Sunday, October 24, 2010

A Day at Sagada


We started in Baguio. It was a very nice trip, but Tim decided to go up to Sagada. Be warned though, it's not for the unfit. The bus ride itself is a staggering 6 to 8 hours. With lots of hair-pin turns and roller-coaster-like moves. Since Tim is an American, he was not happy with the ride, even after I warned him of what to expect.

The first stop was at the Dangwa Bus Terminal. We went just this October, so there wasn't much people abound. The ticket cost about 230 pesos each. Once you go to the the Dangwa Bus Terminal, just look for the Lizardo Bus Lines. The seats are much more comfortable, but no aircon since, this is Baguio after all. We took the 9:30AM schedule.

Like what I said, the ride was thrilling and scary at the same time since you ride alongside cliffs, and mind you, the first few hours are hair-raising. After 3 hours, you'll get used to the ride.

Most of the road is paved, but some (where landslides happened) can be dusty, especially during the last leg of the jouney. We were prepared and brought along scarves. This also doubles as a wind-breaker for your face.

There are 3 stops. First is at the Morning Star Resto and Store where you can find the best yogurt drink I have ever tasted. I think the brand is Baguio Best Yogurt, or something like that. This is also where you can pee and buy some snacks. Their siopao is just ok. They also sell balut. After this, you get 2 more stops for bio-breaks and smoking. During the 2nd and 3rd stops, you would encounter these vendors that sell fresh veggies and fruits. Be sure to take advantage of those sweet Sagada oranges and passion fruit. You can also walk towards the sidewalks and look onto the mountains and just marvel at them. Pictures are not enough to show you how awesome the place is. After the ride, We went to this place called the Canaway Resthous. It was newly renovated, and it was awesome staying there. They give you amazingly clean sheets, which also smelled awesome. They even gave us 1 blanket each. It cost only 400 pesos per night to stay there, or 200 pesos per head during off-peak season. The bathroom was excellent and the people who own the place are nice.

Even the common area had cable TV! Which was awesome!







They also had hot and cold showers, but only for the shower. Not everything is heated. For cooking, I think you can ask to cook at the owner's kitchen for a small fee. We did not get a chance to check it out since we went home the next day.

However, we also tried to walk around a bit. I decided to eat at the Yogurt House. Mind you, if you are not physically fit, then going around town is exhausting since every street was on a 45-degree angle! I forgot to bring my camera at the yogurt house, but the food there was amazing! It was pricey but the servings were huge.

Oh, one small tip, if you are leaving already, nake sure you hike up before 8:30AM to the top of the road, so you can catch the bus early.

I love Sagada and hope that I would be fit enough to go back. We just slept overnight and headed home the next day. Next time, I would try to go spelunking, or kayaking, or even at least visit the hanging coffins.


Le Amore.

More pics:





View from our room at Canaway Resthouse.

If you need to contact Canaway Resthouse, visit my page at VirtualTourtist.