Banga-an rice terraces

Banga-an Rice terraces

Banga-an Rice terraces

Pool in Banaue Hotel

Pool in Banaue Hotel

Room in Banaue Hotel

View in Banaue Hotel

View in Banaue Hotel

View in Banaue Hotel

Breakfast in Banaue Hotel

Masferre in Sagada

Road near Sagada

Banaue Rice Terraces

Jimny in Lake Danum, Sagada

Bokong Falls in Sagada

Sagada haning coffins

Rice terraces in Ankileng

Walk to Kiltepan

Early morning to Kiltepan

Walk from Rock Inn to Kiltepan to view sunrise

Kiltepan sunrise

View at Kiltepan

View at Kiltepan

Kiltepan sunrise

Fern along the road to Kiltepan

Parking space in Kiltepan

Kiltepan sunrise

Flower in Rock Inn

Rock Inn

Rock Inn

Rock Inn

Rock Inn

Room at Rock Inn

Rock Inn

Kitchen at Rock Inn

A house in Sagada

Jimny in Sagada

Church

Church

Jimny at Highest Point in Phil Highway system

Mount Data Hotel

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Riverview resort in Asin Hot Springs

Riverview resort in Asin Hot Springs

Baguio Church

Baguio City

Baguio City

Baguio City

Riverview pool

May 5, 2012  Summer is about to end.  We have to be in the mountains again before rainy season will start.  We packed our bags and headed to Banaue on May 5, 2012 0400 hours in a Jimny.  We ate breakfast in San Jose, Nueva Ecija.  We continued our journey, and reached Banaue around 1300 hours.  Our speed was just 80 to 100 kph.  We checked in at Banaue Hotel.  We payed 3000 pesos for overnight stay; 2 beds for 3 adults and a child with free breakfast for 3 adults.  Our hotel room was at the 2nd floor facing Tam-an village and rice terraces.  We then drove to Banaue centro to the restaurant adjacent People's lodge to eat lunch.  Hot tinola was really nice in this cold place.  We then drove to Bangaan Village rice terraces to take nice pictures of the place.

The road from Banaue to Bangaan Village is not paved.  One can rent a tricycle or jeepney going to Bangaan Village.  We brought our jimny to Bangaan though.  The place is really nice and cold.

We then headed back to Banaue centro to eat supper and went to Banaue Hotel to sleep.  Sunrise over Tam-an village was really nice view in Banaue Hotel room.  We ate breakfast (buffet style) in the hotel then headed to Sagada.

May 6, 2012.  Banaue to Bontoc took us 1.5 hours.  The road is already paved now.  Very different on 2009 that it took us 3 hours from Banaue to Bontoc because of unpaved road.  We refueled in Bontoc.   Bontoc to Sagada is less than an hour drive.   We went straight to Rock Inn.  The room in Rock Inn is 1500 pesos with 2 beds for 3 adults and a child.  No free breakfast.  But there is a restaurant in Rock Inn.  Rock Inn is nice, clean and cold. Very nice place to relax.  Rock Inn is about 7 mins drive to the Sagada centro.

Then we went to Masferre restaurant in the Sagada Centro to eat lunch.  We then went to Sagada South road to pass by Hanging coffins viewing area, Lumi-ang cave, Sumaguing cave, (but we didn't go inside the caves), down to Ankileng / Suyo (took pictures of the Bagnen rice terraces).   The road to Suyo from Sagada is paved already. Why Suyo? We needed to know if there was a parking space there, and yes there is a parking space there.

We then went to Bokong Falls to geotag the place.  Bokong Falls is just 15 minute walk from the road.  (Test my body if I can do long walk)  But I realized that my body is not ready for long walk anymore, lack of exercise.  I'm fat and heavy.  We have to cancel Pongas Falls, I might go home in a body bag.  Pongas Falls is the reason for Ankileng / Suyo reconnaissance.  Pongas Falls is May 7, 2012 activity.  Not doing Pongas is sad for me.  I tell you, Pongas is one of the reasons for this Sagada trip, other than testing Jimny.

Then went to Danum Lake also to geotag the place.  As always, Danum is really nice with fog all over the place.      

May 7, 2012.  We woke up at 6 am, yes, already late if one wants to see Kiltepan sunrise (Kiltepan sunrise is 4am).  But anyway, who wants to wake up early when the place is cold and one wants to sleep till 10am.  Anyway, we walked from Rock Inn to Kiltepan in a cold foggy morning.  That experience was really nice.  We were accompanied by a male dog from Rock Inn.  When we arrived in Kiltepan, a female dog greeted us, and that male dog went home to Rock Inn.  It was weird.  Anyway, sun was already up when we were in Kiltepan.  We bought coffee in Kiltepan and sipped as we watched sunrise over rice terraces again.  Nice!!!!  We then went back to Rock Inn.

We decided to go to Baguio city, particularly to Asin Hotsprings because my son wants to swim.  So we packed our things, went first to Sagada church to have some pics, then headed to Baguio city via Halsema highway.  Halsema is already paved.  We stopped in Mt. Data hotel to eat lunch.  We stopped at the "Highest point in Philippine Highway system" to have pics then went Asin Hotsprings in Baguio city.  It took us 6 hours from Sagada to Baguio including the 1 hour stop in Mt. Data Hotel for lunch.  

We arrived in River View Resort by 1600 hours.  River View is 2250 pesos overnight, 1 bed, 1 foam, for 3 adults and a child with 3 free breakfast.  River View is also nice hotspring resort.  My son swam, his favorite activity.  River View was nice and clean and relaxing place.

May 8, 2012  We woke up late around 0900 hours and ate breakfast.  Breakfast was bangus and egg.  We swam again.  Left River View by 1400 hours.  We then went to SM baguio to have lunch.  We went to Camp John Hay then went to Good Shepherd to buy Ube Jam.   At around 1600 hours we went back to Manila.  By 2200 hours, we were home.  Those were days filled with good things.  We were happy.  : )

We spent around 5000 pesos for the gasoline.  Our 1st gas refill was in Total Gas in NLEX, 2nd was in Bayombong, 3rd was in Petron Bontoc, 4th was in Baguio city, 5th was in Tarlac.  As for Jimny, flawless.  We only did 4x4 going to Bangaan, it was raining and muddy.  I love Jimny's free revving engine.  Jimny has a picture in the "Highest point in Philippine highway system" so it tells a lot how high it can go in the Philippine road.  Jimny also has a picture in "Welcome to Aurora" in my other blogs, so it tells a lot how it is as a 4x4.  It went as far as Casapsapan in Casiguran, if you've been to Sagada, Villa, Ditumabo, Baler, Casiguran, you know what I mean (the high climbs, river crossing, muddy roads, heart pounding, scary..... etc).  Jimny is really capable and nice.  I love Jimny!

I posted geotagged pics in may panoramio.  I am using Fujifilm HS20 EXR and Garmin Dakota 10.

http://www.panoramio.com/user/4313883

Tracklogs are also available above from Garmin Connect.