F.Y.I. My family believes that holidays such as Holy Week and Birthdays should not be spent on the road or somewhere else. It is believed that these days tend to be more dangerous for the birthday celebrant for example. And for the record, this is the first time that I will be traveling on my birthday. Sssshhhh… Grabe yung kaba ko! Whew!

This is it, Pancit!
So after celebrating my birthday here in Manila, on the eve of my birthday, I rushed to Victory Liner Terminal to catch a bus ride to Baguio. After 6 hours of smooth ride, we immediately grab a cab to Dangwa Bus Terminal to catch its first trip to Sagada. The 6-to-7-hour-Baguio-Sagada-ride was like a “byahilo” type of ride; the x number of zigzags made me feel so dizzy and lightheaded… Whew! Thanks to the hot siomai at a stopover, it eased a little bit of the budding whirling sensation in me, I didn’t throw up. Goodjob! 🙂

When the bus finally stopped, a small quaint town welcomed me; thoughts have been running on my mind how this small town can have those numerous must-see places I’ve been seeing in different travel shows. But anyway, I saw this sign – “No spitting of Momma”; from that time on, I knew it will be a different experience.

Before checking-in, we headed to Sagada Municipal Hall; it is where visitors need to register their names, their length of stay, and guesthouse. You may also grab a copy of Sagada Map here for Php20.00.

Getting to Know the Small Town of Sagada
We deviated from our original itinerary and decided to just chill on our first day. Here’s what we did:
* Went to SAGGAS and chit-chat with a guide named Kuya JaysonSAGGAS (or Sagada Genuine Guides Association) is not a Travel Agency; SAGGAS is a group of guides who help the tourists tour the town of Sagada with information and basic knowledge about their travel. Two thumbs up!

* Made a Dinner Reservation at Log Cabin

* Tried the famous Sagada Lemon Pie

Time to try the famous Sagada Lemon Pie at Sagada Lemon Pie House. Hmmm…
Verdict: Di ko type si Lemon Pie but the place is nice for a 30-Peso snack. 
Papalag ka pa ba?

Let’s start chasing Sagada!

Sunrise viewing at Kiltepan Peak
Aboard the L300-slash-4×4 as early as 4 in the morning, rough yet enjoyable, the wheels of the L300 seemed like dancing its way out of those dark unpaved road in the tune of the Sagada music. Country music it is!

At Kiltepan Peak, we waited for the sunrise for about an hour and a half; it was quite foggy so we weren’t able to see the spectacular sunrise. I did not mind if I didn`t get a good sunrise shot; I just savored the unexplainable feeling of just being there, yes, just simply being there in Kiltepan made me so happy. It seemed like I was filled up with excitement and hopes of beautiful days that I kept on running around on the peak. It was, indeed, a happy moment for me.

In the middle of the woods of Kiltepan…

  “I have died everyday waiting for you… Darlin’ don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more…” 

Chos! Tuma-twilight

Spelunking at Sumaguing Cave
When we’re about to go inside the Sumaguing Cave, my mother texted me saying, “Ingat ka, umuulan.” And yes, it started to drizzle… but hmmm… I didn’t tell my mom I’ll be going inside the cave, about to go underneath the earth’s surface coz I know she’ll freak out. To cut the story short, I still found myself here…

and doing this…

Tsk… I know, I’ve been a butthead again, but oh, Sumaguing Cave is so beautiful, I can’t resist.

Check out My “I Survived Sagada” Story (Part 2)…