We set off at around 8:30AM. Our trajectory was a very steep downhill.
We tried not to think about the fact that what goes down must come back up...
Which was easy to do since the whole area was ridiculously picturesque.
At times, it felt like our guide Perry was leading us to the bowels of the earth...
But there were many pretty distractions along the way.
At last, we encountered some running water. Which meant that...
We had reached Big Falls! This was the closest my camera could get because of the spray.
After 40 minutes of frolicking (yez, we frolicked) in the freezing pools, we decided to head back up.
Ten minutes walk, five minutes rest. Ten minutes walk, five minutes rest. We drank lots and lots of water.
Obviously, it was a piece of cake for the locals.
Us? We just tried our best to hide our pain.
It was the best day ever! With wobbly knees, we reached the top of the ridge at 1:30PM-- sweaty, exhausted, but triumphant and ecstatic.
Imagine these people who have to climb up and down four or five times a day. Carrying really heavy stuff on their shoulders.
Still, it must be a joy to work surrounded by such awesomeness. Sure beats any office.
People say that you haven't been to Sagada unless you visit the caves. Well, Sumaguing Cave WAS part of our itinerary, but after this trek, we could hardly walk and so we had to cancel it. The caves aren't going anywhere and can wait until our next trip, and besides, who would want to be stuck underground on a day with:
1. A perfect blue sky
2. Fantastic puffy white clouds
3. Superb green and gold rice terraces
4. Ethereal natural light
I wouldn't have traded this experience for any ol' cave.
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