Sagada - Hanging Coffins
Trip Start
Jan 17, 2005
1
4
10
Trip End
Ongoing
Sagada, Philippines
Friday, January 28, 2005
Where was I ... Ah yes the trip to Sagada was superb ranging from mountain scenery covered with rice terraces to deep valleys (for the welsh readers) that had been carved by rivers over thousand of years. The trip also reminded me of the film the Italian Job ( the original one for you yanks!!) as the road was semi tarmac'd and dug up which resulted in the bus swerving on numerous occasions only inches from a few hundred foot drop (please consult tables for all people who work on the metric system). I arrived in Sagada around about 4pm and checked into the Masferre Inn, which was the nearest accommodation to the bus stop (I am a backpacker who does not believe in carrying ones stuff vast distances to save a few quid/dollars). I then went for a stroll around the village which was very picturesque but had a uniquely pungent aroma due to their being more chickens, dogs and cats than people in the village. I then had some something to eat and drink where I met up with an English couple I had seen in Vigan a few days before and listened their travelling exploits as they had left 2 days before me and arrived at the same time.
The next day I hired a guide to go to the Lumiang Burial cave and the Sumaging Cave where I swam in the caves waters which was pretty cool in every sense of the word as it was bloody hot outside). I then had lunch at the Yogurt House which was brilliant before looking for the Hanging coffins which Saga is famed for. Whilst walking across the cemetery I met an Israeli guy who was also trying to find the coffins (He had been looking for an hour!!!). We eventually found the coffins or should I say I found the coffins through my genius of reading the map that was in my had, not too difficult really!! We then met some other people who were looking for the coffins especially a very attractive Dutch girl (Now how do I ditch the Israeli as quick as possible!!). As per usual nothing happened and I spent the next few hour wandering around with the Israeli and no Dutch girl. I then went back to my inn for food and drink. I then spent that night in bed listening to rats with wellington boots on stomping up and down outside my bedroom on a tin roof. That was until they decide to enter my bed chamber where they were bombarded with anything I could get my hands. Eventually I went to sleep listening to my Ipod, which then decided to pack up the next morning (arse!!!) and no I did not throw it at the rats at that would be really stupid wouldn't it. I then got up the next day and got a bus to Banue/Batad where rice is king..........
