Mountain Province: Easy Afternoon at Kapay-aw Rice Terraces in Sagada

Our yellow Jeep and looking over Kapay-aw Terraces
Our yellow Jeep and looking over Kapay-aw Terraces

Much has been written about Sagada already so I won’t go repeating much than to update some of the old photos I took of the place. For those who have endured the hours of travel to get to this fascinating mountain town, I found it rare that people won’t be enamored with its old-world feel, lush surroundings, cool clime, great food and especially interesting people. I’m actually grateful Karl Grobl decided to include Sagada in their itinerary since the Cordilleras really shows how rich and unique our culture is beyond the beaches we are known for.

Dramatic Shadows, Pine Trees and the Road to Sumaguing Cave
Dramatic Shadows, Pine Trees and the Road to Sumaguing Cave

Since we only have a full day here, we got a tight window of opportunity to see the other sights. We’ve seen the Sunrise at Kiltepan, the Hanging Coffins and Burial Caves, witnessing how they prepare the Pinikpikan and now we’re off to the western part of Sagada to the direction of the famous Sumaguing Cave. I remember walking by here one afternoon and was astonished on how dramatic the lighting in this place could be.

Afternoon light over Kapay-aw Rice Terraces
Afternoon light over Kapay-aw Rice Terraces

The Kapay-aw Rice Terraces isn’t as spectacular as the other popular Rice Terraces I know but with the variation of greens and patterns and low spread over the valley, it was a scene begging to be photographed at that time. The challenge was to find an angle among the pine trees and make the power lines less obvious in the scene.

Easy afternoon shooting
Easy afternoon shooting

We spent the afternoon shooting at an easy pace until the sun has gone down. We even get to see an interesting light diffusion at the clouds creating a rainbow like pattern. Night ends with another campfire and photo sharing at Rock Inn and conversations over dinner. This culminated our leg in Sagada and we’re in for a long road trip the next day. I thought the group was real lucky to have made it here since a lot of Filipinos haven’t even gone this far.

Kapay-aw is one scenic location in Sagada perfect for a stroll
Kapay-aw is one scenic location in Sagada perfect for a stroll