Last week, I went to the second anniversary of View Travel and Lifestyle Magazine

in New World Hotel, Makati!

From the expansive (and delicious!) buffet to the very exciting raffle prizes (they gave away plane tickets and night-stays in 5-star hotels!), I think it’s my first time to enjoy a formal event! 

These folks know how to throw a party!

The magazine is a bold attempt to be different and classy. Still quite new to the scene, View offers a fresh perspective on travelling. In every issue, discover captivating places that are within reach and simple people who are making the country proud!

Check it out next time you’re standing across magazine racks? :)

I went to the Million People March yesterday. As what everyone has been experiencing here in the Philippines, our government is both inefficient and corrupt-- a tandem that just keeps screwing us over. People have finally had it, so on our National Heroes Day, we all just sort of agree to go to Luneta and protest against the pork barrel system, or the budget politicians have for their projects. It wasn't organized by any political group or party, and I believe it's the most patriotic we have been.

We are a confused nation; years of colonization and the challenges of having an intricate archipelago have made it hard to for us to distinguish our identity as a people. With over 400,000 participants from all social classes and provinces gathered for a peaceful, non-organized protest, this event is a bold statement to ourselves and to the world that what defines and unifies the Philippines today is our demand for a straight and honest system.

The weather was chilly, but I was walking around this historical event while eating Buko Salad ice candy with friends. What we were doing felt simple yet momentous. We were experiencing the reason why we are a democracy, biting on a sweet dessert, and feeling the blowing winds change.

I could hear the clicking of my sandals against the pavement, and I knew I was in the right place.

Everyone wanted to escape the city, and they do so during the Holy Week. But I thought, when else will the city be empty? When else will I be alone on its busy streets? Along stores that were usually open? In underpasses that were always bustling with people?

I enjoyed myself and wandered around the city abandoned by its residents. 

My thoughts drifted to past civilizations and the structures they left behind. Have they given them justice? Will the city give us justice? A hundred, a thousand, a million years from now, what will the dominant species see? Will these buildings paint a clear picture of who we were and what we were striving for?

I take a look at the bottled water I drank in and ponder about its thousand year existence. What about me, what exactly have I done to be remembered for that long? Have I actually done something significant? Will my trash be my only representative in the distant future?

I couldn’t accept this. I think about waste and how it’s applicable with the time I spent hesitating. The city, in its looming edifice, whispers the urgency to pursue my dreams and do what I love.

So I go back home with a clearer head and a challenge for my legacy to exceed the lifespan of a plastic bottle.

Hopping off a cramped, 12-hour bus ride with no aircon, Uli and I were happily greeted by Kuya Francis, our local guide. The bus arrived late in Bontoc, so he quickly ushered us to the nearest bakery to buy breakfast and head to the Tabuk-bound mini-bus. We almost didn’t make it, and the bus was pretty full. We sat on its roof, in between sacks of rice, wires, and a bunch of other market goods and produce.

The view was spectacular!

After an hour's ride, we arrived at Bugnay.

Uli said that the minute he saw our touchdown point, he knew we were going to be tested.

It would be another two and a half hour hike to Buscalan. With the blazing heat of the sun, a heavy backpack, and the fact that my footwear of choice was my four year old chucks, it was definitely a tiring and challenging climb for me.

We reached Buscalan exhausted but happy to have reached our destination. The village was never colonized, and there, everything’s simple and everyone’s close-knit. Dogs, pigs, and chickens marched freely about. Children played cheerfully on the streets and smiled at the camera.

We did a home-stay at Fang-od’s. She’s 92 and the last tattoo artist of the Butbut tribe. Her family cooked our food for us, and together with three other travelers we soon became friends with, the five of us slept side-by-side peacefully on the floor.

There was no signal there, and in this distant and isolated place, Uli and I bonded without distractions and interruptions. We finally had one other to ourselves. That night, before sleeping, we stayed up late and sat on the wooden planks in Fang-od’s porch. It was foggy, so there were no stars in sight. But we found the overwhelming darkness and silence comforting.

We were awakened by the crows of a lot of roosters the next day, and Kuya Francis recapped our next options. We could hike back with our friends and go to Sagada, or we could go to Tinglayan.

Uli: Kuya, mahirap ba yung hike papuntang Tinglayan?
Kuya Francis: Hindi naman.
Uli: Puro pataas?
Kuya Francis: Konti lang. May patag at pababa.
Mia: Gaano katagal yung hike, Kuya?
Kuya Francis: Apat na oras.
Uli (looks at me): Apat na oras?! PASS! PASS! Pucha, pass!

Hahahahaha! Uli’s Genuine Pass moment! A four-hour hike sounded too tiring for the two of us. But we were curious about Tinglayan, so we asked Kuya Francis how else could we go there without that long a hike. He suggested that we do an hour’s hike to Butbut Proper, and from there we could each take a motorcycle to Tinglayan.

That was the option we took, and I think that was the smartest decision we’ve made on that trip.

The hike to Butbut Proper was so scenic it already reached the point of being cinematic. With us were two Argentinians, two French folks, and a 76-year old German who overtook us throughout most of the hike. A diverse group of people traversing mountains and rice fields made it feel like a legitimate adventure. It was as though we were on an unspoken mission to destroy a ring or find Ibong Adarna.
  

We finally made it to Butbut Proper, and I found the children so adorable and interesting here. Uli and I soon separated from the group to hop on motorbikes and go to Tinglayan.

It’s my best motorbike experience to date! Riding through a beautiful changing landscape on a motorbike for one whole hour felt so incredible and kick-ass! I have yet to do that four-hour hike, but the motorbike experience was definitely, definitely awesome! A special shoutout to Kuya Augus and Kuya Timothy who were our drivers!

With Kuya Francis, our guide

We arrived in Tinglayan and checked in at Sleeping Beauty Inn. We ate a hearty lunch and spent the afternoon swimming and chilling in Chico River.

The next day, we hopped on top of a Bontoc-bound jeep and made our way home. It was a two-hour scenic ride to Bontoc, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Uli and I went to Bontoc museum as well.

I got back in Manila so sunburned. I couldn’t walk normally for a day because even my knees got sunburned, and they really felt sore. The sun didn’t feel like something to avoid there. The cool breeze and the lovely landscape made the heat bearable, and it was nice to reminded that the nearest star had a different kind of importance in this agricultural place.

I haven’t gotten a tattoo from Fang-od, but the people, the culture, and the landscape already have a permanent place in my heart.

Serious tips if you’re going to Buscalan and Tinglayan:

1. I still recommend that from Manila and back, you take the Banaue route. This route offers a lovely landscape and passes by the Banaue rice terraces. My suggestion is you take the Ohayami bus to Banaue, and from there you can take a jeep to Bontoc. We were really disappointed with Cable Tours which is the only bus line offering a direct Cubao – Bontoc route. Going to Bontoc, the bus bonked down a couple of times and we had no airconditioning. Going back to Manila, the airconditioning still didn’t work, and we felt so cheated because it didn’t even use NLEX. :(

2. Break down your bills. It’s difficult to find change there.

3. Bring matches, candies, and sugar. The people there love receiving matches and sugar, and the kids will give you extra smiles if you give them candies. :)

4. Before going to Buscalan, buy your food and market supplies in Bontoc. As far as I know, Buscalan only has one sari-sari store and no market.

5. Sit on top of the bus or jeep to and from Tinglayan. :)