SUBSCRIBESagada: A brief trip
Better late than never.
About a month ago, I was at Sagada with some special friends for a few days off. Its two years since I’ve first come to this place and this time, I was able to visit more spots and do more activities than before. Whereas the weather back then was not as great with days usually overcast and just boring, this time, it was hot and sunny during the day and chilly in the evening. There is now an internet and computer café. P60 per hour but at that time, there was satellite transmission problems that I was not able to use it. Globe has already its own cellsite but mobile and temporary (located near the cemetery, but only serves around Sagada town proper because of its location and antenna tower height) to compete with Smart (already present since a few years back, on top of a hill with good signal and location with service reaching other villages and municipalities, like Besao, other than Sagada).
At the Baguio bus terminal for buses bound for Sagada and Besao.
We rode the 0930H bus bound for Besao via Sagada (last bus is 1300H) and a couple of minutes later was meandering the back of the Cordilleras via the Halsema Highway. Whereas the scenery was good, better still if you ride the 0630H bus and enjoy mist covered mountains and nippy air sans the squid like smell of chicken dung (used as fertilizer for the various vegetable farms that is a common sight) that just ruins your ride at various points of the highway. One major improvement since I traveled through this highway was that from Baguio to Bauko, only small portions were left uncemented whereas from Bauko to Sagada its still dusty and bumpy.
The bell at St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal church in Sagada
We stayed at Ganduyan Inn (cell number: +639206378274) since St. Joseph Inn was fully booked that time. But if you can’t bear the morning noise, especially at market day, Saturday, and buses starting early morning (these are just outside the inn), its advisable to find another place (same situation at Sagada Pension and Alfredo’s Inn and Restaurant that is within the perimeters of the main town center).
A common site in Cordillera not only in Sagada.
One thing that I’ve observed in Sagada, and in other places along Halsema Highway and Banaue is that houses have currogated sheets for walls. It’s a sight and a break from the usual. Our guide to Bomod-ok Falls told us that these walls are double layered: iron sheet in the outside, wooden planks in the inside.
Souviner shop at Sagada
As Sagada is a tourist’s haven, expect to see various souviner shops selling almost the same things that you can find in Baguio and Banaue. From native weaves to the ubiquitous bul-ol . But there are Sagada specific t-shirts and if you check the various shops, you can find postcards, bottles of rice wines, peach and strawberry jams (yes, they have peach as well as orange, apple and persimmon trees locally grown, October availability for the latter), mountain honey that are produced here. If you want better price, check RJ Souvenirs. Its cheaper than the one beside Ganduyan Inn. I bought a neck scarf for P100 at the latter but a better alternative was available at RJ for just P75. They also have various audio CDs and cassettes on local songs. For a copy of Masferre: A Tribute to the Cordilleras highlighting the works of Eduardo Masferre, you can get as well as view photos at the Masferre Café and Restaurant.
Saturday is market day
Come Saturday morning and the central square at the town proper starts to be busy with people selling wares from the mountains and other places in the Cordilleras. There are fresh fish from as far as Isabela province, a Boholano woman who now resides near Sagada selling native rice cakes and sweets, vegetables and fruits from other villages as well as plastic ware and toys, slippers and shoes, wag-wag (used clothing) and what have you.
Sagada at night.
2100H and Sagada starts to close its shops. People go back to their homes and the few tourists who are still lingering in the cafes will leave and go back to their inns.
