jin loves to eat: Banaue-Sagada Trip: Day 2

After a power breakfast of dried fish pandesal and green tea cereal, we hit the road for the 2-hour drive to Batad.

We stop at the Banaue town market to buy some cup noodles for tomorrow morning. (Instant noodles for breakfast is such luxury!)

Then my boo-boo. I fall on my knee getting off the jeep.

They pour alcohol on my wound. I cry like a baby.

Then we see these men putting the poor dog in a sack to transport him to his final destination. Human stomachs. Ugh.

This makes Frances so mad she cries

But tears turn into smiles when we stop at Guihop viewpoint for a photo op

Guihop Rice Terraces

The road to Batad is rough and narrow. We are driving so close to the edge I get some kind of sick pleasure peeking out the window.

It’s a two-way road, too. Aren’t we glad we hired a private jeep.

Our jeepney driver Jun drives scary fast but with great confidence, I must say.
That’s our tour guide Nora on the right.

We make another stop at the Hanging House for these two souvenir whores

Local crafts

Pray that it’s not too windy…

…when nature calls.

I am loving this hanging bench

Taking a photo of Nikko taking a photo of the view below

Random tourists who later hitch a ride with us

The souvenir whores, Jamie and Frances

Jenny taking a break from her yaya chores

And me. (Sorry, I’m a little too boring)

We start our trek down to Batad Rice Terraces

Have you seen a tree fern before?

The trail starts out pretty easy

Then it becomes a bit pebbly

And narrow

And rocky

And tricky

But nothing can stop us from playing celebrity

That is why all other groups overtake us every time, everywhere

I’m so hot and sweaty

And so hungry! Our healthy snack.

Nganga, Nora’s healthier snack

And then we continue on

Taking a photo of Nikko taking a photo of me

Some interesting things we see on the way:

Workers’ shed

Knotted grass which signals you to keep off

Glimpses of the Batad Rice Terraces

Little Ifugao porters

Rice God carvings on an Ifugao hut

Yey! We’re almost there!

Look what greets us before we reach the tourist registration center.
At least we know dogs here are on a healthy diet.

And finally, after almost 2 hours of walking, we are rewarded with the most
awe-mazing view

Batad Rice Terraces. The Staircase of the Gods.

Local children are friendly and smiling

Lunch today is at Rita’s Mount View Inn and Restaurant

The restaurant’s wall is filled with pictures and cards (and even IDs!) of people who have traveled here

Of course, we leave our mark, too

Batad Pizza – vegetables, egg, cheese, tomatoes and tuna

Rita’s fried rice Garlic and cheese pizza

Peanut butter pancake Cheese omelet

The food is nothing to write home about. We attack our own supply of Cheetos, Doritos, Sun Chips and M&M’s.

The toilet is not in the very best condition

But really, with a view like this, who cares?

The main highlight at Rita’s is this authentic Ifugao hut. The owner, Romeo (Rita’s son),
lives here with his family.

When you enter the hut, look to your left and you’ll see the bed

Look to your right and you’ll see the kitchen and pots

How they cook

Look up and you’ll see the storage for rice harvests, chicken feathers from their rituals,
and lizard carvings (they are signs of good luck)

Other miscellaneous items hang from the roof

Romeo owns this skinny pig who runs as fast as a horse when people come close.
Don’t worry, piggy, I already had lunch.

This is Romeo making himself some nganga

Scooping it out

He insists we do a wacky shot (Told ya I’m really bad with this)

Because we are fat, unfit and lazy peoples, we decide not to continue the trek down to the villages and the falls.

The hike back up from here is already dreadful enough.

We walk up the same way we come down,
but why is it so much harder this time?

Widening the road

That white speck is our driver Jeff. See, even he is struggling.
And he’s waaaayyy behind me, too. Ha!!!

Fresh mountain water

For the last leg of the hike, Nikko and I opt to take the stairs.
It is the shortest route, but also the hardest route.

Look how big the steps. They kill my legs. And my knee.

We started the hike back up at 2:15pm.

Nikko reaches the top at 3:20pm I at 3:21pm

Jamie at 3:32pm And Frances at 3:45pm

We share our coconut blessings with chickens and puppies

Life is so much simpler without iPads, Wiis and PSPs

Roadside barbershop

Dinner tonight is at Las Vegas Lodge & Restaurant. Of course, we go to where the flavor is.

Nora arranges a pinikpikan dinner for us. She says it’s a must.

Cool ceiling. With a live lizard this time!

Pinikpikan – prepared by beating a live chicken with a stick prior to cooking.
The beating bruises the chicken's flesh, bringing blood to its surface,
which is said to improve the flavour after cooking. (Source: Wikipedia)
This is indeed richer and a lot more flavorful than regular native chicken soup.