"Sagada, Mountain Province?"

For March break, we took the trip we had meant to do in October. And we are so glad we did.

We left at 4:20am on Saturday morning and drove for 12 straight hours - along EDSA (a Manila highway that is so clogged and polluted that you can't even make out the lanes on Google Earth or Google Maps), the NLEX, the SCTEX and the BBR. They love their abbreviations here. We went from the belching mess of Manila and ascended into the clear, green, breezy mountains of the northern Philippines.



We drove our own car, a blessing in itself. I drove and Cory navigated. We didn't get angry with each other and we didn't care if we had to stop for directions. We took our time, let other drivers pass, stopped for a stretch or to take some photos whenever we wanted to. We ate, listened to music, talked about the adoption process and relished breathing in the crisp, fresh air as we road-tripped along. It reminded us of the good ol days in Vegas, when we took road trips as often as we could.



We arrived at the Rock Inn by 4pm, after an hour's drive along a very pitted and rocky road. As soon as we got there, it sunk in that we were on vacation. All the stresses just lifted and we had a blissfully wonderful week - it was exactly what we needed and at exactly the right time.

We spent five days in Sagada, a village of about 1,500 people, nestled in the Mountain Province some 350 miles from Manila. This is what we did:

1. Frequented and supported the local craft shops: handwoven textiles, carvings, mountain tea, honey, jams, ceramics and coffees.



2. Ate fresh, local, healthy food at the same three eateries every day: Yogurt House (homemade yogurt with fruit and granola), the Lemon Pie House (um...freshly-baked blueberry pie?!! Yes please!!) and Log Cabin (green salads, hearty soups, creamy pastas and the best potato au gratin ever!).






3. Sat around the fire at the Rock Inn every night after dinner. Sometimes we'd drink wine, sometimes we'd just stare into the flames and talk. Evenings were even chilly and we got to wear jeans and bundle up in sweatshirts and jackets! This reminded us of being home.



4. Got friendly with the locals.




5. Took photos of typical icons just to remind us that we were still in the Philippines.



6. Tried to be artsy while enjoying small-scale village life.




7. Walked and walked and walked and walked. A typical day revolved around leisurely waking up by dog bark or rooster call, drinking local coffee and wolfing down pie in bed, walking or driving into town where we'd park for the day, eating a big breakfast to fuel us up until dinnertime, deciding what hike we wanted to do for the day, hiking (and walking and climbing and tripping and getting slightly lost and breathing in the fresh air by the nostril-ful and taking in the scenery that was beyond beautiful), heading back to the Inn to shower, and meeting up with some friends who also happened to be in Sagada at the same time for dinner at the Log Cabin.

On our many walks, we discovered the stacked coffins in Lumiang Cave; explored the local rice terraces, often considered the eighth Wonder of the World, without disrupting the farmers; trekked through Echo Valley to find hanging coffins (a traditional way of honoring the dead and a symbol of wealth); checked out the public market and walked to the ceramic shop at the top of the village; drove to Aguid to hike the rice terraces to Bomod Ok Falls (a Disneyland for the tourist groups from Baguio); shot up Mt. Kiltepan for some gorgeous views of more rice terraces and some peace and quiet; spelunked in Lumiang and Sumaguing Caves; visited the Bontoc Museum (one of the best in the Philippines for its artifacts celebrating mountain tribe cultures in the Northern Luzon Cordillera including their head-hunting days; and ventured up to Malecong for more walks in the rice terraces.













I can't express how beautiful the trip was, in so many ways. We relished every moment. And now that we're back in Manila, and busy as ever, all the stresses are back, too. BUT, summer vacation is just around the corner and we are looking ahead and trying to prepare for the arrival of our little one!