My guide (the mountain bike driver) took this picture. He waited for me at the bottom while I hiked for 4 hours! Tomorrow he will show me some hot springs and more rice terraces before I head back to Manila on the night bus (a ten hour ride on bumpy roads). Part of the reason I took this picture was to give my family back home proof that I am still alive!
I hiked to these rice terraces, tucked deep in the mountains. My journey began in the side car of a "motorcycle" which is much more like a mountain dirt bike (the wheels are that size). I spent an hour in the side car, then my guide, Derrick, parked it and I hiked up over a saddle and down into a small town called Batad, where I had a great view of these rice terraces, the tallest in the region.
Here is a little town called Baranguay (at least I'm pretty sure that was the name, give or take an "r".) The people in the small town farm the surrounding rice fields. Each one is owned privately; a family may own 3 or 4, but they work together to farm them. The amount of rice that they farm only make up a portion of the amount of rice it takes to feed the village annually; the rest they buy from neighboring provinces. I thought they produced rice to sell, but I was wrong.
An upclose look at the Batad rice terraces... they're really quite exquisite.
Another view of the town where I am staying: Banaue.
This is a side view of the town of Banaue. My hotel resembles these concrete structures from the outside, but is quite cozy and warm inside.
The view from the balcony of my room! The fog in the morning was so thick that I could see nothing but clouds from my window.
My guide (the mountain bike driver) took this picture. He waited for me at the bottom while I hiked for 4 hours! Tomorrow he will show me some hot springs and more rice terraces before I head back to Manila on the night bus (a ten hour ride on bumpy roads). Part of the reason I took this picture was to give my family back home proof that I am still alive!
I hiked to these rice terraces, tucked deep in the mountains. My journey began in the side car of a "motorcycle" which is much more like a mountain dirt bike (the wheels are that size). I spent an hour in the side car, then my guide, Derrick, parked it and I hiked up over a saddle and down into a small town called Batad, where I had a great view of these rice terraces, the tallest in the region.
Here is a little town called Baranguay (at least I'm pretty sure that was the name, give or take an "r".) The people in the small town farm the surrounding rice fields. Each one is owned privately; a family may own 3 or 4, but they work together to farm them. The amount of rice that they farm only make up a portion of the amount of rice it takes to feed the village annually; the rest they buy from neighboring provinces. I thought they produced rice to sell, but I was wrong.
An upclose look at the Batad rice terraces... they're really quite exquisite.
Another view of the town where I am staying: Banaue.
This is a side view of the town of Banaue. My hotel resembles these concrete structures from the outside, but is quite cozy and warm inside.
The view from the balcony of my room! The fog in the morning was so thick that I could see nothing but clouds from my window.
1 comment:
This is really interesting. I am leaving for the Philippines tomorrow, but will be with my host family, who keeps talking about how poor it is and they don't know why we are going....it's a little awkward. I would really like to see what you are, but it would prob be rude to leave the family and go out on my own. I wonder how you picked up this guide of yours, tho. Let me know if you get a chance.
Cool adventure.
Eric
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