sagada blues jeo wrote this at 10:44 am • Filed under Try This On For Size!, The Days of Thy Life, The Acid Tube •

i wrote this one for Canned Thoughts some months back, im reposting it because im feeling the sagada itch again. hopefully before this month ends, i’d be able to get my ass back up there…

Every once in a while, we all find ourselves burnt out with all the zig-zaggin hustle of the city life. Your boss dropping another brick on your head, freakin office online connection keeps on crawling like you’re on isp-bonanza prepaid, cab drivers with body odors, a bug loungin in your morning cappuccino, or a boyfriend who’s addicted to milf porn. Sometimes, we all just wanna pack up and get away. May it be for drowning or just ankle-deep reasons, everybody wants to get away…

Where time is inexistent. Where people aint in so much hurry. A place where smog is replaced by a soothing mist. Where the sun is not hidden by the corporate-hungry smoke but by a few white clouds and blankets of towering pine trees. Where you wont feel you’re inside a penitentiary but rather in a holy sanctuary. A natural high, thats what they say. But nah, this aint no bitter pill, man. What im talking about is a better feel.

Pack your things. Ready your ipod and make a playlist of slow lazy tracks. Some trip-hop, acid-jazz or old blues music will do. A liter of C2, packs of cigs and your latest read. Hail a cab and ask the driver to take you to the Autobus station in España. Board a bus bound for Banaue. From there you will have to take another bus that will bring your ass to Bontoc. And after a shorter jeep ride, you will finally reach Sagada. That my friend, is when you’ll realize that the long trip was more than worth it.

You don’t have to bring a suitcase full of cash, a few grand will be alright for a week long stay. One of the best things about this place is the fact that its pocket-friendly. Accommodation, food, tours, etc. come cheap. Locals are very friendly and they’d be happy to assist you in any way that they can without asking for any cash in return. Ask about St. Joseph’s Inn, this is one of the nicest places to stay at in Sagada.

After settling your stuff in your preferred lodge, head out and take a walk. Try their pinikpikan. Get some local yogurt from the famous Yogurt House that is just a few minutes walk down the main street. If you’re up for it, get a guide and after fixing a hardhat in your head, try the Cave-connection adventure that they’ve just recently offered. You will start at the Lumiang cave, a burial site littered with wood coffins and tribal remains, and exit through the more famous Sumaguing cave. This will test your slithering abilities hehehe.

Go to Aguid Falls and bathe in its cool water. Visit the Demang old village, the Underground river, or the hanging coffins in Echo Valley. Climb Mt. Ampacao. There’s alotta stuff you can do and places you can discover in this almost hidden part of Mountain Province. And if you dont wanna do anything, you can just bum around, read a book or do some emo-type soulsearching. There are plenty of spots where you can lie down on soft green grasses, stare at the creeping sun and smiling trees and feel the cool breeze brush your memories off. Float on the Sagada chocolate tide.

Breathe deep and then try real hard to convince yourself that you will still have to leave this place to get back to your concrete jungle. But if you decide to stay there for good, well then I guess I’ll see you there next summer

Useful Numbers:
Florida Bus (manila-banaue) tel#: 3864042
Autobus (manila-banaue) tel#: 7358098
Cable Tours (manila-bontoc) tel#: 0918-5216790
St. Joseph’s Inn tel#: 0918-5595934
Sagada Guesthouse tel#: 0919-3212511
Masferre tel#: 0915-5777550