Steps, Sweat and more Steps: Day 2

Bucket List Item #3-CHECK

Batad, Philippines

DAY 2

The next day was when I would really feel the burn; literally my legs and my face. We hopped on Vic’s tricycle again for a two-hour ride to Batad, a small village and the center of the amplified rice terraces. I love sitting on top, being out in the open to catch a better view, especially on a moving vehicle and since there really are no rules in the Philippines (ride at your risk), I opted to sit on top of the tricycle. The steep ride up the mountain, around sharp curves overlooking the cliffs, that would have had no remorse for those making its way over and below, and over bumpy patches was everything I hoped for. It felt fresh as the wind blew in my face, a little risky and the view from above from intoxicating. Just me, myself and I up there. Oh, and the nearly 100 degree sun that was already frying my face.

I was really enjoying my time on top of the little tricycle, but we finally arrived to Batad. I hopped down, wiped the layer of dust from my face and was ready to start hiking.

A little man named Delphin, (I found out later was a nickname given by the village because he could swim like a dolphin. I was wondering why his parents might have chosen such a name for him), stopped us in our tracks.

“Do you need a tour guide?” He quietly asked.

“No thank you, we would like to do it ourselves.”

“You can’t. You will surely get lost.” He replied.

We were both thinking it was just another tourist trap and that it was possible to do it alone and he was just saying that to get some money.

I don’t mind having a tour guide for certain things, but I enjoy doing things alone and had planned to wonder through the rice terraces and villages on my own; feeling a sense of accomplishment afterwards. I didn’t believe it was that complicated. I was sure there was only one or two paths to take which would easily lead me to and from my destination. I later found out that we would have definitely gotten lost and probably would have ended up sleeping in a pile of who-knows-what somewhere. There really is no easy path to follow; it’s a maze of steps up and down and around and through. So, thank you Delphin for stopping us and basically giving us no choice but to hire you as our savior.

Our first stop of the day was at an incredible viewpoint overlooking the rice terraces. I took a few minutes to take it all in and then suddenly realized that I would be hiking up and down that intense yet spectacular landscape.

We then stopped at Ramon’s guesthouse owned by a soft, pleasant old man named, yup.. you guessed it, Ramon. It was a traditional, tribal Ifugao home containing three levels which included a lower level, a middle level where the sleeping, cooking and entertaining take place, and a third level used as rice storage. It had the most amazing view of the rice terraces. My accommodation was a tiny, simple, wooden room with nothing much more than a basic bed and a rickety window with a cute curtain; and I loved it!

We sat and chatted for a bit, I dropped by belongings in my room and we took off. The next three hours involved following Delphin as he effortlessly climbed the massive steps in his flip-flops. My clothes were instantly wet from sweat and I could feel my sunburn getting sunburnt. It was easy not to focus on it however, because the landscape was incredible and the quietness of the surroundings put my mind in a tranquil state. Delphin really liked to take pictures. He would stop and recommend a pose or an angle for a good picture. It was nice that he had enough patience to wait while I stopped every 5 minutes to do just that.

We passed by tiny villages including Delphin’s house, children playing and locals in the rice fields. It was harvest season which meant it was “Thanksgiving time,” so the hard work would soon be rewarded with a celebration of some a lot of rice wine, beer, food and relaxation until the next season started.

Eventually, after a steep descend, we made it to the Tappiya waterfalls! I took full advantage of hanging my sweaty clothes out to dry while I swam around the roaring falls. I hadn’t felt that refreshed in awhile.

After an hour cooling down, frantically searching for my camera I dropped in the water (luckily, I found it lodged between two rocks. What are the chances? Thank you universe!) and letting my clothes dry, we started our once again ascend up the knee-high steps back to the guesthouse.

We ended the day with a yummy lunch and a coffee at Ramon’s. Afterwards, Delphin and another man showed us how their traditional red rice is made, a demanding and strenuous task. After the rice is picked it is taken of the stalk, bundled together and then laid to dry. The rice is then pulled off the stems and put into a large wooden bowl where it is finely pounded down with a large, heavy wooden post. And it was heavy! Once it is fine enough, it is put into a wide, flat basket used to sift out the larger chunks and pounded once again. The process of pounding and sifting occurred two or three times throughout the day. I asked if I could help out and one of the men was more than happy to get a break. Delphin and I took turns alternating the pounds and it sure was a workout! I was able to eat the rice that night for dinner and it was even tastier seeing how much work went into preparing it.

Delphin then brought out a hand-woven basket filled with traditional clothing and asked if I wanted to try it on. “Sure!” I put on the outfit and he worked his photography skills once again. He gave me different props to use and told me how to stand, how to hold my rice basket and spear. It was humorous to see how excited he was about the whole thing. I think it was his secret passion.

The rest of the day I enjoyed the view and peace and quiet. There was no internet, which I think is nice to not always have that to rely on. I hadn’t brought anything to read so I searched through the bookshelf for something interesting. The only English reading material I found was an old National Geographic. What really caught my eye was an article about the land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota (My home state)! What a coincidence. It was lovely to sit and reminisce about home and all the summer lake memories growing up. A perfect end to a wonderful day.