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. :)