Ancient Ifugao

I looked around again, re-checking that nobody was in sight. I sat on a large rock on the side of the stream, letting the water drip dry off my naked body in the shade of the dense forest.

Not that I was worried about anyone surprising me – after hiking 20 minutes up the side of a narrow aquaduct into a seemingly deserted mountain basin, I was rinsing the sweat off myself in the cool mountain water.

Town of Bang-aan

I spent 3 days hiking around the stunning Ifugao rice terraces in the jagged, forest-covered mountains  of Philippines’ large Luzon island. Leaving a few cumbersome items behind at the town of Banaue, I hiked to various villages to take in the vistas.

The Ifugao rice terraces are now famous, as they’ve recently been labeled a UNESCO world heritage site. They were built between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago by the tribes people living in the area.

It must have taken huge amounts of planning and building to construct these wonders. The system of aqueducts is amazing, and the tools those people had at their disposal would have been very primitive. 

The most amazing thing, to me, is that the Ifugao people were putting their blood and sweat into building rice terraces that would benefit future generations, because I highly doubt the builders would ever have the chance to reap the rewards within their own lifetimes.

Workers in the field

The day hike I made from Cambulo (the first village I stayed at) to the mountain stream was one of the best hikes I have ever done. The path winds along the side of cliffs and rice paddies, and I sometimes had to sidle along the edge as I passed the bare-footed, simply dressed elders that were going to and from their work in the rice terraces.

Sunrise on the amphitheatre --my room is the close building on the left.

For my second night I stayed in a man named Gilbert’s house which is situated in the middle of an ‘amphitheatre’ of rice fields. At night, the stars from the amphitheatre may be the brightest I have ever seen – Ifugao is very far from any large towns or cities.

Gilbert's son tossing the chaff into the rice paddy after the pounding was done

In the morning I helped pound the rice. The villagers need to pound the rice to separate the grain from the chaff, and usually this chore falls on the children. There is a large, concrete, hour glass-shaped urn that the rice is put in, and then a big wooden club is used to beat the rice. The motion used is kind of similar to chopping firewood.

After about 15 minutes of pounding I had blisters, and had spilled a good portion of the rice into the stones on the ground. Gilbert’s 7 year old daughter took over and was much more effective than me. A very humbling experience.

Tappia Falls after my morning swim

For the first time of the trip I tried using the self-timer feature on my camera for the picture by Tappia Falls. Amazingly, the photo turned out alright! A steep hike is required to reach these falls from Gilbert’s house, and swimming in the cool water below the waterfalls was much appreciated.

A market in Manila -- James is in the striped shirt

Before arriving in Ifugao, I spent a day and half in Manila with my friend James. He generously drove me around to the market, a basketball game, and to and from the airport and bus station. Thanks so much James!

Manila is a big city, and having a local helping me out made it a very smooth experience. My favourite moment was when I was walking around the ghetto near Jame’s house in the early morning, and I ran into some guys playing basketball. They invited me to join, and I shot some hoops with them -- the surroundings were a shantytown, skyscrapers, and a dirty inner city pond.

Also, I went to watch a PBA (Philippines Basketball Association) game in the big stadium. The game was good, but what caught my attention the most was the half-time show. I really think that the Filipino mascots should come to North America and train our mascots. They were HILARIOUS.

Battle pose in front of a church in Intramuros

James also took me to the old Spanish colonial area of Manila called Intramuros. The area is like a small town inside Manila and full of authentic Spanish architecture. It was a good way to get some perspective as to what the colonial period may have been like.

Even in remote Ifugao, Philippines, people know which team is the best!

I had to take a photo of this road worker that I passed during my hike to the Ifugao rice terraces. The guy may not speak much English, but he knows how to keep the dream alive! Go Flames Go!