I stayed once at St. Joseph back in 2007 and I enjoyed it there completely. As it’s located on a hill, when you step outside of the inn, you will get a nice view of the town of Sagada including the mountains surrounding it.

Although you can’t tell by the picture, when I stayed there it later rained for the rest of the day so me and my friend were pretty much confined within the room. It was very cold then so we just had a very nice chit-chat while wrapped in blankets.

The wooden floor and walls got really cold when it rained that day. It was very cozy and one of the best comfortable feelings I have ever felt in my life.

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In all my trips to Sagada, I have yet to visit Lake Danum. They say it is best to go there during sunset and watch the glimmering water and the fading sun beyond the mountains.

Now that would be a lovely sight indeed.

I don’t know but every time I go to Sagada, Lake Danum was just never a priority. I guess it’s because I always go with a different batch of friends, all new to Sagada and they insist on seeing the major sights like the Sumaguing Caves, Bomod-ok Falls and the rest. The lake was just not one of them.

Lake Danum, I believe, is a man-made lake but just as the same, it is beautiful. It’s a 30-minute walk from the town center.

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Yesterday it was reported that Baguio has reached 7 degrees Celsius and that frost have started to form on the crops. The same thing has been happening in other parts of Benguet and nearby Mountain Province particularly in Sagada.

It is generally considered that Sagada is always colder than Baguio so I can just imagine how chilling it is there right now. The coldest I’ve experienced Sagada was when I went there on a February weekend and the coldness was already too much to bear for me who is used to the heat of Metro Manila.

If I only have the time to travel I would go there now to experience the freezing temperature of Sagada.

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There are many Koreans in Baguio City and most of them are there to study English. Now I’m not sure why they chose to be there instead of here in Manila. I guess it’s cheaper and the climate’s probably closer to their own back home.

Some of them would visit Sagada, Bontoc or Banaue.

On my first trip to Sagada, I met a Korean girl named Mei. I was sitting on the bleachers of the basketball court near St. Mary’s Church when I noticed her writing on her red notebook. I introduced myself and she was very friendly and accommodating.

The red notebook turned out to be her diary. I could only imagine what she was writing there because I had a hard time understanding her English and she understanding me. I guess she had just started learning the language.

This is a photo of her. I know it’s a very poor shot but it’s the only photo I had of her. I couldn’t aim right because it was dark and my camera’s lcd screen wasn’t working so I had to use the viewfinder to no avail.

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Two years ago, I went to Sagada with some of my college friends. It was a very fun and memorable trip.

How happy were we? I guess you can tell with our smiles.

It’s me with Andrea and Biela and it was taken beside the St. Mary’s Church.

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My girlfriend will be going to Baguio this Wednesday and stay there for a few days. She’s going to train some newly-hired employees. I would have loved to go with her but I can’t take leave from my job.

Aarrgh! Just the thought that Sagada is just six hours away from Baguio makes my feet itch for another trip.

I just asked her for a pasalubong of a jar of ube jam.

I also just realized that I don’t know anyone in Baguio. Well, other than The Lady Programmer.

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It has been raining for the past couple of days. I’m not sure if there’s a storm approaching, but it sure feels like it. I’ve just closed the windows because the strong winds are bringing in some rain water inside the house.

Whenever it rains, I always wonder if it’s also raining at that moment in Sagada. I’ve been there a couple of times during the wet season and did enjoy my stay even if I couldn’t go out much because of the too much rain. I was even there during a severe thunderstorm back in 2006.

It had been raining the previous night when we decided to leave Sagada. During our trip from Sagada to Baguio, we ran into at least five landslides. There was even this one time when rocks and soil were rolling down to the road right in front of us. We stopped for half an hour before the bus driver and the conductor decided it was safe to move on.

Then the last landslide we encountered was also the worst. It completely covered the whole road so we were stranded for more than five hours! My friend went out and took some shots. Here’s one of her photos of the landslide:

It took two bulldozers about two hours to clear the road. We were able to reach Baguio safely and thanked the heavens that we had a safe, albeit a quite frightening trip.

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When I mentioned to her that it’s a 12-hour trip from Manila to Sagada, she said “No problem”.

But when I told her about 3 hours of that trip would be over rough road, she said “Oh…”

With just the thought of the rough road, my mom changed her mind of going to Sagada. And I can’t blame her. At her age, a less than paved road could easily bring so much aches and pains to her body.

“Can we fly to Sagada?” she asked instead.

I wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. There are no airports in Sagada. The nearest one i believe is in Baguio City.

“Yeah, Ma, we can. As soon as we sprout wings,” I said.

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This photo was taken on my first trip to Sagada. They are the three loveliest ladies that ever set foot there.

They’re Amie, Adeth and Elena.

I seldom see them now and I deeply miss them.

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Yes and no.

Sagada is indeed a great retreat for those seeking tranquility and an escape from the urban life. You can relax under the tall pine trees, beside the bushes filled with flowers, on the fresh and damp grass or on top of one of the rice terraces and wonder at the beauty of the mountains that surround you.

But Sagada is not completely a sleepy town. Try going there during one of the peak seasons when all the inns are packed with tourists local and foreigners alike. When hundreds of people converge in a small and quiet town, the peace is easily disturbed. But it’s the kind that is very much welcomed by the Sagada people.

This sleepy town quickly turns into a place where friendships are formed between two complete strangers. This is the place where they share a bottle of wine to warm themselves, the place where they reach out their hand to help someone climbing out of the caves and the place where you give your last drop of water to a sweat-drenched companion.

Sagada is alive and loud. Not with city noises but with laughter and nature sounds.

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