It was a nearly 9-hour drive through twisting, mountain roads to get to Banaue, the first of our stops in the Philippines. The roads are frequently missing, under construction, or just so steep and sharply curving as to render any sort of speed impossible. Tricycles (motorized transportation with side cars), bicycles, pedestrians, and cattle frequently block the way. Nonetheless, it was a very scenic drive to reach our destination in the small community of Batad, under the direction of Ethan, our driver and guide.
The Ifugao rice terraces are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site (1995), with a more than 2,000-year history. The indigenous people used hand tools and advanced engineering skills to create stone terraces and walls carved out of the mountainside accompanied by a complex irrigation system to supply water to hundreds of acres of rice terraces. We spent the day trekking up and down the steep mountainsides, wandering along walls and through growing rice terraces, stopping frequently to drink in the stunning vistas or just hide in a hut from the oppressive heat and humidity.
The landscape was a verdant green, with areas of early yellow sprinkled in as the rice was beginning to develop. That is one of the interesting appearances of these circular or amphitheater-like terraces instead of the common rectangular ones in other Asian communities.
Batad is the central village (where we stayed), giving a truly breathtaking view of the valley. There are no roads, so one has to trek in, taking only what you need on your back. Without realizing it, we actually experienced a homestay, where we ended up living with a local family in a "hostel" cum inn. While not quite a traditional "fale" (house built of wood and thatch without nails on stilts, accessed through a central hole in the floor that is over a firepit), there was a community bathroom and shower, no hot water, and no electricity in the rooms! Duh, no air con either! Mosquitoes were in abundance along with other creepy crawlies. One night was enough for a lifetime, and we sough accommodations elsewhere pronto. While it is fun to see villagers maintain their centuries -old way of life as part of community-based tourism, modern conveniences (flushing toilets with a seat, hot water, and even internet) were something we had not expected to give up.
We followed one of the hiking trails (read, straight up and down the mountain side) through various viewpoints to reach the Tappiya Falls. This waterfall is present year-round, with cool water surrounded by a lush greenery and rocks. We certainly enjoyed our time cooling off there, resting a while before making the trek back to our hotel.
The beauty, cultural significance, and heritage of this particular area was fascinating to learn about, further explored when we had a chance to visit the museum in town.
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