The Eighth Wonder of the World

I may not appreciate paintings...

...but I do believe in photographs.

27 April 2005. The Banaue Rice Terraces in the Ifugao Province is everything I have watched, read and heard about yet it still caught me by surprise. Believed to be 2,000 years old, this national treasure is regarded as the eighth wonder of the world - a living and enduring proof of the ingenuity of man. I hope it survives thousands of years more.

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went there with Marinette Reyes 

and Prof. Napoleon Abueva (Philippine National Artist for Sculpture)


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Lake within a Volcano within a Lake

Taal Lake...

...peaceful while it sleeps

29 January 2005. I’ve seen it many times from the view decks of Tagaytay and from the window of a plane but nothing compared to getting up close and personal. With my friends Gracie and Candy and the members of the Nature Awareness and Conservation Club, we took a 15-minute boat ride across the shimmering Taal lake and endured a one-hour hike under the heat of the burning sun, many times stopping by either to catch our breath and wipe out sweat or give way to horse-riding tourists or to take pictures.

We got there, finally, and started perambulating like bogus volcanologists, scrutinizing a tiny mass of red earth we scooped with our hands and feeling the heat of a smoke coming out of a fissure. Before finally saying goodbye, I admiringly stared at the sleeping lake and the earth that cradled it. That very moment, I forgot about the major destructions this volcano has caused throughout history and the earthquake that rocked it only 2 weeks ago.

Heck, I should have brought some sleeping pills so I could drug this volcano to sleep forever! :)

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Stay Away from Coron, Palawan

 

...towering limestone cliffs......idyllic white beaches......crystal clear waters......sacred lakes......mysterious caves......coral gardens......tropical forests......divesites......hidden lagoons......hot springs......breathtaking view of Busuanga islands from Mt. Tapyas

 

P.A.R.A.D.I.S.E.

Stay away from it. It's MINE!
______
went there in April 2004 with Gracie & Monet

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La Union Sunsets

...sunset-viewing after a hard day's work...

 

...a kid rushes home after a fun day at the beach...

The beaches in La Union may not be as popular as Boracay...its sand far from white; but it is one of those few places blessed with a glorious sunset - God’s reward to the weary worker and His promise of a brand new day.

 

Bauang, La Union

March 2005 with my relatives

_____

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Tappiyah Waterfalls

Tappiyah Waterfalls, Batad, Ifugao Province

"We lead our lives like water flowing down a hill...going more or less in one direction until we splash into something that forces us to find a new course." -
Arthur Golden in Memoirs of a Geisha

30 April 2005. We were in a makeshift rest station atop a hill nervously looking down the eroded foot trail leading to a bend where the waterfall was hiding. We have just conquered the amphitheatre Batad rice terraces and this would be the last leg of our self-imposed challenge. It was almost 4pm and despite the persistence of Vicente, our tour guide, to proceed amidst the looming rainfall, Marinette shook her head saying she has seen a waterfall before so for her, it’s no big deal. By that time some tourists were already ascending the steep hill on their way back to the rest station and I overheard them cheerfully talking about the strong rapids and the refreshingly cool water.

Vicente pointing to the trail
leading to the falls

I have not yet seen a waterfall. I've got to see this one! The thrill-seeker in me took over so I descended with Vicente while Marinette kept cheering me on. I waved at her more than a couple of times until she has diminished into nothing but a speck so I could no longer see if she was still cheering me on or if she was already downing that cold soft drink sold at the station. It took me a 20-minute footwork to reach the bend and there, a few steps to my left, was the elusive, breathtaking, charming Tappiyah Waterfall. A few more careful steps down and we were right in front of it - its splashing sound so thunderous it felt like being inside a dolby digital-powered cinema.

It was my first time to see a waterfall. Hard to believe, but true. Probably I’ve seen a couple of waterfalls but none as real and grand as this one to leave a mark in my memory. I didn't bring any swimwear so without hesitating and unmindful of how Vicente would react, I dropped my jeans and attacked its refreshing pool of water wearing my shirt and underwear. yaikss! Thankfully all the tourists have left so it was there exclusively for me to enjoy.

Vicente the tour guide became the photographer as he took pictures of me waving and frolicking like a kid. A couple of times i had to run back to him to show him how to use the camera. It was almost 5pm when he told me we had to go so we could make it back to our cottage before sunset. Upon surfacing, I paused to steal a mental picture of the waterfall that only the strong and determined would be blessed to see. It was one of those blissful moments in my life when I wished my loved ones were with me to share the experience.

I literally crawled my way up back to the rest station. Only when I saw the relieved face of Marinette did I realize what I just did. Imagine: I was alone with a 35-year old male tour guide in a secluded spot in the interior of the vast Cordillera mountain ranges in the hunt for nothing but adventure. Oh well, life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.

___
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The Amphitheatre Batad Rice Terraces

10-hour bus ride from Manila

30-minute jeepney ride from Banaue town proper to the Batad junction...

2-hour hike from the junction or depending on how fast you negotiate the 9-kilometer distance.

WORTH. IT.  where else in the world would you wake up to this view?
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Batad, Ifugao Province

April 30-May 1, 2005 with Marinette

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In Pagudpud, life's a beach

Earth...

Sea...

Sky...

and a hammock...

What more could you ask for?

Life's a beach.

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Pagudpud Beach, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Pardon the poor quality of my photos but they were taken long before i owned a digital camera.  Holy Week of 2001, Grace invited me and Monet to her hometown in Billoca, Ilocos Norte.  I was there same time the previous year for my first ever Northern exposure and we visited the usual tourist spots in Vigan, Batac, Laoag and Currimao.  This time we went to the same places (for the sake of Monet who was visiting for the first time) and we also checked out Pagudpud Beach.

April 2001 with Gracie and Monet

Pagudpud is a coastal resort town on the northernmost tip of Luzon.  Its crystal-blue waters and white sand beaches make it a haven for tourists, also earning it the title "Boracay of the North".

I can still remember that trip.  We took a bus from Billoca to Laoag, rode a tricycle to the bus terminal then boarded an overloaded non-airconditioned bus to Pagudpud.  What I also cannot forget about that ride was the bus driver who knew all his passengers (except us) and dropped off each and everyone of them right in front of their doorsteps, at times helping them unload their big boxes and sacks of rice.  Obviously, these people went to the big city to get their basic supplies.  As we went around the quiet streets of that small town, i was instantly taken by its quaintness.  Though it's a place i've never been before, i felt safe and happy.  I was charmed!

We unboarded the bus last and Mr. Driver dropped us off the entrance of the resorts strip.  We rented a cheap room that was part of a 3-bedroom bungalow after we were snobbed at Saud Beach Resort.  We found out later that most of the tourists flock to Saud so it wasn't surprising that when we stepped in there with our flipflops and heavy backpacks, nobody seemed to care. Hmp!

Other than that not-so-pleasant encounter with the Saud front desk, we had a wonderful time.  I remember waking up early to collect shells and wait for sunrise... one of the best mornings i've had in my life!  Grace, Monet and I had fun exploring the beach, taking pictures, climbing hills, eating at carinderias.  The best part was taking a bath from a 'poso' (a manual pump used to get water from underneath the ground), the three of us alternating with the handle so the other two can rinse. So much fun!

After our overnight stay we headed back to Laoag, had brunch at Jollibee and took a bus headed not to Grace's home but to Vigan, Ilocos Sur.  But that's another story. :)

_____

I was fortunate to go back to Pagudpud in 2004 as part of our Ilocos trip with my college classmates Eder and Laya.  This time i had a brand-new digital camera so the pictures were better.  Laya, already permanently residing in the US, was vacationing and together with his dad, our cheerful and tireless driver, we spent 4 days and 3 nights of fun and memorable times together.

May 2004 with Eder and Laya

We checked in at Saud Beach Resort and I felt like Julia Roberts in the Pretty Woman movie where she shopped at the same expensive boutique that snobbed her the first time she went there. Ha! After i told them about my experience with Grace and Monet, Laya decided we should stay there and find out what's so special about it.  Nothing much really, except for the airconditioned rooms, decent shower, resort hammocks and the neatly-combed beachfront.  Other than that "special amenities", the rest of Pagudpud's beauty are naturally available for everyone to enjoy.

My fondest memory of that trip, other than our failed attempts to ride the boogie board, was that special night i spent with Eder and Laya at the beachfront under the full moon where we talked about our fun college days (we first met in UP in 1991) to our present lives, careers and relationships.  Something about that conversation enlightened me which eventually led to a major decision that changed my life.

Compared to Boracay, Pagudpud still has a lot to improve.  But honestly, I hope it stays that way - quiet, peaceful, subdued, muted, raw and mysterious.  You arrive tired, stressed and disorganized and go home happy, energized and feeling like a totally different person in a nice kind of way.


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