Have you ever dreamed of a place, far away from it all?
Those lyrics,from the 1950 movie Lost Horizon, tucked away long ago within the recesses of my mind, came back to me, as I sat contemplating my surroundings. I could have missed this paradise had I booked a place in Banawe. Thanks to my nephew for telling me to hold off and to his friend for inviting us to stay in Batad instead.
We drove 45 minutes from Banawe center to the drop-off point for Batad, a small village located in a valley surrounded by rice terraces. We hiked down a mountain which was rough and steep in many places. A tiny female Ifugao, who weighed not even 100 pounds, carried some of our stuff that must have weighed as much as she did, down to Batad. And she did it without sweating.
To my delight, our home for a few days was a typical Ifugao house! These huts were constructed by the friend of my nephew. And for the few days we stayed, I just could not get over the stunning beauty and isolation of this place (that’s right, no signals here for the iPhones) where residents eat mostly rice, salt and vegetables. Meat and fish are hard to come by here. They live simply.
Ifugaos used to be head hunters. And this is the same tribe that carved out terraces on the sides of mountains 2000 years ago, just mind-boggling. And the timing of our visit was just right because rice was already growing, turning paddies to green and gold. Harvest time must be in a month or so.
I watched Ifugaos deftly managing their way up and down the mountains, carrying loads of whatever. Tourists also hiked through the terraces to get to the Saddle which led down to another part of the mountain where the beautiful Tappiyah waterfalls is hidden.
My kind of place, Batad. I hope it stays pure and untouched.
