Three months.
That's how long it took for me to write the sequel to Part 1 of my Solo Birthday Trip to Sagada series 😅 But since I decided to uphold the value of grit this year, and grit means finishing what you started, I'll be posting Part 2 and Part 3 this month :) Just in time before I'll turn a year older again. And to think I could be exempted from a quarantine birthday. Not a chance.
It's been almost 2 years since I embarked on a spontaneous solo trip to the mountains. This is the best that I could remember.
Marlboro Hills
Picking up from where I left off in my serendipitous turn of events on Day 1, Day 2 started when I woke up on a cold cold cold dawn. A January dawn in Sagada was colder than I expected. My furry jacket and wool gloves weren't enough. I should've brought a coat or an extra jacket to add some layering. A note for next time, definitely. We were going to watch the sunrise on top of Marlboro Hills. It was supposed to be the more famous Kiltepan Peak featured in the Filipino rom-com movie, "That Thing Called Tadhana". (Tadhana is a Filipino word that means "fate" in English.)
Source: Runroo
But it was closed indefinitely because of a then-recent fire accident caused by tourists. So, the next best thing was the Marlboro Hills.
It was still dark when we started the hike. I remember it was cold and wet, I looked like I just took a fresh bath because my hair was sticking to my scalp (it wasn't rain, it was just dew). The hike is fairly easy. Right before the viewpoint, there's a food hub at the top of the hill where the locals sell "pampainit" like arroz caldo (rice porridge), sikwati (dark choco), champorado (choco-flavored rice porridge), cup noodles, and a few trail food. I wasn't particularly hungry, but it was so cold, a little bit of warmth in the insides would be comforting.
We arrived before sunrise, but when the sun was up, all we could see was fog everywhere. Too bad it wasn't the ideal weather for a sea-of-clouds view.
We didn't stay for long at the peak because it was cold and we couldn't see a thing. So, on to our next destination...
Blue Soil Hills
Take it the literal way.
The local guide told the group that the blue color is an indication that the air is clean. Oohs and aahs from the crowd followed suit. But that sounded ridiculous to me. There must be a lot of places in the Philipines, especially in rural areas where the air is clean. But their soil isn't blue. I know for sure it isn't because of the air. So, I whipped my phone out of my pocket and asked Google. Turns out the forest has a high copper sulfate content. Ahhh, now that makes sense. As per scientists who checked the soil quality of the place, the place was safe for tourists (source).
I was impressed by it, I've never been to a place like this. As we went back to the road, we passed by picturesque views of the forests. Wow, if I could just stay in this little town where there are no fast food cardboards insight, fresh fruits, and vegetables on the table, a quiet place at night, and I could probably save electricity bills cause there's not much use for an AC unit or fans here!
Spelunking Adventure
After Blue Soil Hills, we went back to our hostels to change for a sporty adventurous outfit and to unpack coz we're traveling light.
I didn't know what to expect from "spelunking", I've never done it before. But when I think of caves, as I've mentioned in Part 1 of this series, I think of boring interpretations of formations that I should see in the stalactites and stalagmites. But this experience appears to be different. Spelunking means the exploration of caves. So, it meant that we are going to squeeze in tight spaces and get ourselves wet just to get to the opening of the other side of the cave.
In the end, I enjoyed it very much! I was concerned at first because my not-so-slim body may not fit into the tight spaces and I'll just be left alone in one spot and wait for the others to come back! But, the local guide reassured me that I'm just thinking way ahead of myself. I'll definitely fit, haha! My favorite part was climbing up the smooth rocks with water cascading over, using a rope to pull myself up! It was challenging which makes the experience hell of a lot of fun.
We took pictures, but they're not really the best quality because of the lack of lighting. But I definitely recommend the activity. There's an even more difficult traverse spelunking across three caves! I'll probably consider that in my next visit.
So those were my adventures for Day 2. I'd say the 2 days were enough for the tourist attractions. I just felt like wanting to extend my stay to do...nothing in particular. Just stay in bed, probably. Or interact with the locals. But I needed to go home coz the weekend leave was up. I'd have to dedicate one more day just for the travel time. And so I bought a bus ticket for the next day after.
Traveling solo in a place you've never been to before is thrilling especially when you're thinking too much about it. But I loved the experience of just going with wherever circumstances would lead me. I didn't plan on joining with that lovely group of people. I didn't book a hotel. I didn't book activities. But it was okay. More than okay. Taking control off the reins is liberating once in a while. You learn to think on your feet. Just make sure to tell someone about your whereabouts in case something happens to you!
I still have the last part of this series to post next week. And it's all about the food places I've visited in Sagada. There were six of them. Of course, I didn't pass up the chance of eating signature dishes and delicacies of Sagada.
Tune in to my next post. Goodbye for now :)
🍃 END 🍃
