Sagad Saya Sa Sagada

Almost a decade ago, Sagada became one of the most visited places in the Philippines. There were a lot of tours being offered by travel agencies, and even a number of friends and colleagues have organized a tour of their own. I've always wanted to join, but I have a lot of hesitations, one of which is the road you have to traverse to get there. Then a few years ago, the movie That Thing Called Tadhana became popular, and Sagada became really famous. But that still did not convince me enough. Yet this year, 2018, armed with courage and anti-byahilo meds, I went on to conquer my fear and see for myself the place known for its cool weather and famous Hanging Coffins, which actually did offer so much more than just that...

So here's me sharing our itinerary, expenses, and some tips...

Transportation: Bus - Coda Lines

One way ticket costs Php 720 with admin fee of Php 35 so the whole rountrip fare cost Php 1,510 per person

Accomodation: Masferre Country Inn & Restaurant which we got for Php 6,406.36

The room is good for 4 and comes with daily breakfast

Cost per person is Php 1,601.59

The Itinerary:

Day 0

The travel starts at Day 0, because the travel time is around 10 hours. Riding the bus from the station in Cubao, we left at around 8:30PM in the evening of a Saturday. There is a stop over after every 2 hours, prolonging the travel time, but that's just fine as we get to have a restroom break, have some snacks and do some stretching.

Day 1 

We arrived at Sagada around 7 AM the next day.

Without planned itineraries, we just went to the tourist center and checked out the packages being offered. For Day 1, we got the package for Php 1,000 for the whole group (costing each of us Php 250) and these are the places we went to:

Echo Valley

Hanging Coffins

Underground River

Bokong Falls

Sagada Weaving

Passing by the church on the way to Echo Valley,

Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

Hanging Coffins

Rock Balancing Art on the way to the underground cave

Flower fields on the way to the Falls

Bokong Falls

Sagada Weaving

Day 2

On our second day, we opted to do more trekking at Marlboro Hill and Blue Soil. The price is a little higher since we opted to ride a van going to the starting point of the trek, to lessen the hours of walking. We got it for Php 3,500 for the group, or Php 875 per person. We started the day really early, agreeing to be picked up by 4AM but actually leaving the inn at 5AM. It was very dark, we couldn't see much of where we're going saved by the glow of two flashlights.

Unfortunately too, it was so foggy, that the place wasn't as picturesque as expected

A very peaceful place, making me want to lie down and read a book

Sample of Blue Soil =D

Wild berries?!

Pitcher Plant

Remember this plant - it may be helpful when you get dehydrated in the woods!

A pine cone!

And finally.... Blue Soil

A place I thought only existed in fairy tales...but here I am!

On the way back to our inn, we asked to stop by a place where rice terraces can be viewed.

It's not as majestic as the Banawe Rice Terraces, but given our limited time, this will do for now.

Day 3

I wanted to visit Sumaguing Cave, but our bodies may not be fit enough to get through it by this time, so we just opted for a more relaxed tour today, as we go to Sagada Pottery and Lake Danum. We got it for Php 600 for the group or Php 150 person.

A quick lesson on pottery at Sagada Pottery

Lake Danum

Places to try Eat:

Can't say much about this because I wasn't really in the mood to eat maybe due to the big change in weather for me haha

But these are the places we tried ~ Salt & Pepper, Yoghurt House and Sagada Brew

Prices range around Php 200 - Php300 per meal per person

Time for pasalubong:

There are a lot of stores around the area where you can buy treats that you can bring home. Here are some of those I brought back home:

Mountain Tea Leaves for Php 20

Kape di Mutit (Philippine Civet coffee)

Php 150 per sachet equivalent to 5 cups

matry lang =p

Sagada Blend

Blueberry Jam for Php 260

There are also caramel bars, lemon cream cheese cookies, blueberry cookies and lots of other goodies to choose from.

All in all, my total expenses is around Php 6,000 for a 3D/2N sagad sa saya trip in Sagada!

Tips:

There is Limited ATM machines in the area. I've only seen one in the tourist center. So remember to bring Cash.

If you get dizzy easily on bus rides, prepare to have some Bonamine. Take it an hour before you reach the zigzag road. It also pays to manage your sleeping hours, if you can manage to withhold sleep until past midnight, and just sleep through the zigzag road.

All places close at 9 PM, so don't miss having dinner on time or stash on snacks, or you just might starve

We visited in the month of February, and the place is freezing. Be sure to bring jackets, thick pants, and a bonnet will surely help, or you can just enjoy the really cold weather like me in the picture just wearing shorts haha

Blue Guitar Strings

Book Title: The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom

Summary:

The book tells the life story of Frankie Presto, a legend in the music industry. The book begins with his death. And from this first chapter of the book, the last chapter of his life, unfolds his story from the perspective of people he has worked with, people he inspired, people whose lives he touched. From a tragic birth, followed by numerous challenges throughout his life, there's only one thing that has kept him company ~ the one that his tiny hands clenched the moment he opened his eyes and saw the brilliant colors of talents ~ music.

It's music that narrates his life story the best. It's only music that knows what all the others who thought they knew him were not aware of. It's music that makes the revelations of his distant past, and the nearby past just before his death, all the twists in the story of the greatest guitar player's life.

From the moment his mother died in the church just minutes after he was born, to the time when he made his last performance on the stage, during all the in betweens ~ a nun trying to raise him as her own, a dog and its owner seeing him through his formative years, all the lessons in music and life with his blind music teacher, the hellos, the goodbyes, the reunions with the love of his life, reaching the peak of fame and then losing it all, all the other bands that he impacted, and that impacted his life, and the strings that turn blue when it's time to save someone's life, music has always been there.

But what nobody else knows and again, only music does, is that there's also someone who's been there through it all, just a shadow in the background that sees him through.

Reflections:

Everyone joins a band in this life. There are some bands that we don't get to choose, like the family that we are born with, or the next couple of people who takes care of us during our formative years. There are those we choose, like the friends we make at school, the colleagues we share free time with at work, and the partner we promise to love for life.

Just as a musical band creates music, so do all the other bands in our life ~ each creating a rhythm, a melody, notes, lyrics ~ something common that connects the band, a pace that we go through in life, a guide that we sometimes we follow and sometimes we miss, life stories that we tell.

And just like musical bands that disband sometime in the future, all bands do break. Sometimes, it would be a choice, like making a shift in career ~ like moving through another chapter in our lives and seeing less of our friends. Sometimes a partial choice, having different perspectives and standing by it, like a disagreement among band mates ~ a misunderstanding between partners. Sometimes though, it's not a choice we make, like death that eventually visits us all, but the timing is not the same.

The novel, like many other Mitch Albom's stories, would definitely touch your soul. The story seemed simple, like an ordinary story of an orphaned boy who became a famous music genius. But what sets the story apart are the life lessons that you'll bring with you even after reading the book. Though the twist at the end seemed to go beyond what's normally acceptable for a story to still be believable, this fictions still brings with it the stories that will break your heart, bring a tear or two, and forever change how you view the people around you.

Quotes:

"Everyone joins a band in this life. You are born into your first one. Your mother plays the lead. She shares the stage with your father and siblings...

As life goes on, you will join other bands, some through friendship, some through romance, some through neighborhoods, school, an army. Maybe you will all dress the same, or laugh at your own private vocabulary. Maybe you will flop on couches backstage, or share a boardroom table, or crowd around a galley inside a ship. But in each band you join, you will play a distinct part, and it will affect you as much as you affect it.

And, as is usually the fate with bands, most of them will break up-through distance, differences, divorce, or death."

"Do not cry over losing blood. Not for something you love."

"Talent is a piece of God's shadow. And under that shadow, human stories intersect."

""You cannot write if you do not read", the blind man said. "You cannot eat if you do not chew. And you cannot play if you do not listen.""

"Truth is light. Lies are shadows. Music is both."

"Being both means being neither."

"You humans are always locking each other away. Cells. Dungeons....No other creature has this arrogance---to confine its own."

"A song inside a cage is never a song. It is a plea."

"Everyone joins a band in this life. One way or another, the band breaks up."

"But being silent is not forgetting."

"Man suffers for his art. That is what you must remember."

"Every loss leaves a hole in your heart."

"The secret is not to make your music louder, but to make the world quieter."

"Man searches for courage in drink, but it is not courage that he finds, it is fear that he loses."

"When you listen, you learn. Remember that. In music and in life."

"You don't need much to remember someone. Even one thing will do."

"But all love stories are symphonies. And, like symphonies, they have four movements:
Allegro, a quick and spirited opening
Adagio, a slow turn
Minuet/Scherzo short steps in 3/4 time
Rondo, a repeating theme, interrupted by various passages."

"Everyone joins a band in this life. Sometimes, they are the wrong ones."

"This is life. Things get taken away. You will learn to start over many times - or you will be useless."

"Everyone joins a band in this life. Sometimes they reunite."

"Had many of you left places even one day earlier, the landscape of your lives would be rearranged. You cannot play your notes. Time, like music, is indelible that way."

"There are few things emptier than applause when you feel you don't deserve it."

"You cannot ask things to do what they are not meant to do. Eventually they will break."

"What you're thinking about can be what you become. Good and evil."

Daytrip in Marikina

Whenever there's a short holiday or a long weekend, people usually travel to the north to sightsee in Baguio, surf in La Union, or go to Subic beaches, or to the south to chill in Tagaytay, visit the lakes of Laguna, or snorkel and dive in Batangas. To avoid possible heavy traffic and to try out something different, we decided to head on east this time - to the Shoe Capital of the Philippines.

Here's how you can spend a day in Marikina for less than a thousand pesos.

Sample itinerary in Marikina:

9:00 Breakfast in James Dean Cafe

10:00 Tour Book Museum

12:00 Lunch in Pan de Amerikana

14:00 Have fun in Philippine Science Centrum

16:30 Visit Museum of Miniatures

17:30 Chill in Riverbanks

18:30 Buy something from the Outlet stores



James Dean Café

Located in 127 Dao Street, Marikina Heights, James Dean Café is a small restaurant housing a number of James Dean collections.

Pretty awesome designs and collection

The menu is not extensive though. They only serve hotdogs, burgers, coffee and milkshakes. A meal's cost per person would range from Php 150 to to PhP 300.

I'm not sure if we just came at the wrong time and date (a holiday) but the staff doesn't seem to be paying attention. We came in and seated ourselves and it took time for someone to hand us the menu and take our orders. We also had instructions about our burgers and hotdogs that were noted down but for whatever reason weren't followed, and our ordered soda was not in stock and we were not even advised until we followed it up after almost having finished our food. The taste was just okay, but nothing fancy.

Philippine Science Centrum

Science was that one subject that's always pulled down my grade. I find it hard to memorize not just concepts, theories, and formulas but also perform actual experiments. But if I'd only known a place like this, I may have appreciated the subject more.

It's been a decade since we last visited this place, but I can still remember having lots of fun in this interactive science museum. The current rate as of this writing is Php 150, Php 75 for senior citizens. The rate is good for an hour and a half, but you can extend for another Php 75 per additional hour.

Most of the exhibits are still the same, and the place still isn't fully air-conditioned. But if you can handle the heat, we bet you can still have lots of fun.

Here are some of my favorite exhibits:

Steady Hand Game

The Human Gyro Ride

Experience what it was like to be Sandra Bullock in the Gravity

Tesla Coil

Come Race with Me

Record your time and see if you can beat Filipina former track and field athlete Ms. Elma Muros-Posada. 

The Wonder House

Won't spoil the fun! Not for those who easily gets dizzy though

Fun way to learn about Insulators & Conductors

Distorted Room

The only room where I can be a giant

Watch Me Pedal

Pedal and see the parts of your skeletal system at work

It's quite unfortunate that this exhibit was out of order, along with other machines that are either broken or under maintenance. But the hour we spent was still so much fun! Other favorite features of mine are the Anti-gravity Mirror, Ring Bubbles, Frozen Shadow, Colored Shadow, Head on a Platter, Power of Reflection, Van De Graaf,  and Plasma Sphere.

Pan De Amerikana

Have you always wanted to dine out in a cozy place?
With features of Sampaguita Pictures' artists, huge chess board and pieces, and other artistic wooden furniture and designs, Pan De Amerikana, just might be the place you're looking for. Serving mostly Filipino dishes, you can feel relaxed in the ambiance mostly of wooden and antique designs. And be sure to try their pandesal.

Note though that there are two branches and the upside down designed restaurant is located in Katipunan, not in Marikina.


Riverbanks Mall, Center and Amphitheater

Before you spend the rest of your budget on discounted shoes and bags, you can roam around the Riverbanks, go and chill for awhile at the amphitheater, and be at peace with the river's scenery, a clear blue sky and birds' flying.

What makes this trip more amazing? It was like relieving my US Trip exactly a year ago ~ In&Out, California Science Center, and outlet stores!!!

What and Where to Eat in Japan

One of the things I regret not having experienced during my Hong Kong trip years back was the local food. So in my succeeding travels, I always made sure to sample out the dishes that are popular to the locals of that country. Since I also love Japanese food, I made sure to make a list of things to try out and cross out all that we were able to sample. I thought of sharing the list, and a couple of comments and suggestions follow:

Ramen

Okonomiyaki

Udon

Sushi Onigiri

Yuba

Cold Soba Yakisoba

Tempura

Gyoza

Yokan

Taiyaki

Soft Cream

Kakigori

Wagyu

Sake Matcha Tea

Yakitori

Kobe Beef

Takoyaki Tonkatsu Karaage

There are a lot of places to sample Japan's delicious food. It depends on what food you would like to taste.

Ramen is one of the most common food for Japanese, so we opted to try this out first. For Ramen, we went to DARUMANOME (だるまのめ) in Akihabara. We were ignorant of how they ordered so we just entered the place and raised our hand to order, but the food is usually ordered through a machine located in front of the restaurant. Then a slip of paper will be printed after you have selected your order and this is what you will present when you get inside. Aside from Ramen, we also tried out their Gyoza. It's so different from what we have here in the Philippines. (Gyoza in PH usually makes me burp afterwards). It kind of tasted like pot stickers in TW. And of course, we topped in with that one huge glass of Coke! All these is priced at 1,150 Yen. The serving is huge so it's already good for two.

Next to Ramen in the noodle craze is soba. We tried one in Shibuya and one in Chiyoda.

Cold Soba with Vegetable Tempura

&

Cold Soba with Squid Tempura

Soba dipped in egg and spices with Beef Strips

We paired this soba with

Karaage

Alcohol-Free Suntory Beer

Another type of noodle that's famous in Japan is Udon. We got to try this out as part of a set in a restaurant in the airport, before we depart for home. It was part of a really affordable set with nigiri sushi. We also added another order of salmon sashimi, and free matcha tea.

Tsukiji Market is the best place to go to if you want to have sushi and all kinds of fresh seafood. Contrary to what I have researched over the internet, food in Tsukiji isn't so expensive after all. You just need to know where to go. We had the following in Tsukiji:

Grilled Oyster

Egg on Stick

Grilled Scallops with Sea Urchin

Nigiri Sushi

Freshly blended Grapefruit Juice

For the Nigiri Sushi Platter, we had it at the second store in the long line of places to eat. I don't know the name but below is a picture of the store. The sellers in this place are very friendly. The Sushi is also affodable. The whole platter is priced at 1,100 and comes with miso soup and free tea.

Now, if you're up for light snacks and sweets of various kinds, you can try Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Shibuya. It's one long street full of fun, colorful, and yummy treats for your tastebuds.

Gelato Strawberry Chocolate and Cream Crepe from SweetBox

Cotton Candy from Totti Candy Factory

Zaku Zaku Croquant Chou

ザクザク

(This is heavenly! Seriously. It's crunchy on the outside, with a filling that oozes right into your mouth with every bite! And the sweetness is just right ~ not lacking and not too much. It's a cream puff unlike any other!)

Cheese Sticks from Lotteria

Potarico Salad Fries from Calbee

Gindaco Takoyaki

(located not really in Takeshita Street but just a few blocks away)

Other sweets and snacks we have tried are the following from our tour in Mt. Fuji and Hakone:

Melon Pan and Coffee

Soft Creme in Choco Mint Flavor (above picture)

and Matcha Flavor (below picture)

Also from Asakusa, you can check these snacks out:

(don't know the name but it's round-shape and very sticky)

Asakusa Kagetsudo Honten Peach Pie

(We were ordering the cream cheese pie but it’s already sold out!)

During our tour in Mt. Fuji, we stopped by Yamanashi prefecture and had our lunch set at below restaurant. It was a quiet place with a really nice view of Lake Kawaguchiko.

Lunch Set is served!

from top left to right Salad, Shrimp and Vegetable Tempira, Chicken Teriyaki, Hoto (flat Udon noodles and vegetables in miso soup), Tofu, Rice, Raddish and Plum sides, and Yokan.

For yakitori and beer, Piss Alley is the way to go. But since we were very tired the night we were supposed to visit Piss Alley, we just opted to go somewhere nearer our hotel in Shinjuku - Irodori, which is located at 1-17-11 Kabukicho | 2F, Shinjuku 160-0021, Tokyo Prefecture. Note though that they charge 500 Yen per seat. In return, you can feel that you're eating in a real Japanese restaurant, where you had to remove your shoes before entering a small private room that's usually good for 4 people.

Salmon Sahimi

(just because we can't get enough!)

Yakisoba

Yakitori

There's a really good place to east Okonomiyaki in the back streets of Shibuya (with address 3 Chome-20-1 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001, Japan), named Sakura Tei さくら亭.  We got to cook on our own, which was very challenging but at the same time a one-of-a-kind experience. They also let you cook your own yakisoba, monjayaki, and more.

MOVIE

If you are on a really tight budget, convenience stores are always there to save you. As advised in my full Japan blog, it is advisable to go to convenience stores for at least one meal each day so you don't hurt your pocket too much. There are 3 main convenience stores - 7 Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart. There are lots of branches (mostly every corner), and lots of food to try in each one, but we mostly bought different flavors of Onigiri and Maki. These are priced between 100 - 200 Yen.

Oh, in case you'll be travelling with kids who would plead for some fast food, there's also McDonalds, KFC, Shake Shack, etc. in Japan. As part of our travel traditions, we tried out Japan KFC. It did not disappoint, though KFC in Korea and Singapore is still the best for me. A pack of 3 pcs. chicken, 1 pc. Chicken fillet, 1 side of potato mojos, and 1 side of nuggets, with 2 glasses of drinks will cost you 1,600 Yen. 

We spent less than Php10,000 / US$200 / 21,000 Yen for 6 days and 5 nights, with around 3 meals each day. You can even spend less than this because this already includes our special meal of wagyu and kobe beef which is priced a little high because of the kind of beef served. This costs Php 3,980 / US$80 / 8,330Yen, almost half of our total spend on food.

Kobe Beef Karbi @ 5,800 Yen and Wagyu with Side Dishes and Drinks @ 1,500 Yen. Drinks and additional taxes sums it up to 8,330 Yen..

To have a taste of this affordable yet very delicious special beef, head over to No.1 Yakiniku Shabu-shabu Shinjuku Higashiguchi Store / No.1 焼肉しゃぶしゃぶ 新宿東口店 located in 1F FCC Bldg, 1-8-3, Kabuki-cho. Below is a picture of the place, for reference.