Batad: Stairway to the Sky

If you’re looking for a trip that’s out of the ordinary, a real adventure off the beaten track, then Batad is just the place for you. In the vast Cordillera Mountain Range, you can find this awe-inspiring stairway to heaven. But to get to this paradise, you have to tough it out and just keep on walking till your feet ache and your whole body is stiff. But I promise, when you see the majestic amphitheater-like rice terraces of Batad, you’re efforts will be well worth it.

Going there, we took the Autobus from Manila to Banaue, which cost P450 per person. The trip will take approximately 9 hours. When we arrived in Banaue, we found out that there will be no jeepneys traveling to Batad that day. So we decided to hire a tricycle that would take us as far as Batad Junction, and then from there, we had to hike the rest of the way.

As the sun started to get higher, the trek uphill got harder. We were walking on rough roads, occasionally passing through landslide debris. For two hours we kept on trudging and with each step the weight of my backpack seemed to get heavier. Until finally we reached a small hut where a young Ifugao was waiting. He introduced himself as Melo and inquired if we needed a guide/porter. We negotiated the fee for his services and agreed at P600. Glad to be relieved from my backpack, the walk to Saddle Point seemed like a breeze.

At Saddle Point, there are sari-sari stores that sell refreshments and snacks. We had ice cold Gatorade to fortify ourselves for another 2-hour, knee-numbing trek downhill to the village of Batad. A word of caution, you have to be fit if you’re going to travel to Batad. Wear the proper trekking footwear and bring water and trail food. The path is rugged and can get slippery. We passed by a shack where they sold woodcarvings and the like. I bought a walking stick with a bulol carving as its handle,a very useful purchase since we encountered lots of high and uneven steps on our way to the village.

So after more or less 4 hours of walking, we finally reach Batad. Panting, sweating and hungry but utterly amazed at what lay before my eyes. The mountain range forms a huge amphitheater and carved on its slopes are the 2,000 year old rice terraces. I was stunned and speechless at this man-made marvel. After a few minutes of just taking in the splendor of this ancient engineering feat, a word finally escaped from my mouth, “Wow!!”.

There are several inns in Batad and we chose to stay in Hillside Inn because it seemed to have the best view of the terraces. An overnight stay here plus lunch and dinner cost us P615. Don’t expect 5-star luxury here, though, it’s as basic as basic can get. After a quick bite and a short power nap, we felt recharged and headed to Tappia Falls.

It started to drizzle as we walked to Tappia Falls. The terraces were covered in fog and mist. We had to balance on the narrow stonewalls of the terraces. If you slip, you could fall 10 feet down. Being up close the terraces, you see how massive it is and you begin to imagine how the ancient Ifugao tribes carved the mountain slopes and how they carried and laid huge rocks one on top of another to build the terrace stonewalls that reach 10- to 12-feet high. The drizzle stopped and the mist lifted. I look around me and I am engulfed by the vast rice terraces, fresh green and golden yellow rice stalks glittering in the sun and dancing with the breeze. I feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach and I wish more people could see the wonder of Batad.

We reach Tappia Falls around dusk. We take a quick dip in its freezing cold water. It refreshes us.

And as we walk back to the inn, the sun starts to set. We watch the sky change colors. Like a vast curtain, the sky cloaks the amphitheater terraces in purple then dark blue and finally... in darkness.

Volcanic!

Mount Pinatubo is infamous for the havoc it wreaked when it erupted in 1991. Nowadays, it’s viewed in a more positive light as a place of adventure and beauty. A day trip to this volcano will cost you approximately P1,700 inclusive of van transport to and from Manila, 4x4 jeep ride, and registration/entrance fees. Mount Pinatubo is an active volcano located along the borders of three provinces namely Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga. To get to the foot of the volcano, we had to ride a 4x4 jeep across a vast lahar-covered landscape.

Rough Ride
It’s a dusty and bumpy ride all the way to the trek jump-off point. Sit back and hang tight as your driver snakes through streams and rocky lahar trails. The dramatic gray-white landscape looks like a desert with the jagged and sloping Cabusilan Mountain Range as its backdrop. It’s quite a relief that our 4x4 had a roof and windows to shield us from the clouds of dusty lahar. We took what is dubbed as the “skyway” which is a steep, slippery and scary shortcut to the volcano. Living in the recesses and planes of this mountainous landscape are groups of Aetas, the indigenous people who have inhabited Mount Pinatubo for decades. Their kinky hair, made golden by the sun, and their ebony skin create a striking portrait. According to our guide, the Aetas make their living by harvesting bananas, which grow copiously in the area and then selling these in town. From their meager earnings they buy rice which are a staple food for them.

Trek to the Top
After an hour and a half ride in the 4x4 jeep, you’ll reach the drop-off point where the trek to the crater commences. From this point it will take 30 minutes or even less to reach the mouth of the crater. Mobile phone signals are dead from this point onwards. It’s a fairly easy hike where you’ll alternately pass through rocks and streams. Our guide showed us a natural source of drinkable water in case our water supply ran low. It tasted fresh and clean and my hardy stomach did not complain when I quenched my thirst with it. Once you see the roughly hewn stone stairway, you’ll know that you’re almost at the top. After the rough ride and trek, our out-of-shape bodies were tired but the view that greeted us at the top more than made up for all our aches and pains.


What a Crater!
No words could describe the majestic view at the peak of Mount Pinatubo. I couldn’t believe my eyes that a blue green lake this beautiful could be at the crater of an active volcano! It’s beckoning me to take a dip into its aquamarine depths. My trekking buddies and I start to descend the uneven steps that lead to the lake. The water must be warm since it is in a volcano, I think to myself. I dip my foot into the water and I find that it is freezing cold! Plus it gets really deep real fast. After a few steps from the shore, I can’t even reach the lake bottom even on my tippy-toes. So best bring a lifejacket if you’re not such a good swimmer. Or you can hire a boat.

All the physical exertion of the morning worked up a huge appetite and it’s a good thing I packed some lunch. There are no stores at the crater so do bring food if you don’t want to starve—preferably plenty of rice, ulam, drinks, and snacks. A gazebo near the lake is the perfect place to eat and rest. Although it tends to get crowded when there are lots of visitors. Another welcome amenity that they installed is a basic toilet. There are no showers at the crater but once you get back to the registration office at the base you can get a spa treatment for P500 as a treat after such a volcanic adventure.

Picturesque Potipot

Tucked away in Uacon, Candelaria, Zambales is the funny-sounding but picturesque little island called Potipot. Just a five minute banca ride from Candelaria (P400 to P600 for 6 people) will bring you to white sandy shores and calm, aquamarine waters.

The island’s caretaker will be the first to greet you and collect P50 per person for the island’s maintenance. It looks like the place is regularly swept clean and the waters are free from floating plastic and other trash so your 50 bucks are well worth it. And for P500 more you can rent a hut for a whole day. Not that you need one anyway because the island has a number of trees that you can hide under when the sun is at its zenith. And for the most part you’ll be enjoying the water and not even notice the sun.

The island is tiny. In 15 minutes or less you can explore the island in its entirety. It is bounded by white sand with a slightly orangey-peachy tint. Right smack in the center of Potipot is a quaint tree house. It’s the tree house every kid dreams of, sitting on the tallest tree in the island and hovering above the small huts. After exploring the island, the calm, aquamarine waters beckon. The water is so clear and clean you can take really nice underwater pictures and when you go snorkeling you can see fishes just a few feet from the shore.
The island is not such a secret anymore with a number of day-trippers and campers enjoying the laidback and pristine vista. But it is far from being crowded. Zambales is still not a popular vacation spot like Puerto Galera or Laiya in Batangas, and that’s what makes it so appealing for those who want a quiet beach getaway. I mean, how could you not be lured by something this beautiful?

Cagayan De Oro Thrills

It’s known as the City of Golden Friendship. So upon landing in the Cagayan De Oro airport, I was expecting a warm welcome fro m the Kagay-anons maybe with some flower g arlands and fresh buko juice involved. Instead my companions and I came face to face with the most unaccommodating Department of Touri sm representative in the face of the earth! I am not exaggerating. Her tightlipped and irritab le answer to all our queries was, “Tingnan niyo na lang sa brochure”.

Slightly fazed by the frigid welcome of a DOT personnel of all people, we hired a cab that drove us to downtown CDO where we hoped to find a decent hotel. During the drive, I asked the cab driver why CDO was considered the City of Golden Friendship. His answer was something about a golden fish that can only be found in CDO and that’s why the city was called “golden friendship.” At first I thought he was playing with our heads, but he looked dead serious when he was explaining this. (I searched about this in the net to see if it was true, but nothing came up.) So anyway, we found a nice hotel near the famous Divisoria area. It’s called Hot el Ramon and I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for the 3C’s when it comes to accommodations--clean, comfortable, and cheap!

Downtown CDO

The best way to tour CDO’s Downtown area is onboard the motor ela. It ’s a motorcycle fitted with a cabin compartment that seats up to 6 to 8 passengers. Thailand has the tuktuk, CDO has the motorela. So our first stop is lunch at the famous Bigby’s restaurant. It has good food, good ambience, a bit pricey. If you are looking for something that’s distinctly Kagay-anon, you won’t find it here. Bigby’s reminds me of Friday’s or Chilli’s. I do have to say that their baby back ribs dish is superb.

Lunch was followed by a v isit to St. A ugustine Cathedral and Gaston Park. St. Augustine’s is a beautiful Church with century-old stained glass windows. A place of worship, medi tation, and hibernation. Really, there were quite a number of people sleeping in the pews.


Mapawa Nature Park
For a go at the zip lines and some rappelling action, we went to Mapawa Nature Park. From the city proper, it’s a 30-minute jeepney ride. Then another 10 to 15 minute ride via habal-habal or motorcycle. The park closes at 5 p.m. or even earlier if there are n o visito rs. We got there at 4:55 p.m. and they wouldn’t let us in anymore. But because of our irresistible charms (hehe) or maybe out of pity for us, they kindly let us in to take some pictures and try the zip lines.

White Water Rafting

The ultimate reason for going to Cagayan De Oro is to try white water rafting. Our tour guide from Kagay Voyages picked us up from the hotel at 7 a.m. We reached our jump-off point by 8:30 and after a short lesson on paddling and rafting safety we were ready for our ride down the mighty Cagayan River.

All in all there were 14 rapids plus a few minor ones. On the left river bank we passed the fields and mountains of CDO, on the right was Bukidnon. Cold water kept splashing on our faces and bodies. The ride was mostly bumpy, and thank God we had helmets on because we kept bumping into each other and paddles kept flying around. After two and a half hours, we reached the end of our first ever white water rafting experience. High five!

Macahambus Adventure Park
We passed by Machambus Park on our way back Downtown. Here we tried the Skybridge, a rickety, wooden bridge suspended from treetops hundreds of feet from the ground. When you reach the end of the bridge you attach yourself to a rope and go for a zip past the forest canopy while screaming “Aaaoooaaa” (just like Tarzan). Other thrilling adventures offered are rapelling (under renovation when we visited) and spelunking.