FIVE DAYS IN THE CORDILLERAS

• I was assigned the tour by Ms. Goya (Mabuhay Guides coordinator) the week before the tour but had to wait for further notice from the tour operator for confirmation. I was expecting a three-day tour composed of airport transfer, whole day city tour and another full day of Tagaytay trekking. I  was assigned to guide the guests the day before departure for Baguio. I received confirmation in the morning and received tour itinerary after lunch.

DAY 1:

• I was at the appointed hotel at 07:30 a.m. and met with Intas representatives Ms Racquel and Ms. Aisa.
• We waited for the guests as they were having breakfast at the restaurant. Eventually, the vehicle service arrived and I had initial coordination with the assigned driver.
• We departed at 09:15 a.m. on board Grandia van with license plate PIM 617 taking the Roxas blvd. – P. Burgos route towards Bonifacio/NLEX.
• The drive was full of interaction between myself and guests as they had been interested in the information that I was imparting. Multiple questions punctuated the commentaries. Apparently, they were mystified by the traffic situation, the lifestyle of the masses, the celebration of Valentine’s Day in the Philippines (as we passed by Dangwa)
• As we reached,  NLEX, we were in animated discussion of the road network, infrastructure, Gasoline prices, and urban development in the country. Our first stop was at the Petron Gas Station. We had to do a detour as the driver missed the San Fernando exit to Bacolor.
• They were fascinated by the destruction brought about by the Pinatubo eruption and took in the sites of the existing Bacolor church and its new museum showcasing  the church’s magnificence prior to the eruption of the dormant volcano.
  
  
• We then proceeded towards the SCTEX road network. We eventually talked about land reform, property ownership, the friar estates and taxation as we passed by part of Hacienda Luisita.
• I continued to answer questions on varied points of interests that they saw along the way in Tarlac and Pangasinan. We made it to Kennon Road around half past one and continued on to the ascent to Baguio stopping by the Lion’s Head and the viewpoint until we reached Baguio.
• We took them on a city tour of Baguio stopping first on Wright Park, the Mansion and then we stayed a few minutes longer in Mines View Park, then we went towards the Panagbenga Gardens, Teacher’s Camp, the Botanical Garden and Burnham Park.
• We finally checked in at Burnham Suites. They were fascinated with the Valentine’s Day phenomena in the Philippines. They couldn’t stand the show at the hotel and they had children with them so they decided to dine in their rooms.

DAY 2:

• They decided to leave at nine in the morning as agreed upon the night before. I brought them to the strawberry farm in La Trinidad Valley where they purchased freshly-picked strawberry and carrots.
• As we climb up the mountains, the trip proved interesting as they were regaled with magnificent vistas along the way. Eventually, we have had to stop intermittently as they young guests were not used to lengthy vehicle rides. Poor kids were getting car sick. It was not only necessary to stop… it was essential! I didn’t want them getting sick along the way.
• The roads were surprisingly well paved but the zig-zagging and hairpin curves proved to much for the party. The six hour drive would have been horrendous but the guests took it all in without much complaint. Apparently there are no mountain ranges in Denmark and the experience was new to them. The longest they could drive from one end of Denmark to another was a total of eight hours which they have never done.
• Lunch break was at Mt. Data Hotel enroute to Sagada.
• It was nearly four p.m. by the time we reached Sagada and it rained all afternoon along the way. The guests were beginning to be concerned over some spots with landslides. I allayed their fears by cracking jokes, assuring them they were safe and by insisting we stop at selected sites where there were nice views.

• The mix-up re. lodging were ironed out and the guests settled in their cottages. I could have paid with the contingency funds but I stuck to what was pre-aranged. It was nearly nightfall and still raining hard. I decided to do the tours of Sagada the next day. It was already cold, dark and the guests were tired.
• I made my way to Masferre for the dinner arrangements. It was a good thing I did. Apparently there was a group that made reservations for buffet dinner. Another group was in a convention at the basement. I came up with plated orders for the guests and brought back the list for them to supposedly pre-order. So I called the restaurant back for them to prepare the dishes at 7 p.m.  They enjoyed the meal and they looked at the photos on the walls. They decided to have coffee after dinner at the Café St. Jo before they settled in for the night.

DAY 3:

• Breakfast was at the St. Joseph Inn which they relished. We checked out of the Inn and proceeded to do the aborted tour the day before. We brought them to the Hanging Coffins, the Burial Cave, then the Sumaguing Cave, they decided to have coffee at this new shop Gaia along the way. Then we proceeded to Echo Valley where the kids had a blast listening to the echos of their voices. They also met other tourists while in the valley.
• We made the trip to Bontoc where I assured them it was a shorter drive. We went on the usual car stops for the sake of the kids who were still not used to long drives. It was lunch time by the time we got to Bontoc. We parked at the Bontoc Museum (closed for lunch) and then led them to Pines Kitchenette for lunch. While waiting for the food I accompanied them to the tiangge that was in place for the Baranggay feast day.
• After lunch was a tour of Bontoc Museum where the guests pored over the collection of photos of Masferre and artifacts of their proud ancestors. We then continued onto Banaue. Torrential rains again poured as we reached Banaue. I checked them in and they  settled in their rooms.
• Who should we bump into but Mabuhay Guide Bryan Ocampo with his tour group on the way to Sagada. They had been to Batad and were enroute to where we left
• The rains prevented us from going to Tam-an. There was just too much rain for the last three days in the Cordilleras. That would have to be done the next day after the Banga-an trek.
• I was just thankful that dinner at the Banaue Hotel was a pleasant one for the tour party. We decided to go to Banga-an at nine a.m. the next day. Arrangements were made by myself to hire the local guide and the jeepney.
• They were all looking forward to this trip after seeing panoramic vistas in the viewpoints in the highest point, Ba-yo point, and the other stops we made.

DAY 4:

• I confirmed the arrangements I made the night before at the front desk. I even borrowed umbrellas for the eventuality of rain.
• I brought my umbrella as well for the welfare of the kids.
• I also advised guests to get ready for the trek and for the weather changes. I brought my all-weather jacket just in case the raingear was not enough.
• The viewpoint stops were enjoyable for the guests. They never stopped taking photos
• The stop at Guihob pool was aborted on the advise of the driver. Apparently, some portions were damaged by the storm Sendong. Ergo, it was not safe.
• At the village the eldest person in the party was gushing over the beauty of the terraces when he got the shock of his life when the woman (terrace owner) he was talking to said she was bored by it and she wanted to get out of there.
• It was like he was doused with cold water in the face. I just had to assure him by saying that for them; “being born and raised there and waking up to the terraces each day was an ordinary thing. Of course, she was bored… like you, she wants to see the world!”
• He said, “ yeah, you’re right! I see your point…”
• He enjoyed exchanging pleasantries with the other homeowner. It started to rain after they had experienced going up to the traditional Ifugao home. The party took shelter in the courtyard of another family. The rain never eased so the umbrellas were a great idea as all of us went up the trail again.
• It was half past one when we got back to the hotel where we had lunch.
• The Tam-an village visit was aborted. The trail was slippery. The rains had not abated. On a morning jog, one of the party had bought a bottle of Tanduay rum.
• After dinner, the party was treated to an unusual experience of a suite of  traditional Cordillera songs and dances as performed by the villagers of Tam-an. This was a special performance for the benefit of all the hotel guests.
• Prior to the performance, I coordinated with guests to depart at 7 a.m. the next day to make leeway for our stops for the kids.

DAY 5:

• Breakfast for guests was at 6-6:30 a.m.
• Departure was at 7:00 a.m.
• The guests were pleased that the hotel had prepared packed breakfast sandwiches for the kids.
• The drive was less harrowing and flatter. Nonetheless we had those stops for the kids anyway.
• The traffic was tied up in some sections along Nueva Vizcaya for the road widening projects.
• As we stopped for petrol in Solano, they were surprised that the security guard had approached out of curiosity carrying an armalite. I explained that it was a safety measure for the establishment. In their country, they say, possessing a blade more than seven inches is a deadly weapon and is prohibited.
• The driver took the road less traveled so it was for them, a new experience. We had to let them know that they had to wait a while for a McDonald’s joint to visit. We stopped at a gasoline station where I suggested they get some snacks for the kids.
• The kids were getting hungry and requested for burgers and fries. We finally found a McDonald’s outlet at NLEX Petron Station in Bulacan. It was nearly three p.m.
• Even here, it had started to rain.
• From there we proceeded to Diamond Hotel for the drop-off.
• They thanked me and the driver profusely. They were looking forward to another trip to Palawan which they had booked online.

OBSERVATIONS:

• The kids were surprisingly patient with the long drives even if they were getting car-sick.
• The children were never rowdy and never exhibited irate behavior.
• The adults were genuinely interested in the tidbits of information that I was dishing out.
• They were also obviously of a high level of sophistication; asking about nice places to dine in and good tasting local alcoholic beverages and wines.
• Tired from sitting in the car, the adults needed to stretch their legs.
• Not all the bookings were honored by the establishments. I had to re-coordinate with the tour operator, or had to be creative.
• No matter how much improved the roads were, images of the land slides along the way were a concern for guests because they had children with them.
• It was not difficult to convince the guests their 20 hour flight and 26 hour drive (in total) was all worth the experience.
• The itinerary was efficiently flexible as it provided for changes along the way.