Friday, August 22, 2025

Back in Sagada

 


Im Back to again one of my favorite place to visit.  North! Where the breeze are cold. The winds are chilly. And the clouds touch your feet. Im back at Sagada! I was once again invited by my good friend Kuya Dhenver to go on a trip at Sagada along with my new found friends. They call themselves Aftersix club since they go down drinking after six pm. Anyways Im just grateful they keep on inviting me along since Kaladkarin naman ako. So anyway. Here we are at Sagada! We stayed at Sagada Sunrise View Homestay. Now its operated by Red Doors. You can see them at agoda.com 


The view of the sunrise makes you wanna cry if youre a sensitive prick. Its really beautiful. By the way this photo is not staged at all. I just went outside sipping coffee and I found this. These are the moments that being alive is simply amazing. Its like flying but your feet is on the ground. I really love this place. If ever you wanna go to Sagada, this hotel got the view that ur looking for. 


By the way, its also my first time to step foot on the Highest Point of our highway system. The last time I went to Sagada is by bus. We had no stopovers and were on another route. This time we went by van and this is a different route. I asked our driver , Kuya Abe, to stop so I can take some photos. I needed to pee as well. 




Driving up north really takes balls of steel. Slippery roads. Almost zero visibility. Plus hard rain causes landslides. Just be thankful if you reach Sagada in one piece. I am. We're on a Toyota Super Grandia compliments of Dewen Transport. That van can really punch it. Its darn fast and powerful. And the comfort inside is superb. Makes me wanna have one someday. 

  

One thing I really miss In Sagada is the food. They have this dish called Pinikpikan. I know the way it was prepped was somehow inhumane but thats the way the locals cook it. It has this certain taste. Its different. Its more flavorful. Plus in this soup, they added Etag meat. Its really good. 





Of course Sagada wont be complete if you aint gonna go exploring. The place got too much too offer. You got rice fields from left to  right. Caves. Waterfalls. One thing that I learned is, always wear comfy shoes. Comfy hiking shoes. I wore sandals from Sandugo by the way. Its nice wearing them though since ur feet usually gets soaked by water. It also has traction. Useful if ur walking along mud and rocks. 



 

This is actually the first time I visited the hanging coffins. Its kinda a creepy and amazing. You got to put a lot of hardwork and effort to place those coffins. In my opinion, i think they did this kind of burial coz maybe.. mountains are abundant in the area and I think cemetaries with flat land seems far so they just kept their dead hanging on the cliffs. I dunno. Just my 2 cents. What do you think?



There was a surprise at the end of this trekking journey and it was sweet. Theres a lagoon! The place is beautiful. The water came from the mountains. Its freaking cold actually. What a way to recharge after that long agonizing slippery walk. Stayed there to cool down and went back to our hotel. 




I just hope Sagada stays this way. Simple. Enchanting. A place free from the busy world where chaos is the norm like Manila. A place to recharge as you sip your morning coffee. A place to think. Clear your thoughts. Meditate.




 When your mind is full of traffic. Information overload. Stress. This is the place to unwind. Just by looking the clouds pass through sunrise is a very relaxing feeling. Its one of those moments that I really miss and looking forward to seeing the next time I visit Sagada. 



This is actually my 1st trip that is well documented on video. Like I said.  I am lazy doing these kind of things. I just realized that life is short and these moments should be treasured. The only way to do that is document it. So, I am now dedicated to make an effort to make videos on my next trips! I hope u like this one. 

Many thanks to Kuya Dhenver fot once again inviting me on his trips. Thank you boss KD. Till our next adventure my friend. Just tag me along! 

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Calaguas 2025


Fast forward 2025. I have to admit, I have honestly forgot about this blog. 3 years without a blog post.  Did I  get busy? Well yes and no. Just lazy. Anyway., ived been through a lot of riding the bike lately thats why. I will post some of them soon. And of course, my yearly Calaguas tour. The Island is like the same as ever but better.  What do I mean by better? There are less people. The Island is now in population control. Regulated by the tourism department to preserve its natural beauty. Few years back it was getting ugly due to pollution, over population of guests and the un controlled number of resort operators. Now, Calaguas Island became stricter, Only major resorts are allowed to operate. And the rules became stricter. Hence, the beach is again, worth visiting.



Like before, I still pitch my tent under the tree. As I write this blog, I still remember the fond memories of Calaguas. The time I met Abby. How good it was just chillin by the beach. Drinking while having some bbq. Anyways., it was always good. Always be. Even in memories. Now, i have to make new ones. New memories to cherish. And Calaguas is always a nice place to start.  I really love this Island. For me , the best beach in this country. Been here 22 times. 






I met new friends thanks to my good ol friend Kuya Dhenver. Met Kuya Dewen and his wife Ate Owen. Engr Ronald also tagged along with us! Fresh from Siargao. He really wanted to come with us along with his family. Nikki was also there who just came from US. Mariko and Greg also joined us. Its a fun bunch. Many thanks to our tour org  Josh for making this happen.

 

there goes Nikki enjoying her tan. 



What better things to do in the Island? To drink. Good thing Josh provided us a huge tent where we can pitch our tent. Gave us shade and protected  us from rain. Nice!



As always, food was great. My favorite bicolano dish, Sinantolan was served. Also the buttered seafood platter is always a favorite. This is actually my favorite part in the trip, eating. They serve really good food out there


   

Many thanks to Calaguas Paradise Resort once again for having us. One of the best here in Calaguas Island. If you are not into camping, there are a lot of villas to choose from. They offer good food and their common bathrooms are clean. If you happen to visit Calaguas, i do recommend this place.


 
No doubt, Calaguas is still my favorite beach so far. Yes Palawan beaches is really beautiful. But generally going to Calaguas is definitely on top of the list. Why? because the place is basically spectacular but will not hurt your wallet. This is just me. An ordinary citizen who earns enough. Going to places like Palawan, Siargao, Siquijor is quite expensive due to the surge of ticket prices and hotel accomodations. In Calaguas, i just spent 6,000 pesos all in for 3 days and 2 nights. With this kind of place, its definitely a bargain.





Here's a video I made from that trip.  Thank you once again. Promise. I wont be lazy this time.