#252 - Getting a tribal tattoo from the last and eldest Mambabatok from Buscalan Kalinga, Apo Wang-Od.
The ride from Bontoc Mountain Province to Buscalan is about three hours. We left Metro Manila the other night and arrived at Bontoc before seven via a bus for going to Sagada.
Then we rode a large jeepney suited for mountain travels around seven going to Tinglayan which is the drop off to Buscalan. We arrived around 10 in the morning in the drop off and rented a motorcycle to transport us to the remote area of Buscalan, the village of the Apo Wang Od.
After alighting from the motorcycle we were fetched by our contact and we had to walk and climb the mountains going to their village which tool us about an hour depending on the pace.
That's me getting a signature tattoo which is just three dots. The dots represent Apo Wang-Od and her two grand daughter who will inherit her skills with the traditional tattoo.
The traditional way of getting inked by her is that she uses a wooden stick to force the thorn of a calamansi tree, it is a small lime which is only found in the country.
The ink she uses is the dust coming from charcoal. She uses a generous amount of the dark charcoal and then repeatedly pound it using her stick so that the thorn will make its way to the deep part of the skin pushing the charcoal.
Every tap she makes on her stick leaves a stingy sensation to the skin and may cause discomfort to those who have light tolerance to pain as if you wanted it to finish immediately and it is only three small dots but she is taking some time to finish it.
Price varies on her tattoos. Her signature three dots cost about 300 pesos back then or around $6 USD.
That is the drop off point where the motorcycles we rented left us. Then we waited there at the end of the road for our contact to fetch us and trek all the way to their village.
During this pandemic, Apo Wang-Od does not have tourists to visit her and get a tattoo. The precious time lost so she could leave inked marks to those who wanted to visit her is already too long. She is old getting old as time passes, I believe she is now 104 according to Google search. Imagine that a centenarian still have a good visual to do what she loves, performing tribal tattoos.
Follow me on my nature travels.
Shot taken in Kalinga, Philippines.
Image/s were shot using Panasonic Lumix ZS110. ~rex