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This last week has pretty much been a brief, round trip of North Luzon, with the eventual destination of the famous Batad Rice Terraces. However, the adventure on this trip has definitely been in the journey as much as the final destination. Some of the individual jaunts have been epic to say the least, making Batad feel that slightly bit more special.

In search of rice.

Simon Wadsworth
2006-09-04 17:03:29

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This last week has pretty much been a brief, round trip of North Luzon, with the eventual destination of the famous Batad Rice Terraces. However, the adventure on this trip has definitely been in the journey as much as the final destination. Some of the individual jaunts have been epic to say the least, making Batad feel that slightly bit more special.

Jaunt 1: Starting smooth was an overnight bus trip to Baguio, arriving at the awkward hour of 3am and hanging around in an internet cafe waiting for it to get light. I managed to knab a 2-seater to myself, admittedly, I think, because I stank quite bad. It might just be my paranoia (so I kept telling myself) as I'm not sure what the lady I was sitting next to said, but between her and the driver some disgusted-style facial expressions were made in my direction before I was chucked to the back of the bus on my own. Ha! In my defence, I'd been walking round Manila all day and had no opportunity for a shower - some more deodorant has since been bought. But hey, I got a comfortable night's sleep, which on any S.E.Asian night bus is a rarity. The moral? "Don't travel sad, smell bad."

Jaunt 2: Next was a similar bus journey to Sagada, one of Philippine's most picturesque towns, and at 7 hours, the most intense, bumpy, bus journey I've been on yet, pushing KL to Cameron Highlands into 2nd place. Think of it as preparing me for the next few jaunts, not just with regards to comfort, but the astonishing views all the way that were to stay all week. Views of steeply rising vegetated mountains, dotted by clouds and a scattering of Filipino settlements.

Jaunt 3: From Sagada I caught my first jeepney to Bontoc, capital of the Provinces. Although another bumpy ride, with 28 people on board, we were squashed so tight together, we became our own suspension machine. Seriously, it was hilarious - when the jeepney would appear full, we would then stop for others - "how?!" ...