Holiday Getaway at Sagada, Mt. Province

Christmas is over—looong way over but I guess there’s no need for a solstice or any special

Good morning at Sagada, Homestay. 

occasion to talk about the… teng-ni-neng… infamous Sagada! 

Okay, don’t expect too much activity I did there. The best verdict I can offer is that if you want to sleep real well and lose track of time, go to Sagada, Mt. Province and you’ll get what you fairly need. More than. I should say. Evil smile. 

Spelunking at Lumiang Cave.

Spending Christmas alone somewhere was what I have planned for 2014 but where to? I do not have any idea. I am just a poor lass on a tight budget who can’t afford cheap luxury. Okay, enough publicizing my poverty. But as my mantra goes, ‘You ain’t need to be rich to travel’. And my sincere gratitude to Ate Robs (a former university colleague) who mentioned Sagada accommodation is fairly affordable. A P250-300 per night stay is not bad at all!

Most of the time, I am a solo backpacker who does not believe in itinerary. I don’t want to hurry seeing a museum because another one awaits. Or move from one site to another just for the sake of finishing the must-sees. I take things as they come. I am good spending the whole afternoon sitting while drinking the sight before me.  

I do not celebrate Christmas. I wear it.

Cookies and yogurt of the popular Sagada's Yogurt 
House; Salt and Pepper's heavy heart breakfast of 
brown rice, tapa, longganisa, egg, banan bread, 
and fruits; Dave's Restaurant's soup and chicken 
BBQ.

There are a lot of things to do in Sagada—checking out the hanging coffins, watching sunset at Lake Danum, spelunking, food hopping, blah, blah. I ignored all these on my first day though (and the days to come). In lieu, since I am quite too behind catching up books, I crunched with the very famous series of The Song of Fire and Ice. Game of Thrones is that popular. Glued is an understatement I even failed to tell what time of day is it. Reading is gripping. And sleeping is insatiably awesome at this rugged and cold mountain.

Sagada orange.

I am never a fan of Christmas but this place is very subtle to make you feel the celebration. It’s chilly and simple colorful lights are everywhere. Few restaurants host Christmas Eve buffet dinner at 500 pesos. I am not a foodie and thought it would be practical to order a la carte so I decided to head to Dave’s Restaurant where food is really good. I guess Ryan and I were the only Filipinos dining. Oh, I forgot to mention I got a last minute travel buddy. Ryan whose vacation to Palawan has been cancelled messaged me if he can tag along and I said sure why not! Spending Christmas with a stranger is on my bucket list. He does not fit too much for the criteria of a stranger though because he’s an officemate and good friend but whatever. As long as ‘di maarte’ go rah!

What I find really cool in this place is the bonfire and the beer and the guitar with the missing B-string (courtesy of Homestay). And I would dare not forget the free flowing brewed Sagada coffee.  Staying there for three days is maybe more than enough to see what needs to be seen and do what needs to be done.

Top load off to Bontoc.

You might also like:
Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte
Experiencing Samal Quickie
How to Spend Leisure Hours Productively
The Taste of Iloilo
Top 10 Travel Essentials

Road Trip To Ilocos

Ilocos is crossed off my list of places to check out after I got to run an errand to Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac, Pangasinan, and finally Vigan. Three days of travel had kinda bored me but the sights along the journey had been very kind for a treat. 

Carangalan, Nueva Ecija (ooh, if I  am not too sleepy to remember)

Banaoang Bridge, Ilocos Sur

Family on Vigan stroll.

A welcoming sight to San Fernando, La Union.

Bell Tower 1951, Ilocos.

Ilocos' infamous empanada.

Night at Calle Crisologo.

Four Things You Hate About Alarm Clocks

Photo from Science World.

Too loud. Something that wakes the entire neighborhood with drowsy prying eyes shot on you. “Okay, Okay, I’m gonna lower the volume from now on.”

Snooze loose.  There goes the alarm but you trust too much it will alarm 5 mins later and  failed to hear it. It does scream again but you are too busy at dreamlandia. Then you woke up 30 mins later cursing the imbecilic thing. Really, dear?

It does not bear with you. So you had set it at 6am, and it did its job of yelling at you to get up.  Tired and hangover as hell, you decided to skip breakfast and sleepily reset the alarm for additional 10 minutes. Only  you  did the resetting in your DREAMS and the next time you wake it’s 8am. Hey, don’t fret. Call the office for a leave now!

Panic bringer.  You stayed really late then your alarm blared like fire alarm signaling the start of day. Panicking you’ll be late you jumped off, dashed to the bathroom and went back to bed really annoyed to realize it’s your day-off or it’s a holiday. Hey, do not blame the object. Blame yourself for not checking out what you have programmed for the week. Or better go back to sleep.

10 THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT FOOD

1.    It’s boldly bland.  Maybe the chef likes to play it safe this time and trust the condiments sitting on your table to give taste to that ever unappetizing steak.

2.    It’s superbly salty. I like salty foods but too much of it especially on a soup is like running out of potable water and resort to seawater. That moment with your very first big bite and you realized; “Oh, this dish must be called salt with beef not beef with salt.”

3.    It’s sanity-ripping spicy. So you had your moment spreading the hot sauce on your dish and seconds later you regretted it like hell because it’s firing back. You’ve tumbled and rolled. Gulped cold water and even fanned your mouth. Now relax. Get some milk.

4.    It’s horribly hairy. Hair strands on your seafood paella? Gross.

5.    It’s leafy. Because you are a certified carnivore and a self-declared meatatarian.

6.    It’s meaty. Because you are vegan. Or simply an animal advocate.

7.    Its name is not its taste. How many of us here have fallen victim to food that sounds so mouthwatering, and cool, and exotic leaving us to imagine how unique and sumptuous we ordered without thinking and ending up effing disappointed leaving us hail curses under breath.

8.    It’s not what it is. Have you ever been so lucky to catch your favourite mechado on the menu but looks like afritada and tastes like adobo? Three dishes in one order? How fortunate.

9.    It’s indeterminate. There are foods that are served too hot it burns your tongue. And your lap if you spill it. There are also foods that are served too frozen (though not needed and you did not expect it to be ) it feels your teeth are falling apart.

It just can’t be right. Those times when you find that meat in stew swimming. Or your spaghetti all but pasta and meager sauce while you are digging for the hotdogs and meatballs.

10 THINGS YOU HATE ABOUT SCHOOL

1.    Waking up early. Especially when it's freaking cold outside and all you could wish is for the night to extend so you could succumb in the warmth of your sheets. Or the booze did really get you and standing up in the moment is the last thing you would do...

2.    Running out of clothes. So your class is 7am and you woke up 6:50 and hastily get to your closet only to find out your ragged jeans is at the laundry together with all your fave stuff. Just reverse that shirt kiddo!

3.    ID misfortune. My university having no gates around its perimeter is very lax when it comes to ‘No ID No Entry’ policy. I had more than enough of this in high school though. I live 10km from school and forgetting your ID at the last minute means you better be absent. Darn!

4.    Surprise quizzes. Because you know too well how you will suck at it because you trade study with a gulp session.

5.    A greedy classmate. Those people who keep their notes to their own. Those people who do not share assignments. Those people who don’t tell there's a quiz. Geez, I could go on forever at this.

6.    Movie review. Remember those days when you walked inside the classroom and read the instruction on the board: Proceed to blah, blah, blah, watch blah, blah, blah, and pass your movie review next meeting. Like really?

7.    Lazy instructors. Those teachers who come to class late and leave early. Those who are best at giving students gazillion of reports and give no inputs. Those who only show up twice or thrice in a semester and ask you to pass assignments via email.

8.    Killer instructors. Those who are too good at their field of endeavour. Too good that you can't please them at all. And in a class of 30, only 5 will pass or worst none.

9.    Repeating the same killer professor. Not again!

110. Thesis. Here’s the deal. Group: Too many heads, too few hands. Individual: One head, two hands with self as the enemy. Enough said.

You might also like:
10 Things You Hate About Food
4 Things You Hate About Alarm Clocks
7 Things You Hate About Valentines
Random Things You Hate
Brewing Boredom