You can still join us On Oct. 25-27, 2008!
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Roderick Ramos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:08:21 AM
Subject: [umalikayo] Sagada: For Librarians to Travel Today and Soon!
KNOWING AND LOVING SAGADA-MENSAPIT (TRAVEL STORY) by Roderick Ramos, Trip
Coordinator
"Beyond those traveled hills of the north Lies my home, all laden with pines...
"
Sagada mornings make you high. Little did we expect that we would be greeted
immensely by skies on our first day. Heavens' gates are open with a fine spray,
falling in fog, flakes on skin. With its wintry breeze, cool and temperate
climate, one is stimulated to kneel down, gets thick but fresh air - right to
the faces - a treat, free of charge.
Sagada, a municipality of the Mountain Province, is a well-kept paradise of the
Kankana-ey language group. Lavishly productive are the lands blessed with
growing pine trees, plentiful fruits, and leafy vegetables. Stone paths,
waterfalls, etc. -based decors of the terraces - mountains surrounding and
cliffs walling villages are breathtakingly awesome.
While served with mountain tea and cinnamon, terraced ricefields are seen by
the window, a main feature of the town.
"My thanks to thee, my love dressed in green; My paradise unforseen... "
Sagada allows you to feel "welcome among the friendly people here," a visiting
Australian professor once commented. It is a small town offering an exceptional
experience. Here, people are sociable. Ancient traditions and religious
obligations have metamorphosed them into active and fascinating community to
discover about.
Sagada, "a must stop" designation for tourists is home to more than 10,000
competently industrious, convincingly peace loving and confidently intelligent
Sagadans.
"In you, I will give; my life, I will live; With you, I will share; all my
life, without care."
Its natives speak so well of the place. This little but pleasant town is
vehemently endeared in the heart of every born Sagadian. One may dwell far from
it but soon he realizes an umbilical cord pulling him back to lay his "face
before thy shrine." He will desire and love to embrace it back inevitably.
Numerous houses including private ones await guests with affordable meals.
Electricity exists! St. Joseph's Resthouse does not only have rooms for P100,
but it does have also an area for conferences, a restaurant, a souvenir store,
and a big garden. Other important places to stay and eat are: Masferre Inn and
Restaurant (Julia's Guest House), Alfredo's Cabin (Hotel and Restaurant),
Ganduyan Inn and Coffee Shoppe, Sagada Guest House, Olahbinan (Bar and
Restaurant), Greenhouse, Mapiyaaw Pension, Rocky Valley Inn, Igorot Inn
(Moonhouse Cafe), Ruby's Place, A-Seven House, Yoghurt House, Shamrock Cafe,
Log Cabin, Bilig Cafe, Right Turn Crafts and Cafe, Sudimay Canteen, and Cuisina
Igorota (CI).
One excellent barriotic cuisine one shouldn't miss is called pinikpikan. All
households prepare this with etag, a salted meat, producing a distinct aroma,
soothing to your nasal and tastes differently.
Spread in the outskirts are novelty shops. The very popular Sagada Weaving &
Souvenir Shop introduces a variety of wooden products from coin purses,
wallets, shoulders and belt bags, caps, backpacks, and blankets. Bringing
additional cash for these items is necessary to avoid personal dismay.
Northern roads are crooked, narrow, and windy. Trekking in six hours from the
City of Pines to Sagada for caves is exhilaratingly a sojourn. Caves are a
wonder and very enchanting. It begins when one feels being pushed by air and
smells some strange odor inhaled and exhaled by underground spaces. Sounds of
water dripping from nowhere in the dark tickle up imaginations. Calm creatures,
black winged birds fly around, undistrubed.
A spelunker, one who makes a hobby of exploring and studying caves, or a guide
is indispensable for any group aiming to unleash specific inexplicable chambers
beneath surfaces of Sagada, known for being on top of a huge cave the Sumaging
"Latipan" Big Cave. Spelunker Egbert Dailay, a BS Tourism undergraduate,
orients adventurers on what distinguishes vertical to horizontal caves; safety
rules on caving from hole passing to water plunging; and, surprises all with
the naming of identifiable rock formations. Other caves including burial caves
are: Sugong Cave, Crystal Cave, Balangagan Cave, Madrigal and Natividad Caves,
Mataug Cave, Romeo's Cave, Matangkib and Lumiang Caves. Lamps and well-trained
guides can be asked from the Tourist Information Center of the Municipality
Hall.
Enormously enthralling are majestic appearances of several waterfalls.. Bokong
and the biggest named Bomod-ok Falls are two of the most visited. The former
requires only a 15-minute walk from Poblacion, while the latter, a jeepney or a
45-minute walk to Bangaan, northern barangay of Sagada. Still, a long walk
follows. Thirty minutes more down to the rice paddies offering spectacular
views like amazing rice terraces as you walk by mountain trails.Thunderously
from a far, the water splashes, is crystal-clear and ice-cold.
Found hanging amidst great big rocks are coffins piled one after the other.
Vauntedly displayedare made of chiseled woods. Though, very indigenous, many
set their dead on the cliffs as a ritual being practiced up to now.
"See them! They are sacred to us," a school grader points out. "Bringing
yourself up there is an act not pleasing to us. Much more to old folks in the
neighborhood. "
The mysterious coffins of Sagada; whether hanging or in burial caves;
accessible, like those seen inside Latang caves near the Underground River, or
not, like those situated in the Echo Valley; one must learn to pay respects to
remains of indigenous people who believe in the so-called afterlife.The said
valley can be reached through walking over the Calvary - a cemetery for the
Anglicans - in the Episcopal Mission Compound where St. Mary The VirginChurch
and its high school, and Trinity College are located. Few steps away from the
Calvary's big cross, paving the way as entrance, are astounding age of huge
rocks.
During ceremonies, the dead is serenaded, both in the native tongue, Filipino,
and English as well. Literally, an aging man talks to the spirit and recalls
stories involving him and the speaker. On their seats, many do chanting,
well-wishers to the spirit. Voices blend so well magically enthusing and
leaving non-Kanaka-ey listeners charmed by a spell. Butchered pigs and chickens
are trayed for the dead and for those who arrive and express condolences. It's
a communal affair not only for distant relatives but also for everyone in the
community to honorably solemnize the passing out of a fellow Igorot. This holds
true also when a family attends to occasions such as gobbaw (Child dedication),
dekat (wedding invitation), mangmang (housewarming) , etc.
By jeepney or aone-hour walk from the town proper is the beautiful mystifying
Lake Danom. It is a small lake concealing like a woman in the forest of lush
greens. Hidden from view. Formidable trunks of trees cover it; but surely,
outside of her world, a stranger is destined to come, to conquer her.
>From her, perhaps the best sight of the sun rising and setting can be
>acquired. On hilltops overlooking a magnificent basin of water, a goddess sits
>enticing! Behold! A fertile, real, lovely lake is unravelled!
Baguio is the jumping-off place to the very rare, exquisite appeal of Sagada,
Cordillera's pride and gateway to the heavens. Take a bus from Dangwa terminal
available only for morning trips. Do some sightseeing while on board - and be
delighted with Luzon's most precious natural wonders in the Philippines..
Why Sagada? Lifted from a 2000 souvenir program: Sagada remains a unique
combination of mountains and native culture. The altitude gives that coolness
and feeling of well-being, not found in the lowlands; while the abundance of
sturdy pine trees enhances the beauty of the environment - an in inheritance to
be proud of. There also exists an intriguing blend of Christian and traditional
culture and customs that add to the appeal and friendliness of the local
people. They are proud of their identity and their traditions.. There remains
an enviable balance between man and nature, a sense of harmony and peace,
difficult to find elsewhere. (8/3/01)
________________________________
Yahoo! Toolbar is now powered with Search Assist. Download it now! __._,_.___
Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic
Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to
Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
Recent ActivityVisit Your Group
Give Back
Yahoo! for Good
Get inspired
by a good cause.
Y! Toolbar
Get it Free!
easy 1-click access
to your groups.
Yahoo! Groups
Start a group
in 3 easy steps.
Connect with others.
.
__,_._,___
New Email addresses available on Yahoo!
Get the Email name you've always wanted on the new @ymail and @rocketmail.
Hurry before someone else does!
http://mail.promotions.yahoo.com/newdomains/ph/
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Filipino Librarians" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/FilipinoLibrarians?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
