your information.

Anonymous said...

It is useful to try everything in practise anyway and I like that here it's always possible to find something new. :)

Axel said...

Oo nga chyng, siguro kapag wala akong mahatak try ko na ako lang mag-isa... kung wala akong mahatak na tao papuntang sagada, message kita ah... hingi ako directions... =p

witsandnuts said...

Alone?! Wow, adventure! I'm actually envious, I want to go there too, for the longest time already.

theLastJedi said...

' waaahhhh!!! yan nah lang ata natitirang pangarap sa buhay ko na di ko natupad (sans lovelife of course)! i wanna go to sagada!
- smooth shoots ah.. na-capture ang beauty at na-emphasize mo yung scope ng gusto mo ipakita.. =)

Brent a.k.a. yourkidatheart said...

It's a great experience to travel alone. :)

*drools at the food pics

ann said...

wow chyng, pang postcards ang photos mo dito sa Sagada...

Sagada Survivor ka talaga!!!

gawin mo tong hobby ha? hehe joke!

ang ganda talaga ng pics mo... lagyan mo ng mark baka kc may magcopy...

(",)

caryn said...

glad you enjoyed sagada chyng! it's really a different experience! ;-) na-miss ko tuloy yoghurt house ;-)

Weekend Haven said...

Awww... I miss Sagada. Wonderful photos too :) I haven't been to Lake Danum yet, so maybe it will be another reason to get back :)

Chyng said...

@lechua,
ganda ng blog mo means you're blog is beautiful!

@carlotta,
thank you!

@cedric,
para captured every moment.

@miong,
blogger from cebu right? yeah, 2008 pa yata nagpunta sina doms.

@axel,
sureness!

@witsandnuts,
i thought you're not based here in Pinas.

@lastjedi,
of cors you can do it. nothing's too late to try.

@brent,
awesome and priceless too!

@ann,
hello ann! matrabaho yung paglagay ng watermark. (actually akkatamad) hihi

@caryn,
hello caryn! wow, youve been to sagada din pala before. ayos! kakamiss nga ang yogurt house!

@weekend haven
hello! lake danum's color changes from time to time so i think it's better to go there when the water's clear.

Kat said...

Wow! I've never been to Sagada, but it's somewhere on top of my must-visit places. Hoping this year I can go. Really want to! :) Nice pictures! :D

Marvin Gaerlan said...

impressive! i can't even last a day without hugging and kissing my telly. hehehe! congrats

Chyng said...

@kat,
sagada is exceptional! must visit! go! Ü

@pansitlove,
wee, thanks! Ü who is telly?

thella said...

oh wow, congratulations :) great experience, nice pictures, and a blog entry that's full of excitement. saya :)

i♥pinkc00kies said...

wow.. the food looks so appetizing!! :D

Jen said...

Hi Chyng!

I've been wanting to travel alone but I just couldn't think of one place to go, alone hehehe. But, I'll surely do it very soon...

Tapang mo ha, Sagada pa!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Two thumbs up for this:-)

Its inspired me to make a solo adventure.
Hope i can make it ASAP:-)

Chyng said...

@jen and shekou,
kaya nyo din yan!
cheer ko kayo! Ü

Gigi said...

Thanks, chyng! this blogmade me relive my sagada travels in the late 90's. im itching to visit sagada again this summerlalo na ng makita ko tong blog mo. thanks :)

7a'faR said...

I love pie :D

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz~

cha said...

mam chyng binasa ko mga 5 times tong post mo hehe baka kasi yung tanong ko ay andun din naman sa post mo.. tanong ko lang po kung ok lang, mga magkano po yung estimated budget nyo nung nagsagada alone po kayo? abot 10k? need ko mag suicide este mag sagada.. hehe magpapakasaya alone :) thanks in advance mam chyng :) outstanding blog :) babad na ako dito eh :)

Chyng said...

hello Cha!
wow, Kadete ka? amazing!

ok, Sagada- I spent 5K. mahal no? ganun talaga pag travel alone, mas magastos, walang kashare eh.. pero the experience is priceless. after thsi one, you will never be the same again.. and bear in mind, hindi lahat ng nagttravel alone ay nag-iinarte at nagssoul searching (eeww).. Yung iba adventurous lang talaga, and for some- a preference.

goodluck! kaya mo yan! SAgada is perfect! Ü

june said...

Hi chyng.. astig, ang galing mo! kakabilib at kakainggit! ako nga pala yung nag pm sayo from GT. i'm planning to go there alone this halloween.. research muna ako maiigi. balik ako dito if may questions ako, if you don't mind ha? thanks for sharing.. :)

by sheilarouge said...

hi chying, i got here though google. I'm thinking of going to sagada alone and you made me confident to do it! Thanks a lot!

how did u booked for the guided tours alone? naghintay ka ba ng group?

Chyng said...

@june,
opcors you may! kelan mo balak magsolo?

@sheila,
hello! kayang-kaya ang sagada kahit 1st solo trip. what i did is look around forums (pex and gt) kung kelan madaming pupunta ng sagada. tapos ayun, nakisabay ako sa activities ng isang group dun na natteambuilding. sakto pa si gareth yung guide.

Micamyx said...

Ang astig naman ng solo Sagada trip mo! Hmmm... parang gusto ko tuloy gawin for next year since hindi pa ako nakakapunta dyan :D

Ada said...

Hi Chyng!! Will be going to Sagada tomorrow with Marky (nomadicexperience). Naexcited ako sa pics mo! (Nagsearch muna ako sa Google then kita nagpunta ka pala dun alone). IDOL!

leeflailmarch said...

Fantastic photos! This entry had me at the pancake+yogurt paragraph. Haha! :)

Ivan said...

huwaw... ms. chyng idol... dahil dyan, i will make a blog post in the future: "Following the Footsteps of Chyng Reyes | Surviving Sagada Alone V2" hahaha.. galing.

Kirsteen gonzales said...

Waahh,astig! Planning to go here. How many would you recommend if im going to baguio-sagada? Idol ka talaga ate! Astig!

Chyng said...

^ u mean how many days? 4 days ok na.

chrrrmaine said...

Mas namotivate akong mag Sagada dahil dito! :)

Hope to meet you soon Ms. Chyng!

shieram said...

Miss Chyng, can I use one of your Sagada pics for a post? I promise to link it back to your site. :D

Chyng said...

^ go ahead =)

shieram said...

Thank you! Posted it here.
http://wallflowerwannabe.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/sagada-that-magical-place-of-the-north/

Leanne said...

Hi :) im wondering how much po naging budget mo for this? And how many days nga po ulit? Thanks :)

Chyng said...

^ around P5000, 4 days 3 nights =)

Anonymous said...

going to Sagada tomorrow night.. alone. haha! gudlak sken :D

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