Coming Back With Friends: My Banaue – Sagada – Baguio 2015 Recap Part 3

It’s the last day of this happy trip. We were tired, excited, and maybe a little bit sad — all at the same time.

We woke up at 4:30 because we had to go to Mt. Kiltepan for sunrise viewing. After quick showers and packing of bags, we checked out of the house and drove to the viewpoint.

You’d have to wonder, how beautiful is this sunrise to merit waking up this early? After the previous day’s taxing activities, I know I speak for the whole group when I say that we would’ve wanted more time to sleep and rest. So while on the road going to the viewpoint, with most of us quiet and trying to sneak in more sleep, I couldn’t help but say, this sunrise better be worth it.

And it was… I guess? Haha. Some of us thought it’s overrated. The thing is, our van couldn’t get to the actual camp site because hello, CROWD. So for the nth time during this trip, we had to trek on the rough road, sometimes going downwards, but mostly upwards. And we had to hurry for fear that we’ll miss the sunrise. Trekking this early was the last thing I wanted to do but hey, there must be a reason this viewpoint is famous, right?

Judging by the photos, yes, it was worth it. I’d definitely appreciate it more if it wasn’t so crowded. But I’m not blaming anyone, I expected this much when I RSVP’d to this trip.

After sunrise viewing, we went back to the town proper to get the lemon pies that we ordered in advance from Lemon Pie House. We opened one box when we were having breakfast at Happy House, just across Lemon Pie House — and we didn’t like it. It was so sour, there’s not a hint of sweetness. (Side note: I refrigerated it when I got home and the following day, it tasted so much better!) Happy House, on the other hand, was great! Apart from Masferre’s, every eating place we went to in Banaue and Sagada had super slow service (usually an hour of waiting) and underwhelming, bland food. Happy House, to our satisfaction, not only had great staff but also delicious food. So good that I ordered extra. Too bad I don’t have photos. 🙁

Breakfast was quick. It was time to leave Sagada and go to Baguio.

It was a 5-hour drive from Sagada to Baguio. In between bursts of laughter over jokes and stories, we were able to squeeze in sleep. We stopped over at the Highest Point of the Philippine Highway System, located along Halsema Highway in Atok, Benguet, 7,400 feet above sea level. I was glad I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants and rubber shoes because it was so. freaking. cold.

Next stop was the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet. I’ve been to Baguio before but I haven’t been to this farm. A kilo of strawberries cost 450 pesos but what you’re really paying for is the experience of picking the fruits yourself. If you’re a group, all of you can pick and share one basket as long as you pick a kilo’s worth — that’s the minimum. Or you can do what Emman and Mike and I did. We went it, looked around, took photos (because that’s really all you can take — photos. There were very few strawberries.), and then bought a basket (which was a bit more than a kilo) of strawberries from a vendor inside the farm for only 250 pesos. Not bad, huh?

Outside the farm, there’s every kind of pasalubong you can think of: keychains, shirts, strawberries (cheaper than the ones you pick in the farm), different kinds of wine, walis tambo, honey, veggies, lengua, and a lot more. There’s also strawberry taho and strawberry ice cream.

Also in Benguet is Sitio Pungayan, more known as the fictional La Presa. This destination was made famous by the local television series Forevermore. It was drizzling though (this was the only time it rained during the whole trip — sad for those who backed out), so most of us didn’t get to see the site. According to Rein who was able to go to the actual place, there wasn’t much to see anyway. We didn’t stay long.

The end was inevitable. We were going home… but first, Thomas had to disappear and we had to wait for him before we can leave the place. Oh boy…

The drive back to Manila was mostly silent, except for the times we were bent on our phones, Viber-ing among each other. As Rein said, Internet age = people chatting with people in the same car. >_< Before the trip ended, the group chat Team Tadhana was born on Viber. It’s been more than a month now since this trip, and I can’t remember a day when I didn’t chat with these guys.

Next was dinner in Pangasinan and then another quick stop in a gas station. After that, we took off one by one. I remember coming home past midnight, exhausted and happy, a little bit sad because it’s over, but certain that it’s not the last trip I’ll be taking with these people. For a while I thought that maybe I was just romanticizing things and that life would go on and I would soon forget them. But as I said earlier, it’s been more than a month now and we’ve only grown closer. I attended an event with Elaine a few days after Sagada. Gelo, Gigi, Arlene, Rein, and Mike went on another trip three weeks later. Just a few days ago, I went out with Gigi, Elaine, Gelo, and Claire. And next week we’re going to Mindoro. Now I’m pretty sure that I ended up getting more than what I expected from this trip. No, I did not find my tadhana, but I did find my soul mates. I left with strangers and came back with friends. Come to think of it, maybe that’s fate. 🙂