Sagad sa Sagada: The Climb

Sagada Challenge #2: Pongas Waterfalls

It might seem impossible to wake up at 6:30 AM after yesterday's spelunking adventure but surprisingly, all of us were able to get out of bed in time to grab some power breakfast at Yoghurt House.  Actually, I was up by 4 AM thanks to our neighbor whom I overheard talking loudly about how late it already was and how it was almost 7 AM. =.=  That woke me up pretty well.  Siya na ang late at 4 AM!

Power breakfast at Yoghurt House.  Sinong naka-racerback & board shorts at 7AM?  Blame it on the Hot Mountain Chocolate!

Due to the huge servings in Sagada, Erin and I decided to share our food.  We ordered one of their bestsellers, Hiker's Delight, which consists of a banana-filled crepe, toast, eggs and yoghurt with strawberries.  Some of them tried the Mountain Tea while I tried the Hot Mountain Chocolate.  Hiker's Delight was indeed delightful and really filling!  The Hot Mountain Chocolate drink, however, was bit of a downer.  At least for me.  I took a couple of sips and that was it.  That was enough to make me take my cardigan off!  They weren't kidding when they said it was extra hot.  Gumuguhit e, parang may alcohol!

Surprisingly, my favorite among our orders was Mabel's Tuna and Cheese Omelet.  It was soooooo good!  I wanted to finish the whole plate if I wasn't already full and if Mabel wasn't looking at me so threateningly.  Tip #14: Load up on carbs before doing any activity in Sagada.  You'll need it.
By the time we finished breakfast, Kuya Gareth (Kuya G from now on just because it's easier to type) was already there waiting for us.  Always on time!  He had a new tour guide with him, Kuya Josh.  Thanks to the following conversation, we discovered they were brothers:

Vanie: Kuya Josh, nasaan si Bimby?
Kuya Josh: Ha?  Sino yun?
Vanie: Yung kapatid mo!
Kuya Josh: Di ko kilala yun.  Si Gareth kapatid ko.
Us: Ahh okay. *poker face*

During the jeepney ride to Pongas, Kuya G joked about Erin's special request (which was actually our request but Jeng texted Kuya G about it posing as Erin HAHA) and as if on cue, Kuya Kelvin and Kuya Loyd hopped on board!  They're childhood sweethearts friends, by the way.

And then the kulitan started.  Rach was cracking green jokes which were hilarious to be honest but I couldn't help but blush at how naughty her jokes were.  It also seemed like the girls were enjoying these more than the boys. :))  Also, I'm not sure why but we kept on teasing Erin and pairing her up with Kuya Kelvin and Kuya Loyd which led to her requesting them to be our guides for the day.  In fairness sa kanila, maalaga naman talaga so I had no qualms in having them as our guides again.

First stop over: Ankileng Day Care Center.  Tip #15: There are only a few stop overs so make sure to take advantage of it and rest up.

We left the jeepney parked in a nearby residential area which is surprisingly where Kuya Loyd lives.  I wonder if they know how lucky they are.  The view is breathtaking and we weren't even anywhere near the falls yet.  Imagine waking up to this every morning, it'll definitely turn anyone into a morning person.

They gave us walking sticks to act as our third foot.  Trekking is a serious business!

Before we started, Kuya G handed out walking sticks to everyone to serve as our third foot.  This was enough to get me excited as this is my first time to go hiking.  To get to Pongas, one can either cross the rice paddies (trekking) or go where the river flows (rivering).  The latter is said to be more challenging so naturally, we went for it!  Ang kakapal lang talaga ng mukha! :))  The rice terraces surrounding us were beautiful, it's like being in one of the Magagandang Tanawin sa Pilipinas postcards, if you know what I mean.

Look at all the greenery!

Before we reached the river, we had to do a little bit of trekking as well.  Tip #16: Don't be fooled by Sagada's cool air, the rays of the sun can still burn you so wear loads of sunblock.  With this beautiful view as our backdrop, I didn't mind walking a couple of kilometers in the summer heat.

Just around the river bend.

And then comes the challenging part: crossing the river.  All of us got excited upon seeing the flowing streams of water, we all wanted to jump in right then and there.  But we did manage to get a hold of ourselves since we weren't even halfway through our journey.

Hikers in action!  Going through these boulders ain't that easy.

Going through the boulders could be a bit tricky and I slipped a few times but I came out unscathed so all is well.  Tip #17: Some boulders are slippery and wobbly so always watch your steps.  Or the person in front of you.  I'm not the most active person but the I fell in love with the thrill brought about by crossing the river and jumping over boulders so obviously, I was in front of the pack again.  This time, Kuya G was the one leading our group.  It was my first time to have him as a main guide and I was challenged by his style.  Kuya Kelvin and Kuya Loyd pampered us by always reaching out and lending a hand to help us get out of sticky situations whereas Kuya G would leave you on your own as you figure your way out but not without watching you and cheering you on (while documenting everything using Vanie's SLR).  Only when you seem hopeless would he hold out his hand for you to help you up.  Who would have thought that rivering isn't only physically demanding but mentally exhausting as well?

Follow the leader!

Eventually, I got tired of being in front and thinking of creative ways to get to the top so I switched places with Mabel. HAHA  Rivering required us to let go of our walking sticks at times so we could climb up rocks on all fours.  It was pretty tough but the view that awaits us after every challenge is enough to recharge us.  Pretty rewarding, I must say.  You have no idea how hard it was not to jump into these pools of water.

Rock climbing, anyone?

After a few more steps (well, more like hundreds or so), we could almost see the basin and the big falls!  All of us were tired by this time but excitement took over and we walked faster than usual to get to the basin faster.

Finally reached our destination.  Breathtaking, isn't it?

I let my travel buddies go ahead since I had to attend to some girl problems before taking a dip.  Believe me, it wasn't easy for me to take on these physically challenging activities while battling cramps but I didn't let that ruin my trip!  Tip #18: Always bring a plastic bag with you to keep your trash.  Don't leave anything behind!

The water was freezing cold but it was perfectly relaxing for our tired bodies.

Getting to the basin meant having to walk/climb up rocks all while getting wet with cool water coming from the cascading falls.  Tricky but it made it even more exciting!  After a couple of photo ops, we all went to the water to cool off.  OHMYGOD IT WAS FREEZING COLD!  But hell yeah, it felt soooooo good!  The climb was definitely worth it!

Going down the falls is tricky.  Butt walk pa rin hanggang sa Pongas!

Even though we wanted to stay a little bit longer, we couldn't.  We have the rest of the day planned for something else and we might catch a cold if we stayed longer in the freezing water.  If going up the basin was challenging, so was getting down!  Thank goodness we learned how to butt walk during our spelunking adventure!

Of course, nagbu-bumida ang Angelina pose ni Jengger!

We decided to go trekking on the way back since it was easier and by this time, we were all exhausted and starving.  I joked about how I regretted sharing a plate of Hiker's Delight with Erin.  Had I eaten the whole thing, I might have had the energy to get to Pongas Falls and back, not just for the half of it.

Trekking meant going through rice paddies and through the village.  We saw how their backyards were planted with different crops and their livestock were free to roam around their land.  Who needs to go to the market when you have your own vegetable garden growing in your backyard?  Amazing how simple their way of life is up in the mountains yet they are rich in every sense of the word.  Nakakainggit.

For me, the hike back to the residential area drained my energy more than rivering did.  Maybe because the trail seemed endless and there were no trees to give us shade or streams of water to keep us cool.  That's probably why most of us slept through the ride back to town.  We dropped the guides off at their HQ while the jeep dropped us off at Kimchi Restaurant for lunch.

Found Seoul in Sagada!

We were all starving but I didn't feel like eating.  I was that exhausted.  Our table (the single ladies) ordered daing na bangus, chapchae and adobo all good for sharing.  The chapchae could use a little more spice but the fish and veggies were quite lovely.

After lunch, we walked back to Bagalima for a quick shower before heading straight to our next activity.  Define strong!  Partida, walang energy drink or pain killers pa yan ha.
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Sagada Challenge #3: Marlboro Mountain

I was so bangag, I didn't realize we were going hiking again until I saw the walking sticks which well, quite alarmed me.  For some reason, I though we were going to Marlboro just for some photo ops well duh, it's called Marlboro Mountain for a reason!  Sinong absent-minded?  I didn't even bring a bag of snacks with me. HAHA

Up in the clouds.

The hike was a whole lot easier compared to what we did earlier but still, it required walking!  It may be hard to believe but at this point, my energy was really running low that I didn't even bother being in front of the group.  I was dragging my feet all the way to the top of the mountain (which looked like a hill to me btw).  There were no horses to be found but it was alright.  We had a 360-degree view of Sagada so who cares about horses?  Being up there felt like being up in the clouds.  The air was really cool, I wanted to lie down and take the rest of the day off.

Obligatory jump shots.  Sino uli ang pagod?

So what did we do up there?  Not much.  After some photo ops, we just goofed around all afternoon.

Chismisan at kulitan forever.

So naturally, love teams were formed.  SAY WHAAAAAT!!  Haha  I can't remember how it all started but we somehow managed to convince Erin to take a photo with Kuya Kelvin while doing the heart pose.  Kuya Kelvin was hesitant and shy at first so I kept on teasing him to just go with it because Erin is a good tipper. :))  I don't know if that convinced him or what but he did do it so it's all good.  Well, that's what I thought.  Next thing I know, I was the one being teased and being forced to do the heart pose with Kuya Loyd! :((  I didn't want to be a KJ so I gave in to peer pressure.  Nakakaloka lang, masyadong game si kuya!  Di ko keri makipag-sabayan. Haha  In short, all the single ladies were assigned a guide to be their love team.  Kaloka!

Love teams

So how were the love teams formed?

Erin + Kuya Kelvin: Basically, they are the key to my dream of witnessing a traditional wedding. HAHA  We always pair up Uber with anyone we feel like pairing her up with.  You know, taking one for the team so we'll have an excuse to come back for a free stay or something like that.  Define user-friendly! Haha  So on the first day, we paired her up with Kuya Kelvin and Kuya Loyd.  We kept bugging her to choose between the two but on the ride back from Pongas, Mabel told Uber to ask her boyfriend to close the window for them.  Surprisingly, Erin turned to Kuya Kelvin and asked him to close the window down!  Mukhang nakapili na ang lola mo! :))

Sera + Kuya Loyd: Because HHWR is the new HHWW.  I honestly didn't see this one coming (because I usually do the teasing huhu).  Since I had to deal with some girl issues (again) before going down Pongas falls, I was falling behind the group.  I couldn't remember exactly when but at one point, Kuya Loyd offered his hand and I took it, no questions asked.  I realized he was holding my hand for quite a while but didn't mind because I was really exhausted and I could use all the help I can get.  Plus, I was really comfortable with these guides, they were like kuyas I never had.  It wasn't a big deal but Faye teased me on the ride back to town about how I was able to score with Kuya Loyd.  WTF naka-score talaga ang term? :))

Meg + Kuya Gareth: The king and queen of corny pick-up lines!  Kuya, guide ka ba?  Ang corny mo kasi e.

Mabel + Kuya Josh: Because they somehow look alike!  And well, because Mabel didn't want to end up with Kuya Julio for some reason.

Vanie + Kuya Julio: We only met Kuya Julio a few hours ago but on the climb to Marlboro Mountain, him and Vanie bonded pretty well.  Kamusta naman, parang napagkwentuhan na nila buong buhay niya?

Mayee + all the guides: There were only 5 of them so we paired 'em all up with Mayee who was also Shan Cai in one of our photo ops.  How fitting!

Guides, organizers and friendship rings

There is one quirky thing about Kuya G that I noticed in the past two days: his hands seem to have a life of their own.  He would always be fidgeting with leaves, sticks and whatever material he can find on the trail.  Next thing you know, he's wearing a hat made out of leaves!  How resourceful!  During the hike to Marlboro Mountain, he showed us a long piece of stem and told us to remember it.  After the love team photo ops, the guides gave us friendship rings made out of that stem!  Cute.  Take note, there were 12 of us so it was really touching.

We were supposed to go to Echo Valley after Marlboro Mountain but Kuya G advised us to go tomorrow instead since we were all beat and we needed to be early for our reservation at Log Cabin.  We dropped them off at their HQ and headed straight to Log Cabin to place our orders in advance.

Originally, we wanted to try their Saturday dinner buffet but we had to move our reservation since we finished with spelunking pretty late.  After placing our orders in advance, we went for a stroll down the town proper to look for souvenirs.  It wasn't easy due to the lack of street lights.  We dropped by Yoghurt House in the hopes of getting some froyo, only to be disappointed.  Tip #19: Since everything is made fresh in Sagada, it's best to get your yoghurt fix early in the morning because they might run out later in the afternoon/early evening.

Pigging out for dinner.

Two hours later, we were back at Log Cabin, ready to pig out.  Mabel, Vanie, Mayee and I decided to order spaghetti bolognese, spaghetti with mushrooms, and 2 servings of chicken with salad on the side.  For the first time ever in my entire life, the highlight of my meal was the salad!  All the ingredients were fresh and the dressing went perfectly well with it.  I especially love how crisp the lettuce was.  It was so damn good, Vanie had to remind me to leave some for her.  Whoopsie!  That was definitely a great way to cap the night off.

Oh, I wanted to check out the Moonlight Party I saw in one of the flyers at Log Cabin.  But after learning that it takes about 30 minutes on foot to get to the venue, we didn't even bother.  A 30-minute walking distance for locals meant it would take at least an hour for us tourists so we decided to save up our energy for tomorrow's activities.

But before going to bed, we heard loud bells ringing.  Vanie, who is an expert in all things related to local showbiz, told us that those bells were an open invite to a wedding.  Well, at least according to Juday's movie whose setting was in Sagada.  That got me excited but yeah, we were dead tired so I decided to let it go and went to sleep.  We found out the next day that those ringing bells meant nothing but a signal for curfew hours.  Definitely not an open invite for a wedding. HAHA  Tip #20: Get your facts straight from locals and not from movies.


Travel date: 6 May 2012
Photo credits: Eric, Faye and Vanie(but technically, all pictures during the trekking/rivering activity and group photos at Marlboro Mountain were taken by Kuya Gareth, Kuya Kelvin and Kuya Loyd)

Want to visit Sagada?  Head over to the SaGGAs website to better familiarize yourself with what's in store for you.  You can also choose a trusty tour guide in advance from their catalog as long as they're available during your trip.  For more information on Pongas Waterfalls and Marlboro Mountain tours, click here and here respectively.