Trekking in Sagada

One of the best activity in Sagada is to trek.



If you're planning to visit Sagada make sure you'll pack a
rubber shoes with you because there's a lot of outdoor
activities this place will offer.



Before you start exploring the wonderful province you must 
register at the Municipal Tourist Information Center
and pay an environmental fee of 35 pesos. Keep the receipt 
because you will need to present it in every sites you will visit.



You can also choose your own itinerary at the Municipal Tourist Information Center.
They have an itinerary packages with a tour guide.

To be honest, I though we wouldn't need a tour guide to explore the province
just pay a 35 pesos and we're good to go because that's what I've read on some blogs.
But it's a big NO. In every sites you will visit you must have a local
tour guide with you.



We decided to pick the Eco-Tour package and it was 600 pesos for a group of 4.
The tour includes:
- Sagada Public Cemetery
-Echo Valley Hanging Coffins
-Bokong Falls


Sagada Public Cemetery 



Our tour guide told us that instead of using candles to
light their beloved ones they used "saeng" it's a local term 
means old pines trees. It's their tradition every 1st of November
and called it "Panag-apoy". 



Also in this cemetery, one of the  member of the
SAF 44 PO3 NOEL O. GOLOCAN was buried here. I salute him for his bravery! 

From the cemetery there's a path leading to the Echo Valley.


Echo Valley



The name behind the Echo Valley is when you scream it will echo.
When the tour guide mentioned that I asked him if I can try.
And YUP! It did echo and it was kinda mind-blowing hahaha!




Our tour guide also mentioned that once we get down where
the coffins are we shouldn't make unnecessary noises because the place were sacred.





This coffin was opened and some of his bones were strayed and missing.
This happened because tourists used to enter the valley on their own.



Here's the famous hanging coffins of Sagada.



I used to read and see this in my elementary books and now
I already saw it in person. Some facts from our tour guide:

- All the cadaver in the hanging coffins are full-blooded Igorots.
- The chairs that you see is were the dead Igorot was seated at their lamay. Yup, it's
very different from the traditional lamay we knew. The family can either put the
chair next to the coffin or just throw it away.
- The names that are written at the coffins are their Igorot names.
- They don't use formalin instead they use herbs.
- If you count all of the coffins it's 18 but originally it's 19
because they other one was at the top with a cross.



Other than hanging the coffins other Igorots also puts the
coffins between the rocks of the Valley. 
We're thinking how could they do that because it was pretty high but the guide
told us that a thick vines used to be there and the Igorots used it as a ladder.
 But it was burned because of a forest fire.




There is also a coffee plantation in the Valley


coffee is life ❤





  



This cave has a short cut route to Bokong Falls




Bokong falls



The Bokong falls is located in an area bordered with rice terraces and pine trees.









We finished the tour at 1:00 pm and rest for a bit because
we're planning to visit the Lake Danum and Gaia Cafe.

But unfortunately, at 3:00 pm it started raining but we still tried to
visit the Lake Danum.



The road heading to Lake Danum was full of dried pine trees' leaves and
it might be slippery so we didn't proceed. But along the way we saw
the Sagada pottery.






And we head back at the town proper to try the famous
Sagada Lemon Pie House

 

But it was already closed T_T
We didn't know they close at 5pm :(

Never say never so even though it's still raining
we went to Ambansing to visit the cafe I'm looking forward to
which is the GAIA cafe. But the road heading at the cafe is so
muddy so we didn't proceed. It was kinda unlucky because of the rain.



But still,we had a great time exploring Sagada!!


And that's it!
Thanks for droppin' by!
See you on my next post!

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xoxo,

hazel