Our Ride Back Down the Saddle

After one an a half hour of gruelling walk back to the Saddle from the village of Batad, I finally made it back with time to spare. The jeepney was there as promised along with a host of other people, locals and foreigners on their way to Banaue. The jeepney won’t be leaving just yet so we were relaxing at the only place we can relax here at the Saddle. There was a lone store at the Saddle selling drinks to tired travellers. Naturally, they are quite expensive, but of course if you are in need of water, you would probably pony up for it. Talk about monopoly.

Some of the foreigners decided to ride on top of the jeepney. I would probably agree that it would be a nice experience, but this was probably not the place to do it. The sun was already bearing down on us and that metal roof will definitely get very hot as the day progresses. However, most importantly, the road down the Saddle isn’t really a real road, it just was a dirt road. The rains the previous day might have loosened the soil here and I don’t really trust the jeepney would be able to handle it. Sitting on top might not be the best place to be if something happened. Oh, did I mention that the road was only good enough for one vehicle?

The View from the Saddle

Apparently, the jeepney drive was confident that no one will be climbing up was running quite fast, when another vehicle suddenly popped up. The sudden brake of the jeepney sent us sliding down the slope a couple of feet. Fortunately, no one fell or was hurt. We got back to Banaue in one piece and by the time afternoon came it was raining. I was intending to visit some of the other terraces in the area which I haven’t visited, but forgot all about it because of the weather. At least it wasn’t hot.

After lunch, with nothing to do but just hang around, I just got a room at People’s Inn and spent the rest of the afternoon there. The bus back to Manila will only leave at 6:30. The room wasn’t really that interesting, but at least it was clean. There was also the sound of the nearby stream providing some ambience. I got back to Manila in no time, the typhoon veered away from the area and was no threat at all. Anyway, for the short time that I spent there, I was still glad I got away from it all.

Related Posts:

Climbing Back Out of Batad

Staying at Simon’s Inn

Short Trip to Banaue

Magnificent View of the Surrounding Mountains in Batad

Even before I went to Batad this time, there was an impending typhoon, though it hasn’t made landfall yet, there was a threat that it would pass through the Ifugao region. I had to make a decision on whether I should stay or continue on my vacation. Chances are the mountains will shield the region from the effects of the typhoon. Then again maybe not. I decided to err on the side of caution and left Simon’s Inn the very next day. I would have wanted to explore the area but I can’t risk getting stranded in the mountains for the next couple of days.

Staircases to the Sky at Batad

My legs haven’t even recovered yet from walking down the mountain and yet, I’m torturing them again by climbing back up. I decided to leave early, around 6:30 in the morning so that I would have enough time to make it to the 9am jeepney that leaves from the Saddle. It takes people 45 minutes to go down, it will probably take me twice a long to go back up. This would give me ample time to crawl back up. Fortunately for me, the rain from the previous has already dried up and the path was as good as it can ever be. There is only one way up so there is no risk of getting lost here. A few people overtook me on the way up but they were mostly locals probably rushing off to work in the big town of Banaue.

Related Posts:

Going to Batad

Exploring Batad Rice Terraces

Heading Back to Banaue

Village at the Foot of the Batad Rice Terraces

Just after I got to Simon’s Inn I decided to do a little exploration. I actually wanted to visit the beautiful Tappia falls which I literally needed to cross a mountain just to see. I have a very good idea where the falls is, it is just that the paths to the down the valley and to the falls isn’t really very well marked. I tried walking down the mountain by myself, but found myself in a dead end. I couldn’t find a path, or make that I was too lazy for find a path.

This is as Far as I Could Go

Honestly, I was too tired from walking down the mountain that morning and I was still feeling the effects. My legs were already like jelly and I was nowhere even halfway down the mountain. Although I wanted to see the Tappia falls, the flesh is weak and I reasoned that it was getting dark and I don’t want to be caught in the middle of nowhere in a thunderstorm. There won’t be any trees for shelter here and the inn will be a hour’s worth of hiking just to get back from the falls. The lazy me won and I head back to Simon’s inn and just relaxed the day away. Sure enough, a few hours later, there was a storm. Laziness has it benefits too.

Related Posts:

Going to Batad

Tappia Falls

Simon’s Place

Yue Fei's Mausoleum 岳飞庙

That night, as I was going through the stack of flyers I accumulated in my trip to China, I chanced upon one for the West Lake. There were several sites which were marked on the map, none of which made an impression on me, none except one – Yue Fei’s 岳飞 Mausoleum. Yue Fei is probably one of the most famous military figures of ancient China. He lived during the Song dynasty 1103 – 1142. His story has come to epitomize love and loyalty for the country. I have heard some of the stories of Yue Fei when I was young and I was excited to know that part of the history of West Lake includes him.

Inside the Yue Fei Mausoleum 岳飞庙

I got out early in the morning and hailed a cab, I did not have much time to spare since I would already be flying out that afternoon. The mausoleum wasn’t really very far as it was still within stone’s throw of the West Lake. It seemed that the mausoleum also has an entrance fee. Anyway, I still have some money left and I think this would be more worth it than the Leifeng Pagoda. The people were still cleaning the compound but that didn’t really bother me.

Related Posts:

Yue Fei Tomb 岳飞墓

Walking Along the West Lake 西湖

View from Leifeng Pagoda 雷峰塔

Stunning View of the Batad Rice Terraces

It was my third time to be going to Banaue, and I could say that I am already quite comfortable in that town. What did catch me by surprise though, is the number touts that have sprouted since my last visit. Although they are not the pushy type, at least not yet, they are numerous enough to irritate me. What more with their constant chewing of betel nuts giving them their bloody smiles, makes you think that they want to say “I want to suck your blood… and your money, too.”

Surrounding Terraces of the Batad Ampitheater

It seems that they have standardized the rates for going to the village of Batad by tricycle. This is well and good, since you don’t need to be afraid of getting ripped off – everyone will be equally ripped off. I thought it was quite pricey, I really wish they have public transport going to the village, then again maybe not at it might ruin the idyllic nature of the village. Since I was travelling alone, sharing is not an option either, oh well.

Related Posts:

Short Trip to Banaue

Batad Rice Terraces

Exploring Batad Rice Terraces

Ampitheater Shaped Batad Rice Terraces

It has become a habit of mine whenever I visit the Philippines to go out of town for a short trip. It is primarily the only way to avoid the madness that is Manila and what comes with it. I took a bus ride from Autobus company, the only one I knew which went to the mountain town of Banaue. This was probably the third station they own that I have been to. I have been informed that this small waiting area of theirs is finally their own, the first two were only rented. I then noticed the huge fleet of bus that rival Florida bus company has. How much has this company grown in the recent years? Their buses seem to be very well maintained too. Anyway, I was going with Autobus because it wasn’t that bad anyway.

View of Small Village in Batad

I actually, booked a ride over the phone and I was told that the bus leaves at 6:30pm. I was quite puzzled since I remember the buses used to leave at ten in the evening. However, when I got there I was told that the schedule never changed. Oh well, went to a nearby mall where I waited until the time to depart. The bus station actually wasn’t that big so I wasn’t really very comfortable waiting there. Eating places weren’t really that common either. I got a nice seat in front with no seatmates making the trip a little more comfortable. I can’t wait to go back there as I have been craving for some mountain air for a while.

Related Posts:

Going to Batad

Exploring Batad Rice Terraces

Batad Rice Terraces

Gate to the Former House of Jiang Jingguo 蒋经国

The years after the fall of the Qing dynasty were tumultuous to say the least. First was the outbreak of World War II where large parts of China was taken over by the Japanese. Then came the civil war which broke out between the Communists and the Nationalists, the leader of the Nationalists was Jiang Zhongzheng or better known as Chiang Kai Shek. The Nationalists were routed and they eventually retreated to the island province of Taiwan which eventually broke away from Mainland China. Issues between the two neighbors still linger although they have simmered down a lot in the recent years.

Difficult to See Anything from the Outside

In Hangzhou, Chiang Kai Shek’s son, Jiang Jingguo, who would later succeed his father as president, had a villa along the shores of the West Lake. The villa was a two story residential house with a Western Design. Unfortunately, the gate was closed and it is not open to visitors. It doesn’t seem like anyone has been here in years. Although it is said that the government welcomes the former occupiers to come back and stay, I don’t think the former owners have reciprocated this act of hospitality.

Related Posts:

Going to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport 杭州萧山国际机场

Zhengyang Gate 正阳门

Exploring West Lake 西湖

Bridge at One End of West Lake 西湖

I’ve said it before, Hangzhou is one of the more relaxing cities in China. Most cities in China tend to outdo each other in terms of technology. Sparkling buildings are relatively commonplace now, but a lot of them just tend to blight the landscape. Although Hangzhou also has its share of glittering buildings, these are mostly confined in areas beyond the West Lake area. As a result, Hangzhou is a refreshing place to be in. The West Lake provides a large open space that also happens to be free.

Dancing in a Pavillion in the West Lake 西湖 Area in Hangzhou 杭州

A few cities in China can still lay claim to the title of relaxing city, Chengdu is another one of those cities. I was on the way out of the West Lake area when I chanced upon this little pavillion on the shores of the West Lake. There seemed to be an unusually large number of people in this pavillion and I dropped by for a closer look. I was amused to see that most of the people in the pavillion were elderly folk, but nothing prepared me for what they were doing. They were dancing. I was always thought that this type of dancing is more of a Western style however, these people were gamely dancing away. I remember seeing this in Chengdu’s People’s Park. It is quite refreshing to see these kinds of activities still being done in the information age.

Related Posts:

Long Bridge 双投桥

Exploring West Lake 西湖

Walking Along the West Lake 西湖

Walking Along the Bai Causeway 白堤

The West Lake is certainly large and it would probably take me a day to circumnavigate the entire lake. I don’t have much time left before I need to leave for the airport. Fortunately, there is a shortcut, sort of. The Bai Causeway is a narrow strip of land about one kilometer long which connects the two sides of the lake. The causeway has been in existence since the Tang dynasty back when it was still a lowly dike. After centuries of enhancements, the result is the Bai Causeway as we see now.

View of a Faraway Pagoda From the Bai Causeway 白堤

Walking along the Bai Causeway, is not only just a shortcut, but it is also a pleasant experience. The causeway is lined with willow trees whose long branches dance in the the wind aside from providing some shade. The walk along it is certainly very relaxing and it is perfect for a morning stroll such as this. This early, there were already droves of tourists exploring the lake, I’m sure there will be more of them soon.

Related Posts:

West Causeway 西堤

Shui Xin Xie 水心榭

View from Leifeng Pagoda 雷峰塔

Elevated Walkway at Zhongshan Park 中山公园 in Hangzhou 杭州

There is no shortage of sights to see here in Hangzhou, in particular, the West Lake area. The West Lake itself is already pleasant enough but there are also a lot of points of interest scattered around the lake area. I was walking along the shores when I ran into another park – the Zhongshan Park. The park was named after the Dr. Sun Yatsen who can be considered the father of modern China. This is no doubt just one of the many parks named after him.

Entrance to Zhongshan Park 中山公园 in Hangzhou 杭州

The Zhongshan Park was thankfully free entrance, but one might not notice it since there is a fairly large gate at the entrance. There were a few people exploring the place but I won’t have much time to explore this place anymore as I needed to continue my way back to the hostel. There were a few ruins, I used this word very loosely since there ruins were actually just the remains of the foundation of a structure that used to be there. The park continues on inside and there is a path going up Gushan 孤山. I only dropped by here to have a look, it seems that Hangzhou is really much more than meets the eye.

Related Posts:

Exploring West Lake 西湖 Area

Just How Relaxing is Hangzhou?

Hangzhou 杭州 Old Street