Communitriper

Going to Batad

After a long tiring ride in a bus (if you can call it a bus), sleeping on the floor, we got to Banaue.

Getting to a very toured places is always accompanied with the local "salesmen" all over you trying to make their living, on one hand I can understand that it's their bread and butter, on the other hand (and that's the hand that I'm more interested in) I'm here for a friggin' vacation. not a good start.

After trying to avoid the shower of offers from all over we based ourselves in Jerusalem restaurant in downtown Banaue, overviewing some terraces and some Ifugao native villages, smell of bon fire was in the air and breakfast was served - relaxation starts to take over at last!
 

I don't care if you have the cheapest chicken inasal around, leave me alone!
 

Now we have to actually get to Batad, A native village, overviewing some of the most amazing rice terraces around. getting out of the restaurant we were "jumped" by a legion of drivers, just warning us that taking the hike to batad is dangerous, as well as taking any other vehicle/driver which is not them, of course.

A minute passed and I'm calculating our options, a jeep passes with the cute Japanese girls from the bus ride, "Hey!! take me with you Nihon chicks!!!"... nope, didn't think it will work, the jeep is out of sight and I'm back to my new friends the drivers that just wants to warn me from danger lurking around the corner in this quiet pastoral region.

THEN SURPRISE! from down the road, the driver of the jeep appears waving, the Japanese shintu gods (or should I say godesses) has granted my wish, and are welcoming us to join their divine journey to Batad, on the rooftop of the jeep!

The road is amazing, everything I expect and more, valleys, mountains, a sea of green all around and we are on the roof top, bathing in sun and this unique smell of nature, insects buzzing around - a thing that in my regular urban life would irritate me, here fills me with this sensation - I'm traveling again!

We stopped for some photo taking of the hanging house, a wooden structure tilting off the cliff viewing this amazing valley and rice terraces, the Japanese crew are doing their thing and that insect buzzing is being replaced with cameras ticking and fingers pointing "V" signs, how typical, how sweet.

To be continued...