Let's unplan everything!

(Tuesday: Apr 27, '10)
9:33pm ---- It's a jungle in the city. The bus isn't here yet and I'm anxious to leave this chaos. It smells like feet and sweat in the waiting shed. - You can't trust the people here.

10:32pm ---- The beauty of travel: When you pass by the houses, the speeding vehicles, you know life is happening inside them. You know you are not alone. Each moment is special, if only they could stop and see. (You see people and think about them; make up stories about their lives, and they don't know it)


(Wednesday: Apr 28, '10)
4:25am ---- Right now I'm at some diner in Dangwa Station waiting for maybe an hour until the bus to Sagada arrives. I accidentally ordered an expensive breakfast because the waitress was too nice. Niceness can really manipulate people. The bus ride from Manila to Baguio was surprisingly fast and comfortable. There was a person at the back though playing his/her music, probably wanted to express his/her taste of music to strangers.
P.S I should stop spending so much.

7:22am ---- Currently at a stop over at some place called "Morning Star". Took a couple of naps during the travel; the view is astounding. The fog reaches you (or you reach the fog); pseudo-pandora. And the sun rising behind the mountains, and the steep hills showcasing beautiful fields and some rice terraces are something to live for.

11:18am ---- I am now in my room at the Traveller's Inn, and what do you know? -- it's awesome! I arrived at Sagada (the destination) around 11am and went to the store to buy a map. After that I had to register at the town hall and easy enough, you can just walk the whole place towards my hotel. I passed by the familiar names I read in the internet; this is going to be legen- wait for it- dary!

12:23pm ---- I'm going to trek/hike to Echo Valley in a bit. Hopefully if I still can, I'd get to the underground river and Bokong falls. Its a hot afternoon, but I don't mind. Booyah!

2:01pm ---- That was amazingly tiring. I got to the church, Echo Valley cemetery and the Echo Valley park/hanging coffins without a guide! Hooray! Almost got eaten by waterbuffalos though, they outnumbered me. I'm not at Masferre restaurant about to have my very early dinner. If ever I get hungry, I'm just going to have a lemon pie at the Lemon House. After this I'm planning to watch the sunset at Western Sagada (Danum Lake)

7:06pm ---- Newsflash! Things changed. After eating my delicious meal at Masferre I went to the tour spot, awaiting a possible reservation to see the sunset at Danum Lake when all of a sudden this Korean mum asked me if I was planning to hire a guide for the Sumaging Cave. As I've planned, my visit to the cave was suppose to be tomorrow but this was the perfect time to be spontaneous. Now I've read a lot of blogs about Sagada (well, scanned them) and I know for a fact that they think it's physically impossible to arrive at Sagada (12n) and do so much; they plan the "real" day in Sagada the next day but there I was fresh from a mid afternoon hike around Echo Valley underneath the sun, fresh from a 5 1/2 hr bus ride from Baguio, and fresh from a 5 1/2 hr ride from Cubao, and only 5 seconds made me decide to say YES! On our way to the cave, I passed by my room to change and stuff. Lucia was the Korean mum and Colomba (sp?) was the daughter. Frank was our guide and man was he awesome! I cannot put into words how great, amazing and thrilling the experience in the cave was but even though I've heard (read) stories, seen pictures and even seen videos, I was still in awe and surprise. Just got back around 30mins ago fresh from the shower. Man, is Sagada great!

7:52pm ---- Just got a message from home, my dog, Tootsie, has really stopped eating again; she'll need dextrose again. I just hope she can hold on, I hope she gets better as the last time I saw her, she was smiling.
- Maybe it's just me but I still don't find it comfortable eating alone in public. I've passed by multiple restos and Bana's Cafe is the only one that may be friendly for my dignity. Although the other two groups are foreigners, so I am still very much like an alien here -- how ironic. By the way, they have Alamid coffee here, I wanna drink but its expensive (150P) and I wanna try the rock climbing here for P400 with no limit! That's awesome but again, the cash. Anyway time to eat. I won't take a photo of it because its embaracing but its pork combo- fried pork, vegetable and rice with royal (135P)
P.S okay, so I took a picture because it just looks so awesome.


(Thursday: Apr 29, '10)
6:31am ---- Just woke up a couple of minutes ago. Goooo morning! Plan to pass by a store and buy some bread and water, and maybe some snacks. Then hike back to Echo Valley, finally see the real hanging coffins and hopefully continue going to the underground river and the Matangkis cave.

6:48am ---- Just heard the terrible news. Tootsie, the only dog I would ever love, passed away last night. I won't be able to see her anymore. This is crushing.

7:42am ---- I am at a good hidden spot in Echo Cemetery overlooking the hanging coffins. It is really astounding. The view is great and one wrong step or imbalance would probably get me killed.

7:52am ---- If you witness something beautiful, you lose something beautiful. Her smile is as majestic as this sight. Maybe even greater; the way making her happy makes me feel. How can I describe the feeling of getting home without the joyous hospitality of my dog?

9:07am ---- Just got back from the hanging coffins. It was neat but seriously, my view from "my" hidden spot was more amazing. I wonder if I could see the sunset from there.

10:31am ---- Just took a nap. I'm actually kind of game to go to the Sumigang cave again. But tnow I'm just planning to walk, visit the small falls (Bokong) and the undergound river if I can.

12:27pm ---- I suck! I forgot to write when I was at the new "favorite" place! Grrr. Anyway since the last post I've been walking and getting lost going to the small falls. I finally found it though together with an interesting bar/kaoroke (dunno how to spell) and another good spot for picnic and napping. Woohoo: I'm at some sidewalk now eating Halo-Halo.

1:26pm ---- Just took a really nice shower. Its raining in Sagada. Aww. I hope it stops before 4pm, I did over hear Frank tell Lucia that rain season is actually starting here. Before I leave I'm going to ask when's the best time to visit again, hopefully some time this year.

6:23pm ---- Oh I forgot to write an entry. Anyway kinda ate lunchrienda in the room and made a mess on the table sheet... damn! Then while it was raining I took a nap. Even dreamt that Tootsie wasn't "gone" gone but just a "goner" which made me think it possible to be cured but then I remembered my parents burying her. I just came back from town buying souvenirs (I spend too much on little things) and got to chat with Frank, he's going to help me see the sunrise tomorrow morning. Yay. Also, the cave I saw a while ago turned out to be Matangkib cave. If only I continued walking I would've seen the underground river. Dayum. Hopefully I get to tomorrow.

8:01pm ---- Don't think I'm eating dinner tonight. The electrolytes from gatorade will be enough. As much as I'm having the time of my life, having people with me would actually make it better, even just for lunch or dinner. Lol.


(Friday: Apr 30, '10)
4:33am ---- Up so early, yes? I just hope Frank shows up like he promised. Either going to hitch a ride to Kiltepan or walk there. I'm actually good with either. Also, I had another 'Tootsie is not dead yet' dream. It was nice seeing her and having my memories of her locked in my mind.

7:37am ---- Frank never showed up, the rain did however which forced me to shut the door leading to the sunrise view in Kiltepan. I'm beginning to crash. Just took a long nap. I have to check out before 10am so that leaves me around 2hrs to eat breakfast and bathe, etc. Lez go!

7:49am ---- Okay, the Yoghurt House seems pretty nice. As soon as I entered, everyone greeted me goodmorning in chorus. I was like 'wow, I feel special.' then after ordering it turned out 3 of the 5 people who greeted me worked there. Haha! Still nice though. I ordered the Hangover's Anathema. Because I still have Sagada (Cave connection) hangover. Booyah!

8:16am ---- Here I go; packing. Its hard to leave but I gotta go. Shower first though!

8:46am ---- Here I go, about to check out. This will be a long goodbye...

9:40am ---- I missed the bust. I seriously saw it leave and get smaller and smaller. It gave me time to buy more souvenirs though. I'm now waiting for the 10am bus.

1:56pm ---- 2nd stop over. We're nearing Baguio. At some place called 'Northway Sizzlers'. Its effing cold here.

3:45pm ---- We got into some dumb luck. First we got into a flat about 20mins away from the terminal. THEN it started to rain. So say goodbye to the slight chance of getting a cab. Haha.

5:12pm ---- Just leaving Baguio; in a bus right now. Man am I hungry.

7:27 ---- We had a stop over about 15mins ago. Finally got to eat BBQ and a Donut. Yumm. Kinda.

10:15pm ---- Ugh! Why is it so traffic? This is a learning though. Next time I'm coming home from Sagada, I'ma visit/use Bontoc - Banaue - Manila route and leave Banaue around 10pm and maybe arrive home around 4 or 5am. If I do though, I'd get like a couple of hours of hanging time in Banaue.


(Saturday: May 1, '10)
1:47am ---- Finally nearing the terminal in Cubao. This has been a very memorable trip. But now its back to the 'illusion' of what we call 'life'.