LUKONG VALLEY FARM & AMARAH'S PLACE AND RESTAURANT

 

SUNFLORA FARM : PARINE NA SA JALA JALA RIZAL PART 2

 

A Day in Hiroshima : The Sacred Torii Gate of Miyajima Island and Hiroshima Bombing

Our Hiroshima trip last December 2018 is one for the books. It's not included in our itinerary but we decided to visit Hiroshima and use our Wild Card Day. 

In every travel, I make it a point that I have this "Wild Card Day". 

Ito ay isang araw na hindi planado. It is a day devoted para sa mga biglaan yayaan. Pwedeng magpahinga, o pwedeng balikan ang mga lugar na sa palagay namin na hindi namin masyadong na-explore ng mga nakaraang araw.

Because we are a JR pass card holder, ninais na naming sulitin ito at sumugod kami sa Hiroshima.  My husband really wanted to visit it and he would like to know more about the atomic bombing which we can only read in our history books.

Miyajima Island

Miyajima Island is one of the most scenic spots in Japan and has long been regarded as an island of Gods. It is a romantic and historical island also known for its red torii gate.  The torii gate is built over water, and it looks floating in the water specially during high tide.

The island is also known for its deers that you can easily pet. Hindi man kami nakapunta sa, Nara, natuwa ako na marami rin palang mga usa rito.  Sa dami nila, parnag ordinaryong turista nalang din sila kapag makakasalubong mo.

There are also a lot of restaurants offering various local dishes. Dahil kilala ang Hiroshima for their big and succelent oysters, even though its pricey, hindi namin pinalagpas masubukan ito.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park / Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

The United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively.

Dahil gusto rin naming mas malaman pa ang istorya sa likod ng mga nababasa lang natin sa historby books, minabuti naming bumisita sa Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

The Peace Memorial Park was created to symbolize the need for everlasting peace.  It commemorates the many victims of the world's first nuclear attack in August 1945.

Located at the epicenter of the blast in what was once a bustling part of the city, the park includes a variety of important monuments, memorials, and museums relating to the events of that fateful day and its aftermath.

Our Hiroshima trip is truly memorable dahil first time naming maka-experience ng snow. Napa-isip tuloy ako, sa susunod kaya, winter wonderland naman in Japan.

Spelunking in Sumaging Cave

As we are getting closer and closer to the mouth of the cave, I started to feel scared. The sight of dark abyss and the trail of uneven steps that lead underground is enough for you to weaken your spirit and back-out. The trail down the deep, dark and cold cave may be scary, but it is worth to give it a try.

Perhaps one of the reasons that compelled me as first-timer in caving despite the lack of experience is my thirst for seeing an unfamiliar environment and to experience its magnificent limestone formations. And the only way to satisfy me is to take the adventurous rugged trail down the BIG cave.

The guides started to prepare the lamps that will light us during the exploration. While preparing, the head guide gave us an orientation and the to-dos and not-to-dos. Yes, I can still remember ABC and DEF. ABC stands for Always Be Careful and DEF stands for Don’t Ever Fall. hmmm! Sounds "hugot" to me!

Our group is composed of 12 individuals with the age range from the mid-20s to early 60s. The guide told us to fall in line with the weakest link first.

The Sumaging Cave Adventure Team is brought to you by RedMark Travel and Tours

As we are about to enter the cave, the guide explained to us that there are 3 stages of caving.

Ang pagbaba!
To the bat cave! The path going down the cave was slippery. Holding the slime-covered rocks which you need to hold onto to attain balance is better than holding your boyfriend's hand. Ok, I admit! I pretended that the slime on my hands was just moss, but it was actually bat  poop and pee. Eeeeew!!! Now I know the use of the gloves  for sale at the souvenir shop near the registration area. I should have bought a pair.

The watery part
At this stage, the guide would ask the group to remove footwear. Walking barefoot allows you to have more balance and allows you to move freely without slipping. You can rinse your dirty hands and feet in the cold water.

"Ang Pulikat!" bow. Make sure makapag stretching ng unti para iwas pulikat

The buwis-buhay part
The buwis -buhay stage is where  your YOLO spirit will be put to test.  We slide, crawl and rappel to move from one place to another. In this stage also where the guides will show off their superman abilities. Guides will be  your human ladder to make the difficult phase less frightening. 

Expect to hear this kind of conversation during this stage:

      Guide : Ma’m kanang paa sa balikat ko, kaliwang paa sa binti ko.
     JLo     :  Hindi ko abot. Hindi abot ng paa ko yang shoulder mo.
     Guide  : Unti nalang mam 1 inch nalang.
    JLo     : maikli nga
    Guide   : slide pa ng unti

The more challenging it gets, the more you are excited to see the rock formations such as the King’s Curtain, Crocodile or Sharks head, the King and Queen and other marvelous limestone formations.

The King's Curtain

Going back  is also another challenge. It involves more rock climbing and rappelling that requires more flexibility. Despite of all the "buwis-buhay" stunts that we did for this tour, it is all worth it in the end. 

This experience made me realize that,  "It is truly not the destination, but the journey that matters."

Cheers!

Sagad sa Sagada!

This “Sagad sa Sagada” Eco-Adventure tour is so surreal that it felt like I was dreaming.  Samahan nyo ako sa aking munting kwento. Tara byahe tayo!

We started the tour at the viewpoint of Banawe Rice Terraces (as seen on the old 1,000 peso bill). It was not my first time in Banawe. I was only 19 years old when given the opportunity to teach computer education in Nueva Viscaya and Ifugao. After 2 decades, I came back reminiscing that stage in my life when I was just starting to build a name for myself. Looking back, I can say that my 19 year-old-self did well.

After checking in at the George Guesthouse, we prepared ourselves for the next activity, which is spelunking.

Conquering Sumaging Cave is indeed a challenge and surviving it without an injury is something I can be proud of. The sight of dark abyss and the trail of uneven steps that lead underground is enough for you to weaken your spirit and back-out. But what motivated me was my thirst for seeing an unfamiliar environment and to experience its magnificent limestone formations. And the only way to satisfy me is to take the adventurous trail down the deep, dark and cold cave.

Spelunking may not be for the faint-hearted but it is truly rewarding.

Shark's Head

<Read details of our Sumaging Cave Exploration here>

Day 2 of the tour involves a lot of trekking and hiking.  I thought it was easy, but I had a hard time because of the weather. I was about to give up during the 2km trek along Fidelisan Rice Terraces going to Bomod-ok Falls. It was cold and windy and the rain keeps on pouring which makes it even harder to walk. I slipped in the mud several times and I felt l was running out of breath. I was really cold and quivering inside.

But my YOLO spirit is telling me not to give up. Sabi nga ng guide “Ginusto nyo yan.”

Trekking 

Lo and  behold! When we reached the Bomod-ok Falls, we were all like children excited to play with a new toy. All the exhausting knee-jerking long walk was replaced by fresh and energized feeling after seeing the falls.

Bomod-ok Falls

This adventure is not for everyone. Bring your YOLO spirit and unleash that Conqueror in you.

The following day, our wake up call was at 4am to prepare ourselves for the sunset viewing at Kiltepan. Waking up before 4am was also a challenge after all the strenuous activities the last 2 days. We don't want to miss that sun slowly rising up above the sea of cloud. 

Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating and it was a fail. "Singing in the rain lang ang peg."

ACCOMMODATIONS

There are a lot of guesthouse and inns that you can book prior to your visit. I suggest to still book in advance or book a package through your favorite travel agency. Sometimes D-I-Y-ing will make you feel disappointed because there were times that the Sagada Tourism Office will not allow you to proceed with the activities for there were instances of shortage of tour guides.

FOOD

You can google search “where to dine in Sagada?” and you can read articles on the list of the Top 10 restaurants there. Unfortunately, during peak season, these top restaurants are not ready for tourist. It will take you a minimum of 1 to 1.5 hours to wait for your food. Please manage your expectations.

To manage your time, I recommend to order in advance. By doing so, you don’t need to wait in line and stress yourself waiting for your orders.

Are you ready to conquer Sagada? Check out the itinerary below and book your tour through RedMark Travel and Tours.

ITINERARY

Day 0

9:00 pm        -     Assembly / Estimated Time of Departure from Manila

Day 1

6:00 am        -      Estimated time of Arrival in Banaue

-     Breakfast

-     Banaue View Point (as seen in the old 1,000 peso bill)

7:30 am        -      Estimated time of departure to Sagada

10:30 am      -      Estimated time of arrival in Sagada

-     Check in

-      Freshen up

12:00 nn       -      Lunch

2:00 pm        -      Lumiang Burial Cave

-     Sumaging Cave (includes : rock climbing, rappelling and swimming)

Day 2

6:00 am        -      Call time

-      Breakfast

7:00 am        -     Bomod-ok Falls

7:30 am        -     Drop off

                     -     Start of Trek

      View of Fidelisan Rice Terraces

      Fidelisan Mines View
      Bomod-ok Falls

9:00 am        -     Estimated time of arrival at the falls

      Swimming

10:00 am      -     Trek back to drop of

12:00 nn       -      Estimated time of arrival at the hotel

-      Lunch

2:30 pm         -     Town Tour

                             (Saint Mary the Virgin Church, Echo Valley, Hanging Coffins)

5:00 pm        -       Sunset viewing at Lake Danum

6:30 pm        -       Back to Hotel

Day 03

4:00 am        -       wake up call

4:30 am        -       Sunrise viewign atKiltepan View Point

6:30 am        -        Back to the hotel

         Breakfast

         Souvenir hunt

11:00 am      - Lunch along Halsema Road

12:30 pm      - Drop at the Philippine Highest Point

2:30 pm        - Estimated Time of Arrival in La Trinidad Strawberry Farm

3:30 pm        - Estimated Time of Departure from Baguio

10:00 pm      - Estimated time of arrival in Manila