| If you are thinking of a weekend getaway where you | | | | remember they would wave back. Then before I |
| can just reconnect with mother nature, you may want | | | | knew it and had another chance to breathe again, we |
| to consider adding Ifugao, Philippines in your list. It can | | | | were already looking at the enormous Banaue Rice |
| be a haphazard vacation but still, you will have that | | | | Terraces. It's not at all surprising how the renowned |
| assurance that you will achieve that euphoric | | | | terraces of Ifugao province got global standing and |
| sabbatical feeling. | | | | acknowledgment as, as we all know,the eighth |
| I had the exceptional chance to go and stay there for | | | | Wonder of the World. It was unbelievable, I mean, |
| two days, together with my friends. It was a once in a | | | | being there at that moment, realizing that the |
| lifetime vacation and I thought it's a nice shatter from | | | | astounding terraces were, in fact, obscurely created |
| our routinary work-home-work-home schedule in the | | | | and shaped by the Ifugaos themselves, yes, by their |
| city. So off we all went on a weekend. Although, | | | | own hands. It was awe-inspiring, it stopped me from |
| typically, I wanted to experience the more conventional | | | | dreaming so materialistically because seeing the people |
| way of spending a vacation, you know, searching for | | | | there was so humbling. What they had done was a |
| the cheapest inn, discovering the roads going to the | | | | reminder of how we should take care of the things |
| most beautiful spots, questioning my heart out to know | | | | God gave us. After our lunch at a diner called 'Mexicali |
| where's the best resaurant, etc. I really never had the | | | | Resto' where the vegetables were all fresh (the |
| chance to experience any of these since we stayed | | | | waiting time after we ordered was a little bit lengthy, |
| in a place where everything was free, courtesy of | | | | but I would say it's okay, since I was with my friends |
| another friend. Anyway, it was really divine...okay, I | | | | and we spent the time chitchatting, taking pictures and |
| know I haven't even started with my story yet, but | | | | wowing ourselves to death watching the whole place) |
| really, it was. | | | | we trekked all our way to the ladders of the Ifugao |
| Ideally, it was supposed to be a 6-hour drive from | | | | terraces.We actually reached the peak of it, well, |
| Manila but we had several stop-over. One in Plaridel, | | | | almost. It was so beautiful. Being out there, I felt so |
| Bulacan, San Jose City and last one in Sta. Fe, Nueva | | | | close to heaven...it's like one floor away from God. |
| Viscaya where the passengers usually eat and buy | | | | On our second day, we went to the Yamashita |
| local food so the buses usually stay longer in that area. | | | | Treasure Place in Kiangan, which, by the way, looked |
| We left at 11 o'clock in the evening and reached | | | | striking. Couple that with the perfect lunch we had at |
| Lagawe, Ifugao at around 7 o'clock the next day. Our | | | | our friend's farm where the boys also did gun-shooting. |
| breakfast? The Singh family cooked native 'longganisa', | | | | It was really spectacular. Remove all the good |
| it's ground meat placed in pig's large entrails, the meat | | | | panorama, and it still was a great place because of |
| was cubed bigger so that made it their exclusive | | | | the people. I like the way they have maintained their |
| version. We snoozed for about an hour before we | | | | lifestyle, I view it as a little 'amish-ish', and that's what |
| started our expedition then it took us another hour or | | | | keeps the Ifugaos apart, undeniably. I will always |
| two to reach Banaue. The people were so smiling all | | | | remember the place, same with the feelings that I had |
| the time. I would wave at some kids since we got our | | | | while I was there. I will always remember the people |
| way there riding a public vehicle; I was on top of it (also | | | | that I was with and will treasure them in my heart. |
| known as jeepney, another Filipino thingy) and I | | | | |