Thursday, January 1, 2015

Sagada Small Town Charm

By the end of November, Christmas season in Manila was starting to make itself felt and by that, I mean the horrendous traffic and increased crime rates. That's why the trip to Sagada early in December was a very good respite from the city life. I was so occupied by the beautiful scenery, the fresh air, the cold weather, the good food, and the challenge of getting a decent internet connection [in order to get work done] to even think about other stressful things.


Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

A random coffee plant behind the church


To be honest, prior to this trip, going to Sagada didn't really cross my mind that much because I'm more of a beach person and maybe also because I knew that the journey is long and grueling. (There are no buses that go to Sagada directly from Manila.) However, I'm thankful that our company decided to go because the moment we got there, I realized why Sagada is such a hit among tourists, local or otherwise-- the small-town-in-the-mountains vibe was very charming.

We stayed three nights in Sagada but because we were working, I didn't get a chance to visit the waterfalls or the caves but at least I was able to see the hanging coffins. I was also glad to try the local restaurants like Bana's Cafe, Yogurt House, Masferre and Sagada Brew. (All of which were amazing and highly-recommended, by the way.)


Echo Valley

The Hanging Coffins of Sagada

One of the interesting things about Sagada is the number of social enterprises and I think that's really good for the community.

Raw coffee for roasting at Bana's Cafe


I'm definitely going back to Sagada. I still need to see the caves and waterfalls and to try more local food!

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