Philippines 2013: 2 - Manila to Banaue

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Departure was at 7 AM for the 9 hour trip to Banaue. The first two hours were on good expressway, but then we were on two lane road with no shoulder and lots of local traffic. Besides the motor cycle taxis with a covered side car (called tricycles), Jeepneys, push carts, full sized trucks and buses and bicycles there were a lot of the Chinese roto-tiller type motor powered vehicles with a seat or wheeled platform attached. Other than very rural China, there are few to been seen there now, but they seem to have found a good market for them here. It was also a day for funerals. The hearse drives at walking pace, with a long line of mourners behind on foot followed by mourners who have a car. This completely blocks the road, making passing all but impossible..

Other interesting road hazards were large plastic sheets on the road covered with drying rice. For school zones, a barricade closes the approaching lane, forcing all vehicles to jockey for position to pass using the one lane left available. Some of the road was in reasonable condition, but long stretches alternated between pot holed pavement and pot holed gravel.

Arnold, our driver, was telling us there was a curfew here of 10 PM for anyone under the age of 18. It was also interesting that some municipalities ban cigarette smoking totally.

We stopped at the Central Luzon State University to see a milk farm of water buffalos. There were all ages from small calves upwards. At a small shop we purchased candy and ice cream made from water buffalo milk - delicious! What we call water buffalo are called carabaos here.

Lunch was at a roadside café serving Philippine food, which we were not particularly keen on, but the beer was good. Food prices are low, as is the price of beer - about $1 in a restaurant. Knives are not usually on the table, eating is done with a fork and a large spoon.

All along the roads are thousands of election signs plastered everywhere. Alfred says there are some 200 parties vying for position in the elections next month. People are elected for 6 years. The presidential elections will be held in another three years, also for a 6 year term.

We checked into very basic accommodation at the Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel, however the view from the balcony down a valley lined with rice terraces was spectacular. The drinks were good in the restaurant, the food mediocre. We are high in the mountains, so no air conditioning - just open the windows to cool mountain air. The hotel manager was a delightful lady whose husband was working in Sudan. It is not uncommon for both parents to be working out of the country and the children to be raised by their grandparents, or aunts.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Today our transportation was in a jeepney. Other and Marilynn & I there was only the driver, Arnold and Michael, our local guide. We started climbing up a twisting road along the side of the valley immediately after leaving the hotel, stopping at frequent viewpoints to photograph the amazing rice terraces that climbed the valley on both sides. Some of these terraced areas are UNESCO world heritage sites.

A dirt one vehicle wide road took us far into the mountains to the village of Hapao, said to be over 3,000 years old. We were originally scheduled for Banga-an, however our first guide Raymond had advised against it, as it had less rice terraces and was heavily commercialized for tourism. Hapao certainly was not!

The twisting, climbing, landslide dotted drive took about an hour. Our speed was such that young kids would run up behind the bus and jump onto the back to ride. A ladder on the back is for passengers to sit on the roof once the interior is filled - the is the practice with the large highway buses as well.

When we reached the village we hiked down many steps to get to the level of the lower rice terraces. The only way for the local people to get the rice out is on narrow steps up the sides of the valley, or on slippery mud paths - it is a long climb..

Once at the bottom we walked on cement dividers between the terraces. Terraces are individually owned, sometimes several in one family, and they are passed to the eldest child - boy or girl, when the owner dies. Marilynn purchased a new hat in Manila, but knocked it off her head when taking a photo. It sailed down to the next terrace - no way to recover it, but a bonus for the person harvesting the rice.

We walked about a mile up the valley, following a rushing stream where at a deep pool the local kids were skinny dipping. There was a huge, smooth boulder in the river that they used as a water slide into the pool. The mountain water was cold, but we envied the kids as the sun was hot and we were soaked with sweat!

We had to climb out of the valley on a series of steps and paths to get back to our vehicle for the return trip. We opted to be dropped, along with Arthur, in the town of Banaue, the cliff hanging commercial centre for the area. All the houses we have seen in this area are built precariously on the edge of cliffs about the rice terraces.

Lunch was OK and the beer good. We then went shopping for a blouse for Marilynn ($3) and sandals for me ($2.50). There was nothing to fit my big feet, but the pair I got are close enough for the beaches. To get back to the hotel we hired a tricycle, with Marilynn and I crammed into the side car and Alfredo on the motorcycle behind the driver.

At dinner we had a long chat with the owner and her sister while eating, then I tried to get on the computer to send out an email but it was busy. Another attempt at 5:30 the next morning was also unsuccessful as the computer would not recognize my flash drive.