UNFORGETTABLE TREKKING ADVENTURE IN BANAWE RICE TERRACES, IFUGAO

April 29, 2001

MABUHAY!

A Souvenir photo with the Banawe Rice Terraces in the background

11: At 11:00 am, my wife and I arrived in Baguio City—the Summer Capital of the Philippines. After a couple of hours of rest at our favorite lodging house just a few meters from the city's outskirts, we decided to roam the marketplace in search of a place to eat. Then a bus with a signboard BANAWE caught my attention. I told my wife this would be a great travel adventure, thinking Banawe was just a few kilometers away from Baguio City. We boarded the bus around 6:00 pm with a few local people—the Ifugaos—already on board. We sat near the rear of the bus, with a lot of stuff stored among the empty seats. I noticed the bus traveled for long hours, now making only a few stops to pick up passengers. The road was very dark, with almost zero visibility. The night was also very cold, which is why I hugged my wife very tightly. The bus seemed to speed away, an indication of a great distance ahead. I could not help but wonder why, so I went near the driver to ask him if we were near our destination. Then the driver gave me a big smile and said, "A few HOURS more." Oh no, I thought Banawe was just beside Baguio City, but I suddenly realized that Banawe was located in a different province.

 

After a few more hours, around 5:00 am, we arrived at Banawe almost at the same time the sun began to show off its radiant morning rays. I now saw a silhouette of green mountain ranges, and the nice feeling of a cool morning breeze greeted us with such delight. This is indeed HEAVEN!

Enhanced with AI to restore and better appreciate the beauty of the original scene.

Original photo

 

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Two local boys went with us to guide us through a narrow footpath that ascends and descends along the mountain. Rice paddies were a common sight since this is the main reason why our ancestors did this fantastic job of carving these mountain ranges. All for the sake of our staple food, rice. By the way, the variety of rice here is called commercial brown rice.

                          

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We navigated through the thick jungle of trees and shrubs, then went on to a hanging bridge. The spectacle of lush greens, beautiful landscapes, and reaching the mountain peak with my hands nearly touching the clouds gives me a feeling of euphoria, a taste of heaven on earth.

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We passed by a small local community on top of the mountain where I saw an authentic Ifugao house. I only read them before in books when I was studying at the College of Architecture. Some of the houses replaced the nipa, a local material used for roofing, with corrugated GI sheets but maintained the motif of the ancestral design.

IFUGAO HOUSE

Posing for a souvenir photo with an Ifugao tribesman 
  

              

                 

We went down from the mountain around 12:00 pm, then ate some lunch and yes, they served us unlimited brown rice! After a little break, we boarded a bus going to Baguio City, around 2pm- the last trip for that day. At 3:00 pm, our bus departed for another 10 hours of travel adventure.

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