Manila was dumped by more than a month’s rain in August, finding it a bit difficult to go around. The unusual habagat (southwest winds) rains caused major floods in the Metro but that didn’t dampen our eagerness to travel. Once abated, a window opened to travel to Kalinga, a province I have longed wanted to visit, not only to see the famous mambabatok Fang-Od (Whang-od), but the curiosity to see the land of the head-hunters.
Category: Adventure
A Year in Travels June 2013 | North Luzon Photo Tour and a Humble Book Museum
June is always an exciting time as I get to join and become a part-time guide to a Jim Cline Photography Tour in the Philippines conducted by international photographer Karl Grobl. It’s nice to know that the Philippines is gaining ground as an international photo tour destination. They were telling me it was unexpected that the Philippines Tour was filling up fast. And this year we had a full house so it was an exciting 6-day North Luzon leg from Vigan to Sagada (via Cervantes) then to Baguio and Manila. It’s great to be with different photographers and see their photographic styles and vision.
Soak in the Fun at Kalubihon Falls and Dalipuga Falls
We’re still mid-way from a day of waterfalling in Iligan City and Iligan Bloggers Society still has a couple more in store for us. Satiated from lunch at Pampam Falls, the group was ready to move to the nearby Kalubihon Falls. It took us about a quarter of an hour’s hike, from gradual ascending hills to steep rock walls with some natural pools coming from a stream above. From the looks of the trail, this promises to be an interesting one.
The Pristine No Name Falls Leading to Pampam Falls
“Let’s call this one Junakis Falls!” I remember Shugah telling the group as we were trying to recall the name of the first 2 falls we visited in Barangay Dalipuga. Well they don’t really have a name so locals consider it as part of the nearby Pampam Falls. There may be 23 falls in Iligan City but those are documented ones, this one had no name, but the crystal clear basin was calling and the cool cascades inviting. Oh what a start for our “waterfalling” adventure.
Kalinga Villages Traverse | The Buscalan-Butbut-Ngibat-Liyao-Tinglayan Village Trek
“Our priority is to get back to Tinglayan!” I said when we were discussing about our plans for the next day. We wanted to somehow include the falls and springs in Kalinga but it seems time isn’t on our side. It’s either we go back the same route to Bugnay or we go by Francis’s suggestion – a Kalinga Villages Traverse to the next two villages of Butbut and Ngibat then descending at Liyao for the main road to Tinglayan. We decided to go with the latter not really knowing what we’re getting into.
Buscalan Kalinga | The Journey to the Village of Long Life
Have I discovered the secret to long life? It seems the people living in this highland village of Buscalan in Kalinga have. It amazes me to see how elders living in the age bracket of 80-90 and above are still nimble, skillful and can still manage to contribute to work. I’m not just talking about the legendary mambatok (traditional tattoo artist) Whang Od (Fang Od), whom we wanted to meet when we went to Buscalan. While I was dumbfounded to find her working under the sun drying out some beans, then carefully carrying those in a small sack at the age of 93-yo, her peers in the village could still run around circles to any sedentary couch-potato in the metro.
The Legend of the Sleeping Beauty Mountain in Tinglayan Kalinga
More than 15 hours on the road can take a toll, especially if there are lulls in between and I wasn’t able to get enough sleep from that night bus. But on the final stretch on the road from Tabuk to Tinglayan, I kept my eyes peeled, trying to pave-off these drowsy eyes just to see the winding road along the mountains, the rice terraces, the Chico River and on my left, the imposing Sleeping Beauty Mountain looming over the rustic town of Tinglayan, Kalinga. We reached the town center and our drop-off, none other the Sleeping Beauty Inn, where we met with our tour guide and our home in Tinglayan.
