The title might seem misleading since The Banaue Rice Terraces isn't in Sagada. But I included it nonetheless in my Sleepless in Sagada series because it's a part of our Sagada tour and it was also our first stop en route to Sagada! So, don't mind the category. Can I just say it's difficult to categorize shit in one's blog? I keep on having different ideas on how to categorize my recipes, travels and food adventures, now, my whole blog is a mess. I'm thinking of starting from the beginning and just put out about 5 categories for the whole blog but...meh. I'm too lazy. I'll probably end up re-coding everything, huhu. Anyway, going back to what this post is really about.

The Banaue Rice Terraces, often referred to as the Eight Wonder of the World, are 2,000-3,000 yr old terraces that were carved in the mountains of Ifugao. And no, that's not stock knowledge. Thank you internetz for giving me that information. I was half-asleep during the trip, which I realize now, was about 8-10hrs, with stop overs in between. We were told by our guide, also our driver, that we can frolick around the terraces for 30minutes, and frolick we gladly did. I went down and walked along the terraces with my sister. It was a little scary because if you fall, you won't really die, I presume. But you'll definitely get hurt, real bad. It was a annoying as hell when other tourists, who saw that the only way to traverse the terraces is by following a one-way line, would try to go back because they get scared mid-way. I don't have a problem with being scared, but I have a problem with not being able to assess if you're able to take on the whole thing before proceeding. Cheezus. That was, by far, the only nuisance we experienced. 

As I grow old, I realize my yearning for material things has diminished to a considerable capacity. I used to have a ton of things on my birthday wishlist, but now, I really can only think of the necessary ones. Of course I still have a few wants every now and then, but not like how I crave for stability, financial freedom and emotional independence. Oh wow, where did all that come from, lol. I initially wanted to celebrate my birthday at the beach but work is hectic as hell because of a pilot project I'm currently working on, so I'd have to make do with spontaneous plans and cheap thrills. 

As I grow older, I also realize that celebrating my birthday becomes less of a big deal. I used to go frantic over not being to celebrate a week before AND after the big day, but that's not the case now. I can plan a grandiose getaway and not push through with it, and that will be okay. Just like what happened this year. Every year, I think I mature little by little. Slowly, I'm learning that just like love, there's no one way or one day to celebrate life--and love for that matter. As a matter of fact a couple of weeks ago, I decided I didn't want to celebrate, but someone told me that being able to live another year is a reason to celebrate in itself, hence my little celebration on Monday. You can drop by my house if you want, we're going Korean for dinner! If you don't know my address that  means we're not THAT close, so you're not invited, lol!

We decided to explore Iloilo City, since that's where we landed, before heading to Gigantes. From Iloilo City, buses and vans going to Estancia are situated at Tagbak terminal in Jaro. We arrived at Tagbak terminal at around 5:30AM, just enough for us to have a quick breakfast before the 3-4hr trip to Estancia. You can opt to take a van or the bus.  We opted for the van because the fair is cheaper and the travel time is shorter, though you can't really guarantee a working air-conditioner. 

Upon arriving at Estancia Port, we hopped on to our chartered (naks!) pump boat. You can opt to ride the commuter pump boat that services all the Barangays in the Islands. The good thing about the chartered pump boat is that you have the liberty to come and go as you please, and it also covers the island hopping tour whereas the commuter pump boat only takes you to the Barangay of your destination and as far as I know, it only has one schedule.  

Where to stay

Upon reaching Sitio Hayahay, we rode a motorcycle so we can get to Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn. Our friend coordinated with Joel Decano, the owner of the place, which also happens to be a Tourism Officer in Carles. Our stay at the inn was hassle-free! It's not a 5-star accommodation but you surely get 5-star service. When we arrived, they immediately served us lunch. I wrote a separate entry about my food diary here and here. You get to pick any room/cottage/tree house that you like and their standard rate was at P200 during that time, not sure if this has already changed though. They also don't operate on a pay-as-you-go basis. Just ask them for whatever you need and stay as long as you want, at the end of your stay, they give you a computation of all your expenses. They're very honest so you don't need to worry about being overcharged!